unopposed.

On his return from this expedition, the toqui was received by his army
with lively demonstrations of joy, and resolved to gratify his troops by
reviving the almost forgotten festival called _pruloncon_, or the dance
of death. A Spanish soldier, who had been made prisoner in one of the
preceding battles, was selected for the victim of this barbarous
spectacle [99]. "The officers surrounded by the soldiers form a circle,
in the centre of which is placed the official axe of the toqui, with
four poniards representing the four Uthalmapus of the confederacy. The
unfortunate prisoner is then led in on a sorry horse deprived of his
ears and tail, and is placed near the axe, having his face turned
towards his own country. He is then ordered to dig a hole in the ground
with a sharp stake, and is given a handful of small sticks, which he is
ordered to throw one by one into the hole, naming one of the principal
warriors of his nation at each stick, while the surrounding soldiers
load these detested names with bitter execrations. He is then, ordered
to cover up the hole, as if to bury the valour and reputation of the
persons whom he has named. After this, the toqui, or one of his bravest
companions to whom he relinquishes the honour of being executioner,
dashes out the brains of the prisoner with a war-club. The heart is
immediately taken out by two attendants and presented still palpitating
to the toqui, who sucks a little of the blood and passes it to his
officers, who successively repeat the same ceremony. The toqui then
fumigates the four cardinal points of the circle with tobacco smoke from
his pipe. The soldiers strip the flesh from the bones of the victim, and
convert the bones into flutes. The head is cut off and carried round on
the point of a pike, amid the acclamations of the multitude, while
stamping in measured pace, they thunder out their dreadful war-song
accompanied by the mournful sound of their horrible instruments of
music. The mangled body is fitted with the head of a sheep, and the
barbarous festival is terminated by riot and intoxication. If the skull
of the victim has not been broken by the stroke of death, it is made
into a drinking cup, called _ralilonco_, which is used in their banquets
in the manner of the ancient Scythians and Goths."

[Footnote 99: The particulars of this ceremony are here inserted from a
different part of the work of Molina, B.I. Ch. iv. containing an
account of the manner