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250 A HISTORY OF CHILE and detained by the English pending the termination of the war in the Pacific. During the year 1868, the Araucanian Indians caused considerable trouble in the southern provinces. In an attack, April 25th, upon a small outpost of Chilean troops, the latter were repulsed after several hours of hard fighting and compelled to retreat, leaving twenty- five of their number dead and wounded upon the field, among whom were several officers. It was feared that the frontier settlements would suffer from incursions, and to protect them a body of 1,400 troops, with a park of artillery, was dispatched south under the command of Colonel San Martin. During the following year, the government troops acted upon the defensive. Despite their vigilance, the Indi- ans made several successful inroads ; about two thou- sand of them crossed the river Malleco and robbed, murdered and plundered the surrounding villages. Their object appeared to have been to steal cattle, and in this they were quite successful. But the Chilean troops retaliated ; a party of eight hundred of them penetrated the Indian territories and drove off a great number of their cattle and sheep. The severe southern winter set in and the troops were compelled to remain inactive. The Indians took ad- vantage of this and again began hostilities among the settlements. But in the latter part of the year,some of the chiefs were induced to visit Santiago, where they were received with marked attentions and made to understand the power with which they were hope- lessly contending. They were urged to preserve peace, and given to understand, by the present of a huge orna- mented warclub, what they might expect if they con- tinued their depredations. The Indians were impressed with the futility of contending longer against such