OF THE ATROCITIES OF THE ABIPONES TOWARDS THE
PEOPLE OF CORDOBA.
Cordoba, the principal city of Tucuman, a Bishop's see, contains an
academy which was a few years back as famous as any in South America,
and is extolled for its splendid edifices, and its opulent and
honourable citizens. The ruler of Cordoba is not styled a Vice-Governor,
but a Viceroy. The situation of the city, which is washed by the little
river Pucarà, and surrounded by hills, is neither very pleasant, nor
very healthy. The country on the side of Sta. Fè, and Buenos-Ayres, is a
plain more than a hundred leagues in extent, of most fertile
pasture-ground; but the part looking towards the kingdom of Chili, and
the territories of St. Iago, is irregular, sometimes sinking into low
vallies, sometimes rising into irriguous hills; where feed an infinite
multitude of cattle, horses, mules, and sheep, in which the principal
and almost only riches of the Cordobans consist. This part of Tucuman,
except the city, enjoys a healthy temperature, and a cool breeze arising
from the vicinity of the mountains of Chili; the population is numerous,
and the inhabitants frank, robust, and intelligent, but deserving of a
better fortune in war. Larger woods of quince, pomegranate, orange and
peach trees are no where to be seen: there are also figs, nuts, and
other fruits peculiar to America.
The land of Cordoba might be esteemed fortunate, had the inhabitants
ever been allowed to rest from the incursions of the Pampas, Abipones,
and Mocobios. If, as I have related, the rest of Paraguay was often
disturbed by the inroads of the Abipones, the Cordobans were so
tormented by their perpetual hostilities, that neither place nor season
was free from fear and anxiety. Not only the remote and solitary
estates, but even the immediate vicinity of the city was so confidently
attacked by the Abipones, you would have thought that women only dwelt
there, or that all the inhabitants were asleep. This extensive province
always possessed sufficient numbers, and sufficient strength to repel
the Abipones; the only things needed were courage and proper leaders,
who by their example might animate the people to the defence of their
country, direct the forces it contained to some advantage, and make use
of the strength that really existed: for certainly in no part of
Paraguay were there to be found more expeditious horses and horsemen
than here; not to mention the agility, and skill which the latter
possessed in other respects, their height, singular strength, activity,
and abundance of armour: for their superior opulence enables them, more
easily than the other Spaniards, to obtain the necessary instruments of
war. Oh! that the people of Cordoba would learn to know themselves, and
their own strength! that they would shake off their innate dread of the
savages, whom they could easily vanquish, would they but summon up
courage to make the attempt! The Abipones, conscious that they were
dreaded by the Cordobans, insolently reiterated their assaults, and
generally with impunity. The high-way leading to Peru, and to the cities
of Buenos-Ayres and Sta. Fè, was seldom free from carnage and robberies,
never from danger: insomuch that travellers always either suffered or
apprehended murder from the savages. There was no such thing as
security. Neither the summits of the highest hills, nor the deepest
recesses of the forests afforded any defence. The Abipones examined all
places, like hounds, and seldom returned empty-handed. On St Joseph's
day, before dawn, a vast troop of Abipones, under their leader Alaykin,
burst into the estate of Sinsacate, which is about ten leagues distant
from the city. This place was then administered by the secular priest
Carranza. A great number of people, who had assembled the day before
from the neighbouring estates, intending to be present at divine service
in the church of Jesus and Mary, were there at that time. The savages
either slew, or carried into captivity all they saw. The number of
captives, Spaniards and Indians, was five and twenty: many more were
slain, and the rest saved themselves by flight; every thing was
plundered, and the mules and horses which filled the neighbouring
fields, driven away. The estate was saved by the lofty walls of the
church Jesus Maria, though it suffered a great loss of cattle. The
soldiers of Cordoba, moved by the dreadful report, at last arrived from
the city, that, though unable to restore life to the dead, they might at
least procure the liberty of the crowd of captives. They pursued the
fugitive Abipones for some time, till their further progress was stopped
by a vast lake, which, though crossed by the Indians without hesitation,
seemed to the Cordobans an ocean impassable on horseback, and requiring
the assistance of a boat; so that they were obliged to retire out of
sight of the enemy. The people of Cordoba, notwithstanding that they
excel in point of horsemanship, are little qualified to pursue the
savages, from their inability to swim; the cause of this deficiency is
that most of them live in a place where swimming is not customary, or
where there is no opportunity for practising it. There is a place,
between Cordoba and St. Iago, called Rio Seco. Scattered here and there
in little valleys between the hills are great numbers of well-peopled
estates, and cattle of every description. In this place is a large,
elegant stone church, which owes its celebrity to an image of the Virgin
Mary, and whither numbers flock from all parts, as it has been
distinguished by the favour of Heaven and the gifts of the pious. The
Abipones had informed themselves of this circumstance from their Spanish
captives. The opulence of the place afforded them great hopes of a rich
booty. Having diligently examined every thing through their spies, they
resolved to occupy the narrow straits of the rocks, and block up all the
ways, to deprive the Spaniards of the means of flight. They either slew,
or made captive, all they found in the neighbouring fields, and in the
houses, without opposition: the whole country was devastated. An immense
number of horses and mules were taken by the savages. The church itself
was forced, while affording shelter to those who survived the massacre,
and had fled thither for refuge. They broke open the door with an axe,
though it was secured with bolts and plates of iron. These sacrilegious
thieves carried away the sacred silver utensils, the bells of the tower,
and even the image of the holy mother, with that of St. Joseph; and when
they had murdered all the inhabitants, and plundered all their
possessions, they departed laden with spoils, and the heads of the
slain. But it so fell out by divine dispensation, that Barreda was just
then meditating an excursion against the savages, at no great distance,
and upon receiving information of this outrage of the Abipones,
immediately flew thither with his followers. After pursuing the
fugitives for a long time, day and night, he learned that they had
separated into two companies and gone different ways. The height of his
wishes was to rescue out of the hands of the savages the image of the
divine mother, and though he hesitated a little which way to take, yet,
by God's grace, he finally chose that which led to the party in
possession of the holy image. Proceeding for some time with all speed,
he at last surprizes the Abipones, sitting unsuspiciously on the ground
while their horses were feeding in the pastures. The approach of the St.
Iagan soldiers being perceived, the infantry threw themselves into an
adjacent wood. The Spaniards instantly flew to the baggage which the
savages had relinquished, and joyfully discovered amongst the rest the
image of the Virgin. The enemy's horses were collected and their saddles
burnt. The wood was, for some time, surrounded on all sides by the
soldiers; but at length, the Abipones showed such obstinacy in their
lurking-holes, and the horses were so weakened by three days' hunger and
fatigue, that Barreda began to think of retreating. Nothing was ever
heard of the image of St. Joseph, but most likely it was thrown into
some deep marsh. This hostile aggression upon Rio Seco induced the
Cordobans to surround that church with high stone walls, strengthened
with four towers, that it might no longer be exposed to the injuries of
the savages, and that, like the other colonists, they might defend
themselves in those fortlets, on any impending danger.
The Abipones penetrated also into the valley of Calamuchita, which,
though inclosed by rocks, is rich in herds, at the instigation of a
Negro slave, who, being offended by his master, chose to satiate his
desire of vengeance by the hands of the savages, since he could not by
his own. Much blood was shed there, and every thing plundered that came
to hand. At Zumampa and the neighbouring places, slaughter and rapine
were almost daily committed. The parish of St. Miguel in Rio Verde was
depopulated by continual assaults. Those territories, especially, by
which the Rio Segundo flows, were not only infested by the Abipones, but
chosen by them as places of abode, where they laid in wait for
travellers to Sta. Fè, or Buenos-Ayres. The place called Cruz alta
afforded great opportunities for pillaging. The terror excited by the
slaughters committed there increased every day. On account of the
magnitude of the danger, the waggons for conveying merchandise could
never pass to and fro, except in large companies. The men appointed to
defend the caravans, being generally of the very lowest order,
unfurnished with muskets, armed with spears alone, and moreover entirely
destitute both of courage and vigilance, were every one slain. The
Abipones seized the merchandise and the droves of horses and oxen, and
burnt the waggons to ashes. These tragic events happened very
frequently, and were most ruinous to traders. One, which is of more
recent occurrence, I shall relate, and pass by the rest. Five and twenty
Cordoban waggons bound to Sta. Fè were attacked by the Abipones, on
their second day's journey, a few leagues from the city. The drivers and
guards were all killed whilst sleeping, as usual, at mid-day, in the
plains, (except one who was feeding the oxen on horseback.) Amongst the
number of the slain was Father Diego Herrera, a Jesuit, destined for the
towns of the Guaranies; he was only deprived of his clothes in the first
attack, but lost his life in the second. A rosary, a square hat, and a
habit were carried away by the savages as trophies, and the prayer-books
scattered about the plain. Kebachichi, the leader of that expedition,
wore the slain priest's robe and square hat at all public drinking
parties, in commemoration of the bloody deed. This man, who some years
after resided in the town of St. Jeronymo, when upon a visit to us in
the colony of Concepcion, requested my companion to give him a hat, and
on being refused, said to the Father in a threatening tone, "Dare you
deny me a hat? Don't you know that I am a slayer of Fathers?" The
Vice-Governor of Sta. Fè, to avenge those who had suffered the loss
either of their lives or their properties, marched with some of his
companies into Chaco; but the event did him little honour. He met with a
horde of Abipones, but they falsely declared themselves innocent of the
slaughters that had been committed. Meantime the arrival of the
Spaniards being spread throughout the neighbourhood, more and more
companies of Abipones assembled, and at last raised such a numerous
army, that the Vice-Governor thought it more advisable to treat the
Abipones with biscuit and other gifts as friends, than to assault them
with balls and gunpowder as enemies; which cowardice in their general
filled the soldiers with indignation. Fearing a dangerous return, he
hastened toward the city, the Abipones pressing behind with equal speed.
The soldiers themselves condemned this retreat; for impunity and the
inactivity of some of the Spaniards renders the savages more and more
bold in their attempts; yet they are astounded if any one summons up a
little courage to oppose their assaults, and presents a musket in a
threatening manner. This was found by Galarza, Viceroy of Cordoba, who,
in returning from Buenos-Ayres with some waggons, encountered Kebachichi
and a troop of Abipones. Galarza, seeing the enemy at hand, leapt from
his horse, that he might more conveniently make use of his musket. But
whilst he was hastily tucking up his travelling-dress that it might not
retard him in using his arms, his horse took fright and ran away, and
being furnished with precious trappings, and with pistols, was stopped
by an Abipon. But none of them dared approach the enemy's waggons,
because they were defended by Galarza, who was armed with a musket. The
enemy were deterred from plundering the waggons, and slaying the
attendants, by Galarza's presence of mind, and by the sight of this
musket, which was nevertheless incapable of doing any harm. But he could
not prevent the oxen and horses, which were at a distance from the
waggons, from being carried off. The neighbouring fortification of
Mazangani seems to have deterred these two and twenty Abipones from
attempting any thing further. Whenever I heard this fortification spoken
of, I figured to myself a place fortified with ditches, trenches, walls,
mounds, artillery and a garrison. But how was I deceived! In travelling
from Buenos-Ayres to Cordoba, I perceived Mazangani to be a square area,
scarce fifty feet in diameter, and hedged round with trunks, and thorny
boughs of trees. At the side of it stands a miserable hut covered with
straw, and built of sticks and mud, inhabited by a poor wretched man who
there exercises the several functions of Governor, garrison, and
watchman; for he ascends a high tree placed in the middle of the court
to discover if any savages are to be seen in the surrounding plain. In
order to deter them from approaching, and at the same time to apprize
the neighbourhood of their arrival, he fires a cannon. This is a
faithful description of that terrible fortress. Yet those who reached it
thought themselves, as it were, in port. From this you may judge how
little was necessary to repel those heroic savages. But rendered daily
bolder by frequent experiments, they learnt at last to despise these
little fortresses: for by casting fire with their arrows they easily
burnt the hedges, the cottages, and the defenders of them. Hence the
Spaniards, for the preservation of their safety, erected little stone or
brick fortresses in various places, and strengthened them with warlike
machines.
The plain called El Tio, which lies between Sta. Fè and Cordoba, is
uninhabited for almost thirty leagues, and consequently dangerous to
travellers; for not only the desert, but also a long wood which crosses
the plain ground from North to South, affords the Abipones an
opportunity of pillaging and making surprizes, especially at El Pozzo
Redondo; for after a great deal of dry weather, in this vast plain not a
drop of water is to be found, nor a bit of wood to make a fire with; but
both are supplied by the lake called El Pozzo Redondo, which is near a
wood. To travellers, therefore, who have crossed the plain and are
parching with thirst, nothing is more desirable than this lake, and at
the same time nothing is more formidable, since they cannot reach it
without risking their lives; for in this place the Mocobios and Abipones
lie in wait for the Spaniards, whom they know to be in the habit of
travelling by it. I have twice taken a journey to El Pozzo Redondo,
accompanied by four Spaniards. The first time we were in great
trepidation from the memory of slaughters recently committed there; on
the second we had nothing but inconvenience to endure, a two years'
drought having entirely dried up the lake. We and all our horses must
have perished with thirst, had not a great quantity of rain fallen that
night, accompanied with thunder. To increase the general consternation,
our guide told us that a certain Spaniard, in the service of the Royal
Governor, who had attended many campaigns in Europe, formerly passed a
night in this place. To the affirmations of the Paraguayrian soldiers
who accompanied him, that this place was dangerous from being liable to
the insidious attacks of the Abipones, he boastingly replied, that those
American pillagers were more worthy of derision than of dread. But the
Abipones assailing them the next day, he was so terrified at their yells
and their very aspect, that he suffered every indignity to which cowards
are liable. The savages carried off the horses, and whatever else
pleased their fancies. The European hero owed his life to his
Paraguayrian companions, and learnt to fear what he had thought a jest
the day before. But during the latter years of my residence in Paraguay,
the plain of El Tio was placed in security. Fortifications were erected
in two places, where a company of soldiers keeps continual watch, and
daily reconnoitres those parts whence the approach of the savages is
apprehended. Ever since Alvarez, master of the horse, was preferred to
the command of these guards, great restraint has been put upon the
licence of the savages, who before left nothing untouched, nothing
unattempted. I myself have witnessed what universal dread they excited,
when we sixty Europeans, accompanied by some Spanish natives, performed
a journey of one hundred and forty leagues, from the port of
Buenos-Ayres, where we had landed a little before, to Cordoba. Our
company consisted of about a hundred waggons, each drawn by four oxen,
but the number was doubled when they had to cross marshes: the driver
goads them on with a long pole, armed with a spike, and a horseman
generally goes before to show the way. These heavy waggons are supported
by two huge wheels, and have an arch at the top covered with a hide,
that the rain may run off them. The sides are sometimes enclosed with
boards, sometimes with mats, and have the appearance of a basket. No
iron is employed in any part of them. In the hind part where the door
is, there is a ladder to ascend by; in front there is a window. Each
waggon is generally occupied by one person, sometimes by two, and serves
for house, bed, and dining-room; for in the midst is placed a mattress,
on which you are conveyed along, with a jolting that, for the two or
three first days, produces vomiting, like sea-sickness. Most of the
journey is performed in the night, for the oxen cannot long bear the
heat of the sun in the day-time. Six pair of oxen are assigned to each
waggon, that they may relieve one another in the labour. To watch and
feed so great a number of cattle, many guards are necessary, each of
which have need of many horses. Neither they nor the drivers, nor the
men who ride before the waggons, are supplied with any other food except
beef, which is also the daily fare of the travellers in the waggons; so
that a great many oxen are consumed every day to satisfy so many hungry
stomachs. From this you may judge how great must be the number of men
and beasts, when a hundred, or more frequently two hundred, waggons of
this kind, travel a hundred and forty leagues of desert land together;
and, good heavens! what a noise they make! for the wheels are never
greased; they even catch fire sometimes by the continual friction of the
wooden axle, and wrap the waggon itself in flames. Excepting a few
estates and cottages in the neighbourhood of Buenos-Ayres and Cordoba,
you find nothing but a plain, void of inhabitants, buildings, trees,
rivers, or hills, but abounding in horses, wild asses, emus, does,
skunks (zorrinos,) and tigers. Fuel and fresh water are forced to be
carried for the daily consumption of the travellers. We were often
obliged to drink the muddy rain water which remains in the ditches,
though the very beasts, unless parching with thirst, would have refused
it. This immense wilderness which we had entered daily threatened us
with fresh difficulties and fresh dangers, greater than any we had
experienced in a three months' voyage on the ocean. Scarce a day or
night passed without tidings of the Spanish scouts having seen the
footsteps of the savages, or heard their whistles or pipes; in
consequence of which, most of the waggons were daily placed in the form
of a circle, for their mutual defence, and furnished with spears and
muskets. But whenever the Spaniards recollected how many former
travellers had fallen into the hands of the Indians, in these parts,
they thought the very rustling of the grass a harbinger of the approach
of the Abipones, and whilst the veteran natives of Paraguay were thus
alarmed at shadows, they inspired us novices in America with continual
dread. Our fears, however, proved groundless, for none of the savages
presented themselves to our sight; a circumstance which we attributed to
the special favour of God, since that part of the country had for many
years been the theatre of rapine and slaughter.