had started, the governor ordered two more to be built, and laden with
provisions and people, to proceed also to the relief of the Spaniards,
and to re-establish the port of Buenos Ayres. He gave special
injunctions to the captains of these two vessels to treat the natives of
the Paraná with kindness, and induce them by fair means to acknowledge
the sovereignty of the King. He, moreover, directed them to take note
of everything that occurred, in order that a full report might be sent
to His Majesty. Having made these dispositions, Alvar Nuñez turned
his attention to the service of God, and His Majesty, and to the
pacification of the province. For the better accomplishment of these
duties, he summoned a meeting of the monks and clergy residing in that
province, as well as those that had come with him, and, in the presence
of all the officers, the captains and the people, he entreated them, in
kind but earnest words, to bestow special attention to the teaching of
the Christian doctrines to the natives, subject to the King, and he
caused certain passages of the Royal Charter to be read aloud, in which
special mention was made of the treatment of the Indians. He further
enjoined the monks, clergy, and other ecclesiastics, to take the Indians
under their particular care, and to protect them from ill-treatment, and
to inform him of anything done contrary to these orders--promising to
supply all things necessary for this holy cause, and for the celebration
of the sacraments in the churches and monasteries. And for this purpose
he supplied them with wine and flour, and distributed among them the
vestments he had brought for use in divine service; and he also gave
them a barrel of wine for this use.
CHAPTER THE SIXTEENTH.
_How the natives kill and eat their enemies._
SOON after the arrival of the governor at the Ascension the natives
and conquistadores brought serious charges against the officers of His
Majesty. Alvar Nuñez therefore ordered all the native subjects of the
king to assemble, and in the presence of the monks and clergy told them
he had been sent to protect them, and that they should come to the
knowledge of God and accept Christianity at the hands of the monks
and clergy who had come as the ministers of God, and should subject
themselves to His Majesty. If they did this they would be better treated
and protected. He warned them to give up eating human flesh, as that was
a sin and grave offence in the sight of God. The monks and the clergy
repeated this warning, and the governor concluded by distributing
presents among them, such as shirts, stuffs, caps, and other things they
delighted in.
These Guaranís speak a language common to all the tribes of this
province. They eat the flesh of their enemies whom they take captive in
war, bringing them to their settlements and making great merriment and
rejoicing with them, dancing and singing till the captive grows fat.
They give him their wives and daughters, in order that he may have every
pleasure. It is these wives who take the trouble to fatten him. Those
held in the greatest honour among them admit him to their couches, adorn
him in various ways according to their custom, and bedeck him with
feathers and necklaces of white beads and stones, which are much prized
among them. When he begins to grow fat they redouble their efforts; the
dancing, singing, and pleasures of all kinds increase. Then the men
come; they adorn and make ready three boys of the age of six or seven,
placing a little hatchet in their hands. The Indian considered the
bravest among them now takes a wooden sword in his hand, called in their
language _macana_, and leads the captive to a place where he is made to
dance for one hour; the Indian then advances, and with both hands deals
him a blow in the loins, and another on the spine to knock him down. It
happens sometimes that after striking him six blows on the head they
cannot kill him, so hard are their heads, though this two-handed sword
is made of very tough, heavy, black wood, and the executioner is strong
enough to kill an ox with a single blow. When they have knocked him down
the three boys come with their hatchets, and the eldest of them, usually
the son of the chief, begins striking blows on his head, the others do
the same till the blood flows; the Indians meanwhile exhorting them to
be brave and learn to kill their enemies and make war upon them, and to
remember that this victim has killed many of their own people, and that
they should revenge themselves upon him. As soon as he is dead the one
that gave him the first blow takes the name of the dead man and keeps it
henceforward in token of his bravery. Then the old women cut the body
in pieces and cook it in their earthenware pots, distributing the flesh
among themselves. They eat it and consider it excellent food. Afterwards
they resume their dancing and pleasures, which last several days, saying
that now the enemy who had slain their relatives is dead, they will take
their rest and make merry.
CHAPTER THE SEVENTEENTH.
_Of the peace which the governor concluded with the Indian Agazes._
ON the banks of this river Paraguai there is a nation of Indians named
Agazes; it is a people most feared in all that country, for besides
being valiant they are well practised in war and very treacherous. Under
pretext of making a treaty of peace they ravaged other tribes, not
sparing even their own relatives, wishing to make themselves masters in
the land, so that nobody trusts them. They are men of great size and
gigantic limbs; they lead piratical lives in their canoes on the river,
landing to pillage and capture the Guaranís, who are their principal
enemies. They live by fishing and the chase, and do not cultivate the
soil. When they capture the Guaranís they tie their hands together and
drag them into the canoes and carry them away. Then they return to the
relatives of their captive, who come forth and offer to ransom him; and
they strike him cruel blows in the presence of his father, children, or
wives, as the case may be, and demand food, threatening to slaughter
their prisoner if this is not brought. Having taken as much provisions
as their canoes will hold, they return to their houses, carrying their
captive along with them. And this is their usual practice, for it rarely
happens that the captives are actually ransomed. After they are tired of
keeping them in their canoes and beating them, the Agazes cut off their
heads and hoist these on poles on the bank of the river. Before the
governor's arrival the Spaniards had made war against these Indians and
killed a number of them; peace had afterwards been concluded, but this
had been broken with characteristic perfidy by the Agazes, who had
done much injury to the Guaranís and carried off a quantity of their
provisions. A few days before the governor's arrival at the Ascension
the Agazes had violated the peace, having attacked and ravaged certain
villages of the Guaranís, besides keeping the town of Ascension daily on
the alert. When the Agazes knew of the governor's arrival, their chiefs,
named Abacoten, Tabor, and Alabos, accompanied by a large number of
their people, arrived in their canoes, and presented themselves before
him, saying they wished to swear allegiance to His Majesty, and to be
friendly with the Spaniards; they declared that if they had not kept the
peace hitherto, that was owing to the audacious conduct of some foolish
youths, who had begun hostilities without their leave, causing it to be
supposed that the chiefs had broken the peace, but that they had been
well punished for it; and they entreated the governor to receive them
into his amity, and make peace between them and the Spaniards, promising
they would keep it. This promise they repeated in the presence of the
monks, clergy, and officials. Having heard this message, the governor
received them kindly, and replied that he was pleased to receive them as
vassals of His Majesty, and as friends of the Christians, provided that
they would keep the peace, and not break it as heretofore. He gave them
to understand that, should they misbehave in future, they would be
regarded as enemies, and be made to suffer accordingly. In this way
he made peace between them and the Spaniards. He gave orders in the
meanwhile that they should be well treated and receive provisions. The
conditions of peace were that the said Indians, the chiefs of the Agazes
and others of that nation, should agree that whenever they descended the
Paraguai in canoes as far as the Ascension, they should not enter upon
territory belonging to the Guaranís otherwise than all together, and
never separately, nor by night, but always in the daytime; that they
should only land on the opposite side of the river, not on this side,
where the Guaranís and Spaniards have their fields and establishments;
that they should not ravage the country and harass the Guaranís, and
that they should terminate their war against them, and cease from
troubling them any more, as these people were now vassals of His
Majesty; that they should deliver up certain of their Guaraní captives,
of both sexes, who had been captured during the time of peace, because
they were Christians, and their relatives were much distressed at it;
that they should not interfere with the Spaniards and Guaranís when they
fished in the river and hunted on the land; and, lastly, that such
of their wives, daughters, and relatives who had been converted to
Christianity should be allowed to persevere in that holy work, and not
be carried away or compelled to absent themselves. Provided that these
conditions were kept, the Agazes would be treated as friends, but if any
article of the treaty were broken they would be proceeded against as
enemies. These terms having been well explained and understood by them,
they promised to observe them, and thus was peace restored and their
submission brought about.
CHAPTER THE EIGHTEENTH.
_Of the complaints addressed to the governor by the pobladores
against the officers of His Majesty._
A FEW days after his arrival at the Ascension, Alvar Nuñez, having
seen that there were many poor and needy, supplied them with clothing,
shirts, trowsers, and other necessaries. Many of them that were unarmed
received arms; and all this at his expense, and without interest. He
then begged the officers of His Majesty to discontinue vexing and
wronging these unfortunate people, as they had hitherto done, for many
complaints had been made by both _conquistadores_ and _pobladores_. They
tried to enforce a new tax lately imposed on fisheries, butter, honey,
maize, and other commodities; on the skins with which they clothed
themselves, and which they bought of the Indians; and this besides the
collection of debts due to His Majesty. The officers urged the governor
to allow them to continue these taxes, but he would not consent to it,
and in this way incurred their animosity. Prompted by a bad spirit
towards him, they strove to do him all the harm they could by indirect
means. He therefore had them arrested and thrown into prison, in
consequence of evidence brought against them.
CHAPTER THE NINETEENTH.
_How the governor received complaints against the Indian Guaycurús._
THE riparian chiefs, and those inhabiting the vicinity of the Paraguai,
near the town of the Ascension, vassals of His Majesty, came and
presented themselves before the governor, and complained of a tribe of
Indians that dwelt near their borders. These Indians are great warriors,
and valiant men, who live on venison, butter, honey, fish, and wild
boar, eating nothing besides, neither they nor their wives and children.
They go daily to the chase for it is their only occupation. They are
nimble and vigorous, swift of foot, and so long-winded that they tire
out the deer, and catch them with their hands, besides slaying many more
with their arrows, as well as tigers and other fierce animals. They are
kind to their wives, and not only to those of their own tribe, who are
greatly esteemed by them, but also to women generally; thus, if any fall
into their hands when they are making war, they set them at liberty, and
do them no wrong. They are much feared by all the other tribes. They
never remain more than two days in one place, but quickly remove their
houses, made of matting, to distances of one or two leagues when they
are in pursuit of game. This tribe, and others that live by fishing, eat
of a certain bean[320] that grows in that country; they search for it in
the mountains where the trees are that produce this fruit; and the wild
boar climb the hills at the same time, and for the same purpose. It
ripens in November and the beginning of December, and they make flour of
it, and wine strong enough to intoxicate themselves.
[320] Algarroba, the Carob bean (_Prosopis dulcis mimosa_).
CHAPTER THE TWENTIETH.
_How the governor informed himself concerning the complaint._
THE chiefs of the Indians complained to the governor that the Guaycurús
had dispossessed them of their land, and killed their fathers, brothers
and relatives, and since they were vassals of His Majesty, they claimed
protection and restitution of their property. They had hunted on the
mountains, they had fished in the lagoons and rivers, they had collected
honey for their own support and that of the Christians. Moreover,
the wrongs and murders they complained of had taken place since the
governor's arrival in the country. He examined into the complaints
of these chiefs, whose names were Pedro de Mendoza, Juan de Salazar,
Cupirati, Francisco Ruis Mayraru, Lorenzo Moquirasi, Gonzalo Mayraru,
and other newly converted Christians, in order to satisfy himself of the
truth of their allegations, and to proceed according to law; and he said
that they must bring good evidence of their alleged wrongs. They then
presented as witnesses a large number of Spanish Christians, who had
been present, and seen the injuries done by the Guaycurús; how these
people had driven them from their lands, and laid waste a large
stockaded settlement named Caguazú. Having heard this information, the
governor sent for the monks and clergy--friar Bernardo de Armenta, and
friar Alonzo Lebron, his companion; the bachelor Martin de Almenza, and
Francisco de Andrada, priests; and commanded them to inquire into the
affair, and report as to whether war could be justly made against the
Guaycurús. They wrote their opinion, and signed it with their names, to
the effect that he (the governor) might, with armed hand, march against
the said Indians, and wage war against them, since they were implacable
enemies. The governor then ordered two Spaniards, who knew their
language, and Martin de Almenza, with an escort of fifty Spaniards, to
go in search of the Guaycurús, and summon them to submit to His Majesty,
and desist from making war against the Guaranís, that these might freely
go about their land, and enjoy their chase and fisheries. If they would
do this, he promised to consider them as friends, but if they refused,
he should make war upon them as mortal enemies. So the ambassadors set
out, having been specially charged to repeat their message and warning
two or three times calmly and deliberately. Eight days afterwards they
returned, and declared that they had warned the Indians, but that these
had taken up arms against them, saying that they did not choose to obey,
or to be friends with the Spaniards and Guaranís, and told them to
withdraw immediately from the land. At the same time they shot a number
of arrows, and wounded many of them. The governor, having been informed
of all that had happened, ordered two hundred arquebusiers and
crossbowmen to be in readiness, and twelve horsemen, and with these he
left the town of Ascension on Thursday the twelfth of July 1542.
As he had to pass to the other side of the Paraguai, he bade them make
ready two brigantines, to ferry the men and horses across, and he
ordered all to assemble at a certain village of the Guaranís, called
Tapuá,[321] on the bank of the Paraguai. Its chief, Mormosen, is a brave
man, much feared in that country, who had already become a Christian,
and bore the name of Lorenzo. He had been master of Caguazú when the
Guaycurús took it. All the soldiers and the horses marched to Tapuá by
land, a distance of four leagues from the town of Ascension, passing, on
the way, large troops of the Guaranís, who had orders to rendezvous at
the same place, and accompany the governor on his expedition. It was
wonderful to see the order they kept, and their preparations for war,
all of them armed with bows and arrows, adorned with parrots' feathers,
and painted with divers colours. They had musical instruments, which
they use in battle, such as timbals and trumpets, cornets, etc. All
arrived on the same day at Tapuá, and found here large numbers of the
Guaranís, bivouacking under the trees along the river bank. The chief,
Mormosen, and his relatives, accompanied by a number of the people,
advanced to meet the governor, a bow-shot from the village, and brought
with them a large quantity of venison and ostrich-flesh which they had
killed on that and the previous day, in such plenty that there was
more than sufficient for all the people. The Indian chiefs then held a
council, and decided that it would be necessary to send out scouts to
reconnoitre the country and position of the enemy, and ascertain if
tidings had reached him of the advance of the Spaniards, and whether
he kept watch at night. This advice was followed, and two Spaniards,
together with Mormosen and other brave Indians who knew the country,
went forward. The following day being Friday, they returned before
nightfall, and reported that the Guaycurús had gone a-hunting in the
plains and mountains, having fired the grass in several places, as is
their wont. Our people had seen them moving their camp, accompanied by
their wives and children, to settle in a new place, where they might
subsist by hunting and fishing, and they seemed to be unaware of our
coming. From our camp to the place where the Indians had probably fixed
their abode might be five or six leagues, judging from the fires they
had kindled to drive the game.
[321] _Tapuá_, as spelt in the original edition. In later ones the
Gothic =T= has been taken for a =C=.--The Spaniards founded in this
place a fort named Arecutacuá. See map of Oyarvide.
CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FIRST.
_How the governor and his people crossed the river, and how two
Christians were drowned._
THAT same Friday the brigantines arrived for the passage of the river,
and the Indians brought a number of their canoes. Being now fully
informed as to what should be done, and having taken counsel with his
captains, the governor arranged that the army should cross the following
morning, Saturday, and proceed in quest of the Guaycurús. He ordered
rafts to be made of the canoes, to convey the horses over, and as soon
as it was daylight the embarkation began in good order, the soldiers in
the brigantines, and the Indians in their canoes. The zeal displayed by
the Spaniards, and the loud cries of the Indians, were remarkable. From
six in the morning to two o'clock in the afternoon the crossing went on,
though there were two hundred canoes engaged in the passage.
A sad accident happened at this juncture. As the Spaniards vied with
one another who should be first, one of the vessels was overloaded and
capsized, the keel floating above water with all her living freight
clinging to it. They would certainly all have been drowned, had not a
number of Indians who saw the occurrence from the bank jumped at once
into the water and righted the vessel. But the current was so strong at
this place that two of the Spaniards were swept down the river, whom it
was impossible to rescue, their bodies being recovered lower down; and
their names were Diego de Ysla, a citizen of Malaga, and Juan de Valdez,
a citizen of Palencia.
When all the people and the horses had crossed to the other side, the
principal Indians came to the governor, and told him that it was their
invariable custom, whenever they were about to make war, to give their
captain a present, accordingly they begged him to accept it. The
governor, wishing to humour them consented. Then all the chiefs, one
after the other, brought him a prettily painted bow and arrow; and all
the Indians, one by one, presented a painted arrow adorned with parrots'
feathers; and the remainder of that day was taken up by the presentation
of these offerings, so that it was necessary to pass the night on the
bank of the river, stationing sentries to keep watch.
CHAPTER THE TWENTY-SECOND.
_How the spies, by order of the governor, went in search of the
Guaycurús._
ON Saturday, the governor, with the advice of his captains and monks,
arranged that before beginning the march, scouts should be sent in
advance to reconnoitre the movements of the Guaycurús, in order that
dispositions might be made to attack and drive them from the lands of
the Guaranís. So the Indian spies and Christians set forth, and returned
at four o'clock in the morning, with the report that the Indians had
been hunting the whole day, and that their wives and children were in
front of them, and that they did not appear to have any fixed idea of
settling anywhere. Upon this being known, it was decided to march at
once, as secretly as possible, in pursuit of the enemy, observing the
precaution of not lighting fires, and not breaking the ranks for the
purpose of hunting or any other motive, in order not to give the enemy
an inkling of their whereabouts. These dispositions having been taken,
they started in good order, on Sunday morning, and marched at the
foot of the forested slopes of the mountains, so as to conceal their
movements. The Indian scouts, all picked men and swift of foot, led
the advance, returning every now and again to report what they could
discover of the enemy.
The order of march was as follows: the Indians went together in a troop
extending over a league in length, all arrayed in parrots' feathers,
and with bows and arrows. In front of them was the advanced guard, and
behind came the main body, the governor and the cavalry, followed by the
Spanish infantry, arquebusiers and crossbowmen. After these came the
women, bearing the munitions and provisions of the Spaniards. The
Indians carried their own supplies. In this order they marched till
mid-day, when they rested under some large trees, where they all halted
and partook of some refreshment. After this, they resumed the march, led
by the Indian guides, along footpaths, where the quantity of deer and
ostriches was amazing. Neither Indians nor Spaniards, however, ventured
to hunt for fear of discovering themselves to the enemy; but all kept
their ranks, the Guaranís in advance numbering some ten thousand men,
all painted and bedizened with necklaces of beads and plumes, and plates
of copper, which glistened marvellously well in the sun. And many of
them had bows, and a great number of arrows.
CHAPTER THE TWENTY-THIRD.
_How the governor, pursuing the enemy, was informed that he was
marching in front._
THE governor and his people, marching in this order all day, there
happened, shortly after sunset, at the hour of Ave Maria,[322] a tumult
among the Indians. And a dispute arose in this wise. A spy came back
from the Guaycurús, and brought back word that they were retiring for
fear of the Guaranís, and that he had seen them hunting the whole day;
and that their wives and children were in advance, and he believed they
would settle that evening. The Guaranís had been informed, on the
other hand, by some female slaves, whom they had captured a few days
previously of another tribe called Merchireses, that the report current
among that tribe was that the Guaycurús were engaged in war with the
Guatatas, and were about to attack this tribe, and that was why they
were advancing with such haste through the country.
[322] Answering to the Angelus in France, and to the Curfew in
England.
The scouts continued to follow the enemy closely, in order to see
where he would halt, and give the governor information. And he, having
heard all this from the last spy, and seeing that it was a fine night,
ordered the march to be continued in the same order as before, a strict
watch being kept, the archers with their crossbows strung, and the
arquebusiers with their arquebuses loaded and fuses lighted, as the
occasion required, for although the Guaranís were marching with us and
were our allies, it was prudent to observe every precaution, and place
as little confidence in them as an enemy, for they are wont to be
treacherous if too much trusted.
CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FOURTH.
_Of a panic among the Spaniards and Indians, caused by a tiger._
THE governor and his army were marching through the skirts of a thick
forest, and night was approaching, when a tiger passed through the midst
of the Indians, causing a great panic and confusion among them, so that
the Spaniards took to their arms, and, thinking the Indians were in
revolt, fell upon them, calling on Santiago. In that affray several
Indians were wounded, and their companions, seeing the attack made upon
them, fled to the mountains. The governor himself narrowly escaped being
wounded by two gunshots, the bullets having grazed the skin of his face;
and these shots were certainly fired maliciously with intent to kill
him, and to please Domingo de Irala, whom he had deprived of the command
of the province.