ovalle's historical relation of chile. 2Q9 



were fuffered to enter, the Spaniards making as if they were afleep ; but on a fudden, 

 upon a lign given, they rofe up like lions, and making a furious difcharge on thofe 

 entered, the horfe fallied to engage thofe who had remained without, of whom they 

 made a great flaughter. The furprize of the Indians was fo great, that few of them 

 could make their efcape ; but Caupolican, with ten more, faved himfelf by bye-paths, 

 though he was hotly purfued ; the Indians that were overtaken, ftill denying they knew 

 any thing of him, and neither threats nor gifts could oblige them to reveal what they 

 might know before. 



But it being very hard there fliould not be one traitor among many loyal men, the 

 Spaniards light at laft upon one of his foldiers, who was difcontented that he had not 

 been advanced according to his pretenfions, who betrayed 'to them where he was : this 

 man guided them by a fecret path to a place where they could not be difcovered, and 

 from thence fhewed them a very thick wood, about nine miles from Ongolmo, where 

 in a thicket by a river fide, over a precipice, this brave man had hid himfelf till he 

 could get a new army, and rally his men. 



The Spaniards came upon him on a fudden, and furprifed him with the few that were 

 with him ; and though he did all that was in his power to defend himfelf, yet they 

 maftered him. His wife feeing him a prifoner, and his hands tied behind him, called 

 him coward, and ufed all the opprobrious language to him that was poffible. 



Caupolican was defervedly among the Indians the mod valued of their generals ; and 

 accordingly, in an affembly of fixteen Caciques, all fovereign lords, who met to raife 

 an army againft the Spaniards, he had the chief command given him. This was the 

 man who, with fourfcore bold fellows, furprifed the caftle of Arauco, and overcame the 

 Spaniards in a bloody encounter without the city walls : this was he who durft exped 

 the general Valdivia in open field, and routed him and his whole army, fo as there was 

 not one Spaniard left alive : this was he who deflroyed Puren, and facked Penco, not 

 leaving one ftone upon another in it, the Spaniards having been all frighted away by 

 the terror of his name : this, in fine, was the man who managed all the war with 

 fuch fuccefs, by his military Ikill and valour, that his authority was every where re- 

 fpeded. This great man was new, by the means of a traitor, delivered up to his moil 

 cruel enemies. In this calamity he fhewed no bafenefs ; for though he begged his life, 

 it was in a grave way, promifing, in return, to caufe all the country to fubmit to the 

 King of Spain, and to give way to introduce the Chriftian religion. " Confider," faid 

 he to Captain Reynofo, ** that what I promife, I am able to perform, by the great 

 veneration that all my people have for me ; and if thou doll not accept of this proffer, 

 thou wilt do nothing ; fince for one head taken away, there will rife up a hundred 

 Caupolicans to revenge my death, that the true one will not be miffed. I defire not 

 to be fet at liberty, but to remain thy prifoner till I perform my promife." 



All thefe reafons were of no ufe to Caupolican, for he was publicly fentenced to be 

 empaled alive, and fhot to death with arrows, for a terror to the rell of the Indians ; 

 though, as time has fince fhewed, this had no other effed, than to light the fire of 

 war more and more, and make the wound almofl incurable. He heard this hard fei\» 

 tence without any alteration in his countenance ; but he defired with great concern to 

 be baptized. The priefls are fent for, and, after a fhort inflrudtion, he receives the 

 holy ablution, and the character of a Chriftian. After this, the fentence was executed 

 upon him, which he endured with great conftancy. 



VOL. XIV. EE The 



