annon, so that hardly one of all the Araucanians escaped. Caupolican
escaped the general slaughter of his men with a small number of
attendants, and retired to the mountains, whence he hoped to be soon
able to return with a new army sufficiently numerous to keep the field.
While the cavalry gave a loose to their fury on the Araucanians without
the walls, the infantry were employed within the fort in putting to
death all that had got through the gate; who, finding all chance of
escape utterly hopeless, chose rather to be cut in pieces than
surrender. Pran, discovering his error when too late, rushed among the
thickest of the foe, and escaped by an honourable death from the well
merited reproaches of his imprudent and fatal credulity. Among a few
prisoners taken on this occasion were three ulmens, who were all blown
from the mouths of cannon.

As Don Garcia believed the Araucanian war was terminated by this
destructive enterprise, he gave orders to rebuild the city of
Conception, and desirous of adding fresh laurels to the victories he had
already obtained, he marched in 1558 with a numerous army against the
Cunches in the south of Chili, a nation which had not yet been assailed
by the Spanish arms. On first hearing of the approach of the Spaniards,
the chiefs of the Cunches met in council to deliberate whether they
should submit or resist the invasion of these formidable strangers. On
this occasion, one Tunconobal, an Araucanian exile, who was present in
the assembly, was desired to give his opinion, which he did in the
following terms. "Be cautious how you adopt either of these measures. If
you submit, you will be despised as vassals and compelled to labour; if
you resist in arms, you will be exterminated. If you desire to get free
of these dangerous visitors, make them believe that you are miserably
poor. Hide your property, particularly your gold; and be assured the
Spaniards will not remain in your country if they have no expectation of
procuring that sole object of all their wishes. Send them such a present
as may impress them with an opinion of your extreme poverty, and in the
mean time retire into the woods."

The Cunches approved the wise council of the Araucanian, and deputed him
with nine natives of the country to carry a present to the Spanish
general, such as he had recommended. He clothed himself and his
companions accordingly in wretched rags, and made his appearance with
every mark of fear before Don Garc