Cleorita Arcos, at the request of her grandfather, the mayorong, gave
the following relation of the causes that led to their exile:—
“As Aabrawa has informed you, our people have received the name of
Bamboyles from the Aurancanoes. This was derived from the noise of our
workmen’s hammers in mending their utensils. But our transmitted, and
more pleasing name of designation, which we hold in reverence as an
evidence of remote ancestry, is Kyronese. Our late place of residence is
called Pompolio, which is also of remote hereditary origin. Mendoza was
said to have been founded by our ancestors, from which their more recent
descendants were driven by the Spanish half-breeds who coveted their
vineyards, which produced excellent grapes for the manufacture of wine,
of which they were fond to excess. Their envious hatred followed the
victims of displacement to Pompolio, their new home, and still
continues. Our ancestors were also beset by wandering tribes of savages
in their new home, as determined for our destruction as those from which
we were rescued by your timely arrival. But as they were constantly at
war among themselves it gave our people an opportunity to build walls
and gates to defend the passes.
“The Aurancanians were always friendly, for our people never exacted
more for their labors than their employers were pleased to give in
exchange; and until the event occurred that caused us to become outcasts
from our dearly loved homes, they were ever more ready to bestow than we
were to accept. But the same cause, from the same source, has reduced
them to a condition worse than our own, for they can no longer command
themselves in their own country, being constantly at variance in their
own households. We are so unlike our neighbors, and their visitors from
other nations, in personal appearance, habits, and customs, our
curiosity has labored long and patiently with the transmitted emblems,
but they refuse to unravel the secrets of the past.
“My father gave our people much information, which they supposed to be
reliable. First, he said that Kyron, from which our name was derived,
was an ancient Assyrian department, which gave birth to the city of
Sidon, famed in its day for the boldness and enterprise of its
navigators; and that the vessels portrayed by our ancestors were similar
to theirs. But he said that our short bows, and spears, as well as our
defensive armor, afforded the strongest confirmation of Assyrian origin.
In addition, he found utensils designed for household use which
corresponded exactly with pictures in the books he obtained from Europe;
and furthermore, he made a journey to Peru and brought back vessels of
pottery exactly similar. From these evidences he naturally concluded
that our ancestry, and those that inter-married with the aboriginal
inhabitants of Peru, were derived from the same source. However, you
will understand all these things better than ourselves; for he said your
learned men devoted their lives to the study of the past, and were
skilled in tracing vestiges, and conjectural probabilities.
“From what I have related, you can judge of the past, and from what I
shall now relate, whether we have acted prudently, and are worthy of the
interest you are disposed to take in our welfare. We lived happily
according to our knowledge, neither eating or drinking what we
considered to be impure, or indulging to excess beyond the body’s
requirements for the gratification of taste. Our amusements were
harmless and serving as a vivacious warmth for affectionate love. Those
who visited us, like my father, were kindly entertained, and not one of
the few has disdained to accept our friendship. The cause of my father’s
departure was not that he loved us less, but the wish to induce his
father and brother to come and see that he had succeeded in finding a
people who were content to live without money, in freedom from want and
envy, with the security of a common affection to make them realize a
more perfect existence after the separation of vitality from the body.
It was our misfortune to lose him when his advice was most needed, for
we feel assured, if he had remained, he would have averted our
calamities, for he claimed that our goodness and simplicity invited
imposition, which we had not the diplomatic skill to avoid.”
Mr. Welson, with a humorous twinkle of the eye, interrupted Cleorita,
questioning whether her father explained the meaning of the word
diplomatic. To which she replied with blushing trepidation, “My father
gave his own version, but he was so chioptic (jocose) in his way, and
inclined to speak disparagingly of his people’s sincerity, we did not
press him to asservate the truth of his interpretation, for we could not
wish to believe that civilization consisted in the art of successful
deception. As you knew him well in former years, I will not withhold his
exact definition. He said the word was a comprehensive cover for all the
variations of lying evasion practiced in the adjustment of national
encroachments, as a pretext for more extended impositions. The immediate
cause of our exile was the reappearance of a tribe of Indians who had
been expelled by the Aurancanians for their atrocious acts. The return
of the Abacknas (marauders) was announced by their sack of the
settlement of Guaspe. When pursued by an avenging party they fled to the
mountains. Their leader, named O’Grady, a sailor who had escaped from a
vessel in the straits of Magellan, betrayed them to the vengeance of
their pursuers, so that few escaped. By this act of treachery he gained
admittance into Aurancania for the introduction of a destructive cause
more insidious in its perfidy.
“In all the valleys of Aurancania the apple and pear grow to perfection,
and, as with us, those bordering the countries on the north and east are
well adapted for the culture of the grape and fruits kindred to the
peach. The extracted juice of these had been used as a pleasant and
harmless drink. O’Grady, although mistrusted, proposed to make the juice
more pleasing in its effects if suitable vessels could be procured. As
these were to be made of copper, of which we had an abundance, and were
skilled in reducing it for the manufacture of utensils, he was referred
to us. Unfortunately, on his way to visit us, he met one of our most
ingenious workers of the metals at Muloa, who comprehended the kind of
vessels and attachments he wanted. Insisting upon accompanying our
brother to oversee his labors, he gave him abundant reason on the way to
regret the chance that made him responsible for the stranger’s
introduction to our people. On their arrival within the gates of the
pass, he would not accept the hospitality provided for strangers, on
trial,—outside of our Douang, or walled town of defense, but insisted
that he should be received as a guest within. This act of aggressive
presumption was firmly but politely opposed by his sponsor, which from
his slight stature led to a trial of strength, with a result seriously
unfavorable to O’Grady, who was glad to accept assistance from his
antagonist and a bed in the strangers’ quarters, which he kept for a
month, until a fractured leg and an arm were again serviceable.
Nevertheless, he was kindly attended; and after his recovery never
attempted to overawe any of our people with threatening overtures
provoking personal encounter, having seemingly lost confidence in the
accounted advantages of superior size; but the revengeful leer of his
eyes boded us ill if the opportunity of exacting it should ever occur.
The vessel, with our troublesome visitor, were transported back to Muloa
as soon as he was able to travel; he neither offering, or his conductor
requiring aught for the labor or material bestowed, other than the
desire, on the part of our people, never to see him again. But the hopes
entertained that our parting would be final, were void; and in view of
the calamity which the heedless fulfillment of our brother’s stipulation
wrought upon the friendly Aurancanians, we have questioned whether our
own misfortunes were not justly merited.”
“Were you aware,” inquired Mr. Welson, “that the vessels your artizans
were fabricating were intended for the transformation of a beverage
juice into a fiery distillation, that in product would reduce your
friends to the condition of enemies to you, by the introduction of
‘civil’ discord into their own households?”
“The only information our people had upon the subject was derived from
my father,” replied Cleorita, “who had often described the misery it had
caused among your people. But his habits were abstemious, and his
example prevented the full impression of the danger, for we did not
forethink that others lacked his discretion, and would pervert actual
blessings for their own destruction. Alas, we soon found that the track
of our heedless labor was marked with the blight of provident affection.
To controvert our own agency in the misery inflicted upon the families
of our ever kind neighbors, the mayorong sent those abroad who mingled
substances with the ashes beneath the vessels that in burning destroyed
the metal. But the O’Grady had gained the means before this was
effected, of obtaining others from Mendoza of larger size, after we had
refused to supply his loss. These we also felt warranted in destroying,
which aroused his suspicions and his third enterprise was carefully
guarded. When its product exceeded the demand, he sent a still over to
Pompolio and seized our fruit for its use, which caused our people to
destroy it openly, expelling his aids. This provoked his bitter enmity,
and he swore that he would exterminate our people root and branch.
“Two years passed without cause for alarm, when, with a morning’s dawn,
we were aroused by the boom of a great gun and a loud crash in the midst
of our houses. When rushing forth to learn the cause the gatekeeper gave
the mayorong a letter written in Mendozean Spanish which I translated.
The missive was a demand for the immediate surrender of the Douang,
unconditionally. In the event of refusal, the lives of all the males
were to be sacrificed. This was signed, ‘Patrick O’Grady, Commander-in-
chief.’
“Of course, without hesitation, our people put on a bold face and sent
him back a defiant answer. In less than an hour our gate became a mark
for the cannon. This we had anticipated, and a second gate prepared for
an emergency of the kind, was closed inside of the outer, the interspace
being filled with faggots of osiers and tough mountain moss. So that our
second gate was well protected, for they kept prudently out of reach of
our spring-engines which were almost as effectual as their guns, but
could not be directed as easily. But our people were sorely
disheartened, for he had brought with him a large band of the guachos
and Indians of the plains, who had often attempted similar enterprises.
Finding, after many days, that their guns were breaking through our
strong walls, our people determined to conceal in the mountain caves all
that was held valuable, leaving in charge of a band of our young men the
old and infirm, with our cattle; while the mayorong, with the majority
of the able-bodied of both sexes, should set forth to seek a new home
farther north. When all the arrangements were completed a passage was
opened in the southern wall opposite and in concealment from the
besiegers’ encampment, for the outgoing of our cattle, through the heap
of litter that had accumulated from our stables overthrown from the
wall. After our departure for the mountain strongholds, the way of
escape was again closed and concealed as before. When everything was
made ready for the departure of the mayorong’s party northward, they
resolved upon another night attack upon their foes for intimidation,
that they might not seek to molest the mountain party in reserve; but
with such precautions as could be used to prevent the loss of life on
our part. The success of our people, if it had been followed up,
promised a complete rout, so great was the panic they caused, but it
sufficed to render their guns useless, with the destruction of their
munitions, and such other damage as we could accomplish without hazard
to ourselves.
“With a sad farewell we set forth in search for a new place of
habitation. Encountering many hardships, we finally succeeded in
reaching the fruitful valleys to the north of Mendoza without the loss
of life, where a new race of foes have driven us hither and thither as
relentlessly determined upon our destruction as the O’Grady. When we
started, our men numbered an hundred and eighty, and our women and
children two hundred; these have been reduced by death and capture in
our long wanderings among savage foes, to ninety men, and an hundred and
twenty women and children. Twenty days ago we rescued our loved
companion, Correliana, in sight of her city, while her guards were
fighting bravely for her defense against overwhelming odds. For many
days we hovered in sight of the city, hoping to regain for her an
entrance into the gates; her friends understanding our intention
endeavored to render us all possible assistance, but it availed naught
for her advantage, but caused us great distress. Yet that she has been
the means of our preservation we doubt not; for without the support of
her undaunted courage and device, we should scarcely have been able to
elude the many schemes planned for our destruction and her capture. When
she found it was impossible to gain an entrance into the city, and we
were fainting for the want of food, she led us by devious ways to Indian
villages, left in charge of old men and women, where we obtained an
abundance of food without causing other injury. From that time we have
had no rest, except what we gained in the sillia while our horses were
moving. Her desire to keep the river in view has been so urgent that we
saw clearly she expected succor from it in some way. Although her
language corresponds with Spanish so closely as to furnish me with a
ready understanding in other matters, she was not disposed to impart the
nature of her hopes from this source. We are not greatly given to
superstition, nevertheless, we cannot rid ourselves of the grateful
belief that you were in some way overruled for our rescue.”
When Cleorita closed her relation the Kyronese women bowed themselves
down in grateful acknowledgment for their preservation. This act of
humility caused the padre to utter a remonstrance coupled with the
declaration that prostrate humbleness for human aid seemed to him an
affectation that smacked strongly of hypocrisy. But when reminded of the
obeisance paid to the pope’s toe, and similar absurd acts inculcated by
Christian doctrine in the education of youth subject to the bias of
sectarian supremacy, he was silenced. But all joined in expressing their
strong sympathy and proffers of aid in solace for the unmerited
sufferings of the Kyronese.