THE PERPETUAL DISTURBANCES OF THE TOWN OF CONCEPCION.
After an absence of five months spent at St. Iago, and in my journeys
thither and back, I was received by the people with great demonstrations
of affection; and their joy was increased by the liberal presents which
I made them of scissors, glass-beads, and other things of that
description. But the affairs of the town remained in the same state as
before: and there seemed to be no hope of procuring tranquillity. The
Mocobios and their allies were always full of menace, often committed
actual mischief. The elder Abipones, though they refrained from
molesting the Spaniards, pertinaciously indulged in their usual
drinking-bouts; but the younger part could not be induced to remain
quietly at home, delighting to wander up and down, and commit
depredations. The old women, obstinately adhering to their ancient
superstitions, were not only averse to our religion themselves, but
endeavoured to inspire others with the same dislike of it. No one would
enter the church unless induced by the hope of reward, and very few
would attend to the sacred instructions at mid-day. Almost all were
engaged in pursuits and studies of a different nature. Military
expeditions were undertaken one after another.
Alaykin, to testify his fidelity to the Spaniards, and to clear himself
from some suspicions that were entertained against him, went out against
Oaherkaikin, and by threats or promises obliged him to give up the
captives taken in the woods where Lisondo and the other St. Iagans had
been lately slain. After a sort of friendship had been simulated, rather
than contracted between Ychoalay and Alaykin, our townsmen went to
assist the Abipones of St. Jeronymo in two expeditions against
Debayakaikin, from which, however, they derived more loss than
advantage. A warlike alliance did indeed subsist for a short time
between the inhabitants of the two towns, but never any concord in their
hearts; for our Abipones, extremely well disposed towards the
Nakaiketergehes, never thought of desiring that victory might declare in
favour of Ychoalay, whom they hated, because he endeavoured to prevent
them from taking the horses of the Spaniards, and often restored them,
when taken, to their owners by force; enraged at which, they employed
double craft and industry in their depredations, not so much to
indemnify themselves for their former loss, as to signify how little
heed they took of Ychoalay. This was a source of altercations, and
subject of anxiety which pressed upon us day and night. Captain Miguel
Ziburro, Piedra Buena, and other owners of estates from Sta. Fè, came to
St. Jeronymo with a small troop of horse, to claim Ychoalay's assistance
in recovering some horses stolen from them by the Indians. Ychoalay knew
the pastures where the recently plundered horses had been concealed, and
thither he came by night to recover them with a troop of Spaniards and
Riikahés; but he was disappointed in his hopes. For our Abipones,
receiving timely intelligence of Ychoalay's intentions, concealed all
the horses they possessed in remote lurking-holes across the river,
except some lean, old, and lame creatures, covered with worms and
ulcers, which they left in the market-place, to make game of Ychoalay,
who, not finding the horses he sought, resolved to attack the plunderers
of them. A little before day-break, spying a crowd of our Abipones
swiftly bearing down upon his party, he screened himself behind some
cottages, and cunningly affirmed that the Spaniards were not come to
slay the inhabitants of the town, but to confer with them. On hearing
this, our Abipones bent their spears to the ground, and quietly granted
a truce. A Spanish captain, of advanced age and intrepid spirit, spoke
for some time with Alaykin, by means of an interpreter, in our
apartment. "Have you, then, chosen this situation for your colony," said
he, "that you may plunder herds of horses from our estates at your
pleasure?" "No accusation of this nature can be preferred against me,"
replied the Cacique; "when we were at war with each other I returned
like for like, and repelled force by force; but since the establishment
of the peace, I have carefully spared both yourselves and your
properties." "We allow that _you_ have never done us any injury,"
rejoined the Captain, "but your son Pachieke is the head of the
plunderers." "That is your own faults," replied Alaykin; "the sanctioned
peace was religiously observed by my countrymen till it was violated by
a soldier of yours, who robbed them of an excellent horse. Incited by
his example, my people began to think of taking horses from you, which
they knew to be badly guarded." To this the Captain answered, "But it
was your business to have restrained the rapacity of your hordesmen."
"In truth," replied the Cacique, smiling, "that is easier said than
done. These young men tell me they are going to hunt wild horses,
instead of which they carry off the tame ones from your estates, without
my knowledge or consent. You ought to have guarded your estates to
prevent thieves from approaching them; for it is not in my power to keep
watch over plains of such vast extent, and to have an eye upon the feet
and hands of my countrymen in all their journeys. Let soldiers be hired
to scour the roads; and if they find any countryman of mine guilty of
plundering horses, let them, with my free leave, commit him to prison,
and punish him with plenty of stripes. Alarmed at such vigilance and
severity on the part of the Spaniards, our youths will abandon their
practice of stealing." "It is well," replied the Spaniard, "your advice
shall be followed; but, in the mean time, let all the horses that have
been taken from us be immediately restored." "For my particular," said
Alaykin, "I have not a single horse of yours in my possession; as for
the rest, do you yourself command them to make restitution, and let them
do so if they will, for I have not sufficient authority to insist upon
its being done. Were I to use commands or force towards my people, they
would immediately desert me. Go, therefore, and endeavour to regain your
horses by arms, which you will hardly do by words; my hordesmen are
standing in the market-place, prepared for a battle." The Captain heard
Alaykin make this declaration without alarm, and would have joined
battle forthwith, had not two noble Spaniards, neither of whom belonged
to the army, and who were terrified at the appearance of the Abipones,
persuaded him to silence, peace, and speedy departure. Refusing an
invitation to dinner, the whole party returned without delay to St.
Jeronymo, along with Ychoalay, who afterwards told me he should never
have brought the Spaniards, had he been aware that Alaykin's soldiers
were so numerous. Our Abipones, emboldened by the hurried return of the
Spaniards, made no hesitation in sending one of their people to watch
them, and exhort them to hasten their journey, lest, if they tarried on
the way, they should be pursued by the rest of the townsmen. Whilst the
Spaniards were still on their road, a tempest arose, with rain, thunder,
and lightning; meantime, our Abipones were celebrating this bloodless
victory with songs and drinking, highly elated at the idea of having
baffled Ychoalay, and caused him to come labour in vain.
This unseasonable visit of the Spaniards had well nigh proved the
destruction of my companion and myself; the Indians, persuaded that we
had acted in collusion with them, cruelly persecuting us as traitors and
enemies. Not one of them would enter our house or the church; not one
would deign to hold any conversation with us: so that we doubted not but
that our lives were in danger; yet the suspicion entertained by the
Indians was totally groundless, as the journey, and the machinations of
the Spaniards had never been revealed to us even in a dream. On the
night that succeeded their departure, as I was mending my torn shoes,
the only pair I possessed, to defend my feet from the rain which was
plainly portended by the appearance of the sky, a sudden noise induced
me to leave my hut, when I saw a great number of our Abipones riding
about the market-place, with their faces painted, and with spears in
their hands; at which I was much surprized, not knowing who or where the
enemy was. But looking round on all sides, I at length espied the
Spaniards, with Ychoalay's Abipones, approaching the town, and
immediately awakened Father Sanchez, who was dreaming of no such matter.
It was openly reported that Ychoalay, enraged that the event of this
expedition had proved so contrary to his desires and expectations, was
directing his whole attention, in conjunction with the Spaniards,
towards totally destroying our colony; on hearing which, our Abipones
withdrew from the town, and hastened by crowds to their known retreats.
What were our feelings on perceiving this? We wrote to inform Barreda of
the matter, and in the mean time awaited a remedy for our affliction,
which might, after all, prove too late; for conscious of that general's
lenity towards his soldiers, and of their tardiness in undertaking a
journey, we justly feared that Saguntum would be lost while Rome
deliberated.