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At this period, 1592, there was among the 

 Araucanians a Spaniard who had been made 

 prisoner in one of the former battles, and who 

 by his ingratiating manners had obtained the 

 esteem and confidence of the principal men of 

 the nation. This man, either from gratitude for 

 the treatment he had received, or at the insti- 

 gation of the governor, applied himself to effect 

 a treaty of peace with great hopes of success ; 

 but the preliminary conditions proposed by him 

 not proving agreeable to either of the parties, all 

 his endeavours were ineffectual. The governor, 

 irritated at the ill success of his proposals^ set 

 out on his march with all his array for the pro- 

 vince of Tucapel, laying waste with fire and 

 sword all that fell in his way. 



Paillaeco, who had been elected To qui in 

 place of Quintuguenu, thinking himself not suf- 

 ficiently strong to oppose the enemy openly, re- 

 solved to draw them into an amhuscade. For 

 this purpose he placed a hundred men on horse- 

 back at the entrance of a wood, within which he 

 had concealed the remainder of liis forces, with 

 orders for, them to counterfeit flight on the ap- 

 pearance of the enemy. This scheme at first 

 promised success ; the Spaniards pursued them, 

 but discovering in time that it was only a stra- 

 tagem, they turned back and pretended to fly 

 themselves, in order to induce their enemies to 

 quit the wood and attack them in the open field. 



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