Meanwhile, in the north the victories of Lautauro led to uprisings by the previously subdued Promaucaes of Gualemo and the Picunche in the Aconcagua Valley, but these were put down.

[3] In 1556, the Promauces sent a message to the Mapuche of Arauco promising food to support their army and warriors to join it in a war against the Spanish in Santiago.

[5] But when he entered the places subject to Santiago, he began taking reprisals against the Promaucaes who refused to join him, doing great damage and depopulating the land.

[6] After he was victorious over the first probe from Santiago of twenty Spanish horsemen under Diego Cano, Lautaro built an earthen fort around his camp flooding the land around it to hamper the Spaniards from attacking it.

Later a larger force under Pedro de Villagra sent from Santiago clashed with Lautaro's army in and around their fortress in Peteroa over a few days, killing 500 of their number for the loss of two Spaniards but were not able to take the position.