This unexpected prospect filled them with delight. They had suffered from hunger for days; but on hastening to the shore they were well received by the natives, who approached them in their boats and offered them an abundant supply of provisions. All were now provided gratis with maize, fruit, and fish; and the Spaniards had an opportunity of coasting the archipelago to the Bay of Reloncavi and of visiting some of the neighbouring islands. Amongst these explorers was the poet Ercilla, who marked on the bark of a tree on the southern side of the gulf the date of its discovery, February 28th, 1558.[P] Satisfied with his explorations, Don Garcia de Mendoza now set out on his return, taking one of the islanders as his guide, who conducted him safely by another less difficult route to Imperial. On his way he founded the city of Osorno, which, owing to its manufactories of woollen and linen stuffs, as well as to the fine gold procured in its neighbourhood, rose rapidly into importance.
Whilst Mendoza was absent on this expedition, Alonzo Reynoso, the commander of Canete, distinguished himself by an act of singular infamy even amongst the Spanish proceedings of the age. He had spared neither offers of reward nor the application of torture in order to discover the hiding-place of Caupolican. Having at length found a native who was amenable to one or other of these influences, he despatched under his guidance a detachment of cavalry, who succeeded in surprising the veteran general. It was not, however, until a gallant resistance from ten of his devoted followers that he consented to surrender—much to the indignation of his wife, who threw towards him his infant son, calling him at the same time a coward for not preferring to die on the spot. The distinguished prisoner was conducted before Reynoso, who immediately ordered him to be impaled, and in this condition to be despatched with arrows.
Caupolican, on hearing his sentence, quietly pointed out that his death could answer no possible end save that of inflaming the inveterate hatred of his countrymen against the Spaniards; that, should his life be spared, he might be serviceable in the interest of the Spanish sovereign and of religion, which the Spaniard declared was the sole object of this destructive war; but that if it were determined he should die, it would be better that he should be sent to Spain, where his end might not be the means of causing fresh disturbances in his country. His arguments were lost upon Reynoso, who, however, was considerate enough to furnish him with the services of a priest. After his pretended conversion and subsequent baptism he was conducted to a scaffold for execution. On seeing the instrument of punishment, the nature of which he now for the first time comprehended, and the negro who was to act as executioner, he was enraged to such a degree that by a furious kick he hurled the latter from the scaffold, exclaiming with dignity, “Is there no sword and some less unworthy hand to put to death a man like myself? This is not justice; it is base revenge.” He was, however, seized by numbers and compelled to undergo the punishment which has consigned Reynoso’s name to infamy alike amongst Spaniards and Araucanians.[Q]
The predictions of Caupolican were soon verified. Fired by unbounded rage, the Araucanians at once proceeded to elect a new Toqui, who should avenge their unfortunate general. The choice fell upon his son, who, collecting an army, crossed the Bio-bio with the intention of attacking Conception. He was met by Reynoso with five hundred men, when a fierce combat took place, in which the Spaniards were entirely defeated. Reynoso, who was wounded by Tucapel, was able with a few horsemen to repass the Bio-bio. A second attack made by him on the Araucanian camp met with no better success. The Araucanians now learned that Don Garcia had quitted Imperial with a large body of troops and was laying waste the neighbouring provinces, upon which their young general renounced the siege of Conception and hastened to their assistance. On his way he was unexpectedly attacked by two hundred horsemen in ambush. He not only, however, escaped without loss, but cut in pieces a great part of his assailants, pursuing the rest to Imperial, to which place Don Garcia had returned.
Imperial was besieged with much vigour; and the young Caupolican, unwarned by the experience of his father, endeavoured to seduce the loyalty of the Spaniards’ auxiliaries. His two emissaries were, however, discovered and impaled within sight of his army, whilst one hundred and twenty of the auxiliaries were hung upon the ramparts. This, however, did not discourage the Araucanian general, who made a violent assault in which his life was exposed to great danger. He even effected an entrance into the city by night, followed by Tucapel and others, but he was repulsed by Don Garcia, whose vigilance was present everywhere, and he owed his safety to a bold leap from the bastion. He wanted patience for the slow prosecution of the siege; and he therefore resolved to abandon it, and employ his arms against Reynoso, in the hope of avenging the death of his father. That officer, however, being joined by Mendoza, was in a position to thwart his attempts. It may be remarked, as a feature of this war, that Reynoso had before this agreed to submit the question between himself and his opponent, Millalauco, to the issue of single combat. The duel took place, but without either combatant obtaining the advantage.
The following campaign was marked by several encounters, some of them favourable to the Araucanians, who, however, saw their numbers fast decreasing before the firearms of their enemies, whilst the Spaniards, on the other hand, were constantly recruited from Peru and from Europe. Caupolican therefore intrenched himself between Canete and Conception at a place called Quipeo. Don Garcia immediately marched thither to dislodge him. Whilst he delayed his attack in the hope of drawing the Araucanians from their strong position, several skirmishes took place, in one of which Millalauco was made prisoner. This fearless warrior, regardless of his situation, severely reproached the Spanish commander with his cruelties, of which he was about to furnish another conspicuous example, being ordered by Mendoza to be impaled on the spot. At this time, Andrew, the native who at the siege of Imperial had betrayed Pran, the secret agent of the elder Caupolican, was now sent by Don Garcia to persuade the Araucanian general, under threats of the direst punishment, to submit to his authority. The threats were no doubt meant in all earnest; but the messenger was ill-chosen, for it was with the utmost difficulty that the Araucanian could restrain himself from executing personal vengeance upon the betrayer of his father. Unlike Charles XII., however, in the case of Patkul, he respected the character of an ambassador. He was not, however, long to wait for his revenge. Andrew being a day or two afterwards caught as a spy, was suspended by his feet from a tree and suffocated with smoke.
Mendoza now ordered a furious attack upon the Araucanian encampment, which was first hotly cannonaded. The Araucanians rushed forth, committing great slaughter amongst the Spaniards. Their retreat was cut off by a skilful movement of the latter, and they found themselves surrounded. Caupolican and his intrepid band nevertheless maintained an equal combat during six hours, at the end of which time he found that his chief officers—amongst them Tucapel, Colocolo, and Lincoyan—were slain. He then at length attempted to retreat with the small remnant of his force; but on being overtaken by a detachment of Spanish cavalry, he slew himself to avoid the fate of his father.
The battle of Quipeo—the Araucanians’ Flodden—seeming to Mendoza to be decisive, he now devoted his whole attention to repairing the losses of the war. He rebuilt the fortifications of Arauco and of Angol, and restored the town of Villa Rica, causing its abandoned mines to be reopened anew. He likewise obtained the establishment of a bishopric of St. Iago, the first incumbent being a Franciscan monk, Fernando Barrionuevo. Of his veteran troops he disposed of a portion by sending them, under the command of Pedro Castillo, to complete the conquest of the trans-Andine province of Cujo. That able officer effected that object, founding on the eastern Andes two cities, named respectively San Juan and Mendoza, the latter being taken from the family name of the governor of Chili. Mendoza, now the capital of a province of the Argentine Republic, has been remarkable in our own day as being the scene of one of the greatest tragedies to which earthquakes have given rise. Whilst engaged in the prosecution of these objects, Don Garcia received notice of the arrival at Buenos Ayres of his predecessor, Francis Villagran, who, having gone to Europe after he had been deprived of the government, had procured his reinstatement from the court of Spain. In consequence of this information, Don Garcia immediately quitted the territories of Chili, the government of which he confided to Quiroga until his successor should arrive. He himself, on his return to Peru, was rewarded for his services by being appointed to the viceroyalty of that country, which had till then been held by his father.
Note.—“They are much deceived that so little esteeme the Indians, and iudge that (by the advantage the Spaniards have over them in their persons, horses, and armies, both offensive and deffensive) they might easily conquer any land or nation of the Indies. Chile stands yet, or, to say better, Arauco and Tucapel, which are two cities, where our Spaniards could not yet winne one foote of ground, although they have made warre there about five-and-twenty yeares, without sparing of any cost. For this barbarous nation, having once lost the apprehention of horse and shotte, and knowing that the Spaniards fall as well as other men with the blow of a stone or of a dart, they hazard themselves desperately, entring the pikes vppon any enterprise.”—Father Joseph de Acosta. Translated by Edward Grimston, 1604; printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1880.