Claudio Gay
Claude Gay, often named Claudio Gay in Spanish texts, (March 18, 1800 – November 29, 1873), was a French botanist, naturalist and illustrator. This explorer carried out some of the first investigations about Chilean flora, fauna, geology and ge ...
Mapuche
The Mapuche ( (Mapuche & Spanish: )) are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who sha ...
''
toqui
Toqui (or Toki) ( Mapudungun for ''axe'' or ''axe-bearer'') is a title conferred by the Mapuche (an indigenous Chilean and Argentinian people) on those chosen as leaders during times of war. The toqui is chosen in an assembly or parliament ('' ...
'' (leader) elected in 1586 following the death in battle of the previous toqui,
Cadeguala Cadeguala or ''Cadiguala''Pedro Mariño de Lobera, CRÓNICA DEL REINO DE CHILE, Cap. XXXV: Diego de Rosales, “Historia General del Reino de Chile”, Flandes Indiano, Tomo II, Capítulos LII, LIII, LIV was a Mapuche toqui elected in 1585 following ...
, killed in a duel with the garrison commander of the Spanish fort at
Purén
Purén is a city (2002 pop. 12,868) and commune in Malleco Province of La Araucanía Region, Chile. It is located in the west base of the Nahuelbuta mountain range (650 km. south of Santiago). The economical activity of Purén is based in fo ...
in 1586. He returned to continue the siege and forced the Spanish to evacuate the fort, which he then destroyed.
He then directed his army against the Spanish fort newly built on the heights of
Marihueñu
Marihueñu or Marigueno is a large hill in the Nahuelbuta Range near the coast in the Lota, Chile, Lota commune of the Bío Bío Region of southern Chile. Its name is from the Mapudungun ''mari'', "ten" and ''huenu'', "heights". This height was w ...
but finding it too strongly held to attack he diverted his attacks against the newly established fort of
Espíritu Santo
Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census.
Geography
The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific regio ...
, in the valley of
Catirai Catirai or Catiray is the region of the Moluche Aillarehue of Catiray in old Araucanía. It is now the Santa Juana commune of the Concepción Province and the Nacimiento commune of the Bío Bío Province of the Bío Bío Region, of Chile. It ...
where the
Tavolevo River
Tavolevo River, a tributary of the Biobío River. in Chile. It has two tributaries the Culenco River flowing southeast from the Nahuelbuta Range in the Catirai region and the Nicodahue River that flows north from the La Araucanía Region and its ...
meets the
Bio Bio River
Bio or BIO may refer to:
Computing
* bio(4), a pseudo-device driver in RAID controller management interface in OpenBSD and NetBSD
* Block I/O, a concept in computer data storage
Politics
* Julius Maada Bio (born 1964), Sierra Leonean politicia ...
and the fort of
Santísima Trinidad Santisima Trinidad (meaning ''Most Holy Trinity'' in Spanish) may refer to:
Places
* Santísima Trinidad (fort), a fortress that once existed on the Bio Bio River in Bio Bío province, Chile
* Santísima Trinidad (Asunción), a barrio (district) ...
on the opposite shore. The governor
Alonso de Sotomayor
Alonso de Sotomayor y Valmediano (; 1545–1610) was a Spanish conquistador from Extremadura, and a Royal Governor of Chile.
Early life
He was born in Trujillo, in the province of Extremadura, the son of Gutiérrez de Sotomayor e Hinojosa an ...
, evacuated Trinidad in 1591.
While he was toqui in the south near Villa Rica, the female leader Janequeo led Mapuche and
Pehuenche
Pehuenche (or ''Pewenche'', people of the "pehuen" or "pewen" in Mapudungun) are an indigenous people of South America. They live in the Andes, primarily in present-day south central Chile and adjacent Argentina. Their name derives from their de ...
warriors against the Spanish.
The old toqui Guanoalca died at the end of 1590, and in 1591,
Quintuguenu Quintuguenu the Mapuche Toqui in the Arauco War elected in 1591 following the death of the old toqui Guanoalca. He was killed in battle the same year. Paillaeco
Paillaeco was elected Toqui in 1592 in place of Quintuguenu after Quintuguenu's defe ...