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who had recovered the spoil and taken some 

 prisoners, during the confusion that the Spa- 

 niards were thrown into, thinking it not pru- 

 dent to risk them on the event of a battle, ordered 

 a retreat. 



On his return to Conception, the governor 

 met with the sergeant-major and the quarter- 

 master. The first had not been able to effect ' 

 any thing of importance, as the enemy had taken 

 refuge in the mountains. The latter reported 

 that having taken two hundred prisoners, and a 

 booty of seven .thousand horses and a thousand 

 cattle, he had the misfortune to lose almost all of 

 them, in consequence of a dreadful tempest that 

 he met with on his return. 



In the meantime, there arrived in Chili a new 

 governor, appointed by the court in place of 

 Cordova. This was Don Francisco Laso, a 

 native of St. Andero, an officer who had gained 

 much reputation in the wars of Flanders, where 

 he had passed the principal part of his life. He 

 at first sought to come to an accommodation with 

 the Araucanians, and for that purpose sent home 

 all the prisoners that were in the garrisons, with 

 particular instructions to that effect. But their 

 minds were not yet disposed to peace, the glory 

 of establishing it being reserved for his suc- 

 cessor ; he, however, prepared the way for it by 

 his victories, and by the ten years of uninter- 



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