132 



CHAPTER III. 



The Spaniards abandon Puren^ Angol and Villarica ; 



Caupolican lays siege to Imperial and V aldivia ; 

 . Lautaro defeats the Spanish army in Mariguenu, 



and destroys Conception, 



WHEN the rejoicings were over, Caupolican, 

 taking the young Lautaro by the hand, presented 

 him to the national assembly, which had met to con- 

 cert measures for the further prosecution of the war, 

 and after having spoken highly in his praise, attri- 

 buting to him the whole success of the preceding 

 day, he appointed him his lieutenant-general extraor- 

 dinary, with the privilege of commanding in chief 

 another army, which he intended to raise to protect 

 the frontiers from the invasion of the Spaniards. 

 This appointment was approved and applauded by 

 all present, as Lautaro, besides the inappreciable ser- 

 vice he had rendered his country, and the nobleness 

 of his origin, being one of the order of Ulmenes, 

 was endowed with singular beauty and aíFability, 

 and possessed talents far surpassing his years. 

 Their sentiments upon the operations of the next 

 campaign were various. Colocólo, with a great part 

 of the Ulmenes, being of opinion that in the first 

 place they ought to free their country from the fo- 

 reign establishments that were still remaining. But 

 Tucapel, followed by the most daring of the officers, 



