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.

On the same day that Nicolas Patron went out against the Guaranies with troops of Corrientine horse, Oaherkaikin and his companions, now freed from fear, bade adieu to the colony of St. Ferdinand, intending to live, as formerly, on rapine in the country. His example was followed by the inhabitants of other colonies. They saw that, as the men were called out against the Guaranies, the towns and villages of the Spaniards were inhabited by women only, or persons incapable of fighting, and that they might overrun the defenceless estates at their pleasure. Making use of this excellent opportunity, they molested the colonies, not only of the Spaniards, but likewise of the Abipones, especially that of St. Jeronymo, to the utmost of their power. Ychoalay was deserted by many of his people, and on that account derided by his enemies, because he could no longer assist the Spaniards, or be assisted by them, they being engaged in the war with the Guaranies. His fidelity, however, and his courage, remained unaltered. He affronted the hostile storm on every side, with all the strength and arts that he was master of. An estate of his on the banks of the Malabrigo, rich in herds, flocks of sheep, and horses, but undefended by any guards, and inhabited by a few women only, was attacked by a company of Abipones, Mocobios, and Vilelas. No resistance being made, they drove away the cattle, took the women captive, and sent one old woman to tell Ychoalay that they had taken his cattle, and that if he was desirous of recovering them, he should come and give them battle at the Ychimaye, on the banks of which they would await his arrival. The message delivered by the old woman served as a trumpet to Ychoalay. Spite of the weather, which was cold and rainy, he flew burning with rage to the appointed place, accompanied by a handful of his people. He beheld the multitude of enemies, attacked, and completely vanquished them. A good many of the enemy were slain, numbers wounded, and the rest put to flight; and indeed every body was of opinion, that not one would have escaped alive, had not Ychoalay, who was wounded with an arrow in the arm, allowed them horses to carry them home. After recovering the cattle, and the female captives of the town, Ychoalay returned, signalized with a severe wound, and an unexpected victory, leaving the enemies in such consternation, that they even neglected to carry off their dead. At another time Ychoalay, awakened by an alarming sound in the middle of the night, mounted a horse, and rode out to take a survey. He had scarcely gone thirty steps from his own door, when he saw two Toba spies, took them captive, and sent them, well-guarded, to the town of St. Xavier, where some Tobas, allies of the Mocobios, were dwelling. The absence of the Spanish soldiers rendered the Abipones, and other wandering savages, daily bolder and more mischievous to the whole province: and their frequent excursions were the more injurious, because they who used, at other times, to repulse the enemies, were then fatigued with carrying on war against their friends the Guaranies.