190 



tain famous by the total defeat of the Spanish armr. 

 The president, who very fortunately escaped being 

 made jH-isoner, withdrew precipitately with the small 

 remnant of his troops to the city of Angol. Greatly 

 intimidated by his defeat, he there resigned the 

 command of the army to Gamboa, the marshal, and 

 to the quarter-master Velasco, whom he ordered 

 immediately to evacuate the so often destroyed and 

 rebuilt fortress of Arauco. These officers, while 

 conducting the inhabitants of that place to Cañete, 

 fell in with a division of the enemy, which they at- 

 tacked and defeated. Nevertheless, Paillataru, having 

 taken the post of Quipeo, marched two days after 

 against that city with a determination to blockade it, 

 when the marshal came out to meet him with all the 

 troops that he could raise. The battle was continued 

 for more than two hours, and was one of the bloodiest 

 ever fought in Chili. The Spaniards, though se- 

 verely handled, remained masters of the field ; but 

 Paillataru, having in a short time repaired his losses, 

 returned to oppose the marshal, who had entered 

 the Araucanian territory to ravage it, and compelled 

 him to retreat with loss. 



After this success, the two belligerent nations ob- 

 served, till the death of Paillataru, a period of about 

 four years, a truce or suspension of arms. This 

 was probably in a great measure owing to the gene- 

 ral consternation caused by a dreadful earthquake, 

 ^ich was felt throughout the country, and did 

 great injury to the Spanish settlements, particularly 

 the city of Conception, wjhich was entirely destroy- 

 ed. The Spaniards, ever attentive to consolidate 



