ape across the Biobio with a small party of
cavalry; and, having collected fresh troops, returned to attack the
Araucanians in their camp with no better success than before, and was
again compelled to retire with loss and disgrace.

[Footnote 76: In modern maps, a town called Tolcamando is situated on
the north of the Biobio, not far from Conception, and is probably the
place indicated in the text.--E.]

After this second action, Millalauco was sent with a message from the
toqui to the Spaniards in the island of Quiriquina, whence he brought
back intelligence that Don Garcia, with a large body of troops from
Imperial, was laying waste the neighbouring provinces belonging to the
Araucanian confederacy. On this information, and influenced by the
advice of the aged Colocolo, young Caupolican deferred his proposed
enterprise against Conception, and hastened into the south to oppose Don
Garcia, leaving a respectable force under Millalauco to make head
against Reynoso. Don Garcia however, on being informed of the march of
the Araucanian array against him, withdrew to Imperial, leaving a body
of two hundred of his cavalry in ambush on the road by which Caupolican
had to pass. Though unexpectedly attacked by the Spaniards, Caupolican
defended himself with admirable courage and presence of mind, and not
only repelled the Spaniards with very little loss on his own side, but
cut in pieces a great number of his assailants, and pursued the rest to
the gates of Imperial, to which he immediately laid close siege. In the
mean time, Reynoso and Millalauco, after several severe yet inconclusive
encounters, agreed to fight a single combat, a practice not unfrequent
during the Araucanian war. They fought accordingly a long while without
either being able to obtain the advantage; and at length, fatigued by
their combat, they separated by mutual consent, and resumed their former
mode of warfare.

Caupolican prosecuted the siege of Imperial with much vigour, but
possessed no means of making any impression on its fortifications. After
several violent but unsuccessful assaults, he made an attempt to gain
over the Promaucian auxiliaries of the Spaniards by means similar to
what had been unsuccessfully employed by his father on a former
occasion. Two of his officers, named Tulcamaru and Torquin, were
employed on this hazardous service and detected by the Spaniards, by
whom they were both impaled in sight of the Araucanian army, whom they
exhor