202 OVALLE S HISTORICAL RELATION OF CHILE. 



the Indians. In this hard conflid:, at laft the refolution that prevailed was to abandon 

 the city, without pretending to fave any thing but their Hves. They leave the city 

 then, and all the gold they had got together in fuch quantities. They go out in long 

 files, the mothers helping their little children along : the way that they undertook, was 

 to the city of St. Jago, a long one, in which many rivers were to be crofled, and hard 

 pafles to be gone through : this labour was accompanied with the perpetual fright of the 

 enemies* purfuing them. Who can relate the hardfliips of hunger and other fuiferings, 

 through fo long a tra£t of mountains, defarts, and uninhabited countries ? How the 

 women, the children, the old men, could bear this fatigue, we mud leave to imagina- 

 tion to reprefent the true idea of thefe misfortunes ! Let us therefore return to the 

 Indians. The Spaniards had hardly made an end of abandoning the city, when the 

 Indians entered into it ; and not being able to execute their rage upon the inhabitants, 

 they did it upon the houfes, to which they fet fire, and confumed them to the very 

 foundation, killing even the very animals which the Spaniards left behind them. Thus 

 was loft the city moft abounding in gold, and fiiuated in the moft populous part of the 

 Indian country ; for it is faid there were not lefs than a hundred thoufand Indians, with 

 their families, who were all employed in gathering gold for the Spaniards, whom they 

 enriched to that degree, that Pedro de Valdivia, if he had lived, would have had fifty 

 thoufand crowns of gold a-year, and others twenty and thirty thoufand. 



This burning of the city being over, news was brought, that Caupolican had called 

 a great affembly in Arauco, which made Lautaro return with his people to be at it. 

 When the two generals of the Araucanos met, they greeted one another for the vic- 

 tories obtained over the Spaniards ; and, in fign of triumph, one hundred and thirty 

 Caciques, all dreffed themfelves in the Spanifh drefs, with the cloths they took from 

 the Spaniards killed in the battle. The general had Valdivia*s cloths, which were, as 

 it is reported, of green velvet, laced with gold lace, a back and breaft of well-tempered 

 fteel, and a helmet with a great emerald for creft. All having feated themfelves in 

 order by the general's command, he propofed to them the defign of conquering back 

 all that was gained from them by the Spaniards, who now were fo dejefted with their 

 lofs. They all agreed to his defire, every one delivering his opinion with great pride 

 and arrogance. It is faid, that the old and prudent Colocolo, hearing them deliver 

 their opinions with fo much infolence and prefumption, that it looked as if all the world 

 was too weak to refift their valour, humbled them a little, by putting them in mind, 

 that if they had obtained two viftories, the Spaniards had gained many more over them, 

 and had made them ferve as flaves ; therefore, that they ought to behave themfelves 

 with moderation and temper, that they might expeft fuccefs from their arms ; and 

 added, that it was his opinion, that they fhould divide their forces into three parts, and, 

 at the fame time, aflault the city of the Imperial. 



Puchecalco, a famous conjuring Cacique, following the fame thought of humbling the 

 intolerable haughtinefs of the affembly, told them, that they might give over their pre- 

 fumption, for he was to acquaint them, that, having confulted his oracles, they had 

 anfwered him, " that though at prefent they were fo viftorious, yet at laft they were to 

 live under the Spanifti yoke in perpetual ilavery.'* The Cacique Tucapel could not 

 bear to hear this ; and rifing from his place, with his mace of arms gave him fuch a 

 blow as took away his Hfe. The general was highly offended at this infolence, and, 

 being refolved to chaftife the author of it, the whole affembly was difturbed ; and 

 though they all endeavoured to lay hold on the murderer, yet he defended himfelf fo 

 well with his mace of arms, that it was not eafy to feize him : but Lautaro, who had 



8 great 



