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that the success of their enterprise, the very lives of his family, depended upon the decision of the moment. Stay, stay, my daughter!" said he. Bring back the boy, I beseech you. He is not more dear to you than to me. would not risk the hair of his head. But, my child, he must go with the chief. God will watch over him! He will be as safe in the sachem's wigwam as beneath our roof and in your arms. The agonized mother hesitated for a moment; she then slowly returned, placed the boy on the knee of the chief, and, kneeling at his feet, burst into a flood of tears. The gloom passed from the sachem's brow, but he said not a word. He arose, took the boy in his arms and departed.

I shall not attempt to describe the agony of the mother for the three ensuing days. She was agitated by contending hopes and fears. In the night she awoke from sleep, seeming to hear the screams of her child calling upon its mother for help! But the time wore away-and the third day came. How slowly did the hours pass! The morning waned away; noon arrived; and the afternoon was now far advanced; yet the sachem came not. There was gloom over the whole household. The mother was pale and silent, as if despair was settling coldly around her heart. Judge W. walked to and fro, going every few minutes to the door, and looking through the opening in the forest toward the sachem's abode.

At last, as the rays of the setting sun were thrown upon the tops of the forest around, the eagle feathers of the chieftain were seen dancing above the bushes in the distance. He advanced rapidly, and the little boy was at his side. He was gaily attired as a young chief-his feet being dressed in moccasins; a fine beaver skin was over his shoulders, and eagles' feathers were stuck into his hair.

He was in excellent spirits, and so proud was he of his honors, that he seemed two inches taller than before. He was soon in his mother's arms, and in that brief minute, she seemed to pass from death to life. It was a happy meeting too happy for me to describe.

"The white man has conquered!" said the sachem; "hereafter let us be friends. You have trusted the Indian; he will repay you with confidence and friendship." He was as good as his word; and Judge W. lived for many years in peace with the Indian tribes, and succeeded in laying the foundation of a flourishing and prosperous community.

Repentance:

A GERMAN PARABLE.

A CERTAIN farmer reared with his own hands a row of noble fruit trees. To his great joy they produced their first fruit, and he was anxious to know what kind it was.

And the son of his neighbor, a bad boy, came into the garden, and enticed the young son of the farmer, and they went and robbed all the trees of their fruit before it was fully ripe.

When the owner of the garden came and saw the bare trees, he was very much grieved, and cried, Alas! why has this been done? Some wicked boys have destroyed my joy!

This language touched the heart of the farmer's son, and he went to his companion, and said, Ah! my father is grieved at the deed we have committed. I have no longer any peace in my mind. My father will love me no more, but chastise me in his anger, as I deserve.

But the other answered, You fool, your father knows nothing about it, and will never hear of it. You must carefully conceal it from him, and be on your guard.

And when Henry, for this was the name of the boy, came home, and saw the smiling countenance of his father, he could not return his smile; for he thought, how can I appear cheerful in the presence of him whom I have deceived? I cannot look at myself. It seems as if there were a dark shade in my heart.

Now the father approached his children, and handed every one some of the fruit of autumn, Henry as well as the others. And the children jumped about delighted, and ate. But Henry concealed his face, and wept bitterly.

Then the father began, saying, My son, why do you weep ?

And Henry answered, Oh! I am not worthy to be called your son. I can no longer bear to appear to you otherwise than what I am, and know myself to be. Dear father, manifest no more kindness to me in future, but chastise me, that I may dare approach you again, and cease to be my own tormentor. Let me severely atone for my offence, for behold, I robbed the young trees!

Then the father extended his hand, pressed him to his heart, and said, I forgive you, my child! God grant that this may be the last, as well as the first time, that you will have any action to conceal. Then I will not be sorry for the trees.

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Santaro leading the Araucanians to battle.por wed

Sketches of the Manners, Customs, &c., of the Indians of America.

CHAPTER XII.

Chili continued.-The Araucanians attack the Spaniards. Valdivia, the Spanish general, enters the territory of the Republic.-Founds cities. Is defeated and slain.-The Spaniards are driven from the country.-Santaro slain. In the preceding chapter, I have given an account of the customs and manVOL. III.

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ners of that nation in Chili called Araucanians. The country inhabited by this brave nation is one of the finest in South America. It lies on the seacoast, and is calculated to be 186 miles in length, and its breadth from the sea to the Andes is over 300 miles.

But it is not the size of territory, or

its fertility, or beautiful climate which parts. It was a beautiful place, and excites our interest; it is the character abounded with every convenience of and the deeds of a free and noble-spirited people, fighting for their homes and country. I shall briefly recount their wars with the Spaniards, from the time of the first battle in 1550, till the time when the Spaniards were completely driven from the Araucanian territory,

in 1692.

The first battle was fought in the country of the Pemones, a nation occupying the north bank of the Biobio, a river which separates the Araucanian territory from the other nations of Chili. The Araucanians, finding the Spaniards had conquered all that part of Chili which had been subjected to Peru, and were advancing towards their province, did not wait to be invaded, but boldly marched to seek the white men.

Valdivia commanded the Spanish forces; he had been in many battles in Europe as well as America, but he declared that he had never before been in such imminent danger. The Araucanians rushed on, without heeding the musketry, and fell at once upon the front and flanks of the Spanish army. The victory was long doubtful; and though the Araucanians lost their chief, and finally withdrew from the field, the Spaniards were in no condition to follow them.

Not in the least discouraged, the brave Indians collected another army, and chose a new toqui, named Lincoyan. This commander was a great man in size, and had the show of being brave, but he was not so; and during the time he held the office of toqui, no battle of consequence was fought with the Spaniards.

Valdivia soon improved these advantages. He advanced into the Araucanian country, and founded a city on the shores of the Canten, a river that divides the republic into two nearly equal

life. The Spaniards felt highly gratified with their success. Valdivia called the name of their new city Imperial, and he prepared to divide the country among his followers, as Pizarro had divided Peru. Valdivia gave to Villagran, his lieutenant-general, the province of Maquegua, called by the Araucanians the key of their country, with thirty thousand inhabitants. The other officers had also large shares.

Valdivia received reinforcements from Peru, and he continued to advance, and, in a short time, founded a second city, which he named from himself, Valdivia; and then a third, which he called the City of the Frontiers. He also built a number of fortresses, and so skilfully disposed his forces that he thought the people were completely subdued. He did not gain all these advantages without great exertions. He was often engaged in battles with the Indians, but the toqui was a timid and inefficient commander, and the spirit of the brave Araucanians seemed to have forsaken them.

However, men who have been accus tomed to freedom, are not easily reduced to that despair which makes them peaceable slaves. The Araucanians at length roused themselves, and appointed a new toqui.

There was an old man,

named Colocolo, who had long lived in retirement, but his country's wrongs and danger impelled him to action. He traversed the provinces, and exhorted the people to choose a new toqui. They assembled, and, after a stormy debate, they requested Colocolo to name the toqui. He appointed Caupolicon, ulmen of Tucupel.

He was a man of lofty stature, uncommon bodily strength, and the majesty of his countenance, though he had lost one eye, was surpassing. The

qualities of his mind were as superior as his personal appearance. He was a serious, patient, sagacious, and valiant man, and the nation applauded the choice of Colocolo.

Having assumed the axe, the badge of his authority, Caupolicon appointed his officers, and soon marched with a large army to drive the Spaniards from the country. He took and destroyed the fortress of Arauco, and invested that of Tucupel. Valdivia, hearing of this, assembled his troops and marched against the Indians. He had about two hundred Spaniards and five thousand Indian auxiliaries, Promancians and Peruvians, under his command. Caupolicon had about ten thousand troops.

The two armies met on the third of December, 1553. The fight was desperate and bloody. The Spaniards had cannon and musketry-but the brave Araucanians were on their own soil, and they resolved to conquer or die. As fast as one line was destroyed, fresh troops poured in to supply the places of the slain. Three times they retired beyond the reach of the musketry, and then, with renewed vigor, returned to the attack.

At length, after the loss of a great number of their men, they were thrown into disorder, and began to give way. At this momentous crisis, a young Araucanian, named Santaro, of sixteen years of age, grasping a lance, rushed forward, crying out, "Follow me, my countrymen! victory courts our arms!" The Araucanians, ashamed at being surpassed by a boy, turned with such fury upon their enemies, that at the first shock they put them to rout, cutting in pieces the Spaniards and their Indian allies, so that of the whole army only two of the latter escaped. Valdivia was taken prisoner. Both Caupolicon and Santaro intended to spare his life, and treat

him kindly, but while they were deliberating on the matter, an old ulmen, of great authority in the country, who was enraged at the perfidy and cruelty the Spaniards had practised on the Indians, seized a club, and, at one blow, killed the unfortunate prisoner. He justified the deed by saying that the Christian, if he should escape, would mock at them, and laugh at his oaths and promises of quitting Chili.

The Araucanians held a feast and made great rejoicings, as well they might, on account of their victory. After these were over, Caupolicon took the young Santaro by the hand, presented him to the national assembly, and, after praising him for his bravery and patriotism in the highest terms, he appointed the youth lieutenant-general extraordinary, with the privilege of commanding in chief another army, which was to be raised to protect the frontiers from the Spaniards. This was a great trust to be committed to a youth of sixteen.

The Spaniards were overwhelmed with their misfortunes, and, dreading the approach of the Indians, they abandoned all the places and fortified posts, except the cities of Imperial and Valdivia, which had been established in the Araucanian country. Caupolicon immediately besieged these two places, committing to Santaro the duty of defending the frontier.

In the meantime the two soldiers who escaped from the battle, fled_to_the Spanish cities established in the Promancian territory, and roused them to attempt another expedition. Francis Villegran was appointed commander, to succeed Valdivia, and an army of Spaniards and their Indian allies soon began their march for Arauco.

Villegran crossed the Biobio without opposition, but immediately on entering the passes of the mountains he was at

tacked by the Indian army under Santaro. Villegran had six pieces of cannon, and a strong body of horse, and he thought, by the aid of them, he could force the passage. He directed an incessant fire of cannon and musketry to be kept up; the mountain was covered with smoke, and resounded with the thunder of the artillery and the whistling of bullets. Santaro, in the midst of this confusion, firmly maintained his post; but finding that the cannon was sweeping down his ranks, he directed one of his bravest captains to go with his company, and seize the guns. "Execute my order," said the young Santaro, or never again come into my pres

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The brave Indian and his followers rushed with such violence upon the corps of artillery, that the Spanish soldiers were all either killed or captured, and the cannon brought off in triumph to Santaro. In fine, the Araucanians gained a complete victory. Of the Europeans and their Indian allies, three thousand were left dead upon the field, and Villegran himself narrowly escaped being taken prisoner. The city of Conception fell into the hands of Santaro, who, after securing all the booty, burned the houses and razed the citadel to its foundation.

These successes stimulated the young chief, Santaro, to carry the war into the enemy's country. Collecting an army of six hundred men, he marched to the attack of Santiago, a city which the Spaniards had founded in the Promancian territory, more than three hundred miles from the Araucanians. Santaro reached Santiago, and in several battles against the Spaniards was victorious; but, at length, betrayed by a spy, he was slain in a skirmish with the troops of Villegran; and his men, refusing to surrender to those who had slain their beloved general, fought, like the Spar

tans, till every Araucanian perished! The Spaniards were so elated with their victory, that they held public rejoicings for three days at Santiago.

But the memory of Santaro did not perish with his life. He was long deeply lamented by his countrymen, and his name is still celebrated in the heroic songs of his country, and his actions proposed as the most glorious model for the imitation of their youth. Nor did the Spaniards withhold their tribute of praise to the brave young patriot. They called him the Chilian Hannibal.

"It is not just," said a celebrated Spanish writer, "to depreciate the merit of the American Santaro, that wonderful young warrior, whom, had he been ours, we should have elevated to the rank of a hero."

But the history of battles and sieges, all having the same object, on the part of the Spaniards that of conquest, on the part of the Araucanians the preservation of their liberties and independence, will not be profitable to detail. Suffice it to say, that from the fall of Santaro in 1556, till peace was finally established between the Spaniards and Araucanians in 1773, a series of battles, stratagems, and sieges, are recorded, which, on the part of the Araucanians, were sustained with a perseverance and power, such as no other of the Indian nations in America have ever displayed. Nor were their victories stained with cruelty or revenge.

The Spaniards obtained many triumphs over the haughty freemen; and I regret to say that they did not use their advantages in the merciful spirit of Christianity. Probably, if they had done so, they might have maintained their authority.

But the Spaniards went to America to gain riches; they indulged their avaricious propensities till every kind and generous feeling of humanity seems to have been extin

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