A TRAGICAL AFFAIR.
Whilst I was at Buenos Ayres I had the good luck to visit the
independent province of Paraguay, which my readers must have heard
spoken of, sometimes with admiration, sometimes with sneers, as the
hot-bed of Jesuitism. Those who sneer say that the Jesuit fathers who
left Spain under Martin Garcia formed this colony in the River Plate
entirely in accordance with the principles their egotism and love of
power dictated. It may be so; it is possible that the Jesuits were wrong
in the conclusions they came to as regards the governing or guiding of
human nature; all I can say is, that the perfect order reigning
throughout the colony they had formed, the respect for the clergy, the
cheerful obedience to laws, the industry and peaceful happiness one saw
at every step, made an impression on me I have never forgotten; and when
I compare it with the discord, the crime, and the hatred of all
authority which is now prevailing, alas! in most civilised countries, I
look back to what I saw in Paraguay with a sigh of regret that such
things are of the past. It was beautiful to see the respect paid to the
Church (the acknowledged ruler of the place), the cleanliness and
comfort of the farms and villages, the good-will and order that
prevailed amongst the natives. It was most interesting to visit the
schools, where only so much learning was introduced as was considered
necessary for the minds of the industrious population, without rendering
them troublesome to the colony or to themselves. Though the inhabitants
were mostly of the fiery and ungovernable Spanish race, who had mixed
with the wild aborigines, it is remarkable that they remained quiet and
submissive.
To prevent pernicious influences reaching this 'happy valley,' the
strictest regulations were maintained as regards strangers visiting the
colony.
The River Plate, which, coming down from the Andes through hundreds of
miles of rich country, flows through Paraguay, was unavailable to
commerce owing to this law of exclusiveness, which prevented even the
water which washed the shores being utilised. However, about the time I
speak of the English government had determined, in the general
interests of trade, to oppose this monopoly, and to open a way of
communication up the river by force if necessary. The Paraguayans
refused to accept the propositions made by the English, and prepared to
fight for their so-called rights. They threw a formidable barrier across
the stream, and made a most gallant resistance. It was on this occasion
that Captain (now Admiral) H---- performed the courageous action which
covered him with renown for the rest of his life. The enemy had, amongst
other defences, placed a heavy iron chain across the river. This chain
it was absolutely necessary to remove, and the gallant officer I refer
to, who commanded the attack squadron, set a splendid example to us all
by dashing forward and cutting with a cold chisel the links of this
chain. The whole time he was thus at work he was exposed to a tremendous
fire, having two men killed and two wounded out of the six he took with
him. This deed, now almost forgotten by the public, can never be effaced
from the memory of those who saw it done. That the fight was a severe
one is evident from the fact that the vessel I belonged to had 107 shots
in her hull, and thirty-five out of seventy men killed and wounded.
It was after we had thus forced ourselves into intercourse with the
Paraguayans that I saw an instance of want of tact which struck me as
most remarkable. Fighting being over, diplomacy stepped in, and a man of
somewhat high rank in that service was sent to make friendly overtures
to the authorities. Can it be believed (I do not say it as a sneer
against diplomacy, for this blunder was really _unique_), this big man
had scarcely finished the pipe of peace which he smoked with the
authorities, when he proposed to introduce vaccination and tracts among
the people? Badly as the poor fellows felt the licking they had
received, and much as they feared another should they give trouble to
the invaders, they so resented our representative's meddling that he
found it better to beat a hasty retreat, and to send a wiser man in his
stead. But their fate was sealed, and from the moment the stranger put
his foot into this interesting country dates its entire change. The
system that the Jesuits established was quickly done away with. Paraguay
is now a part of the Argentine Republic, it is generally at war with
some of its neighbours, and its inhabitants are poor, disorderly, and
wretched.
As I shall have, while telling the story of my life, to relate more
serious events, I will, after recounting one more yarn, not weary my
readers with the little uninteresting details of my youthful adventures,
but pass over the next three years or so, at which time, after having
returned to England, I was appointed to another ship going to South
America, for the purpose of putting down the slave trade in the Brazils.
The adventure to which I have referred was one that made a deep
impression on my mind, as being of a most tragic nature.
While at Rio de Janeiro we were in the habit of visiting among the
people, attending dances, &c. I always remarked that the pretty young
Brazilian girls liked dancing with the fresh young English sailors
better than with their mud-coloured companions of the male sex, the
inhabitants of the country.
At the time I write of the English were not liked by the Brazilians,
partly on account of the raid we were then making on the slave trade,
partly through the usual jealousy always felt by the ignorant towards
the enlightened. So with the men we were seldom or ever on good terms,
but with the girls somehow sailors always contrive to be friends.
It was at one of the dances I have spoken of that the scene I am about
to describe took place.
Among the pretty girls who attended the ball was one prettier perhaps
than any of her companions; indeed, she was called the belle of Rio
Janeiro. I will not attempt to portray her, but I must own she was far
too bewitching for the peace of heart of her many admirers, and
unhappily she was an unmitigated flirt in every sense of the word.
Now there was a young Brazilian nobleman who had, as he thought, been
making very successful progress towards winning this girl's heart--if
she had a heart. All was progressing smoothly enough till these hapless
English sailors arrived.
Then, perhaps with the object of making her lover jealous (a very common
though dangerous game), Mademoiselle pretended (for I presume it was
pretence) to be immensely smitten with one of them--a handsome young
midshipman whom we will call A.
At the ball where the incident I refer to occurred, she danced once with
him, twice with him, and was about to start with him a third time, when,
to the astonishment of the lookers-on, of whom I formed part, the young
Brazilian rushed into the middle of the room where the couple were
standing, walked close up to them and spat in A.'s face.
Before the aggressor could look round him, he found himself sprawling on
the floor, knocked by the angry Briton into what is commonly called 'a
cocked hat.' Not a word was spoken. A. wiped his face, led his partner
to a seat and came straight to me, putting his arm in mine and leading
me into the verandah. The Brazilian picked himself up and came also
into the verandah; in less time than I can write it a hostile meeting
was settled, pistols were procured, and we (I say we, because I had
undertaken to act as A.'s friend, and the Brazilian had also engaged a
friend) sauntered into the garden as if for a stroll.
It was a most lovely moonlight night, such a night as can only be seen
in the tropics.
I should mention that the chief actors in the coming conflict had
neither of them seen twenty years, and we their seconds were
considerably under that age. The aggressor, whose jealous fury had
driven him almost to madness when he committed an outrageous affront on
a stranger, was a tall, handsome, dark-complexioned young fellow. A. was
also very good-looking, with a baby complexion, blue eyes and light
curly hair, a very type of the Saxon race.
They both looked determined and calm. After proceeding a short distance
we found a convenient spot in a lovely glade. It was almost as clear as
day, so bright was the moonlight. The distance was measured (fourteen
paces), the pistols carefully loaded. Before handing them to the
principals we made an effort at arrangement, an effort too
contemptuously received to be insisted upon, and we saw that any
attempt at reconciliation would be of no avail without the exchange of
shots; so, handing to each his weapon, we retired a short distance to
give the signal for firing, which was to be done by my dropping a
pocket-handkerchief. It was an anxious moment even for us, who were only
lookers-on. I gave the words, one, two, three, and dropped the
handkerchief.
The pistols went off simultaneously. To my horror I saw the young
Brazilian spin round and drop to the ground, his face downwards; we
rushed up to him and found that the bullet from A.'s pistol had gone
through his brain. He was stone dead.
Then the solemnity of the whole affair dawned on us, but there was no
time for thought. Something must be done at once, for revenge quick and
fearful was sure to follow such a deed like lightning.
We determined to hurry A. off to his ship, and I begged the young
Brazilian to go into the house and break the sad news. The poor fellow,
though fearfully cut up, behaved like a gentleman, walking slowly away
so as to give us time to escape. As we passed the scene of gaiety the
sounds of music and dancing were going on, just as when we left it. How
little the jovial throng dreamt of the tragedy that had just been
enacted within a few yards of them; of the young life cut down on its
threshold!
We got on board all right, but such a terrible row was made about the
affair that the ship to which A. belonged had to go to sea the next day,
and did not appear again at Rio de Janeiro.
I, though not belonging to that vessel, was not allowed to land for many
months.