o favour his enterprises.

The governor, who was close at hand with his army, having resolved to
offer battle to the enemy next day, ordered his men to prepare
themselves for battle, and had a skirmish that night with an advanced
party of the Araucanians, who had advanced so near the fort of Arauco as
to burn the huts of the auxiliaries on the outside of the
fortifications. At daybreak, Lasso took possession with his army of a
strong position called Alvarrada, which was defended on either flank by
a deep torrent, so that it could not be turned. He placed all his
cavalry on the right, under the command of the quartermaster _Sea_,
while the infantry on the left were under the orders of Rebolledo the
serjeant-major. Putapichion advanced with his army in such excellent
order, that the governor who had been all his life inured to arms, could
not avoid openly expressing his admiration of the excellent disposition
of the enemy. The Araucanian soldiers, whose heads were adorned with
beautiful plumes of feathers, seemed as if going to a banquet, instead
of the doubtful chance of battle. For some time the two armies remained
motionless, as if observing each other; when at length the signal of
attack was sounded by Quepuantu, the vice-toqui, by order of
Putapichion. The governor then gave orders to the Spanish horse to
charge that belonging to the enemy; but it met with so warm a reception,
that it was broken and put to flight, and obliged to take shelter in the
rear of the infantry. Upon this event, the Araucanian infantry made so
violent a charge upon the Spanish foot as to throw them into confusion,
insomuch that the governor gave up all for lost. At this critical moment
Putapichion was slain; and the governor availed himself so effectually
of the confusion which this circumstance produced among the Araucanians,
that he was able to rally his troops, and led them up anew to the
charge, while the Araucanians were solely intent upon carrying off the
dead body of their toqui. They even effected this, but were completely
defeated and driven in disorder from the field. Quepuantu, the
vice-toqui, exerted himself in vain to restore order and to bring back
his troops to the charge, even killing several of the fugitives with his
own hand; but all his efforts were fruitless, and the Araucanians
suffered prodigiously in their flight, being pursued for more than six
miles in all directions. Many of the Spaniards fell in this battle, the
mos