234 



hy surrounding the place with strong lines, so aS 

 not only to intercept all succours, but also to 

 prevent the retreat of the garrison. From these 

 preparations the besieged perceiving that they 

 must finally be compelled to surrender or perish 

 with hunger, thought it better to die with arms 

 in their hands than to be reduced to this ex- 

 tremity ; they therefore attacked the enemy's 

 works with such vigour, that after a dreadful 

 combat of about four hours, they forced them, 

 and put the Araucanians to flight. Cayancura, 

 extremely mortified at the ill-success of his en- 

 terprise, retired to his Ulmenate, leaving the 

 command of the army to his son Nangoniel, a 

 youth of great hopes, aud much beloved by the 

 nation. 



The young commander immediately collected 

 some companies of infantry, and a hundred and 

 fifty horse, which from henceforward began to 

 form a part of the Araucanian force, and re- 

 turned to invest the same fortress, whose ch- 

 virons he so closely guarded, that the Spaniards, 

 unable to procure a supply of provisions, were 

 at length compelled to evacuate it. Encouraged 

 by this good fortune, he proceeded against the 

 fort of Trinidad which protected the passage of 

 the enemy's supplies by the Bio-bio ; but having 

 fallen in on the road with a division of Spanish 

 troops, under the command of Francisco Her- 

 nandez, he lost an arm in the conteit, after having 



