OF FRESH DISTURBANCES OF THE TOWN, ARISING FROM
THE VICTORY GAINED BY THE INHABITANTS.
Debayakaikin, upon hearing of this slaughter of his people, made no end
of storming and threatening the victorious Riikahés. Not one of his
fellow-hordesmen but raved with grief at some injury he had sustained
from it: one mourned the death or captivity of a son; another of a
husband; a third of a wife or brother. The life of Father Joseph
Sanchez, priest of the town of Concepcion, was placed in extreme danger,
as they declared their intention of revenging on every Spaniard, the
slaughter they had suffered from the Abipones and Mocobios, the friends
of the Spaniards. Had not Barreda restrained the enraged people, all the
Nakaiketergehes would have instantly flown to devastate the colonies of
St. Jeronymo and St. Xavier, whither Landriel was sent in the name of
Barreda to require restitution of the captives. Ychoalay, respecting the
wishes of the Vice-Governor, though not the threats of Debayakaikin,
cheerfully assented to this demand, but his example was not followed by
the Mocobios; which irritated the savages, and made them resolve to
extort by arms what the Spaniards could not obtain by prayers. We learnt
from trusty messengers that the enemies would be at the town of St.
Jeronymo in a few days. Thrown into the utmost consternation we
requested the Mocobios to lend us supplies, which they refused, alleging
the perilous state of their own town, and the necessity they were under
of providing for the security of it. All hope of succour being thus
denied us, whatever could contribute to our defence was wisely and
diligently ordered by Ychoalay. Many watchmen were appointed each night,
and scouts sent backwards and forwards. Debayakaikin, learning from his
spies that we were in daily expectation of him, that his expedition
might not terminate like the former one, thought proper to defer it for
some weeks, and then fell suddenly upon us, when we were not expecting
any thing hostile.
On the night after Whitsuntide, he and his forces crept into the plain
adjoining the town, and employed themselves till morning in collecting
droves of horses, and in wounding the oxen with spears. At break of day,
as I was performing divine service, Pachieke and Zapancha, who were sent
by Debayakaikin to challenge the townsmen to join battle with him,
arrived. Ychoalay replied, in the name of the rest, that they did not
want courage to accept the challenge, but horses to convey them to the
place appointed for the combat; which, as the enemy had themselves taken
in the night, they might now make use of for the purpose of approaching
the town, where he and his people would await them in battle-array. And,
in fact, the Abipones, assembling from all quarters, soon formed an
army, the front of which Ychoalay occupied on horseback. Whilst Ychoalay
was sharpening the point of his lance on a whetstone in our court-yard,
and greasing it with tallow that it might enter more readily into the
flesh, I spoke to him about baptism, knowing that the weapons of all
would be directed particularly at him, and endeavouring, at all events,
to secure his salvation. But alas! I preached to deaf ears, so far was
he from listening or attending to me, and so entirely engrossed by
warlike affairs. From such mighty preparations for war, what could be
expected but fields smoking with blood? Yet nothing but noise ensued;
and the day passed entirely without slaughter: for about noon, as we
were standing in form of battle, and expecting every moment the attack
of the enemies, Debayakaikin at length made answer by the mouth of a
herald, that he did not judge it expedient to join battle in sight of
the town, where, he doubted not, we had a supply of muskets; deterred by
a groundless apprehension of which, he departed without attempting any
thing further. After weathering so great a storm, we were surprized,
about evening, by another, which was the more terrible from being
unforeseen. Ychoalay suddenly interrupted me as I was conversing with
Father Brigniel. "Ho! you Fathers," said he, with an unusually gloomy
countenance, "my whole nation, weary of this colony, and of the
friendship of the Spaniards, intend desertion—nor can I blame them. On
account of the Spaniards, we have taken up arms against our countrymen
and relations, and have combated them to this very day, with fortune,
alas! how various! They have been our enemies ever since we professed
ourselves the friends of the Spaniards and their firm defenders against
Debayakaikin, Oaherkaikin, and their followers! How many droves of
horses have they taken from us; how many wounds have they inflicted on
us: how many deaths of our fellow-soldiers have they caused us to
lament! The Spaniards were not ignorant of all this, yet they quietly
looked on, and never seriously thought of lending us the promised
assistance. On this account it is that the minds of my comrades are
suddenly alienated, and that they are preparing for flight. I advise you
to write immediately to the Vice-Governor for soldiers, to conduct you
safe back to the lands of the Spaniards, before the Indians, exasperated
by the loss of horses they have this day suffered, have time to think of
taking away your lives." We both promised to follow his advice, adding
that he might feel assured the Vice-Governor would do all in his power
to assist and console our Abipones. The truth of Ychoalay's
representations was betrayed by the sullen and threatening eyes of the
other Abipones, in which we plainly read their grief at so great a loss
of horses, and their ill-will to the Spaniards. That night we wrote an
account of the perilous state of our affairs to the Vice-Governor; but
even Ychoalay had great difficulty in finding any one who would carry
the letters, as the weather had been stormy for many days past. Indeed
the journey seemed impracticable whilst all the roads were flooded with
water. In the mean time it was greatly to be feared, that when
intelligence was received of the Vice-Governor's determination, the
Indians, enraged at an unsatisfactory reply, would turn their backs on
the colony, and after murdering the Jesuits, return to their former
habits of plunder. Yet when affairs seemed desperate, an unhoped-for
calm succeeded to this terrible storm. Providence clearly shone forth in
the unexpected events which I am going to relate.