CHAPTER XVI.

CONCERNING THE HOSTILE INCURSION ATTEMPTED BY DEBAYAKAIKIN AND HIS SAVAGE CONFEDERATES AGAINST THE TOWN OF ST. JERONYMO.

Debayakaikin, the head of the Nakaiketergehes, provoked, as was related, to a skirmish by Ychoalay, threatened the new colony of St. Jeronymo with destruction, and its inhabitants the Riikakés with a universal massacre. He associated with himself, in this expedition, the Mocobios and Tobas, who dwelt towards the north; and by great promises of booty, induced the Vilelas to enter into a warlike alliance with him, and furnished them with horses capable of undertaking a long journey. Ychoalay could neither be ignorant, nor careless of the intentions, strength, and preparations of the enemy. To provide therefore for the safety of his people, he sends a troop of Mocobios to guard the town, and hastens to the Governor of Sta. Fè to ask for supplies, which were justly owed by the right of friendship and of promises; nevertheless he obtained nothing but words and excuses; for at that time most of the soldiers of the city were employed across the Parana, against the Charruas, savages whom they had reduced to subjection.

Whilst Ychoalay was vainly seeking assistance in every quarter, Debayakaikin conducted his forces with all possible secrecy towards the south, but did not precipitate his assault on the colony, choosing rather to make use of craft. He sent forward some of his people with a commission to spread a report, that Debayakaikin did not intend attempting any thing against the colony of St. Jeronymo, but that the savage Mocobios purposed an immediate assault on the town of Concepcion, which was ten leagues distant from that of Jeronymo, and inhabited by the Abipones under the authority of Alaykin. Debayakaikin had two reasons for spreading these fictitious reports. The first was, that, as soon as the inhabitants of St. Jeronymo understood themselves to be out of danger of an attack, the Christian Mocobios, who acted as guards, would be sent back to their town of St. Xavier. The other was, that the Abipones of the town of Concepcion, whilst in hourly expectation of a hostile attack at home, would not be able even to think of succouring the inhabitants of St. Jeronymo against Debayakaikin. In both points the stratagem succeeded entirely to his wish. It is worth while to give a relation of the whole event, of which I myself was a spectator.

The colony of St. Jeronymo had scarcely more than a thousand head of kine remaining, the bulls being almost all consumed; and of this number the greatest part of the cows were either with young, or engaged in giving suck, to spare which the Fathers requested my companion and myself, then residing in the town of Concepcion, to send them two hundred bullocks for the support of the Indians, dispatching Raphael de los Rios, the guard of their estate, to carry the beasts away. That this business might be properly conducted, I resolved to accompany the guards of the cattle myself. When everything was in readiness for the journey, I observed the Abipones running up and down the streets armed with arrows, and heard one of them charge my companion Sanchez, in the name of Alaykin, to have his musket in readiness, as their enemies the Mocobios were expected about evening. The road I was going being that which would be taken by the Mocobios, my companion endeavoured to persuade me to defer my journey, but could not succeed with one who despised these vague reports, as they proved to be, for we did not meet so much as the enemy's shadow the whole morning. On entering St. Jeronymo I spied Fathers Francisco Navalon and Joseph Klein: Joseph Brigniel and Ychoalay were at that time absent, being still intent upon procuring subsidies in the city of Sta. Fè. The next day, which was Sunday, at Father Navalon's urgent request, the Caciques of the Abipones and Mocobios deliberated on what was best to be done. The presence of the Mocobios contributed much towards the safety of the town; but as those guards daily consumed a great quantity of beef, tobacco, salt, and the herb of Paraguay, they were deemed ruinous to the public stores; their dismission seemed proper on this account likewise, that according to report, the town had nothing to fear for the present from Debayakaikin; who however was concealed with his forces in a neighbouring wood, awaiting nothing but the departure of the Mocobios, to begin the assault.

The Mocobios departing early the next morning, which was Sunday, Debayakaikin divided his forces into three companies, and sallied from his hiding-place by three different ways, in the very sight of the town. Its guard, Raphael de los Rios, who happened to be at that time reposing in his hut, was pierced with many and deep wounds by an Abipone, whose father had fallen in the skirmish between Ychoalay and Oaherkaikin. At the same time, part of the Guaranies who guarded the cattle were taken captive, whilst the rest, who were on horseback, saved themselves by speedy flight. The herds, which were assembled in one place, as usual in the evening, and about two thousand horses, became the uncontested prey of the enemy. When these tidings were learnt from trusty messengers, and the concourse of enemies was beheld on the opposite shore, a great trepidation seized upon the whole town. Of the Abipones, most of whom, either through ignorance or apprehension of the ensuing attack, had gone out to hunt wild horses, a few days before, there remained at home no more than eighty, who, whilst Debayakaikin was committing these ravages in the estate, were engaged in a merry carouse with their Cacique Ychamenraikin; but on receiving information of the near approach of the enemy, though in a state of intoxication, they all blackened their faces, and flew on the swiftest horses, and amidst the deadly clangor of trumpets, to the bank of the river, not so much with the intention of fighting the enemy, as of preventing them from crossing the river. Debayakaikin, whom long experience in war had rendered exceedingly cautious, thought it unsafe to send his men across to the opposite shore, which the enemies had got possession of, and to hazard a doubtful contest. It was treated of by legates, and resolved by mutual consent, that the battle should be deferred till the morrow, as the sun was hastening to set, and little of the day remained.

On the approach of night, our heroes returned, and slept themselves sober in their own tents. As they did not place any great reliance on the promises of the enemy, horsemen were sent to watch throughout the whole plain, who by the uninterrupted sound of horns and trumpets testified their vigilance, and if they observed any thing hostile, announced it to the rest. The warlike sounds of the savages were accompanied by an incessant noise in the heavens: for the weather, during the whole of the night, was extremely tempestuous, with loud thunder, stormy wind, lightning, and heavy rain. The women and children passed the night in the open air, in our court-yard, which was exposed to the wet on every side; so that in the light dispensed by the flashes of lightning, they appeared to me like so many frogs swimming in a pond. In my hut they deposited their pots, gourds, pitchers, and other moveables, to save them from the depredations of the enemy. Inexpressible was my horror at beholding amongst the baggage of the old women, some skulls of Spaniards, formerly slain by the Abipones, preserved as trophies. I do not remember ever having passed a more tumultuous night, during my whole residence in America. I accused the sun of returning too slowly. About day-break, when the tempest was abated, though the lightning had not yet ceased, I ran to the market-place, where I saw a number of Abipones, assembling at the end of the town, which they considered a fit place for the ensuing combat. The army was arranged by Ychamenraikin in such a manner, that the spearmen occupied each side, the archers the centre; and all were on foot. A troop of horse commanded by Ychohake, Ychoalay's brother, had it in charge, to learn and instantly report the motions of the enemy, the ways they took, and every thing else concerning them. They stood in battle-array till noon, when the emissaries, returning from the country, announced that nothing but the footsteps of the enemy were to be seen. All hope, or rather fear of an engagement being at an end, they returned home, and the army was dissolved without the loss of a drop of blood. The enemy being gone, the dead body of the Spaniard which had been wounded in such a manner, that the bowels fell out, was brought from the estate, and conveyed to the grave with the Christian forms of burial.