CHAPTER III.

OF THE VIOLENCES COMMITTED UPON THE CITIES STA. FÈ AND ASUMPCION.

The Abipones sometimes alone, sometimes in conjunction with the Mocobios, distressed the city of Sta. Fè, which lay nearest them, with daily incursions, and very nearly destroyed it. Many of the country people were slain, and not a few led into captivity. Numbers, fearing that the same fortune awaited them, migrated, with their families, into safer places. Things came to such an extremity, that the inhabitants began to deliberate publicly about deserting the city. Amongst many others, the rich estate of St. Antonio was entirely ruined. Innumerable cattle, of every description, were seized and dispersed, and their owners slain. The waggons were plundered of the goods which they contained. When the security of trade, the only source of riches, was destroyed at one blow, what could ensue but famine and scarcity? The roads were so beset with savages, both by day and by night, that no one could stir out of his own house with safety, or fetch provisions from the country for the use of the city. The citizens themselves were kept in daily fear, they so often beheld troops of Abipones and Mocobios in their streets. The very market-place was stained with the blood of the unarmed. In the year 1754, on the 10th of April, as I was revisiting this city, a noble matron, venerable for her years, and ancient family, accosted me, saying, "Oh! Fathers, what gratitude do we owe to you, who have tamed these ferocious nations, on whose account we hardly dared to breathe for so many years! I scarcely ever remember this week," pursued she, "namely the last in Lent, passed without slaughters in this city. When a pious crowd of supplicants passed in procession through the streets, how often did the armed savages rush on them, like lightning! And they seldom departed without bloody hands. I still have to lament a brother, slain as he trimmed the altar, in the court before those buildings; such was the face of affairs at that time. For the tranquillity and security, which we at present enjoy, we are indebted to you, by whom the Abipones and Mocobios have been appeased and civilized."

In that city, there was no want of intrepid men, to repel force by force; but the rest, who were deficient in vigilance, courage, and skill, were exposed to the continual violence of the savages, who never granted either peace or truce. Auxiliary bands of foot-soldiers were sent by the Governour of Buenos-Ayres to the relief of the fainting city; but these, when they came to close fighting in the field of battle, served rather to excite the laughter of the Abipones, than to render any service to the Spaniards. Whilst affairs were in this desperate condition, like a propitious star shining forth in a furious tempest, appeared Echague, an excellent man, who in the name of the Governour, and under his authority, repressed the boldness of the savages. He knew how to conciliate their ferocious minds with gifts, to intimidate them with arms, or to repress them with frequent incursions. By these means he procured the city a little respite. But this tranquillity continued no longer than the life of its author: his successors experienced various fortune, the Indians sometimes renewing their former plunderings, sometimes promising peace, in order that they might be enabled to direct their whole force against the other cities of the Spaniards, and in that of Sta. Fè, then friendly, exchange the spoils gained from them, for knives, swords, spears, axes, glass-beads, and wearing apparel. This was admirable policy in the savages, that, whilst they carried on war with the rest of the province, they diligently maintained peace with one city, where they might purchase the necessary supply of arms and other utensils, by the booty obtained elsewhere. I learnt many things of this traffic with the Indians, some worthy of laughter, but more which deserve indignation. Take this one instance. An Abipon entered the city of Sta. Fè, in time of peace, carrying on his horse a leathern bag containing two thousand Spanish crowns. A certain noble Spaniard, who happened to be walking in the market-place at the time, doubtless very well acquainted with the contents of the bag, offered him the red cloak which he wore; the Indian, transported with joy, gave him in exchange the whole weight of silver which he had plundered a little before from the waggons laden with Peruvian money. Great part of the Mocobios and Tobas, and most of the Abipones, being persuaded to a peace, and conducted to the various colonies which we had founded, this miserable city at last enjoyed a little rest, although the estates were not entirely free from danger; for the savages of these nations, weary of peace, lay in wait for droves of horses, but more in the way of plundering than of regular warfare. To restrain these pillagers, a Spanish company of horse was maintained at the public cost, and, headed by Miguel Ziburro, proved very useful in deterring them from their depredations. Three places, in particular, were the resorts of the savages, and the scenes of their robberies, _La cruz alta_, _El pozzo redondo_, and the estate of St. Thomas; in the one place there is a passage across the river Salado to the city, in the other a high way with waggons of traders continually passing to and fro. The estates also which look towards Chaco were endangered. The extensive province of Asumpcion, although it abounds in warlike colonists, was incredibly harassed by the arms of the Abipones and Mocobios. Who can enumerate the men that were slain, the horses and mules that were seized, the villages that were burnt, the estates that were depopulated, and the numbers of unarmed that were led into captivity? Not only on the banks of the Paraguay, but also in places far distant from that river, many and great slaughters were committed with impunity. This captaincy of Paraguay is of greater extent than the rest, yet it seems too small for the number of colonists. It contains as many soldiers as men, but they are scattered up and down the country, many leagues distant from one another, occupied, greatest part of the year, in remote forests where they prepare the herb of Paraguay, or on the banks of rivers, or in defending little fortifications of the province. These edifices, which are constructed of stakes, mud, and straw, on the eastern shore of the Paraguay, are more properly watch-towers for observing the motions of the enemy, than fortifications for keeping them out. The few who are stationed in each of the fortlets signify the approach of the enemy by firing a cannon; this is repeated by the neighbouring sentinels, that every one, admonished of the danger, may provide for his own safety; that the Governour (for the firing, as it is repeated in all the different stations, at last reaches the city) may order convenient succours; and that all the forces may assemble in arms wherever suspicion is entertained of the enemy. But how much time is consumed whilst the horses are caught and made ready, whilst the few soldiers assemble in arms, and whilst their leader is expected! In the mean time slaughters are already committed, estates rifled, villages burnt, and the savages departed as quickly as they came. But if a tardy company of Spaniards is at length brought together, they are more rejoiced at the flight of the enemy than desirous of pursuing them. And supposing the savages to be still in sight, or at no great distance, the generals of Paraguay, unless they see themselves greatly superior in point of numbers, seldom dare to trust the doubtful fortune of war, by a bold attack; foreseeing that they shall be loaden with reproaches, and perhaps assaulted with stones by the wives of those who might be slain in the skirmish. Sometimes the Spanish horsemen were clamorously eager to pursue the flying savages, but the generals repressed their ardour, even threatening pain of death to any who should dare to challenge or pursue the enemy.

It has always appeared quite miraculous to me, that the province of Asumpcion did not at length sink under the weight of the powerful enemies by whom it was combated for so many years. On one side was the dreadful neighbourhood of the ferocious Guaycurùs and Mbayas; on the other the daily assaults of the Abipones, Mocobios, and Tobas occasioned much danger and fatigue to the surrounding colonies. Add to these the Payaguas, most perfidious pirates, more dangerous in peace than in war: not to mention the wood-savages, the Monteses, Montarrazes, or Caayguas, who, though not always openly hostile to the Paraguayrian Spaniards, whilst they prepared the herb of Paraguay in woods far distant from the city, are full of enmity towards them, and justly suspected of unsound faith. See! how many nations threatened the Spanish colonists. Two to one is odds against Hercules. We may justly call the Paraguayrians greater than Hercules, because they held out against so many enemies.