MY DISASTROUS RETURN TO OUR COLONY.
Having settled affairs to the best of my power, I was provided by
Barreda, on my departure, with forty soldiers, who were to act as guards
in the colony, and to assist and instruct the Indians in cultivating
land; but, at the end of a month, were to be succeeded by others for the
same length of time. The soldiers said they would wait for me at a plain
thirty leagues from St. Iago; but, on arriving, I only found nine there,
and, as the captain affirmed that no more were ordered to attend me, I
thought it best to begin the journey with these few. In a very short
time, however, I had to retrace my steps, for the soldiers, alarmed at
their weakness, were in constant apprehension of meeting armies of
savages, bearing bloodshed and slaughter along with them. Every step
that brought them nearer to the retreats of the savages increased their
terror. Seeing smoke at a distance, they entertained no doubt of its
being the indication of an ambuscade. Things were in such a state that
they obstinately refused to proceed; they did indeed return a little
way, and could hardly be recalled by the eloquence of their captain. The
same day we chose a situation to pass the night in, which the nature of
the place defended from sudden attacks, the river Salado, with its steep
bank, being in front, and a rugged wood behind. But about sun-set, just
when the horses were let loose to pasture, and we ourselves seated at
the fire, our ears were assaulted by a sudden howling of the savages
from the wood, which, to the cowardly soldiers, was the signal for
flight, not for a battle. Without delay every one catches his horse, and
gets it ready. I represented to them that if they quitted their station
the Indians might easily slay them whilst dispersed, but that if they
remained united in one company, I saw nothing so very dreadful to be
apprehended, as we had muskets in readiness, and the savages would
attempt nothing that night if they smelt gunpowder. By this speech I
prevailed upon them to remain quietly where they were, but at every
motion the savages made they flew to their horses, which they had ready
saddled; so great was their trepidation. One of the soldiers, a fat, but
very handsome man, dissolved into tears, dolefully exclaiming every
minute, "Then we must die this night!" For myself, I freely confess that
the fears of my companions caused me more alarm than the threats of the
savages. That I might not, therefore, remain alone and on foot in this
vast desert, in case my companions should fly and leave me, I ordered
the swiftest of my horses to be caught and harnessed, that I might
accompany the rest as far as possible. Fatigued and drowsy, I slept
greatest part of the night on the bare turf at my horse's feet, holding
the reins and a musket in my hand.
As soon as morning dawned, whilst the sand on the shores of the river
bore visible marks of the feet of the Indians, the soldiers,
disregarding the commands of their captain, returned home full speed,
and obliged me to follow them, unless I preferred perishing in a
perilous wild, full a hundred leagues in extent. I had ninety-four
leagues to return, for to such a distance from the city had we
travelled. The soldiers, to shorten the way, passed through the
trackless woods of Turugòn, and through marshy fields, till they
arrived, with me, at their native place, Salabina. The priest of the
village, Clement Xerez de Calderon, embraced me with the utmost
cordiality, and consoled me when I complained of the return of the
runaway soldiers. "You are come to this town," said he, "by divine
dispensation, to pronounce a panegyric on the Holy Mother:" for the
Carmelite feast was at hand, which is annually celebrated in that place
for nine successive days. Numbers of all ranks assemble there out of the
whole province, and as the place is too small to contain so many
thousands of strangers, most of them are obliged to pass the night out
of doors amongst the bushes, whilst the better sort are entertained by
the priest. The church, though small, was furnished with very precious
sacred utensils, and ornamented with more silver than is commonly seen
in European churches, most part of which the priest had inherited from a
Peruvian canon, a relation of his. In this church then I pronounced a
panegyric of an hour's length to a very numerous audience; amongst the
rest, the Vice-Governor and all the chief people of the city were
present, by whom, at the end of the discourse, I was honourably
conducted, amid the noise of fireworks and small cannons, to the
priest's house, where, according to custom, brandy and tobacco-pipes
were liberally distributed amongst the crowd of Spanish horse. During
the twelve days of my unwelcome detention in this place, I devoted the
whole of my time which was not spent in short slumbers, meals, and the
performance of divine service, to absolving penitents, who attended me
in the open plain near the church. Meantime, at Barreda's command, forty
soldiers were called out to accompany me on my second return, and were
ordered to assemble in a field some leagues distant from Salabina. In
this place, I and a few others remained three days in the open air, amid
continual frost, and in danger of being devoured by tigers, vainly
awaiting the rest of the soldiers; for after all there arrived no more
than five-and-twenty, one of whom deserted the first night, carrying off
with him some of the captain's horses. Having swam across the river
Turugòn, we entered Chaco; and that we might have no sudden attack to
fear from the savages who abide there, seven scouts were sent forward by
day, and returned at night to make their report to the captain. These
scouts discovered a party of Tobas and Mocobios, who, in flying to their
lurking-holes with a herd of horses taken from the estates of Sta. Fè,
set fire to all the woods and plains through which they passed, that
their countrymen might be pre-informed of their return by means of the
smoke. That night we passed without sleep: for the flames, which
approached us before, behind, and on both sides, appeared to threaten us
with destruction; and, although we escaped this, we were all very nearly
blinded and suffocated by the smoke. A wind arising the next morning,
averted the fire and the danger from us. Conflagrations of this kind are
very frequent in the immense plains of Paraguay, and often prove
destructive to travellers, beasts, and cattle. In this case, as in many
others, to escape being burnt alive, we were obliged to leap upon our
horses without having time to harness them properly, and to gallop right
through the flames, which it was impossible either to extinguish or to
avoid. The fire which is kindled by travellers at night, or noon, and
which they often neglect to extinguish on their departure, spreads, if a
strong wind arise, and sets the whole plain on fire. The tall dry grass,
reeds, and bulrushes, extended like a crop of corn on every side, afford
combustible materials to feed the flame for many weeks: the woods too,
which, being burnt by the sun's heat during the greatest part of the
year, abound in pitch and gum, are easily set on fire, and with
difficulty extinguished. The smoke often fills the air with such
impenetrable darkness, that the sun is hid, and night brought back at
mid-day. I myself have seen clouds and lightning suddenly proceed from
this smoke, as it is flying off like a whirlwind; so that the Indians
are not to be blamed for setting fire to the plains, in order to procure
rain, they having learnt that the thicker smoke turns into clouds which
pour forth water. Burning the plains, however, is not always a certain
method of procuring rain, without the co-operation of other causes: for,
during a two-years' drought which we endured, the fields and groves
blazed up and down the country for months, and yet the fire never
yielded us any water; this caused Father Brigniel to think that these
frequent conflagrations dried up the vapours of the earth, which at
other times ascend to the sky and coalesce, first into clouds, and
afterwards into showers. But from my own observation, I can tell that
condensed smoke, not very far removed from fire, is converted into
clouds, and sends forth thunder and lightning. This matter I leave to
the discussion of natural philosophers, and proceed in the relation of
my journey with the St. Iagans.
I must not be silent upon a circumstance, which was at first a subject
of alarm, and afterwards of hearty laughter to us. A number of Abipones
employed in drying otter-skins were concealed, together with their
families, in a field shaded by a little wood. Suspecting a hostile
attack, as they perceived us passing by, at day-break, they began to
utter their usual yells. The St. Iagans, on the other hand, amazed at
this sudden vociferation, imagined that the savages were lying in wait
for them, so that a great consternation was excited on both sides. I
soon began to suspect the truth of the matter, and mentioned my surmise
to the captain; on which he ordered a drove of our horses to be placed
in the midst of the company, lest they should be carried off by the
Indians. A more active steed being substituted for the one on which I
was riding, he ordered two soldiers to accompany me, with whom I was to
go forward, and if any Indian appeared in sight, to observe, and accost
him: for no one but myself understood the language either of the
Abipones or Mocobios. I requested the captain to follow me at a
distance, slowly, and without a noise, that he might be at hand to give
me aid, if it were needed, with which, being a good-natured man, he was
very ready to comply. After having gone a little way, I met an Abiponian
horseman quietly coming to reconnoitre us, and on his nearer approach
perceived him to be an inhabitant of our town; upon which I acquainted
him with the cause of my journey, with the small number and amicable
dispositions of my companions, afterwards inquiring after the health of
Father Sanchez and Alaykin, and other things of that kind. The Abipon,
relieved from his suspicions, informed me that he and his companions
were employed in seeking honey in the neighbouring woods, and in hunting
otters in the lakes, and courteously invited us to visit his countrymen.
Four soldiers were sent by the captain to ascertain the truth of this
representation, and they quickly returned laden by the Abipones with
abundance of honey: but the mutual delivery from fear of an hostile
attack was sweeter far than any honey.