Having heard all that he had to say, I set out on my journey, in the name of God Almighty, in the year 1552, on the twenty-sixth of December, St. Stephen’s Day. And I left Riodellaplata[265] from the town Noster Signora desumsion with twenty Indians in two canoes. We firstly came, after twenty-six miles distance, to a place called Jubericha Sabaija[266]; in that place four other companions joined themselves to me—two Spaniards and two Portuguese, but they were without grant of leave from the commander.
[265] Rio de la Plata was the official name of this country, i.e., Gobernacion del Rio de la Plata. In the year 1618 it was divided into three provinces—Paraguai, Guaira, and Buenos Ayres.
[266] Juberich Sabaije has been identified with Yeruquihaba; cf. supra, p. [58].
From there we went off together, and at the end of fifteen miles came to a place called Gabaretha.[267] After this we went sixteen miles in four days to a place called Bareia,[267] and from there in nine days or fifty-four miles we came to a place called Bareda,[267] where we stayed for two days, in search of victual and canoes, because we had to go up the river Paranaw[268] for a distance of one thousand miles; and then we came to a place called Gienugia,[267] where we remained four days. As far as this place the country belongs to H. I. Majesty, and is peopled by the Carios.
[267] These names are not known, and it is impossible to find out what Schmidt meant.
[268] Paraná.
Beyond it begins the territory of the King of Portugal, or the land of the Tapis.[269] We had now to leave the Paranaw, and our canoes, and walk to the Tapis; for six weeks we traversed deserts, mountains, and valleys, and could not sleep for fear of the wild beasts. From the said place, Gienugia, to these Tapis the distance is one hundred and twenty-six miles. This nation of Tapis eat their enemies, have no other occupation but waging war, and when they have conquered their enemies, they bring them to their place as prisoners, with great solemnity, as they do here in Germany at the time of a marriage. And when they prepare to slaughter their captives they make a great ceremony. They give their prisoner all he wishes for or lusts after: women with whom he may have intercourse, and meals to his heart’s content, up to the hour that he has to die. Their delight and joy consist in making war. They drink and eat enormously, are full day and night; they are also fond of dancing, and lead such an Epicurean life that it is not possible to describe it. It is a fierce, ambitious, and arrogant people; they make wine of Turkish corn, becoming as drunk upon it as if they were drinking the best of wines. They speak the same language as the Carios, with only a very slight difference.
[269] Tapis, writes here Schmidt, and this is the Guaraní name of the tribes south of Brazil, as was given by Father Anchieta and others contemporary to the conquest. The true spelling is Tapii. Afterwards this word was corrupted into Tupi, or Tupin, and Tape.
Next we came to a place called Karieseba, where the inhabitants are also Tapis; these wage war against the Christians, whereas those we have spoken of are friends with them.
So we came, on Palm Sunday, at four miles distance from a place, where I became aware that we had to be on our guard against those of Karieseba, for we were by this time in great want of victual. We had, however, intended to go somewhat farther for victual’s sake, but we could not withhold two of our companions, who, despite our warnings, entered the place. We promised them to wait, and did so; but before they could enter the place they were killed and afterwards eaten. God have mercy on them. Amen.