y his officers, who, either from humanity or a
motive of self-interest, urged him not to give the enemy a pretence for
retaliating by similar cruelties. But Quinones obstinately adhered to an
old maxim of endeavouring to conquer by means of terror, and was deaf to
all their remonstrances. We are ignorant of the loss sustained by the
Spaniards in this battle, but it must have been considerable, as Arauco
and Canete were both immediately abandoned, and their inhabitants
withdrawn to the city of Conception.

Paillmachu does not seem to have been at all disconcerted by the issue
of the late battle, as he continued the sieges of the Spanish cities,
and was himself in constant motion; sometimes encouraging by his
presence the forces that were employed in blockading the cities, and at
other times ravaging the Spanish provinces to the north of the Biobio,
where he did infinite mischief. Having learnt that the siege of Valdivia
had been raised by the officer whom he had entrusted with that
enterprise, he hastened to that place with four thousand men, part
cavalry, seventy of his infantry being armed with musquets which he had
taken from the Spaniards in the late engagements. On the night of the
14th of November[91] he crossed the broad river of Calacala by swimming,
unsuspected by the garrison, stormed the city at day-break, killed a
great number of the inhabitants, and burnt the houses. He even attempted
to gain possession of some vessels in the harbour, on board of which
many of the inhabitants had taken refuge, but these escaped his fury by
immediately setting sail. After this notable exploit, he returned in
triumph into the north of Araucania with a booty of two millions of
dollars, upwards of four hundred prisoners, and a considerable number of
cannon; and rejoined Millacalquin, an officer to whom he had entrusted
the defence of the Biobio during his absence.

[Footnote 91: According to Garcilasso, Valdivia was taken on the 24th of
November 1599. In a letter from St Jago in Chili, dated in March 1600,
and inserted in the Royal Commentaries of Peru, P.I.B. vii. Ch. xxv. the
Araucanian army on this occasion is said to have amounted to 5000 men,
3000 of whom were horse. Of the foot, 200 were armed with coats of mail,
and 70 with fire-arms, _as was said_. They surprised the city at
daybreak without the smallest alarm, there being only four men on guard,
two of whom went the rounds, the Spaniards being lulled into security by
s