ubject, I found my conjecture perfectly right; and they
acknowledged, when I named Chiloe, Valdivia, and other places in Chili,
that these were the places they alluded to under the description of
European settlements, and seemed amazed that I should know that such
places existed.'"

[Footnote 97: Falkner, Ch. iv. p. 112.]

SECTION X.

_Farther Narrative of the War, to the Conclusion of Peace with the
Araucanians_.

While Alonzo Rivera applied himself with every possible energy to check
the progress of the Araucanians and to guard the frontier of the Biobio,
he was removed, from the government of Chili to that of Tucuman, as a
punishment for having presumed to marry the daughter of the celebrated
heroine Innes Aguilera, without having obtained the royal permission. On
this occasion Garcia Ramon was reinstated in the government, and
received at the same time with his commission a reinforcement of a
thousand men from Europe and two hundred and fifty from Mexico. Being
now at the head of three thousand regular troops, besides a
considerable auxiliary force, he invaded Araucania and penetrated
without opposition into the province of Boroa[98] where he erected a
fort, which he furnished with a considerable number of cannon, and in
which he left a garrison of three hundred men under the command of
Lisperger, a German officer formerly mentioned.

[Footnote 98: The province of Boroa, formerly mentioned as the residence
of a tribe much whiter in their colour than the other natives of South
America, lies at the foot of the Andes between the heads of the rivers
Hueco and Tolten, to the eastward of the ruins of Villarica.--E.]

Immediately after the return of the invading army into Spanish Chili,
the new toqui Huenecura proceeded to attack this new establishment.
While on his march he fell in with Lisperger, who had gone out from the
fort at the head of an hundred and sixty of his men to protect a convoy;
and immediately attacked the Spaniards with such fury that he cut the
whole detachment in pieces, and the commander among the rest. After this
first successful essay of his arms, he proceeded without delay against
the fort, which he made three several attempts to take by storm; but was
repelled with so much skill and valour by Gil Negrete who had succeeded
Lisperger in the command, that after an obstinate combat of two hours he
was obliged to desist from the attempt to storm, and established a close
blockade. This was co