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CHAPTER V CONTINUED WARS WITH THE ARAUCANIANS — DEATH OF CAUPOLICAN DISCOVERY OF THE ARCHIPELAGO OF CHILOE On the 6th of August, 1557, Don Garcia de Men- doza, having, as we have seen, spent the winter months on the island of Quiriquina, cautiously landed 130 troops with engineers at Concepcion and fortified Monte Pinto by mounting upon it a number of guns and by the construction of a moat. The mountain commands the harbor, and thus a strong natural de- fense was secured for a future base of operations. All which proceedings on the part of the Spaniards were observed, and information concerning the same imme- diately communicated to Caupolican by his secret sen- tries. The Araucanian general forthwith collected his warriors and on the gth began a vigorous attack on the Spanish forces upon the mountain, from three sides at the same time, having first sent forward an advance party to fill up the moat with logs. The attack was obstinately conducted, the Indians mounting the mole, some even leaping down within the fortification led by the fiery Tucapel, who with his own hands slew four Spaniards with his ponderous war club and then leaped over the precipice followed by a shower of bullets. So terrible was the slaughter that the ditch 63