CHAPTER XXIII.
FIRST MEETING WITH A "MARTRERO"—DESCRIPTION OF HIS HABITS AND CHARACTER—ANOTHER MARTRERO, JUAN DE LA CRUZ—THE RIO NEGRO—JOSEPH MUNDELL—THE SEVERITY OF THE ENEMY DROVE THE MARTREROS AND PEOPLE TO US.
At Colonia I met with the first "Martrero" I ever saw. He was named Sivoriña, and was one of the remarkable men known by that title who belonged to the patriot party. The services of that class of brave adventurers were of great value to that expedition.
The "Martrero" is a type of independent man. One of them often rules over an immense extent of country in that part of South America, with the authority of a government, yet without laying taxes, or raising tribute: but he asks and receives from the inhabitants their good will, and what is needful to his wandering life. He demands nothing but what is necessary; and his wants are limited. A good horse is the first element of a Martrero. His arms, usually consisting of a carbine, a pistol, a sword, and his knife, which are his inseparable companions, are things without which he would think he could not exist. If it is considered that from the ox he obtains the furniture of his saddle; the "_Mancador_," with which to bind his companion to the pasture; "_Mancas_," to accustom him to remaining bound and not to stray; the "_Bolas_," which stop the _bagual_, or wild horse, in the midst of his fury, and throw him down, by entangling his legs: the "_Lazo_," not the least useful of his auxiliaries, and which hangs perennially on the right haunch of his steed; and finally the meat, which is the only food of the Martrero;—if all these are borne in mind, in the forming and use of which the knife is indispensable, some idea may be conceived of how much he counts on that instrument, which he also employs, with wonderful dexterity, in wounding and cutting the throat of his enemy. The Martrero is the same as the _Gaucho_ of the Pampas, and the _Monarco de la cuchilla_, (_Monarch of the Knife_,) of the Rio Grande, but more free and independent. He will obey, when the system of government is conformed to his own opinions and sympathies. The field and the wood are his halls; and the ground is his bed. To him little appears sufficient. When he enters his house, the Martrero there finds one who truly loves him, and shares with him his toils and dangers, with courage and fortitude equal to his own. Woman as the more perfect being, appears to me to be naturally more adventurous and chivalrous than man; and the servile education to which in that country she is condemned, probably prevents the examples from being more common.
Vivoriña was the first of the Martreros who joined my troops: but he was not the best. On the banks of the channel of Inferno, the eastern one, between the island of Martin Garcia and the continent, he had seized a boat, and put his pistol to the breast of its master, and compelled him to transport him to the Island, whither he came and presented himself to me. Many other Martreros afterwards came in, and rendered much service in the ulterior operations; but the man on whom I love to bestow a high title, and who joined to the courage and audacity of a Martrero, the valor, integrity and coolness of a good captain, was Juan de la Cruz Ledesma, of whom mention will often be made in this narrative.
Juan de la Cruz, with his black head-dress, his eagle eyes, noble mien, and beautiful person, was my intrepid and faithful companion in that Uruguay expedition, which I consider the most brilliant in which I was ever engaged; and he, and Joseph Mundell, equally brave and better educated, are impressed upon my mind for life.
In Colonia were assembled Colonel Battle, and the Nationals of the garrison. In Martin Garcia we had left some men, and raised the Republican standard. The expedition then continued the voyage along the river. Anzani had the vanguard, with some of the smaller vessels, and took possession of a number of merchantmen under the enemy's flag. We thus reached the Yaguary, a confluent of the Rio Negro with the Uruguay.
The Rio Negro, which empties into the Uruguay at that place, forms several islands of considerable size, covered with woods and pasture-grounds in ordinary times; but in winter, when the rivers are swollen by the rains, they are almost entirely flooded, so that only animals are able to live there. The troops, however, found enough oxen and some wild horses. The greatest benefit to the expedition there was the landing of the horses, and allowing them relief from the evils of the voyage. Beyond those islands towards the east, and bathed by the Rio Negro on the south, by the Uruguay on the north, is the _Rincon de las Gallinas_. This is a part of the main land, of considerable extent, joined to the neighboring country by an Isthmus; and it abounded with an immense number of animals, of various kinds, not excepting horses. It was, therefore, one of the favorite spots of the Martreros. One of my first cares was to march, with a part of the landing force, and take a position on the shore of the Rincon, from which I sent out Vivoriña, with Miranda, one of his companions, on horseback. They soon met with several of the Martreros of the place, who joined the expedition, and were soon followed by others; and, from that time, a beginning was made in forming a body of cavalry, which increased very fast. Meat was abundant; and in that same night an operation was undertaken against a party of the enemy, which had the most successful issue. A Lieutenant Gallegos, who had accompanied the troops from Montevideo, was intrusted with the command. He surprised the enemy, in number about twenty; but few were able to escape, and he brought in six prisoners, some of whom were wounded. The affair gained for us several horses, which were a very important acquisition in our circumstances.
The system adopted by the enemy was, to send the inhabitants into the interior, in order to cut off their communications with the troops; and this induced many of those unfortunate people to join us, among whom they found a kind reception and a safe retreat, in the largest of the islands, to which the soldiers carried a great number of animals, and chiefly sheep, for their subsistence. Thus, in different ways, the expedition gained strength and was favored by circumstances, especially by the arrival of Juan de la Cruz, whose discovery deserves to be mentioned.
The Martreros of the Rincon, who were assembled with me at the time, informed me that Juan de la Cruz, at the head of a few parties of his friends, had fought several bands of the enemy on previous days; but, overcome by numbers, had been obliged to scatter his men, and take to the woods alone, in the thickest bushes, and even to abandon his horse, and to set off in a canoe, for the most obscure islands of the Uruguay. There he was still an object of the chief persecution to the enemy, who, after the battle of India Muerta, when there were no longer any national corps in the country, could pursue the Martreros at their pleasure. In such a painful situation was he found at that time; and I intrusted one Saldana, an old companion of Juan de la Cruz, with a few Martreros, to visit his retreat and bring him away. The undertaking was successful; and after a few days spent in the search, they found him, on an island, in a tree, and his canoe tied at its root, floating in the water, it being the time of inundation, and the little island being flooded. He had so placed himself that he could at once have retreated into the woods, if enemies had appeared, instead of friends.
The young Italians in the expedition at that time, learned a lesson of the life they will be called to lead, when they shall see their country redeemed. Juan de la Cruz was an important acquisition to the expedition. From that day forward, we had with us all the Martreros of the surrounding district, and a force of excellent cavalry, without which little or nothing could have been undertaken in those countries.
The Isla del Biscaino, (or the Island of the Biscayan,) the largest in the Yaguary, soon became a colony, peopled by the families which fled from the barbarity of the enemy, and various others, from the capital. Many animals were sent over to it, a number of horses were left there, and an officer was entrusted with the care of everything.