CHAPTER XXVIII.

MY DISASTROUS RETURN TO OUR COLONY.

Having settled affairs to the best of my power, I was provided by Barreda, on my departure, with forty soldiers, who were to act as guards in the colony, and to assist and instruct the Indians in cultivating land; but, at the end of a month, were to be succeeded by others for the same length of time. The soldiers said they would wait for me at a plain thirty leagues from St. Iago; but, on arriving, I only found nine there, and, as the captain affirmed that no more were ordered to attend me, I thought it best to begin the journey with these few. In a very short time, however, I had to retrace my steps, for the soldiers, alarmed at their weakness, were in constant apprehension of meeting armies of savages, bearing bloodshed and slaughter along with them. Every step that brought them nearer to the retreats of the savages increased their terror. Seeing smoke at a distance, they entertained no doubt of its being the indication of an ambuscade. Things were in such a state that they obstinately refused to proceed; they did indeed return a little way, and could hardly be recalled by the eloquence of their captain. The same day we chose a situation to pass the night in, which the nature of the place defended from sudden attacks, the river Salado, with its steep bank, being in front, and a rugged wood behind. But about sun-set, just when the horses were let loose to pasture, and we ourselves seated at the fire, our ears were assaulted by a sudden howling of the savages from the wood, which, to the cowardly soldiers, was the signal for flight, not for a battle. Without delay every one catches his horse, and gets it ready. I represented to them that if they quitted their station the Indians might easily slay them whilst dispersed, but that if they remained united in one company, I saw nothing so very dreadful to be apprehended, as we had muskets in readiness, and the savages would attempt nothing that night if they smelt gunpowder. By this speech I prevailed upon them to remain quietly where they were, but at every motion the savages made they flew to their horses, which they had ready saddled; so great was their trepidation. One of the soldiers, a fat, but very handsome man, dissolved into tears, dolefully exclaiming every minute, "Then we must die this night!" For myself, I freely confess that the fears of my companions caused me more alarm than the threats of the savages. That I might not, therefore, remain alone and on foot in this vast desert, in case my companions should fly and leave me, I ordered the swiftest of my horses to be caught and harnessed, that I might accompany the rest as far as possible. Fatigued and drowsy, I slept greatest part of the night on the bare turf at my horse's feet, holding the reins and a musket in my hand.

As soon as morning dawned, whilst the sand on the shores of the river bore visible marks of the feet of the Indians, the soldiers, disregarding the commands of their captain, returned home full speed, and obliged me to follow them, unless I preferred perishing in a perilous wild, full a hundred leagues in extent. I had ninety-four leagues to return, for to such a distance from the city had we travelled. The soldiers, to shorten the way, passed through the trackless woods of Turugòn, and through marshy fields, till they arrived, with me, at their native place, Salabina. The priest of the village, Clement Xerez de Calderon, embraced me with the utmost cordiality, and consoled me when I complained of the return of the runaway soldiers. "You are come to this town," said he, "by divine dispensation, to pronounce a panegyric on the Holy Mother:" for the Carmelite feast was at hand, which is annually celebrated in that place for nine successive days. Numbers of all ranks assemble there out of the whole province, and as the place is too small to contain so many thousands of strangers, most of them are obliged to pass the night out of doors amongst the bushes, whilst the better sort are entertained by the priest. The church, though small, was furnished with very precious sacred utensils, and ornamented with more silver than is commonly seen in European churches, most part of which the priest had inherited from a Peruvian canon, a relation of his. In this church then I pronounced a panegyric of an hour's length to a very numerous audience; amongst the rest, the Vice-Governor and all the chief people of the city were present, by whom, at the end of the discourse, I was honourably conducted, amid the noise of fireworks and small cannons, to the priest's house, where, according to custom, brandy and tobacco-pipes were liberally distributed amongst the crowd of Spanish horse. During the twelve days of my unwelcome detention in this place, I devoted the whole of my time which was not spent in short slumbers, meals, and the performance of divine service, to absolving penitents, who attended me in the open plain near the church. Meantime, at Barreda's command, forty soldiers were called out to accompany me on my second return, and were ordered to assemble in a field some leagues distant from Salabina. In this place, I and a few others remained three days in the open air, amid continual frost, and in danger of being devoured by tigers, vainly awaiting the rest of the soldiers; for after all there arrived no more than five-and-twenty, one of whom deserted the first night, carrying off with him some of the captain's horses. Having swam across the river Turugòn, we entered Chaco; and that we might have no sudden attack to fear from the savages who abide there, seven scouts were sent forward by day, and returned at night to make their report to the captain. These scouts discovered a party of Tobas and Mocobios, who, in flying to their lurking-holes with a herd of horses taken from the estates of Sta. Fè, set fire to all the woods and plains through which they passed, that their countrymen might be pre-informed of their return by means of the smoke. That night we passed without sleep: for the flames, which approached us before, behind, and on both sides, appeared to threaten us with destruction; and, although we escaped this, we were all very nearly blinded and suffocated by the smoke. A wind arising the next morning, averted the fire and the danger from us. Conflagrations of this kind are very frequent in the immense plains of Paraguay, and often prove destructive to travellers, beasts, and cattle. In this case, as in many others, to escape being burnt alive, we were obliged to leap upon our horses without having time to harness them properly, and to gallop right through the flames, which it was impossible either to extinguish or to avoid. The fire which is kindled by travellers at night, or noon, and which they often neglect to extinguish on their departure, spreads, if a strong wind arise, and sets the whole plain on fire. The tall dry grass, reeds, and bulrushes, extended like a crop of corn on every side, afford combustible materials to feed the flame for many weeks: the woods too, which, being burnt by the sun's heat during the greatest part of the year, abound in pitch and gum, are easily set on fire, and with difficulty extinguished. The smoke often fills the air with such impenetrable darkness, that the sun is hid, and night brought back at mid-day. I myself have seen clouds and lightning suddenly proceed from this smoke, as it is flying off like a whirlwind; so that the Indians are not to be blamed for setting fire to the plains, in order to procure rain, they having learnt that the thicker smoke turns into clouds which pour forth water. Burning the plains, however, is not always a certain method of procuring rain, without the co-operation of other causes: for, during a two-years' drought which we endured, the fields and groves blazed up and down the country for months, and yet the fire never yielded us any water; this caused Father Brigniel to think that these frequent conflagrations dried up the vapours of the earth, which at other times ascend to the sky and coalesce, first into clouds, and afterwards into showers. But from my own observation, I can tell that condensed smoke, not very far removed from fire, is converted into clouds, and sends forth thunder and lightning. This matter I leave to the discussion of natural philosophers, and proceed in the relation of my journey with the St. Iagans.

I must not be silent upon a circumstance, which was at first a subject of alarm, and afterwards of hearty laughter to us. A number of Abipones employed in drying otter-skins were concealed, together with their families, in a field shaded by a little wood. Suspecting a hostile attack, as they perceived us passing by, at day-break, they began to utter their usual yells. The St. Iagans, on the other hand, amazed at this sudden vociferation, imagined that the savages were lying in wait for them, so that a great consternation was excited on both sides. I soon began to suspect the truth of the matter, and mentioned my surmise to the captain; on which he ordered a drove of our horses to be placed in the midst of the company, lest they should be carried off by the Indians. A more active steed being substituted for the one on which I was riding, he ordered two soldiers to accompany me, with whom I was to go forward, and if any Indian appeared in sight, to observe, and accost him: for no one but myself understood the language either of the Abipones or Mocobios. I requested the captain to follow me at a distance, slowly, and without a noise, that he might be at hand to give me aid, if it were needed, with which, being a good-natured man, he was very ready to comply. After having gone a little way, I met an Abiponian horseman quietly coming to reconnoitre us, and on his nearer approach perceived him to be an inhabitant of our town; upon which I acquainted him with the cause of my journey, with the small number and amicable dispositions of my companions, afterwards inquiring after the health of Father Sanchez and Alaykin, and other things of that kind. The Abipon, relieved from his suspicions, informed me that he and his companions were employed in seeking honey in the neighbouring woods, and in hunting otters in the lakes, and courteously invited us to visit his countrymen. Four soldiers were sent by the captain to ascertain the truth of this representation, and they quickly returned laden by the Abipones with abundance of honey: but the mutual delivery from fear of an hostile attack was sweeter far than any honey.