in the previous chapter, Alvar Nuñez desired to be shown the act of
accusation drawn up against the Agazes. Having seen this and the former
judgments entered against this people, it seemed to him that their guilt
had been clearly established for the robberies and murders committed
by them in the land. He then summoned the monks and the clergy, the
captains and officers, and showed them the act of accusation and the
instructions he had received from the king; and having well considered
it, they all unanimously advised that he should make war upon the Agazes
with fire and sword, for the service of God and His Majesty. In the
first place, however, thirteen or fourteen of these Indians, who had
been made prisoners, were condemned to death. The Alcalde Mayor,[330]
upon whom devolved the carrying out of this sentence, entering the
prison with certain others to fetch them out to be executed, was
suddenly attacked by them with knives, and might have been killed,
had not some persons hastened to succour him, and used their swords
to protect him. In the scuffle which ensued two of the prisoners were
slain with the sword, and the rest were taken out and hanged.
[330] The Alcalde mayor was the mayor of the city.
CHAPTER THE THIRTY-FOURTH.
_How the governor sent relief to Buenos Ayres._
PEACE and tranquillity being now established, the governor sent a party
to the relief of Buenos Ayres and Captain Juan Romero, who had been
previously despatched with two brigantines and some men with the same
purpose. For this new relief the governor decided on sending Captain
Gonzalo de Mendoza and two other brigantines with provisions and one
hundred men. These dispositions having been taken, he sent for the
monks, clergy, and officers, and spoke to them of the measures to be
adopted for the discovery of the province, especially with the object of
finding a route by land by which the Spaniards might be supplied with
provisions in passing through desolate uninhabited tracts, of which
there were many in that country. He charged them in His Majesty's name
to give this matter their serious consideration, and advise him in the
best way possible. The following are the names of the monks and clergy:
the commissary, Friar Bernardo de Armenta, Alonzo Lebron, a Franciscan,
Juan de Salazar, of the Order of Mercy, Luiz de Herrezuelo, of the Order
of St. Jerome, Francisco d'Andrada, the bachelor Martin d'Almenza, the
bachelor Martinez, and Juan Gabriel de Lezcano, clergymen and chaplains
of the city of Ascension. He also consulted the captains and officers of
His Majesty, and all these, having discussed the question fully, were of
opinion that he should with all convenient haste proceed to explore the
inhabited country through which the route might lie, into the interior
of the country, for the causes and reasons assigned by the governor. And
this was the order of the day.
That he might proceed on this discovery in the best way, and as promptly
as possible, Cabeza de Vaca sent for the principal Indians and the
elders of the Guaranís, and told them of his desire to seek out the
tribes in that province of whom they had often spoken to him; but before
doing so he wished to send some Christians to reconnoitre the route, and
since they (the Guaranís) were Christians and vassals of His Majesty, he
asked them kindly to furnish guides from their own people who knew the
country, that by doing so they would be rendering good service to the
king and advancing their own interests, besides receiving pay and
presents for their services. To this the Indian chiefs responded that
they would go and prepare the people, who would be ready to start
whenever they were required. Many of them offered on the spot to
accompany the Christians, foremost among these being Aracaré, a chief
of the upper river, and others whom we shall mention by-and-bye. The
goodwill of the Indians having thus been manifested, three Christians,
who knew the native languages and were experienced men, set out with
the Indians who had offered to undertake the discovery. The governor
recommended them to use the utmost diligence and fidelity in
reconnoitring the road. Meanwhile he ordered three brigantines to be
equipped with provisions and other necessaries. In these he sent ninety
Christians under the command of Captain Domingo de Irala of Biscay, with
orders to ascend the Paraguai as far as he could, and discover as much
as possible in the space of three months and a half; to take note
of what settlements of natives there were on the banks of the river,
collect every information, and report to him on the tribes and
inhabitants of that province. The three vessels, with their complement
of Christians, set off on November 20th, 1542. With them embarked the
three Spaniards and the Indians who were to reconnoitre in advance the
route by land from a port on the Paraguai, known as Las Piedras (the
rocks), seventy leagues above Ascension.
Eight days after the departure of the ships, Captain Vergara wrote that
the three Spaniards, together with 800 Indians, had set out from the
port of Las Piedras,[331] in the 24th degree, below the tropic, to
prosecute their journey by land, and that the Indians were in good
heart, and pleased to show the road. He further wrote that, having
recommended the three Spaniards to the care of the Indians, he had
resumed his navigation up the river for the purpose of exploring it.
[331] Las Piedras, or Pan de Azúcar, is in 21° 25′.
CHAPTER THE THIRTY-FIFTH.
_How the three Spaniards and the Indians returned from their
reconnaissance._
TWENTY days after the departure of the three Spaniards from the city of
Ascension to reconnoitre the road, they returned and said, that having
taken the chief Aracaré as their principal guide, they started from the
port of Las Piedras with 800 Indians, more or less, and marched for
about four days into the interior, following the guidance of Aracaré, a
man much feared and respected by the Indians. He had, however, ordered
all the fields where they passed to be set on fire, and this was a
signal to their enemies to come and attack them, besides being contrary
to the order usually observed in exploring a new country. Moreover,
Aracaré openly told the Indians to return, and not to show the country
to the Christians, who were evil, and he spoke in this fashion to them,
inciting them to rebel. They had begged the Indians to desist from
burning the fields, and entreated them to follow the road, but they
had refused; at the end of the fourth day the Indians had turned back,
having abandoned the Spaniards to their fate, who were in danger of
being lost in an unknown country, all the Indians and guides having
turned and fled.
CHAPTER THE THIRTY-SIXTH.
_How wood was prepared for the construction of two brigantines and
one caravel._
ABOUT this time the governor sent in search of timber in order to build
brigantines for the voyage of discovery he proposed making, and a
caravel to send to Spain, to report to His Majesty how things were
going in the province with reference to its discovery and conquest. The
governor went in person to the forests and plains with the officers,
the shipmasters, and sawyers, and within the space of three months
sufficient wood had been prepared for the construction of one caravel
and ten rowing vessels (_i.e._, brigantines) for the navigation and
exploration of the river. All this wood was transported by the natives
to Ascension, and the construction of the brigantines was at once
begun.
CHAPTER THE THIRTY-SEVENTH.
_How the Indians came again and offered their services._
THOSE Christians who had been sent to discover a road by which they
might enter the province, having returned (as we have seen) without
bringing any report or information of what had to be done, and many
other natives having offered to assist the Spaniards in the discovery of
the country, the governor was pleased to speak with the principal among
them who came from the riparian districts and were newly converted
to Christianity, whose names were Juan de Salazar Cupirati, Lorenzo
Moquirasi, Timbuay, and Gonzalo Mayraru, besides others, and to accept
their services, offered with much alacrity and goodwill, promising them
in the name of His Majesty good pay and handsome reward. Four Spaniards,
who knew the country well, asked to be allowed to proceed on this
discovery with the Indians, promising to use every diligence in
this commission. Seeing this, and that they offered their services
spontaneously, the governor acceded to their request. Accordingly, these
four Spaniards, the Indian chiefs, and 1,500 other natives set out on
the 15th December 1542. Some ascended the river Paraguai in canoes,
while others went by land to Las Piedras, whence they were to make their
entrance into the interior. They were obliged to pass through the lands
and villages of Aracaré, but would not be turned from their purpose this
time by the words of this chief, and pursued their march in spite of
every attempt on his part to stop them. Their journey from Las Piedras
led for thirty days through a desolate region, where their sufferings
from hunger were very great. Some of the Indians died, while the
Spaniards were reduced to such straits from hunger and thirst that they
lost their way and did not know where to go. They therefore decided on
returning by the same way as they came, supporting themselves as well
as they could, on the wild thistle and other herbs. At the end of
forty-five days they returned to the city of Ascension. Aracaré coming
down the river, met them on the road and caused them much trouble,
showing himself in all this to be the deadly enemy of the Christians and
our friendly Indians. At length the Indians and Christians arrived
at Ascension, feeble and tired. The governor having learned of the
outrageous conduct of Aracaré, which had now become notorious, ordered
an act of accusation to be drawn up against him, and to be notified to
this chief--a somewhat dangerous commission, because Aracaré came out
with arms in his hands, followed by a number of friends and relations,
with the intent to kill the Spaniards sent to him. The process, however,
was duly served according to law, and Aracaré was sentenced to death and
executed,[332] the natives being made to understand the just cause for
which this had been done.
[332] This appears to have been the chief Achkere, whose execution was
entrusted to Domingo de Irala. Cf. Schmidt, _supra_, p. 37.
On the 20th December the four brigantines, sent by the governor to the
river Paraná to the relief of the Spaniards who had come by ship from
the island of St. Catherine, arrived at Ascension, together with the
ship's boat. In these five craft arrived all the people, who soon
disembarked. With them came Pedro de Estopiñan Cabeza de Vaca, who had
been left in command of the vessel and the people.[333] He reported that
on arriving with his ship in the river Paraná he had gone straight to
Buenos Ayres, and at the entrance of that port, near the settlement,
he had found a ship's mast planted in the earth, with an inscription
carved on it as follows: "_Aquí esta una carta_" (Here is a letter). On
searching, this letter was found in a hole bored in the mast. It was
opened, and found to be signed by Alonzo Cabrera, surveyor of foundries,
and by Domingo de Irala of Biscay, who styled himself lieut.-governor of
the province. Its purport was, that Buenos Ayres had been abandoned, and
its inhabitants removed to the city of Ascension, for reasons set forth
in the letter. Pedro de Estopiñan found the place in a state of revolt,
and his men ran imminent risk of death both from famine and war, for the
Guaranís attacked them incessantly. Twenty-five Spaniards, in order to
escape starvation, fled to the coast of Brazil to rejoin the ship, and
had not timely succour arrived all must have perished. As it was,
the day after the arrival of the relieving party, consisting of 150
Spaniards, the Indians attacked them before daybreak, set fire to their
camp, killing and wounding five or six Spaniards, and in spite of the
resistance from the men on shore, and those on the vessels, their lives
were in great jeopardy. He further reported that measures had been
promptly taken to re-establish the settlement and port of Buenos Ayres
on another site at the confluence of the Rio Paraná with the San Juan,
but this work had been much interfered with by the approach of winter,
and the floods, which made breaches in the walls as fast as they were
erected. They were consequently compelled to desist from their efforts
and bring all the people to Ascension.
[333] Cf. _supra_, p. 106 _seq._
On the eve of All Saints, or on this day itself, some disaster always
happened to Gonzalo de Mendoza. On this particular occasion, while
navigating at the mouth of the river, one of his vessels was wrecked,
and a number of his men drowned. It happened in this wise: the vessels
were all at anchor, near the shore, under a high bank, his brigantine
being moored to a tree, when an earthquake took place. The shore was
thrust up, and fell into the river, bringing down with it the tree to
which the galley was moored. This struck the vessel such a tremendous
blow as to cause it to capsize and drift down stream, bottom upwards,
for half a league. Fourteen persons, men and women, were drowned on
this and the other vessels. According to the report of those who were
present, such a terrific thing had never before occurred. After these
experiences they arrived at Ascension, and were all comfortably lodged
and provided with necessaries. The governor, with all his people,
returned thanks to God for His mercy in having brought them into safety,
and saved them from so many dangers.
CHAPTER THE THIRTY-EIGHTH.
_How the settlement of Ascension was burned._
ON the 4th February of the following year, 1543, one Sunday morning,
three hours before daybreak, a straw house in the city of Ascension
took fire, and the flames spread so rapidly that in a short time the
conflagration was awful to see. The Spaniards were greatly dismayed,
thinking it was the work of Indian incendiaries, who wished to drive
them from the country. In this emergency the governor caused the alarm
to be sounded, and all hurriedly took up arms and repaired to their
several stations, to be ready to defend their lives and the place. Owing
to these measures, the Spaniards escaped with their lives, but their
property was all destroyed. Upwards of 200 houses were burnt down, only
fifty being saved, these being separated from the rest by a stream of
water which ran between them. Upwards of 5,000 measures of maize were
burnt in grain, this being the staple production of the country. A
quantity of maize-flour, and other provisions, such as poultry and
pigs, were destroyed, and the Spaniards were reduced to such a state of
destitution that they had no clothes to wear. The fire continued for
four days, burning everything above and below ground, even to the walls
of the town and fortress. It was ascertained that the fire originated
with an Indian woman living with a Christian, who was shaking a burning
hammock, when a spark fell on the wall of the house; this being of
straw, instantly ignited, and burst into flames. The governor, seeing
the miserable condition of the Spaniards, whose houses and property had
been destroyed, supplied them with his own things, giving food to those
who had none. In this way he promptly relieved their necessities, and
caused the houses to be rebuilt of less inflammable materials, using
for this purpose clay (_tapia_). In a few days, such was the energy
displayed, the rebuilding was completed.
CHAPTER THE THIRTY-NINTH.
_How Domingo de Irala arrived._
ON the 15th February Domingo de Irala, returning from his exploration of
the Paraguai, moored his three brigantines in the port of Ascension, and
landed to make his report to the governor. He said that from the 20th
October, when he departed from Ascension, to the 6th January, the
festival of the Three Kings, he was constantly navigating the river
Paraguai, holding intercourse with the natives along the banks, and
noting down the information they gave him. On that day he arrived at a
settlement of Indians, who cultivate the soil and rear fowls and geese:
the latter as a protection against crickets, which do them much damage,
for these insects gnaw and eat their mantles, and breed in the straw of
which their houses are built. In order to preserve their garments they
keep them and their furs in large earthenware jars, covered with clay
lids. In this way they protect their wardrobe. When the crickets fall
from the roofs of the houses in large numbers the geese devour them
eagerly, and this happens two or three times a day, and is a sight worth
seeing. These Indians dwell in the midst of lagoons, and are called
_Cacocies Chaneses_.[334] They told Domingo de Irala that the way into
the interior of the country lay through their territory; he travelled
for three days by it, and it seemed to him a good land; they had
also given him an idea of the regions beyond. There, as he learned,
provisions were abundant enough to supply a party of explorers who might
enter and take possession of the country. These Indians had shown him
specimens of their gold and silver, and had offered to guide him. During
the whole of his voyage he did not see a more convenient or better
country by which to penetrate into the interior, and he had named the
port where he landed, in honour of the day of his arrival, _Puerto de
los Reyes_ (Port of the Kings[335]). The inhabitants having expressed a
great desire to see the Spaniards, he entreated the governor to go and
make their acquaintance.
[334] These Indians are the Xarayos.
[335] This port was situated in 18° latitude.
When Domingo de Irala had made his report concerning all that he had
seen and learned, Cabeza de Vaca commanded the monks and the clergy, the
officers and the captains, to assemble, and caused to be read to them
the report brought by Domingo de Irala. He begged them to give him their
opinion and advice as to what should be done for the discovery of this
country in the service of God and His Majesty, seeing that now the best
and most certain route hitherto known into the interior had been found.
And all the assembly agreed that it was expedient for the service of God
and His Majesty that an entrance into the country should be made from
the port of Los Reyes, and their opinion was reduced into writing and
signed with their names. They were also of opinion that the discovery
should be made without delay, as provisions and other necessaries were
to be found there in abundance.
Having seen and approved of the opinion of the monks, the clergy, and
the captains, the governor gave orders to equip and make ready the ten
brigantines which had been built for the service of His Majesty. He bade
the Guaranís supply provisions for the voyage, the fire having destroyed
the stores of the Spaniards, and he expended on these preparations
his own resources, paying the Indians for the provisions they brought,
besides giving them many presents. This he did so as not to delay
matters till the next harvest. In order that everything might be
prepared with the utmost speed, he sent Captain Gonzalo de Mendoza with
three brigantines up the river Paraguai to the lands and villages of the
friendly Indians, vassals of His Majesty, to load these vessels there,
ordering him to pay for everything, and treat the natives in a kindly
way, satisfying them with presents, of which he took a large number,
and he charged him to keep a watch and see that the interpreters dealt
fairly by the Indians, abstaining from doing them any wrong or
compulsion, under threat of punishment. Those were his orders.
CHAPTER THE FORTIETH.
_What Gonzalo de Mendoza wrote._
A FEW days after Gonzalo de Mendoza had set out with the three
brigantines he wrote and informed the governor of his arrival at the
port of Giguy,[336] and of his having sent into the interior to those
villages where provisions were obtainable, and that many Indian chiefs
had been to visit him, and had begun bringing in provisions; that
the interpreters had fled from the natives and taken refuge in the
brigantines, because an attempt to kill them had been made by the
friends and relatives of an Indian who was in revolt and was raising the
country against the Christians and against our Indian allies, advising
them not to give us provisions, and that many Indian chiefs had come to
beg for assistance and help to protect their tribes against two chiefs
named Guaçani and Atabare,[337] who with all their relatives and friends
were making war upon them with fire and sword, burning their settlements
and ravaging their lands, threatening to kill them and destroy them
utterly if they would not unite to drive out the Christians. He (Gonzalo
de Mendoza) was temporising and parleying with these people till he knew
what measures it would be expedient to adopt, and meanwhile the Indians
had brought no provisions, because the enemy had blocked the roads, and
his Spaniards were starving.
[336] This river is the Jejuy.
[337] Tabaré; cf. _supra_, p. 38.
Having read Gonzalo de Mendoza's letter, the governor assembled the
monks, clergy, officers, and captains, and caused it to be read to
them. He then asked them to give their opinion as to what they thought
expedient to be done in that emergency, having regard to the king's
instructions, which were also read to them; and they answered, that
since the Indians were making war against the Christians and His
Majesty's vassals, their opinion was (and it was recorded in writing and
signed with their names) that he should march against them, and, after
demanding peace, should exhort them to give in their submission; failing
which, and after repeating his request twice, thrice, or as often as was
deemed necessary, and warning them that they would be held responsible
for any evil consequences that might ensue, that then war should be
waged against them as enemies, for the defence and protection of the
friendly natives.
A few days after the above occurrences, the said Captain Gonzalo de
Mendoza wrote again to the governor, informing him how the Indian
chiefs Guaçani and Atabare were making a cruel war against the friendly
natives, over-running their land, slaying and robbing them, as far as
the port where the Christians were collecting provisions, and that the
Indian allies were much harassed, and were daily beseeching him (Gonzalo
de Mendoza) for aid, and saying that if he did not soon help them, all
the Indians would rise in revolt, reminding him, too, of the cruel
losses such a war entailed upon them.
CHAPTER THE FORTY-FIRST.
_How the governor helped those who were with Gonzalo de Mendoza._
AFTER reading this letter, and becoming aware of the complaints made by
the natives, Alvar Nuñez summoned another council of monks, clergy, and
officers, and, in pursuance of their advice, commissioned Domingo de
Irala to take measures to protect the Indian allies, and put an end to
the war that had broken out, aiding in every way those natives who had
sustained losses at the hands of the enemy. To this effect he sent four
brigantines with 150 men besides those who had already gone under the
command of Gonzalo de Mendoza, and ordered Domingo de Irala to proceed
at once to the ports and villages of Guaçani and Atabare, and summon
them, in the name of His Majesty, to desist from the war and to return
to their homes, and live henceforward in peace and amity with the
Spaniards. Should these chiefs refuse to listen to these proposals,
which were to be repeated as often as possible, that he was then to make
war upon them, doing them, however, as little injury as he could, and
avoiding murders, robberies, and other evils. He was to compel them to
make peace and enter into friendly relations with our Indian allies, for
while this fighting was going on there could be no peace in the country,
and the service of His Majesty would not be advanced. The governor also
sent presents for distribution among those who were inclined to come to
terms.
CHAPTER THE FORTY-SECOND.
_How four Christians died of their wounds during this war._