Araucania The Indomitable - I

Among the many traditions of Spanish adventures in the West Indies
and Americas, none are more interesting than those concerning
Araucania. Araucania is a province of Chili, which was inhabited by the
bravest and noblest tribe of aborigines. Their courage and patriotism
preserved them from ever succumbing to the invaders. When the rule
of Spain was at length effected, it was through the conversion of the
natives and their voluntary acceptance of a Christian government--never
by their subjugation; so much so, that for years it was commonly
known by the name of "El Estado indomito" (the unconquered province).

Various stories are told of heroism on both sides which deserve a
place beside the noblest and most celebrated deeds of any history. Don
Alonso de Ercilla y Zuñiga was a page in attendance on Philip II. at
the Court of our Queen Mary, when news came of a fresh outbreak
of the indomitable Araucanians. Though a mere lad, he pleaded for
permission to join the expedition which was immediately formed to
quell the insurrection. He presents a marked instance of the best
type of Spanish character--brave and patriotic, and at the same time
chivalrous and generous. The intervals of leisure he could snatch from
the business of the campaign were spent in recording in a heroic poem
(which he wrote on any scraps of paper he could procure, and when
these failed on dried skins of animals) the incidents of the war
which struck his poetic fancy. Far from attributing all the merit to
those of his own side with the spirit of a partisan, he has left a
series of most touching pictures of the nobleness and bravery of his
antagonists. His poem begins, after the manner of the Iliad, with
a list of all the valiant chiefs, detailing their qualities and the
numbers they commanded. Then it goes on to give a stirring description
of their meeting to excite each other to rise in the defence of their
country. There was no hanging back or cowardly fear, every one was
anxious to be foremost to the fray. When they had well eaten, and
warmed their courage with deep potations from their tinajas
of wine, up rose Tucápel the audacious, and declared he was ready
to head the expedition. The universe knew he was the bravest of them
all; and if any one disputed the boast, he was ready there and then
to make it good. Not suffering him to conclude his speech, Elicura
broke in full of boldness, "To me it is given to lead the affair;
and if any one dispute the claim, he must taste the point of my lance."

"To my arm! to my arm," cried Ongolmo, "it behoves to brandish the
iron club."

"Folly!" shouted Lincoya, mad with rage. "It is mine to be lord of
the world, as certainly as my hand holds the oaken staff."

"None surely," interposed Argol, "is so vain as to put his prowess
on a par with mine."

But Cayocupil, shaking his heavy spear, cleared a free space around
him, and roared, "Who will dispute my right to be first? Let him come
on, come on! I can match you, one or all."

"I accept the challenge!" responded Lemolemo, darting towards him,
"it is no effort to me to prove what is already mine of right."

But Puren , who was drinking at a distance, here dashed furiously
through the crowd, and proudly asked who dared harbour so insane
a thought; declaring that where Puren stood no one else could bear
command. When the storm was at its highest, all shouting and shaking
their spears, the venerable Colócolo, the most ancient of all the
caciques, came forward, and silence was made before him.

"Caciques, defenders of the State!" he said, "no desire of command
animates me; already by my great age I half belong to the other world;
my love of you all alone impels me to give you the counsel of the
white-haired. But spend not against one another the courage which is
needed against our common foe; fight not as to which of you is most
valiant, for you are all equal in prowess as in birth and possessions,
and any one of you is worthy to govern the world. But as to which shall
lead in this present expedition, be advised by me: there must be one,
and let the choice be decided by a trial of endurance. Whichever
of you shall longest support a baulk of timber of exceeding weight
without wearying, he shall take the lead."

He spoke, and not one voice was raised against the voice of the
ancient. So the baulk of timber was brought--a vast trunk of ebony
which a man could scarcely clasp round with his arms. Paycabi came
forward to make the essay, and planted it on his broad shoulders;
six hours he bore it with a steady strain, but he could not complete
the seventh. Cayocupil with an agile step walked up to the beam, and
bore it five hours; Gualemo, a well-grown youth, tried it after him,
but could not endure it so long; Argol took it next, but gave way
at the sixth hour, and Ongolmo only kept it half an hour more. Puren
after him bore it half a day; Lebopia, four hours and a half. Elicura
stood up under it manfully longer than any, but at the ninth hour he
gave in. Tucápel supported it fourteen hours, and went round to all
the caciques boasting of the feat; which, when Lincoya perceived, he
tore the cloak from his terrible shoulders, and raising the ponderous
bulk without the least apparent strain, planted it on his back curved
ready to receive it. Then he ran hither and thither to show how slight
was the effort to him. He took it up at the rising sun, and he bore
it till the sun had returned to his rest, and through the dread night
Diana kept watch with him; and the sun rose again upon his labours, yet
he laid it not down till mid-day. And all the people were astonished
to find there was one so powerful among them, and they began already
to attribute to him the honours of the generalship.

Then Caupólican came up to take his turn quietly and alone--from his
birth one of his eyes had been deprived of light; but what was wanting
in his power of vision was made up to him in his surpassing strength.

He was a noble fellow, comely and strong, dignified in his bearing
and made for command, upright and unflinching, and a strict
maintainer of that which is right. His form was muscular, lithe
and agile, deep-chested and erect. With the ready confidence of
assured superiority, he lifted the wood as if it had been a straw,
and poised it gracefully on his shoulders. And all the people praised
the movement with a shout of admiration; then Lincoya quailed, for he
began to fear the victory would be taken from him. But how much more,
when the hours passed by and the hero gave no sign of weariness: he
paced up and down, conquering fatigue by resistance, and increasing his
power by the habit of endurance. Thus through two days and two nights
he never flinched, and then, as if because he had done enough--not
because he was exhausted, he lifted down the weight and flung it from
him to a mighty distance, showing his strength still unimpaired.

Then all the people shouted and said Caupólican was their leader,
and the fear of him was so great, that even those at a distance
obeyed his word as if he had been present. Caupólican first exerted
his command in setting order among his ranks, and assigning a place
to each cacique and his followers. Then he made out a sagacious plan
of attack on the Spaniards, and stirred up the brave Araucanians to
the contest by assuring them of a speedy victory. Some advised this,
and some that, but Caupólican, with his serene word of command,
reduced all to willing obedience.

The Spaniards had set up three forts to strengthen their hold on
the territory, and against the most formidable of these the first
attack was directed. The rising being quite unsuspected, the natives
approached the fort easily; but when the Spaniards saw the horde
approaching, they quickly raised the cry to arms, and sallied out to
meet them with supercilious impetuosity. They soon found, however,
they had no mean foes to deal with; though weary and footsore with
their hasty march, the Araucanians no sooner came in presence of the
foe, than they fought with all the pride and confidence of assured
victory. Resistance met resistance, for hours neither side wavered,
till at last the Spaniards were glad to secure their retreat in good
order into the fort.

Now there was in the Spanish army a brave youth, who, seeing his
countrymen give way before the barbarians, was moved to indignation;
and when the gate of the fort had closed on the last of them, he
stood alone on the drawbridge, and cried to the insurgents,
"Come on! come on, the most valiant of you! One at a time, I will
match thirty of you--nay I refuse not to a thousand."

More than a hundred Araucanians ran hotly to the encounter; but
undismayed, that Spanish youth stood boldly on the bridge, and yet
he called to them to come on. Firm and erect he met them, and with a
well-placed stroke of his trusty sword laid one and again another and
another on the ground. His comrades, watching the unequal contest,
sallied through a postern of the fort, and made a diversion for his
relief. Many such devoted deeds were done on both sides that day;
but it was vain the Spaniards fought like lions, for on and on the
Araucanians poured, and for every Spaniard they were twenty. Then,
when it was useless to resist longer against their overpowering
numbers, they agreed during the night-time to abandon the fort; and
trusting to the swiftness of their steeds, they rode away to a place
of greater safety. So Caupólican and his caciques with great rejoicing
took possession of the place, and laid the fort even with the ground.