the
victors from the pursuit, which they urged with the most deadly rancour.
After sustaining the violence of the Spanish assault till such time as
he judged his dispersed countrymen had ensured their safety, Rencu and
his companions retired through the wood by a secret path and rejoined
his countrymen.

[Footnote 73: Called Millapoa, perhaps by mistake in Pinkerton's map of
Chili, a place very near the southern shore of the Biobio, and marked
_arruinada_ probably meaning in ruins.--E.]

Before leaving Melipuru, Don Garcia caused twelve ulmens who were found
among the prisoners, to be hanged on the trees that surrounded the field
of battle, and Galvarino, now again a prisoner, was condemned to the
same fate. That unfortunate youth, notwithstanding the loss of his
hands, had accompanied the Araucanian army, and had never ceased during
the late battle to excite his countrymen to fight valiantly, exhibiting
his mutilated stumps to inspire them with fury and revenge, and even
using his teeth to do all the injury he was able to the enemy. One of
the captive ulmens, overcome with terror, abjectly petitioned for his
life; but Galvarino reproached him in such severe terms for his
cowardice, and inspired him with so great contempt for death, that he at
length rejected a proffered pardon, and even entreated to die the first,
as an expiation of his weakness, and the scandal he had brought upon the
character of his nation. After this barbarous execution, by which he
sullied the glory of his victory, Don Garcia proceeded into the province
of Tucapel to the place where Valdivia had been defeated and slain,
where he built, as if in contempt of the Araucanians, a city which he
named _Canete_[74] from the titular appellation of his family. Being in
the centre of the enemies country, he strengthened this new city or
fortress with a good palisade, a deep ditch, and strong rampart, mounted
with a number of cannon, and left a select garrison for its defence
under the command of Alonzo Reynoso.

[Footnote 74: Probably the place distinguished in modern maps by the
name of Tucapel-viejo, about 40 miles south from the Biobio.--E.]

Believing that the Araucanians, whom he had now defeated in three
successive battles, were no longer in condition to oppose his victorious
arms, he went with his army to Imperial, where he was received in
triumph. Soon after his arrival at that place, he sent off a plentiful
supply of provisions for the garrison