S69 



returned back to demand them of the governor. 

 His claim was taken into consideration; but a 

 raajoritj of the officers, many of \^hom "were; 

 opposed to a peace from tlie advantage which 

 thcj derived from the prisoners^ refused to sur- 

 render the women to the Toqui, assigning as a 

 reason their unwillingness to expose them <o the 

 danger of abandoning the faith which thej had 

 embraced. After many ineffectual propositions, 

 Ancanamon, notwithstanding his resentment, was 

 reduced to solicit merely the restoration of his 

 daughters, whom he tenderly loved. He was 

 answered, that as the eldest had not yet been 

 converted to the christian faith, his request, as 

 respected her, would be complied with, but that 

 they could not so readily grant it in the case of 

 the second, who had already been baptized. 



AVhilc affairs were in this critical state, ano- 

 ther character appeared upon the stage, who re- 

 vived the almost extinguished hopes of the de- 

 sired accommodation. Utaflame, Arch-Ulraen 

 of Ilicura, had ever been the most inveterate 

 enemy of the Spanish name ; and in order to 

 avoid all kind of commerce with the enemy, had 

 constantly refused to ransom his sons or relations 

 who were prisoners. He prided himself on having 

 opposed with success all the governors of Chili, 

 from the elder Villagrun to Rivera ; nor had the 

 Spaniards ever been able to obtain a footing in his 

 province, though it was situated in the neigh- 



