OF THE MAGISTRATES, CAPTAINS, CACIQUES, &c. OF THE
ABIPONES, AND OF THEIR FORMS OF GOVERNMENT.
The Abipones do not acknowledge any prince who reigns with supreme
power over the whole nation. They are divided into hordes, each of
which is headed by a man, whom the Spaniards call capitan, or cacique,
the Peruvians curáca, the Guaranies aba rubicha, and the Abipones
nelar̂eyràt, or capitâ. This word capitan sounds very grand in the
ears of the Americans. They think they are using a very honourable
title when they call the God, or King of the Spaniards, _capitan
latènc_, or _capitan guazù_, the great captain. By this word, indeed,
they mean to designate not only supreme power, and eminent dignity,
but also every kind of nobility. Sometimes miserable looking old
women, wretchedly clothed, and rich only in wrinkles, to prevent us
from thinking them of low birth, will say _aym capitâ_, I am a
captain, I am noble. I was astonished at hearing the savages buried in
the woods of Mbaeverà, and cut off from all intercourse with the
Spaniards, address their caciques by the names of Capitâ Roỹ, Capitâ
Tupânchichu, Capitâ Veraripotschiritù, neglecting their own word, _aba
rubicha_; so universal and honourable is the title of captain amongst
the savage nations. Should an Abipon meet a Spaniard dressed very
handsomely, he would not hesitate to call him captain, though he might
be of low rank, and distinguished by no dignity or nobility whatever.
Moreover, in Paraguay, Spaniards of the lowest rank, who live in the
country, are extremely ambitious of the title of captain, and if you
do not call them so every now and then, will look angry, and refuse to
do you any kind of service, even to give you a drop of water if you
are ever so thirsty. The Christian Guaranies have the same foolish
mania for titles. After having laboured hard for two or three years in
the royal camps, they think themselves amply repaid for their toils
and wounds, if, at the end of the expedition, they return to their
colony honoured by the royal governour with the title and staff of a
captain. At all times even when employed, barefoot, in building or
agriculture, they ostentatiously hold the captain's staff in their
hands. When they are carried to the grave, this wooden ensign is
suspended from the bier. When a man is at the point of death, and just
going to receive extreme unction, he puts on his military boots and
spurs, takes his staff in his hand, and in this trim awaits the
priest, and even approaching death, as if in the intent of frightening
the grim spectre away. On the domestics' expressing their surprize at
the unusual attire of the dying man, he sternly and gravely observes,
that this is the manner in which it becomes a captain to die. Such is
the signification and the honour attached to the word captain in
America.
Amongst the Guaranies, who have embraced the Christian religion, in
various colonies, the name and office of cacique is hereditary. When a
cacique dies, his eldest son succeeds without dispute, whatever his
talents or disposition may be. Amongst the Abipones, too, the eldest son
succeeds, but only provided that he be of a good character, of a noble
and warlike disposition, in short, fit for the office; for if he be
indolent, ill-natured, and foolish in his conduct, he is set aside, and
another substituted, who is not related to the former by any tie of
blood. But to say the truth, the cacique elected by the Abipones has no
cause for pride, nor he that is rejected for grief and envy. The name of
cacique is certainly a high title amongst the Abipones, but it is more a
burden than an honour, and often brings with it greater danger than
profit. For they neither revere their cacique as a master, nor pay him
tribute or attendance as is usual with other nations. They invest him
neither with the authority of a judge, an arbitrator, or an avenger.
Drunken men frequently kill one another; women quarrel, and often imbrue
their hands in one another's blood; young men, fond of glory or booty,
rob the Spaniards, to whom they had promised peace, of whole droves of
horses, and sometimes secretly slay them: and the cacique, though aware
of all these things, dares not say a word. If he were but to rebuke them
for these transgressions, which are reckoned amongst the merits,
virtues, and victories of the savages, with a single harsh word, he
would be punished in the next drinking-party with the fists of the
intoxicated savages, and publicly loaded with insults, as a friend to
the Spaniards, and a greater lover of ease than of his people. How often
have Ychamenraikin, chief cacique of the Riikahes, and Narè, of the
Yaaucanigas, experienced this! How often have they returned from a
drinking-party with swelled eyes, bruised hands, pale cheeks, and faces
exhibiting all the colours of the rainbow!
But although the Abipones neither fear their cacique as a judge, nor
honour him as a master, yet his fellow-soldiers follow him as a leader
and governour of the war, whenever the enemy is to be attacked or
repelled. Some, however, refuse to follow him, for what Cæsar said of
the German chiefs is applicable to the Abiponian cacique: _Authoritate
suadendi magis, quam jubendi potestate audiatur_. As soon as a report is
spread of the danger of an hostile attack, the business of the cacique
is to provide for the security of his people; to increase the store of
weapons; to order the horses to be fetched from the distant pastures to
safer places; to send out watchers by night, and scouts in every
direction, to procure supplies from the neighbours, and to gain their
alliance. When the enemy is to be attacked, he rides before his men, and
occupies the front of the army he has raised, less solicitous about the
numbers of the enemy, than the firmness of his troops: for as with
birds, when one is shot, the rest fly away, in like manner the Abipones,
alarmed at the deaths or wounds of a few of their fellow-soldiers,
desert their leader, and escape on swift horses, wherever room for
flight is afforded them, more anxious about their own safety than about
obtaining a victory. Yet it must be acknowledged that this nation never
wants its heroes. Many remain intrepid whilst their companions fall
around them, and though pierced with wounds and streaming with blood,
retain even in death the station where they fought. Desire of glory,
ferocious study of revenge, or despair of escape, inspires the naturally
fearful with courage, which a Lacedemonian would admire, and which
Europe desires to see in her warriors.
Moreover, being lovers of liberty and roving, they choose to own no law,
and bind themselves to their cacique by no oaths of fidelity. Without
leave asked on their part, or displeasure evinced on his, they remove
with their families whithersoever it suits them, and join some other
cacique; and when tired of the second, return with impunity to the horde
of the first. This is quite common, and a matter of surprize to no one
that knows how fleeting is the faith, how mutable the will of the
Indians. Should a report be spread by uncertain or suspicious authors,
that the enemy are coming in a few days, it is enough. Numbers, dreading
the loss of life more than of fame, will desert their cacique, and
hasten with their families to some well-known retreats. Lest however
they should be branded with the name of deserters and cowards, they say
they are going out to hunt. Hence, whenever we priests had to defend the
new colonies filled with savage assailants, and almost destitute of
inhabitants to repel them, we generally made more use of craft and
threats than of force. The danger, or the fear of it, being dissipated,
these fugacious heroes at length came home, no one daring to accuse them
of cowardice, though no one could be ignorant that fear prompted their
departure, security their return.
Whenever a cacique determines upon undertaking an excursion, a public
drinking-party is appointed. Heated with that luscious beverage,
prepared from honey or the alfaroba, they zealously offer their services
to the cacique, who invites them to war, sing triumph before the victory
with festive vociferations, and, (who would believe it?) diligently
execute when sober, what they promised in a state of intoxication. That
love is kindled by love, as fire by fire, and that friends are gained by
liberality, are trite proverbs in Europe, and have been experienced by
us in our long commerce with the Abipones. A cacique who seldom gives a
repulse will have numerous, obedient, and affectionate hordesmen. Kind
words or looks, the marks of good-will, avail but little amongst the
savages, unless accompanied with beneficence. They require at the
cacique's hands whatever they take it into their heads to wish for,
believing that his office obliges him to satisfy the petitions of all.
If he denies them any thing, they say he is not a captain, or noble, and
insolently bestow upon him the disgraceful appellation of
wood-Indian—_Acami Lanařaik_. The cacique has nothing, either in his
arms or his clothes, to distinguish him from a common man, except the
peculiar oldness and shabbiness of them; for if he appear in the street
with new and handsome apparel, just taken out of his wife's loom, the
first person he meets will boldly cry, Give me that dress, _Tach cauê
grihilalgi_; and unless he immediately parts with it, he becomes the
scoff and the scorn of all, and hears himself called covetous and
niggardly. Sometimes, when they came to ask a great favour of me, they
would stroke my shoulder, and say in a sweet tone, You are indeed a
captain, Father; by which honourable appellation they wished me to
understand that it was unlike a captain to refuse a man any thing. As
those things which they asked me for were not always in my possession,
nor could indeed be found in any shop at Amsterdam, I told them I was no
captain, that they might bear a refusal with good humour, and attribute
it to poverty, not to ill-nature. But it was all in vain. They construe
a Father's excuse into a falsehood, and exclaim, not without much
laughter on both sides, What a liar, what a miser you are! I found that
those caciques had abundance of followers who were active and successful
in the acquirement of booty, free from sordid avarice, and fond of
displaying an unbounded liberality towards their hordesmen. Kaapetraikin
and Kebachin had crowds of soldiers in their service, because they were
distinguished for dexterity and assiduity in depredation; the same men,
when decrepit with extreme age, inadequate to undertaking excursions,
and consequently poor, found none but relations continue in their
hordes.
I must not omit to mention that the Abipones do not scorn to be governed
by women of noble birth; for at the time that I resided in Paraguay,
there was a high-born matron, to whom the Abipones gave the title of
_Nelar̂eycatè_, and who numbered some families in her horde. Her origin,
and the merits of her ancestors, procured her the veneration of others.
The Catholic kings themselves, and their governours, acknowledge the
rank of the caciques of every nation, and dignify them with the title of
nobility, prefixing the word _Don_ to their names, according to the
Spanish fashion. It is also customary, throughout the whole of Spanish
America, for the Indian caciques, after they have received baptism, and
sworn allegiance to the Catholic king, to retain, and transmit to their
posterity the dominion they possessed when savage, over the savages
subject to their power: which is also observed amongst the Guaranies,
with this provision, however, that the caciques themselves and the
Indians under their authority, are obliged to obey the corregidor, and
other magistrates of the town. In every Guarany town, there are a number
of caciques, who, if men of abilities, are often promoted to the office
of magistrates, that the Indians may not suspect the Europeans of
despising their nobility. There were five caciques in the town of St.
Joachim, over which I presided. Their names were Don Ignatius Paranderi,
Don Miguel Yeyù, Don Marco Quirakerà, Don Joseph Xavier, and Don Miguel
Yazukà; which last performed the office of corregidor for many years.
Though a native of the woods, he was both exceedingly attached to
Christian discipline, and intrepid in guarding it; indeed he was above
all praise; which is certainly very uncommon and wonderful, as, to say
the truth, we have often found the caciques more stupid than the common
people, and less skilful in the public employments of the town. Who,
therefore, can blame the Abipones, if, setting aside the privilege of
birth, they elect a cacique, who, though of obscure origin, is
distinguished for military valour?