THE

CIVIL HISTORY

OF

CHILI.

BOOK IV.

CHAPTER I.

The Toqui Antiguenu recommences the War; His Successes against Francis Villagran, the Governor; Destruction of Canete; Sieges of Arauco and of Conception; Battle of the Bio-bio.

THE governor appointed in place of Don Garcia was his predecessor, Francis Villagran, who having gone to Europe after he had been deprived of the government, procured his reinstatement therein from the court of Spain. On his arrival at Cili, supposing from the information of Don Garcia and Quiroga that nothing more was necessary to be done with the Araucanians, and that they were in no condition to give him trouble, Villagran turned his attention to

the re-acquisition of the province of Tucuman, which, after having been by him, in 1549, subjected to the government of Chili, had been since attached to the viceroyalty of Peru. Gregori Castaneda, who had the charge of this enterprise, defeated the Peruvian commander, Juan Zurita, the author of the dismemberment, and restored the country to the obedience of the captains general of Chili; it was, however, retained under their government but a short time, as they were obliged by the court of Spain, before the close of the century, to cede it again to the government of Peru.

But neither Don Garcia nor Quiroga, notwithstanding the long time they had fought in Chili, had formed a correct opinion of the temper of the people whom they pretended they had conquered. The invincible Araucanian cannot be made to submit to the bitterest reverses of fortune.

His losses themselves, so far from dejecting or dismaying him, appear to inspire him with more strength and valour. This constancy, or obstinacy as some may term it, is certainly wonderful, if not heroic. The few Ulmenes who had escaped from the late defeats, more than ever determined to continue the war, assembled immediately after the rout of Quiepo in a wood, where they unanimously elected as Toqui an officer of inferior rank, called, Antiguenu, who had signalized himself in the last battle. He

readily accepted the command, but represented to the electors, that as almost all the youth of the country had perished, he thought it expedient for them to retire to some secure situation, until an army could be collected of sufficient strength to keep the field. This prudent advice I was approved by all. Antiguenu retired with the few soldiers that he had with him to the inaccessible marshes of Lumaco, called by the Spaniards the Rochela, where he caused high scaffolds to be erected to secure his men from the extreme moisture of this gloomy retreat. The youth who were from time to time enlisted went thither to be instructed in the science of arms, and the Araucanians still considered themselves free since they had a Toqui.

As soon as Antiguenu saw himself in a situation to make himself feared, he quitted his retreat, and began to make incursions into the Spanish territory, in order to practice his troops, and subsist them at the expense of the enemy. When this unexpected information reached St. Jago, it caused great inquietude to Villagran, who, from his long experience of the daring spirit of the Araucanians, foresaw all the fatal consequences that might result from this war. But in order, if possible, to stifle the bursting flame at its commencement, he sent forward immediately his son Pedro, with as many troops as could be raised in so short a time, and soon after set out

upon the march himself with a much greater force.

The first skirmishes between the armies were by no means favourable to Antiguenu, and his siege of Canete was attended with no better success. As he, however, attributed his failure to the inexperience of his men, he sought on every occasion to accustom them to the use of arms. length, upon the hills of Millapoa, he had the satisfaction of showing them that they could conquer, by defeating a body of Spaniards commanded by Arias Pardo.

At

To keep up and increase the ardour which this success had excited in the minds of his soldiers, Antiguenu stationed himself upon the top of Mount Mariguenu, a place of fortunate omen for his country. Villagran, who was either too much indisposed with the gout to assume the command himself, or was averse to hazard the attack of a place that had proved so unfortunate to him, gave in charge to one of his sons to dislodge the enemy from that dangerous post. This rash and enterprising young man attacked the Araucanian entrenchments with so little precaution, that almost all his army, consisting of the flower of the Spanish troops, and a great number of auxiliaries, were cut in pieces, and he himself was killed at the entrance of the enemy's encampment.

After this signal victory, Antiguenu marched against Canete, rightly judging that in the pre