The same day at noon, Ychoalay and his people arrived, in such an orderly band, with so much silence, and such decent habiliments, that I should have taken them for a troop of Spaniards. They were all furnished with iron spears, with hats, and Spanish saddles. A hill which slopes towards the town was the place where they chose to encamp. They were defended against sudden assaults by a wood behind, and by a ditch on each side, and had a full view of the plain beneath, where their horses were feeding, so that if any treacherous attack were meditated it would be immediately perceived. They passed the night in the open air, placed in a row describing the form of a semicircle, as that figure contributes much to the mutual defence of a few against many. When lying down they make use of saddles instead of a pillow, and the housings of their horses serve them for a mattress. Every one has his spear fixed in the ground close at hand. Four or six feed their fire, which is kept up to give light in the night; whilst others, who are appointed to keep watch for the security of the sleepers, and of the horses, traverse the plain on horseback, and if they observe any thing alarming or unusual, give notice of it to those who are reposing, by horns and trumpets.
There was not one of the Abiponian guests who did not run to my house to ask me how I did; for, having lived two years in the town of St. Jeronymo, I knew and loved them all. Ychoalay, by reason of our old intimacy, conversed with me in a friendly manner for some hours every day. All my anxiety and my arguments were directed towards persuading him to baptism. I expatiated on the perils to which he was going to expose his life. But he, confiding in the number and fidelity of his fellow-soldiers, would not allow that he stood in any danger, and owned himself too much engaged in warlike cares to be in a fit state for pious thoughts of that kind. I was also anxious on another account. I knew that my Yaaukanigas were inimical to Ychoalay, but amicably inclined towards their neighbour Oaherkaikin, and feared that they would assist the one against the other. But I advised them not to take part with either, if they wished to consult their own interest. I united threats with entreaties to deter them from attempting any thing against Ychoalay, who, though he did not stand in need of their assistance himself, would, I was well aware, be greatly incensed at their lending any to Oaherkaikin. This I repeatedly declared to the chief men of the town, and at length, forgetting their old grudge, they suffered themselves to be persuaded. Some of the younger went to be close spectators of the fight, but they carried no weapons.
In the mean time, Oaherkaikin, being at length informed of Ychoalay's journey, informed him, by means of a messenger, of his present place of abode, whither, he said, Ychoalay might come, and welcome; that he himself had never bestowed a thought on flight or terror; and that his soldiers were few, but such that every one of them seemed to him capable of slaying many. The day before Ychoalay left us, his chief emissary Hapaleolin intercepted Kepakainkin, a tribesman and brother-in-law of Oaherkaikin. As his wife was a Nakaiketergehe, whilst his brothers dwelt amongst the Riikahés, he sometimes joined one tribe, sometimes the other, and, on this very account, incurred the hatred of both. Fearing the arrival of Ychoalay, he withdrew from Oaherkaikin's horde, which was shortly to be attacked, under pretext of watching the motions of the enemy; but in reality with a treacherous design, which he put in execution, of meeting with the Riikahés, and conducting them to the horde of Oaherkaikin: however, he was only a spectator of the fight, and afterwards deserted Oaherkaikin's town, and betook himself to that of St. Jeronymo.
The horde of Oaherkaikin was a few leagues distant from the town of St. Ferdinand, nor did it contain more than twenty men able to bear arms, the rest being at that time employed in harassing the colonies of the Spaniards. But the small number of those who resisted were defended against all assaults by the natural situation of the place. Behind, and on each side, they had a wood, and in front a marshy field, which rendered access difficult, and fighting dangerous to the enemy. Ychoalay, with his usual intrepidity, left his horse, and struggled through the deep mud, till he arrived near enough to reach the enemy with arrows. The younger part alone followed their leader: for the rest, despairing of a victory amongst so many straits, marshes, and woods, from their horses, as from an orchestra, beheld their companions bravely fighting at a distance. The desertion of the old men, however, increased the boldness of the young ones, and more furiously inflamed their anger against the enemy. Oaherkaikin received three deep gashes, and his brother was dangerously wounded in the throat by an arrow. Of the rest scarce one departed from the field of battle without a severe wound. Though streaming with blood, not one of them seemed to remove his foot from his standing place, or his hand from the bow; which was extremely honourable both to the conquered and to the conquerors. Ychoalay, who remained unhurt amid this storm of arrows, had only three of his people wounded, and those had previously received baptism. On their return to the town, I examined and dressed their wounds. Hapaleolin was pierced by an arrow in the side, and a Spaniard, named Lorenzo, one of the voluntary captives of the Abipones, in the arm. Rochus Chiruilin had the tendon of his great toe hurt by an arrow, and remained seven weeks in my house till I had completely healed him. Whilst the battle was yet raging, some followers of Oaherkaikin arrived from the estates of Sta. Fè, whence, after slaughtering the Spaniards, they brought many hundreds of horses, all of which Ychoalay took, and restored to their owners; besides these, a multitude of horses, which Oaherkaikin had in the neighbouring pastures, also fell into his hands.
These events having taken place in the absence of the curate, Father Joseph Klein, I sent both for him and the Vice-Governor of Corrientes, fearing the doubtful event of Ychoalay's expedition, and the disturbances which would, in all probability, ensue in our colony. He came on the evening of the next day with my companion, accompanied by ten Spanish horsemen, and, in a friendly manner, saluted Ychoalay, who returned from the skirmish a short time after, and who, at first sight, requested the Vice-Governor, Nicolas Patron, that those ten horsemen, who were all excellently armed with muskets, might be added to his Abipones, as he purposed returning immediately to destroy Oaherkaikin, the implacable enemy of the Spanish nation. But the Vice-Governor disapproved of his intention, and endeavoured to dissuade him from it. He said that to join battle with the wounded, appeared to him repugnant to humanity, and that however advantageous such a victory might be, it would be entirely devoid of glory. After many arguments on both sides of the question, Ychoalay at length yielded to the Vice-Governor's suggestion, that if Oaherkaikin preferred peace to war, he should enter this colony, refrain from slaughter and rapine, and promise peace and friendship to all the colonies of the Christians; but on his refusing these conditions, should be given to understand that Ychoalay would instantly return to meet him in the field of battle. These things were announced to him by a Yaaukaniga horseman, by whom he replied, that the proposed conditions met his approbation; that, at present, neither himself nor his wounded companions had strength or horses sufficient to undertake the journey; but that when their wounds were thoroughly healed, he, with his companions, wives, and children, would remove to our colony. Oaherkaikin kept his word: for when Ychoalay had gone back to his own people, he and his numerous family, before their wounds were even scarred over, came to the town of St. Ferdinand. This observance of the promised peace, however, did not outlast the fear which had induced it; when released from that, he changed both his mind and his place of residence, continuing ever a plunderer, ever the chief of the Abiponian plunderers.
CHAPTER XX.
THE WHOLE NATION OF ABIPONES ARE ASSEMBLED IN
THREE COLONIES, BUT ARE AGAIN UNLUCKILY DISTURBED
BY A WAR OF THE SPANIARDS AGAINST THE
GUARANIES.
On Oaherkaikin's entering the colony of St. Ferdinand, we beheld with joy what the Spaniards of Paraguay had been vainly desiring ever since the time of the Emperor Charles the Fifth. The whole nation of Abipones were at length settled in three colonies; an event which seemed to promise great advantage both to the cause of religion and that of the whole province. But, alas! a sudden storm from Europe destroyed all these nourishing hopes. The kings of Spain and Portugal agreed upon an exchange of their territories in America, in consequence of which those seven towns on the eastern shore of the Uruguay were to be delivered up to the Portugueze, and two-and-thirty thousand Christian Guaranies, who inhabited them, were ordered to remove to another place by Ferdinand the Sixth. The Guaranies, full of tender attachment to their country, could be induced by no arguments to believe that such a removal had been enjoined them by the Catholic king. This cession of the towns to their enemies the Portugueze, they thought must have been imposed on them by way of punishment; though they were at a loss to imagine what crime they could have committed deserving such punishment, unless to have served God and the King were accounted such.
This universal doubt impressed on the minds of the Indians, respecting the royal order for their removal, was confirmed by a most impudent lie, invented by certain wicked knaves amongst the lower order of Spaniards; who assured the Indians that the removal enjoined in the King's name was a fabrication of the Jesuits, they having themselves sold those towns to the Portugueze, out of a thirst for gold. The Guaranies, possessed with this abominable suspicion, grew more and more deaf to the admonitions of the Jesuits, who, through respect to the King, were constantly urging their departure. The filial affection which they had always borne to the Fathers being destroyed, they began openly to reject the authority of others, and to manage every thing according to their own pleasure. What did not the Missionaries do to conquer their obstinacy, and to reduce them to obedience! What did they not endure! How often did they put themselves in danger of death! With crowns of thorns on their heads, they made a mournful supplication in the streets, whilst a voice of thunder from the pulpit, interrupted with frequent tears, besought and exhorted the people assembled in the church to obey the royal mandate. Miserable lamentations or futile promises were all that could be extorted from them. Some, indeed, who were of a milder temper, departed, but, vanquished by the love of their native land, returned next day, and hardened themselves against the last extremities. At length, seeing that war would be made against them, they took up arms, and for some time stood out against the armed Portugueze, and the Spaniards who assisted them.
After various vicissitudes of war, which I have briefly touched upon in another place, these seven towns were ceded by the Spaniards, but not accepted by the Portugueze, because they had at length discovered that all that territory along the banks of the Uruguay was destitute of the supposed mines of gold and silver. About fourteen thousand Indian exiles were dispersed up and down the plains of the Uruguay; nearly as many crossed the river of that name, and settled in the different towns of the Parana, where, after quitting handsome freestone houses, they were thankful for the precarious subsistence afforded by the kindness of their countrymen, and for cottages hastily built of straw. But Charles III., who was removed from the throne of Naples to that of Spain, cancelled the exchange of lands with the Portugueze agreed on by his late brother Ferdinand, and commanded that the landmarks placed in Paraguay should be pulled up, war declared on the Portugueze, and the Guarany exiles sent back to their towns, the administration of which was as usual to be intrusted to the Jesuits. But alas! what a mournful appearance did these towns, formerly so flourishing, present, after a three years' absence of their inhabitants! The churches were shorn of their splendor, the estates spoiled of their cattle. The walls and roofs of the houses were injured by the soldiers and the weather. Part of the buildings were reduced to ashes. The untilled fields began to be overspread with wood, and filled with tares. The whole neighbourhood was infested with snakes and tigers. It seemed as if the arts and industry of a whole century could hardly replace or make up for what had been destroyed in the last three years.
This terrible misfortune of the Guarany nation alarmed the minds of the Abipones, and estranged them from the Spaniards. With sorrowful eyes they beheld all the Spaniards able to bear arms called out against the Guaranies. "If the Spaniards," said they, "are so desirous of war, why do they not turn their arms against the Guaycurùs, the Aucas, Chiriguanos, Yaapitalakas, and other hostile nations? Why do they persecute the Guaranies, their most faithful friends, who have done so much service to the king in the royal camps? Is the friendship of the Spaniards so versatile? Have they so short a memory as to forget the submission which the Guaranies have uniformly observed towards them?" Complaints and wonderings of this kind were daily felt and expressed by all. Nor was the affair confined to words alone. Many of them, either displeased by the severity of the Spaniards towards the Guaranies, or distrustful of their friendship, or tempted by the opportunity of pillaging, which the absence of the soldiers afforded, deserted their towns. Such were the deplorable effects of the war with the Guaranies.