After an absence of five months spent at St. Iago, and in my journeys thither and back, I was received by the people with great demonstrations of affection; and their joy was increased by the liberal presents which I made them of scissors, glass-beads, and other things of that description. But the affairs of the town remained in the same state as before: and there seemed to be no hope of procuring tranquillity. The Mocobios and their allies were always full of menace, often committed actual mischief. The elder Abipones, though they refrained from molesting the Spaniards, pertinaciously indulged in their usual drinking-bouts; but the younger part could not be induced to remain quietly at home, delighting to wander up and down, and commit depredations. The old women, obstinately adhering to their ancient superstitions, were not only averse to our religion themselves, but endeavoured to inspire others with the same dislike of it. No one would enter the church unless induced by the hope of reward, and very few would attend to the sacred instructions at mid-day. Almost all were engaged in pursuits and studies of a different nature. Military expeditions were undertaken one after another.
Alaykin, to testify his fidelity to the Spaniards, and to clear himself from some suspicions that were entertained against him, went out against Oaherkaikin, and by threats or promises obliged him to give up the captives taken in the woods where Lisondo and the other St. Iagans had been lately slain. After a sort of friendship had been simulated, rather than contracted between Ychoalay and Alaykin, our townsmen went to assist the Abipones of St. Jeronymo in two expeditions against Debayakaikin, from which, however, they derived more loss than advantage. A warlike alliance did indeed subsist for a short time between the inhabitants of the two towns, but never any concord in their hearts; for our Abipones, extremely well disposed towards the Nakaiketergehes, never thought of desiring that victory might declare in favour of Ychoalay, whom they hated, because he endeavoured to prevent them from taking the horses of the Spaniards, and often restored them, when taken, to their owners by force; enraged at which, they employed double craft and industry in their depredations, not so much to indemnify themselves for their former loss, as to signify how little heed they took of Ychoalay. This was a source of altercations, and subject of anxiety which pressed upon us day and night. Captain Miguel Ziburro, Piedra Buena, and other owners of estates from Sta. Fè, came to St. Jeronymo with a small troop of horse, to claim Ychoalay's assistance in recovering some horses stolen from them by the Indians. Ychoalay knew the pastures where the recently plundered horses had been concealed, and thither he came by night to recover them with a troop of Spaniards and Riikahés; but he was disappointed in his hopes. For our Abipones, receiving timely intelligence of Ychoalay's intentions, concealed all the horses they possessed in remote lurking-holes across the river, except some lean, old, and lame creatures, covered with worms and ulcers, which they left in the market-place, to make game of Ychoalay, who, not finding the horses he sought, resolved to attack the plunderers of them. A little before day-break, spying a crowd of our Abipones swiftly bearing down upon his party, he screened himself behind some cottages, and cunningly affirmed that the Spaniards were not come to slay the inhabitants of the town, but to confer with them. On hearing this, our Abipones bent their spears to the ground, and quietly granted a truce. A Spanish captain, of advanced age and intrepid spirit, spoke for some time with Alaykin, by means of an interpreter, in our apartment. "Have you, then, chosen this situation for your colony," said he, "that you may plunder herds of horses from our estates at your pleasure?" "No accusation of this nature can be preferred against me," replied the Cacique; "when we were at war with each other I returned like for like, and repelled force by force; but since the establishment of the peace, I have carefully spared both yourselves and your properties." "We allow that you have never done us any injury," rejoined the Captain, "but your son Pachieke is the head of the plunderers." "That is your own faults," replied Alaykin; "the sanctioned peace was religiously observed by my countrymen till it was violated by a soldier of yours, who robbed them of an excellent horse. Incited by his example, my people began to think of taking horses from you, which they knew to be badly guarded." To this the Captain answered, "But it was your business to have restrained the rapacity of your hordesmen." "In truth," replied the Cacique, smiling, "that is easier said than done. These young men tell me they are going to hunt wild horses, instead of which they carry off the tame ones from your estates, without my knowledge or consent. You ought to have guarded your estates to prevent thieves from approaching them; for it is not in my power to keep watch over plains of such vast extent, and to have an eye upon the feet and hands of my countrymen in all their journeys. Let soldiers be hired to scour the roads; and if they find any countryman of mine guilty of plundering horses, let them, with my free leave, commit him to prison, and punish him with plenty of stripes. Alarmed at such vigilance and severity on the part of the Spaniards, our youths will abandon their practice of stealing." "It is well," replied the Spaniard, "your advice shall be followed; but, in the mean time, let all the horses that have been taken from us be immediately restored." "For my particular," said Alaykin, "I have not a single horse of yours in my possession; as for the rest, do you yourself command them to make restitution, and let them do so if they will, for I have not sufficient authority to insist upon its being done. Were I to use commands or force towards my people, they would immediately desert me. Go, therefore, and endeavour to regain your horses by arms, which you will hardly do by words; my hordesmen are standing in the market-place, prepared for a battle." The Captain heard Alaykin make this declaration without alarm, and would have joined battle forthwith, had not two noble Spaniards, neither of whom belonged to the army, and who were terrified at the appearance of the Abipones, persuaded him to silence, peace, and speedy departure. Refusing an invitation to dinner, the whole party returned without delay to St. Jeronymo, along with Ychoalay, who afterwards told me he should never have brought the Spaniards, had he been aware that Alaykin's soldiers were so numerous. Our Abipones, emboldened by the hurried return of the Spaniards, made no hesitation in sending one of their people to watch them, and exhort them to hasten their journey, lest, if they tarried on the way, they should be pursued by the rest of the townsmen. Whilst the Spaniards were still on their road, a tempest arose, with rain, thunder, and lightning; meantime, our Abipones were celebrating this bloodless victory with songs and drinking, highly elated at the idea of having baffled Ychoalay, and caused him to come labour in vain.
This unseasonable visit of the Spaniards had well nigh proved the destruction of my companion and myself; the Indians, persuaded that we had acted in collusion with them, cruelly persecuting us as traitors and enemies. Not one of them would enter our house or the church; not one would deign to hold any conversation with us: so that we doubted not but that our lives were in danger; yet the suspicion entertained by the Indians was totally groundless, as the journey, and the machinations of the Spaniards had never been revealed to us even in a dream. On the night that succeeded their departure, as I was mending my torn shoes, the only pair I possessed, to defend my feet from the rain which was plainly portended by the appearance of the sky, a sudden noise induced me to leave my hut, when I saw a great number of our Abipones riding about the market-place, with their faces painted, and with spears in their hands; at which I was much surprized, not knowing who or where the enemy was. But looking round on all sides, I at length espied the Spaniards, with Ychoalay's Abipones, approaching the town, and immediately awakened Father Sanchez, who was dreaming of no such matter.
It was openly reported that Ychoalay, enraged that the event of this expedition had proved so contrary to his desires and expectations, was directing his whole attention, in conjunction with the Spaniards, towards totally destroying our colony; on hearing which, our Abipones withdrew from the town, and hastened by crowds to their known retreats. What were our feelings on perceiving this? We wrote to inform Barreda of the matter, and in the mean time awaited a remedy for our affliction, which might, after all, prove too late; for conscious of that general's lenity towards his soldiers, and of their tardiness in undertaking a journey, we justly feared that Saguntum would be lost while Rome deliberated.
CHAPTER XXX.
THE ARRIVAL OF BARREDA, AND THE REMOVAL OF THE
TOWN TO THE BANKS OF THE SALADO.
Barreda groaned on receiving intelligence of the approaching ruin of the town; he knew how much trouble the Abipones had caused the Spaniards, whilst at enmity with them, and therefore thought every exertion should be made to preserve a friendship which was so necessary to the whole province. Without delay, he set off, with four hundred horsemen, in the intention of removing the town from the neighbourhood of Ychoalay, and Sta. Fè, into the territory of St. Iago. The journey was an exceedingly arduous one; for in the first part of it not a drop of water could be found, often for the space of twenty leagues, the lakes and rivers being exhausted by a long drought; and towards the latter end, the country was flooded by unceasing rains, to such a degree, that they were obliged to ride through water by day, and to lie down in it at night, when overcome by sleep. Many of the soldiers passed the night in the trees, and placing a piece of hard turf, taken from the ant-hills, amongst the boughs, kindled a fire upon it to heat the water in which they infused the herb of Paraguay. Barreda reached our town a little before noon, on Whitsunday. He alighted from his horse, his clothes dripping with the rain, and hastening to the church, assisted me as I was ministering at the altar; thus affording an excellent example to the surrounding soldiers and Indians. But his mind was wholly intent on speedily remedying the afflicted state of the town, which, to prevent its utter ruin, he wished to have removed to the banks of the Salado, eighty leagues distant from its former situation. But Alaykin boldly and prudently condemned the proposed migration, declaring that the place mentioned by Barreda for the site of the colony, appeared to him objectionable. "What," said he, "do you wish us to drink bitter water, which the very beasts refuse to touch?" The counsels of Barreda were equally displeasing to all the other Abipones, who were strongly attached to their native soil, a soil abounding in delightful fruits and wild animals, and fortified with so many secure lurking-holes; and who dreaded the vicinity of the Spaniards with as much anxiety as servitude, having learnt that the one was often the occasion of the other. Although Barreda endeavoured to mollify them with gifts and promises, he never could induce them to yield to his wishes. He gave the Cacique Malakin a woollen blanket, handsomely embroidered in various colours; a gift which proved the most powerful persuasive to his mind. Arrayed with this elegant coverlet, the savage promised to migrate, with his family, wherever Barreda chose, and prevailed upon the Cacique Ypirikin and his followers, to make the same resolution.
But the followers of the Caciques Alaykin, Oaikin, Machito, and Zapancha, were afraid that the Spanish soldiers would take them by force whither they refused to go, and that should they desert, Barreda would be angry, and fall upon them by surprize. Solicitous, therefore, to avert this disaster, they secretly sent to the town of St. Jeronymo, to request the aid of their old friend Ychamenraikin, who accordingly came with a chosen band of soldiers, under pretence of paying his respects to Barreda. This Cacique was present at the repeated consultations which Barreda held with our chiefs, and always spoke with great earnestness in dissuasion of the proposed removal; but was so highly incensed at a gentle rebuke he received from Barreda, for meddling with other people's concerns, that though he dissembled his angry feelings in presence of the Spaniards, he immediately conferred in private with Alaykin on the subject of renouncing their friendship. It was his intention to desert the colony, and after slaying the two priests, Brigniel and Navalon, to return to his old retreats, and renew the war with the Spaniards. This he prefaced by making his people carry off a number of choice horses from Barreda's soldiers, and indeed he would have put the whole of his iniquitous scheme into execution, had it not been for Chitalin, Cacique of the Mocobios, who fortunately came from St. Xavier to speak with Barreda about some of his countrymen still remaining in captivity amongst the Spaniards, and afterwards went a little out of his way to visit the town of St. Jeronymo, which was only ten leagues distant from our colony. The friendship and eloquence of the Mocobian Cacique had so much influence upon Ychamenraikin as utterly to banish this wicked determination from his mind; he even had the horses, taken from Barreda's soldiers, brought back to St. Iago, and ever after cultivated the friendship of the Spaniards.
Rain continued without intermission for more than a month had converted the whole of the plain country into a lake. Most of the horses perished from their hoofs being softened by remaining in the water day and night, and those which survived could scarcely stand on their feet. Three hundred were left on the road, being unable to travel on that account. Many of the soldiers, who had come furnished with ten horses, had not one remaining on their return, and were forced to use others lent them by their companions. Amid these tumults, both of the weather and of the people, indignant at the very mention of a removal, a whole month passed away. Barreda, impatient of the delay, determined to set off without waiting for the cessation of the rain, accompanied by his own people, and those families of Abipones that chose to follow him. The day before the journey, four waggons were sent forward, laden with the domestic furniture of the town, and also with gates, and doors of houses; five pair of oxen, and twenty assisting horses were requisite to drag each of these waggons through a country full of water and marshes: at length, however, as no strength nor industry proved sufficient, it was found necessary to lighten the waggons of the doors and every thing of wood.
When we were ready to depart, the Abipones sat quietly in their huts, all of which Barreda entered with me. I acted as interpreter, whilst he warned them in a melancholy and threatening tone, to consider again and again what they were doing; intimating that he should look upon those as his friends who followed us, but that they who remained would hardly escape the avenging hands of Ychoalay, and the Spaniards of Sta. Fè. All his efforts were vain. Mournful silence and sullen looks were their only reply. Barreda, not choosing to delay any longer, left the town with me, part of the soldiers being sent forward, part following us; but Father Sanchez was suddenly seized with an indisposition so that he could not join us till the morrow. Malakin, Ypirikin, and thirty families followed us on the first day of our journey.
On the second, the showers ceased, but constant rain for thirty days had entirely inundated the country, which is naturally plain and level. For three weeks we had to ride on horseback with the water touching our legs, and often reaching up to our knees. That the continual wet might be the sooner exhaled, we always rode barefoot, hanging our shoes and stockings from the top of the saddle: for the water contained within the shoes causes faintings, weakness of stomach, small ulcers, head-ache, and other disorders in America. We found chewed tobacco leaves, mixed with saliva, and applied every night to the soles of our feet, a powerful preservative against this noxious moisture. On the same account it was thought useful to smoke tobacco. We were obliged to pass the night in the cold air, often covered from head to foot with hoar frost, which was almost continual at that time of the year. When we wanted to lie down at night, much art and good fortune were requisite to choose a situation, which, though very muddy, had but little water. We were obliged to swim, or sail on the pelota across some rivers, which had overflowed their banks; but it was a matter of more time and labour to convey to the other side huge waggons, and some thousands of sheep, oxen, and horses, without the assistance of a bridge or boat.