■ () S T/j 'I ioJr t the H I S 'j' o Y O F PARAGUAY. CON TAINING Amongft many other New, Curious, and Interefting Particulars of that Country, A FULL AND AUTHENTIC ACCOUNT O F THE establish ME NTS formed there by the JESUITS, from among THE SAVAGE NATIVE Sj In the very Centre of Barbarifm ; Eftablithments allowed to have realized the Sublime Ideas of FENELON, Sir THOMAS MORE* and PLATO Written originally in French, by the celebrated Father CHARLEVOIX. In TWO VOLUMES. ■ VOL. I. DUBLIN- Printed for P. & W. Wllson, H. Saunders, bLEATER, B. Grierson, J. Potts D. Ch BERLAINE, and J. Williams. W. am>=- M,DCC,LXIX. "• T Tor » ,13 Digitized by the Internet' Archive in 2017 with funding from Getty Research Institute ; I ' n- T? v' ' ^ \v T ^ . .'i ’V , V' ii- f •; ,.y^\ ; 'A\ . ^vV ,.^.^v.^ \ ' ■ V' HX^ k^vA W\U'.4 i". ?o ^ • \\Ax(^-y im:- vA \ H H X / ’,i t^. / . ^f- f y'i [ I ] the HISTORY O F P A R A G U A r. BOOK I. General defcription of Paraguay, It is firft dif covered by the Spaniards,, who build on the river of that name the cities of Buenos Ayres and the Affumption. The celebrated Don Alvarez Nunez de Vera Cabeca de Vaca arrives at the latter in quality of Governor and Lieutenant-General of the Province. T he new world had not been long dif- covered, when people began to dilpute, if Europe was likely to reap, from that event, all the advantages that were at firft expedled. This queftion was foon followed by another, concerning the right of conqueft, in virtue of which, feveral Powers of Europe had taken upon them to reduce and bring under obedience, nations, that, for lb many ages, had either lived without mailers, or under the government of ibvereigns, the validity of whofe title no one contefted. A third queftion muft uatui-ally occur to thofe, who know any thing of the hiftory of this great hemifphere fince its difcovery ; pd that is, whether, exclufive of religion, the inhabitants have been great gainers or lofers by their acquaintance with us. I muft not VoL. L S \ pretend 2 the history pretend to decide on the occafion : my chief view^ in writing this Hiftory, is to enable thofe, that may perufe it, to judge for themfelves, if the Europeans have always treated the Americans in the bell man- ner to make ufeful efliablifhments among them ^ benefit of the treafures they fet fo little value upon ; increafe their happinefs, and oblige them to blefs the day, that had brought them acquainted with the light of the Gofpel. Jam well aware of the prejudices that fo general- ly prevail, in regard to the fubjedl I am about to handle. I know that miftaken notions, concerning the empire and riches of the Jefuits of Paraguay, have gained even upon thofe, who exprefs the greatefl efteem for the fbciety, fince fome perfons merely through concern for its honour, have endea- voured to divert me from this undertaking. But con-' ' fidering the number and authenticity of the proofs I had to offer in his vindication, I judged this pre- vention of it’s friends was another reafon for my not going back ; and I hope the world will approve my perfeverance. What pleafure, in fadf, mufl not a reader enjoy, one, I mean, who loves and fmcerely delires to difcover truth, in feeing it burfl forth through clouds, with which malice had endea- voured to involve it ! I am even perfuaded, that numbers will be furprized at the fociety’s having fb long neglected to open the eyes of thofe, who can have no intereft in being miftaken, concerning a point, which is far from being fo indifferent as fome perfons may be apt to imagine ; and I think it my duty to inform the publick, that I at firft fet about this Hiftory, merely to comply with the defires of a Prince,* who judged it requifite for the honour of religion, of which he has been, to the hour of his death, one of the greatefl ornaments. * The late Duke of Orleans, who died the fourth of Fe- bruary, 1752. ■ Besides, OF PARAGUAY. ^ Besides, this Hiftory feemed to contain every thing that can either pleafe or inftrucl:, by the vari- ety and importance of it’s materials, and efpecially the beauty and novelty of the eftabliihments, that form one of it’s principal objects. I mean thofe Chriftian republicks, of which no models had as yet appeared in the world ; republicks, founded in the center of the moft favage barbarifm, upon a plan more perfed than thofe imagined by Plato, Bacon, and the illuftrioiis author of Telemachus, and by men, who employed in founding them no other ce- ment, but their fweat and their blood ; who, from no other motives but God’s glory and the welfare of mankind, and with no other weapons but the Gof- pel, have braved the fury of the moll intradable ra- vages, whom the arms of the Spaniards, had only ferved to irritate ; have thoroughly civilized them, and converted them into Chrillians, whofe virtues for one hundred and fifty years pall have been the admiration of all thofe that have taken the nearell view of them ; and who, in fine, become Apollles almoll as loon as Chrillians, make as many fpiritual concjuells as their pallors ; and when their zeal is not attended with fuccefs, look upon martyrdom as an ample reward for all their labours ; nor is this all, for thefe fpiritual labourers, zealous for the glo- ry of their fovereign and the interell of their coun- trymen, have brought their new converts to yield to the crown of Spain, an homage, the fincerity of which may be fo much the more depended upon, as It was quite voluntary, as their loyalty befides has more than once weathered with honour the feverell trials ; and as, by paying the moll ready obedience to the orders of their fovereign, and facrificingto his fervice their lives and their properties, with unexam- pled alacrity, they have given the moll fatisfadory proofs, that in fo doing they are perfuaded they ferve God himfelf, and from him alone exped their reward. ^ 2 When 4 THE HISTORY When all thefe fadls have been well proved by the uniform teftimony of perfons, who had the befl opportunity of fifting into the truth of them, and the greateft interefl: in not fuffering themfelves to be irnpofed upon, the world, no doubt, will be greatly, furprifed to find, that eflablifhments fo glorious to religion, and fo ufeful to the flate, have required to proted and preferve them, all the authority the kings of Spain could exert ; that even perfons, who were bound by all manner of ties to favour thefe eflablifhments, have omitted nothing to difgufl thofe who undertook to form them, and make their la- bours mifcarry ; and that they have been often ru- ined by men calling themfelves Chriflians, who, through fordid and felf-interefled views have butchered or worried to death, by the mofl cruel flavery, upwards of one hundred thoufand Neo- phytes. But it was the work of God, and the fittefl to difplay his wifdom and his power. Thofe, whom he has been pleafed to employ as his inflruments, in fo glorious an enterprife, might well exped that Hell would leave no ftone unturned to make it mif- carry ; and experience has but too well proved the juflnefs of their apprehenfions. For, not to fpeak of the immenfe labours and dangers of every kind inevitably attending this new fpecies of Apoftlefhip, where they had all the elements to contend with, and unhofpitable countries to run over, whofe inhabitants far exceeded in favagenefs the wild beafts with which they abounded, what pen can relate what they had to fufFer, even from the domeftics of that faith they were labour- ing to propagate ? Continually oppofed, loaded with calumny in every part of the known world, d riven with violence and infamy from their houfes, accufed at every tribunal as malefadors and traitors ; they have often feen the mofl promifing fruits of all their labours deflroyed, but thefe difappointments and OF PARAGUAY. 5 and perfeQUtions, inftead of dampmg their courage, ferved rather to infpire them with new ardour, and increafe their conflancy to fuch a degree,^ that, by means of it, they have at laft overcome all the obfta- cles that were thrown in their way. But before I enter upon the relation of fo many various and un- expeded events, it is proper I fhould give a gene- ral idea of the country, that has been the fcene of them, and which, though fo much the fubjed of converfation, very few perfons are acquainted with. I lhall be more particular in my defcriptions and ob- fervations as occafion offers. The word Paraguay is the name of a river, which iffues from the lake of the Xarayes, in about fixteen degrees thirteen minutes of fouth lati- tude, and twenty-three degrees of longitude, rec- koning, as the Spaniards do, from the Azore iflands, and after running a good way to the fouth weft, turns to the fouth. This word fignifies, in the language of fbme of the neighbouring nations. Crowned River, as if the lake from which it fprings, formed a crown about it’s head. Don Martm del Barco, Archdeacon of Buenos Ayres, in a Spanifh hiftorical poem, entitled Argentina, pretends that the lake of the Xarayes is by no means the fource of the Paraguay, which he fays fome Perfons, after crofting this lake, had afcended a great deal higher, without finding its origin. He adds, that fome af- firm it flows from the lake Parime, in the province del Dorado, whofe exiftence a modern author * does not deem as fabulous, as it is generally believed to be ; and this opinion perhaps may be fupported by a fad, which another author relates f, though with- out taking upon him to anfwer for the certainty of it. * Father Jofeph Gumilla, in his Orenoco illuftrated : or. Natural, Civil, and Geographical Hiftory of that River, &c t Father Peter Locano, in his Chorographical Defcription of Great Chaco. ^ B 3 A Spaniard, 6 THE HISTORY A Spaniard, fays he, called John Garcia, native of the city of the Afiumption, capital of the province of Paraguay, after many years flavery among the Indians, called Payaguas, had the good fortune to recover his liberty, towards the beginning of the prefent century * ; and on his return home re- lated, that in a journey he had made with thefe Indians, they arrived, after remounting the Para- guay and traverfing the lake of. Xarayes, at the mouth of a river, that falls into this lake ; and that after afeending this laft river for fome days, they arrived oppofite to a mountain under which it runs ; that the Payaguas, before they ventured into this dark channel, light up flambeaux, of a kind of rofin, to prevent their being molefled by bats of an enormous fize, which they call Andiras, and which fall upon paflengers, who negled to take this precaution againfl them ; that after pufhing through the moun- tain, which cofl them two days, they continued their journey for fome time longer up the river, ’till they at lafl arrived at the entrance of another lake, whofe oppofite banks they could not difeover ; and then returned the fame way they had advanced. Whatever credit this relation may deferve, the Paraguay, after receiving many fmaller rivers, though ibme in themfelves pretty confiderable, between it’s iffue from the lake of the Xarayes and the twenty- feventh degree of fouth latitude, is there joined by another, called Parana, which fignifies Sea, on account of it’s breadth. This river, after running a great way in a dir ed ion nearly parallel to that of the Paraguay, takes a turn, and falls into it by a north- eaft courfe. The Paraguay, deeper and narrower after this accellion, hows diredly fouthwards to the latitude of thirty-four degrees, where it is reinforced by another great river, called the Uruguay, that flows into it from the north-eafl ; it then runs eaft norths * The eighteenth Of PARAGUAY. ^ north-eaft to the thirty-fifth degree oflatitude, where it falls into the fea by the name of Rio de la Plata. This name even is very ofte;r given to the Paraguay^ from the Parana’s jund'tion with it quite down to it’s mouth j nor had the whole courfe of the Paraguay, any other name, as long as all the country, through which it runs, made but one province. But if merely by the force of cuftom, for which it is often very difficult to account, the Paraguay has loft, not only it’s own name, in confequence of it’s waters rnixing with thofe of the Parana, but even that of Silver River, by which it was known above this jundion, through a miftake I fliall prefently take notice of, it has been amply indemnified by another cuftom, equally unaccountable, of comprehending, under the name of Paraguay, that immenfe trad of land, which has no bounds but the lake of the Xarayes, the province of Sanda Cruz della Sierra, and that of Charcas, where even the Jefuits of Para- guay have a college and a great miffion, * to the north -, the ftreights of Magellan to the fouth • Brazil to the eaft ; Chili and Peru to the weft. This vaft country, befides Chaco, which is as It were the center of it, though not as yet reduced contains’the lake of the Xarayes, the provinces of Santa Cruz and las Charcas, with Tucuman to the weft ; all the courfe of the Parana and the Rio de la Plata to the eaft ; and to the Ibuth all the reft of the continent as far as the ftreights of Magellan, where the Jefuits have of late begun to found Ibme miflions. It is pretty evident, that in Co great an extent of land, watered by an infinite number of rivers covered with immenfe forefts, interfeded by long chains of mountains, moft of them very high, and fome even reaching to the clouds ; where all the low-lands are fubjed to inundations, for extent S 4 and * The college of Tarija, In the province of las Charcas, ^ ad the milT. ,.ns of the Chiquites in that of Santa Cruade la Sierra 8 TflE HISTORY and duration fuperior to thofe of any other country we are acquainted with ; where there are every where great numbers of lakes and marllies, whole putrefied waters cannot but greatly infecl: the air ; where the lands, in fine, tlrat have been cleared and cultivated, are nothing in comparifon to thofe, that ftill remain in a fliate of nature ; it is pretty evident, I fay, that in fiicha vaft country, there muff be a great variety in the temperature of it’s air, as well as in the manners and character of its inhabitants. To SPEAK in general of the people, we may affirm that they are more or lefs of an olive com- plexion ; that they are commonly rather below than above the middling ffature, though it is no uncom- mon thing to find among them perfonsof the higheff ; that moff of them are pretty thick legged and jointed, and round and Ibmewhat flat faced ; that almoff all the men, and even the children, efpecially in the warmer climates, go quite naked ; and the women wear no more covering, than the moff relaxed mo- deff^ fccms abfolutely to require ; that thofe of every nation have their own particular manner of adoring or rather disfiguring themfelves, fometimes to fuch a degree, as to make the moff hideous appearance ; that there are ibme however, who occafionally w’ear caps and other ornaments made of the moft beautiful fea- thers ; that almoff all of them are naturally dull, cruel, and inconffant ; treacherous, and exceflively voraci- ous, and cannibals, given to drunkennefs, void of fore- fight or precaution, even in the moff indifpenfible concerns of life, lazy and indolent beyond the power of expreflion; that except a few, whom the love of plunder or revenge has rendered furious rather than brave, moff of them -are arrant cowards, and that thofe, who have preferved their liberty, are entirely indebted for it to the fituation of the inacceffible places, where they have taken refuge. The OF PARAGUAY. 9 The firft Spaniards v/ho entered Paraguay, made not the leaft doubt of their finding great treahires in it. They thought it impofhble, that a country fo near Peru fhould not contain a great many mines of gold and filver ; and though it was not long before the miftake, upon which this falfe notion was founded, and of which I fhall fpeak hereafter, came to be difcovered, the world, for more than a century, continued to fpeak of Paraguay, as a country aboun- ding in mines. This we may infer from the title of Argentina, which Don Martin del Barco gave his poem, as if the whole country was but one great mine of filver. But I fliall here infert what Don Pedro Eftevan Davilla, governor of Rio de la Plata, wrote to his Catholic majefty concerning it in 163 7*. “ The fanguine hopes which people entertain of “ being able to make great fortunes in thefe pro- Vinces t, are particularly founded upon the belief of their containing metals and other precious arti- cles. Of this I have already fent your majefty the “ rnoft ample informations, with a lift of fome authen- J tic papers concerning them ; and I know for cer- tain, that thefe papers have been depofited among ^e archives of the royal council of the Indies. ^ People had fbme confufed notions of thefe treaflires, fo early as the government of Don RuizDiaz Mel- garejo, who founded the city of Villarica; but after rnany endeavours to obtain a more diftin^ account u appeared that what had already been re- u ^ uncertain to be depended 1 undertook to difcover u Manuel de Frias, fon-in-law of Don Ruiz, and firft governor of Paraguay, when this country was divided into two governments. He fo Montoya, in his Spiritual Con- had of Guayrawa, that which they chiefly lO the history fb little doubted of fuccels, that he entered into an agreement with your m^eflyon the occafion ; and I have been informed by perfbns of credit, that he did every thing that lay in his power to fulfil his engagements ; but that all his refearches pioved fruitlefs. I have already fent yourm^efty “ all the written informations concerning his enqui- ries, and I know for certain they are to be found among the archives of the royal coun- cil of the Indies. I have two reafbns for believing that thefe papers defer ve no credit. In the firft place, the governors I have mentioned omitted ‘‘ nothing to difcover thefe mines ; fecondly, all the witnefles that had affirmed upon oath the credibili- ty of their exiflence, were perfons prejudiced a- gainfl the company of Jefus, and befides, wanted the neceffary qualifications to draw up informati- “ ons, fit to be laid before your m^efty.” It is true indeed, that people for a long time thought they could difcern fbme indication of gold mines, in the neighbourhood of a town which the Spaniards built under the name of Xeres, pretty near the Paraguay, on the road from thence to Brazil, and the Portuguefe afterwards deflroyed; but thefedelu- five appearances vanifhed at lafl, and the inhabitants of Xeres were always wretchedly poor; This was likewifetheoafewith thofeof Villarica, whole founders were too hafty in decorating it with fo pompous a title; and whofe inhabitants, continually annoyed by the Portuguefe, found themfelves at laft under a neceffi- ty of removing nearer to the Paraguay, where they built a new town under the fame name with that they had deferted, and with as little reafon *. It has however thriven the better for it’s inhabitants not depending any longer on imaginary mines, which hindered them from taking for their fubfiftence furer and more confiflent meafures. * It is now commonly called la Villa. Pearls II OF PARAGUAY. Pearls v/ere found for fome time in a little lake at a fmall diftance from the fpot, where the city 6f Santa-Fe originally ftood ; and the author of the Argentina {peaks of them with his ufual emphafis ; in fpite of which, however, they were foon forgot. At iaft, a Spaniard, v/ho had been taken in his infancy by the Abipones, obferving on his return home, that the v/omen were very fond of fuch things, related that the Indians, among whom he had lived, very often found them in their nets, when fifhing in the above lake, but threw them back into the water as things of no value ; and upon this, proper perfons were difpatched to examine, on the fpot, the truth of his report, which they found to be exadl. It is very probable however, that either the fifhery was not abundant, or the pearls not clear enough to quit coft ; for I could nev^r difcover that they made any part of th.e commerce of Buenos Ayres, or enriched the inhabitants of Santa-Fe. I HAVE feen a manufcript, that I think may be * depended upon, which affirms that in the city of the Affiumption, capitafof the province of Paraguay, the ladies adorn themfelves with jewels, which are pretty common in that country. But the author does not inform us, what kind of jewels they are * ; and I ha\’e not been able to difcover any more con- cerning them in any other writer. Father Anthony Sepp, a German jefuit, who fpent many years in the millions of Paraguay, and has left us fome letters in his native tongue, that have been fince tranflated into Latin, made likewife a difcovery, which, if what he^ found had been more common, might have been very ufeful in this part of America. Happening one day to take notice of a very hard Hone, which the Indians call Itacana, becaufe it is full of little black Ipots ; he * Joyas, que no ay poco en el Paraguay, y las mugeres fe hazen y adornan, como en otra qualquies Ciudad. 12 the history he found, on throwing it into a very fierce fire, that thefe fpots were very good iron ; but thefe flones are very fcarce. Mines of this ufeful metal have been difcovered in other parts of the country, butfo poor, that the inhabitants are obliged to procure from other places almofl all the iron they make ufe of In the vaft plains, which extend from Buenos Ayres to Chili, and a great way to the fouth, fome horfes and horned cattle, that the Spaniards left be- hind them in the fields, on their evacuating that town a little after it’s foundation, multiplied to fuch a degree, that, fo early as the year 1628, a very good horfe might be purchafed for two needles, and an ox in proportion. Now indeed, thefe creatures are only to be found in pretty diflant places. It is however but thirty years ago, that no fhip left Bue- nos Ayres without forty or fifty thoufand ox hides, and that number is not to be obtained without killing at lead eighty thoufand beads, as no fkins, but fuch as are datutable, or the fkins of bulls, and of a certain meafure, are allowable in trade. There are befides huntfmen, who, of all the oxen they kill, carry off nothing but the tongues and the tallow, which in this country ferves for butter, lard, and oil. But this, after all, is not fufficient to give a jud idea of the multiplication of thefe ufeful animals in Paraguay ; for the dogs, of which great numbers are likewife turned wild, the tygers and the lions, dedroy more of them than can be well imagined. It is even faid, that the lions don’t wait as the tygers do ’till hunger pinches them, to hunt down the oxen, but often attack them merely for the fake of diverfion ; and that they have been feen to kill ten or twelve at a time, and touch but one. The dogs however are the greated enemies of thefe animals. It is now more than twenty years, fince the price of tallow OF PARAGUAY. tallow and hides rofe feventy per cent, at Buenos Ayres ; and if ever this wild breed of horned cattle becomes extind in the country, it muft chiefly be attributed to the conftant war the dogs make upon them, and which they wilfas certainly continue againfl the inhabitants, when they can find no more beafts to prey upon. But what is mofl furprizing, there is no opening the eyes of the common people of Buenos Ayres on this occafion ; for a governor of the province having once fent fome foldiers on an '* expedition againfl thefe troublefome animals, the poor men met with no other welcome at their re- turn but fhouts of derifion and contempt, joined to the title of dog-killers, for which reafon not one of them could ever fmce be prevailed upon to go upon the fame errand. The manner in which they hunt the horned cattle, and for which they have no other name but that of Matanca, or Butchery, is pretty fingular. A number of huntfmen gather together, and repair on horfeback to fome great plain, entirely covered with thefe animals. They then feparate, and with a kind of hatchet, whofe edge refembles a crefcent, lay about them with all their might, aiming at the hind legs of the animals in order to hamfiring them : for this once effected, the animal falls to the ground without being able to rife again, fo that the huntfmen may continue their game, ’till of many hundreds they have not left a fingle beafl {landing ; and fome people pretend, that a good hand will in this manner difable eight hundred oxen in an hour ; but this account appears rather exaggerated. In the con- flernation, which at firfl feizes thefe animals, they crowd together in fuch confufion as to impede each other’s flight, and thereby afford the huntfmen an opportunity of taking from time to time a little reft and refrefhment. At laft, after fome days fpent in this violent exercife, they return the fame way they came, H the history came, find their oxen where they left them, difpatch them at their leifure, and carry off as much of them as they can. We may well imagine, that the great number of prcafles thefe huntfmen leave behind them, would, if permitted to rot, caufe an infed;ion in the air, which might be attended with very dilagreeable conlequences ; but clouds of Vultures, * as large as eagles, and other birds of prey, foon fail upon them, fo that in a few days nothing remains but the bare bones. The horfes are taken with noofes, ' and as they are born and bred wild, and of Spanifh origin, are very handfome and fwift-footed. The Indians, however, who are alio very nimble, con- trive to turn them towards places where they know they mult meet with obftacles to flop their flight ; and as foon as they get within reach of them, cafh noofes about their legs, leap upon them without any further ceremony, and have foon tamed them. There are a great many mules in Paraguay, and they muff be very ufeful in a country where there are few beaten roads, a great deal of up-and-down hill, and here and there a great many bad ffeps. But the greatefl: riches of both the Spaniards and the Indians of this province, thofe Indians efpe- cially whom the jefuits have formed into towns or villages, formerly confifled, and in regard to many of them ftiil confifl, in the Herb of Paraguay. It is faid, that the fale of this vegetable was at firfl; fo confiderable, and enriched fo many perfons, that thofe, who before were reduced to the bare necef- faries of life, foon faw themfelves in pofleflion pf ample fortunes. But as- luxury, like fire, is always upon the increafe, and not to be flopt as long as it finds materials to feed upon, the Spaniards, to fupport it, were obliged to have recourfe to the Indians, f The people of the country call them Condors, OF PARAGUAY. 15 Indians who had voluntarily fubmitted to them, . or had been reduced by the fuperior force of arms j at lirfh they made fervants of them, but foon after began to confider them as flaves. And as they had no mercy for thefe unhappy creatures, many of them perilhed under a fpecies of drudgery they were not accuftomed to, and the bad ufage with which their cruel talk-mafters punifhed their waile of flrength, rather than their want of will ; others made their efcape, and became moft irreconcileable enemies to the Spaniards, many of whom by this means funk back into their former indigence, without learning thereby to become more laborious. Luxury had multiplied their wants, fo that the herb of Paraguay alone was no longer fufficient to content them, as it formerly ufed to do ; and though it were, many were too poor to purchafe any, as the extraordinary confumptioh of it had confiderably enhanced it’s value. This herl^ Co famous in South- America and Spain, is but > cry little known in France. Though called an herb, it is the leaf of a tree of the fize of a middling apple-tree. In tafte it greatly refembles that of mallows, and in figure, when full grown, that of the orange-tree. It has likewife fome re- femblance to the Coca of Peru, but is more efleemed, even in Peru, where it is fent in great quantities, efpecially into the mountains, and wherever there is any mining going forward, the Peruvian Spa- niards finding it the more necelfary, as the ufe of wine in their country is attended with very bad con- fequences. It is fent there well dried, and in a manner reduced to powder ; but in preparing it, they don’t permit it to remain long in the water, as it would then give an infufion as black as ink. They diftin- guifii two fpecies of it, though both are but one and the fame leaf The firft is called Caa, or Caami- ui j and the fecond Caacuys, or Yerva de Palos ; but Father ^ i6 THE HISTORY Father del Techo pretends, that itsgenerical name is Caa, and dilliinguilhes three different fpecies of it, under the names of Caacuys, Caamini, and Caaguazu. According to this author, who fpent great part of his life in Paraguay, the Caacuys is the firff bud that has fcarce begun to open it’s leaves ; the Caa- mini is the full-grown leaf, ftript of it’s ribs before roafting ; and the Caaguazu, or Palos, that roafted without any fuch preparation. The roafted leaves are kept in holes made under-ground, and lined with cow-fkins. The Caacuys will not bear tranf- portation, nor does it keep as long as the two other kinds, which are fent in great quantities to Tucuman, Peru, and Spain. It is even certain, that this herb has on the Ipot where it grows, a bitternefs, that confiderably increafes both it’s price and it’s virtues, and is not to be perceived any where elfe. To prepare the Caacuys, they throw into boiling water the leaf pulverized and afterwards reduced into a pafle. As faff as this pafte diffolves, whatever earth might have remained in it, flies to the top of the water, and is fkimmed off. The water is then ffrained through a cloth, and after being left to fettle a little, is fucked up through a pipe. They very feldom put any fugar into it, but only a little lemon juice, or certain very fweet fcented paflils. When taken by way of vomit, it is made weaker, and permitted to grow luke-warm. The chief manufadlure of this herb is at la Villa, or the New Villarica, which lies near the mountains of Maracayu, fituated to the eafl of the Paraguay in about twenty-five degrees twenty-five minutes fouth latitude, this being the diftrid of the whole country, in which the Caa-tree thrives beft ; but it does not grow on the mountains, but in the marfhy bottoms between them. They fometimes fend to Peru alone, no lefs than one hundred thoufand arobes, each OF PARAGUAY. each of twenty-five pounds of fixteen ounces,* and the arrobe is worth feven crowns of our money, f The Caacuys, however, has no fixed price, and the Caamini felis for twice as much as the Palos. The Indians eflabliflied in the diftrids of Uruguay and Parana, under the condud of the Jefuits, have plant- ed fome feeds of this tree, which they brought with them from Maracayu, and the trees produced from mefe feeds have very little, if at all, degenerated. JjUt the new Chriftians make none of the firlf kind, keep the Caamini for their own ufe, and fell the Palos to pay their tribute, and purchafe other com- modities they ftand in need of. The Caa feeds re- lemble thofe of the ivy. The Spaniards pretend, that they poflefs in this herb a remedy or a prefervative againft all their diforders. We cannot, indeed, refufe. it the ho- nour of being very opening and diuretic. It is faid, that fome perfons having at firft taken it* to excefs. It entirely deprived them of the ufe of their fenfes for feveral days ; but what is moft furprizing in this herb is, that it often produces quite contrary efFeds; as that, for example, of purging and nourifhing, of ^ving deep to the refllefs, and fpirits to the drowzy. 1 hofe, vvho have once contraded the habit of ta- kmg this herb, find it a very difficult matter to leave It off, or even ufe it but moderately, though, when taken to excefs, it not only brings on drunkennefs, but rnoft of thofe diforders, with which the two free ufe of the ftrongefi: liquors is attended. Almost every for eft of this country abounds with bees, which make their hives in the hollows 1 different fpecies of thefe ufeful infeds. That molt efteemed for the whnenefs of its wax, and the delicacy of its honey, O L . . is ! "robe is equal to 28 pounds Avoirdupois, t The French crown is worth 4^. 6^^. fterling^ i8 THE HISTORY is called Opemus, but it is very icarce. The Cot-- ton tree is a native of the country, and grows in thickets, like what I faw in Louifiana. It bears the very iirft year, but mull be pruned like the vine. It flowers in December and January,* and its flower, which refembles the yellow tulip, fades and withers away three days after blowing. The pod contained in the flower is quite ripe in February, and yields a wool, v/hich is not only very white, but very good in every other refped. The Indians I fpoke of, began to fow hemp-feed ; but having found it a troublefome taflc to prepare it for fpinning, mofl: of them aban- doned the enterpi ize. The Spaniards have, on this occafion, fhewed more conflancy than the Indians, and make ufe of hemp in pretty large quantities. Besides maiz, manioc, and potatoes, which thrive very.well in feveral places, and in which the food of thofe Indians, who cultivated the earth, chiefly confifted, there are in this country many fruits and fimples, not known in Europe : I fhall name and defer i be fome of them, as occafion offers. There are fome fruits in particular, of which the Spaniards make excellent fv/eet-meats. Some have planted vines here, which don’t thrive equally in eve- ry diflrid i but a great deal of wine is made at Ri- oja and Corduba, two towns of T ucuman. That of Corduba is greafy, ffrong and heady. That of Rioja lias none of thefe faults ; but at Mendoza, a town in the government of Chili, and fituated in the Cordil- liera, at about twenty-five leagues from Corduba, they make a wine very little inferior to that of Spain. Wheat has been fown in fome places • but it is feldom made ufe of but for cakes and other things of that kind. There are every-where veno- mous herbs, with which fome Indians poilbn their ar- rows ; ^ It is proper the reader fliould attend to the great differ- ence between the feafons in Paraguay and Europe, occafion- ed by their lying at different fides of the Equinodial Line. OF PARAGUAY. 19 rows ; but the antidotes are equally common ; and among others the herb called fparrow's-herb^ which forms pretty large buflies, and was difcovered and obtained its name, in the following manner. Among the different kinds of fparrows found in thefe provinces, moft of which are of the fize of our black- birds, there is a very pretty one, called ma- cagua. This little creature is very fond of the flefh of vipers, againil whom, for this reafon, he wages a continual war. As fbon therefore as he fpies one of thefe reptiles, he whips his head under his wing, nnd gathers himfelf up into a round ball, without the leafl appearance of life or motion ; he does not however cover his eyes fo entirely, but what he may peep thro’ the feathers of his wing, and obferve the motions of his game, which he fuffers to approach without flirring, ’till he finds it near enough to re- ceive a ffroke of his bill, which he then fliddenly difcharges at it. The viper immediately returns the compliment with another of his tongue ; but the minute the fparrow finds himfelf wounded, he flies to his herb, eats fome of it, and is inffantly cured. He then returns to the charge, and has recourfe to his herb every time the viper ftings him. This conflict; lafls till the viper, deffitute of the fame refource,* has loft all his blood. As foon as the reptile is dead, the fparrow falls to work upon the carcafs, and con- cludes the feaft with a new dofe of his antidote. There are few countries which breed fo great a number, and fb many different fpecies of ferpents, V and fuch other reptiles ; but there are a great many of them no way poifonous, or whofe poifon is no way dangerous. The Indians know thefe innocent tho’ frightful reptiles, take them up alive in their hands, and make girdles of them, without any bad confe- quence. There are fome of thefe creatures twenty- C a two * By this one would imagine this fparrow-herb a6ls both as a ftyptic, and an antidote. 20 THE HISTORY two feet long, and proportionably thick, that fwal- low whole flags, if we may believe fome Spaniards, who affure us they have been eye-witnelfes to their feats this way. The Indians fay, that thefe monflers engender at the mouth, and that the young ones tear their way into the world thro’ the fides of their mothers, after which the ftrongefl dev’^our the weak- eft. And were it not for this difpofition of Pro- vidence, father Anthony Ruiz de Montoya, who feems to credit this account, obferves, that it would be impoffible to ftir out of doors without meeting with thefe terrible animals. Among thofe who are oviparous, there are fome that lay very large eggs, and make ufe of incubation to hatch them. The rattle-fnake fo common in feveral provinces of North-America, is no where perhaps more fo than in Paraguay. It has been obferved in this country, that this reptile fuffers greatly when its gums are too much diftended with venom ; and that, to get rid of this venom, it falls upon every thing in its way, with two crooked fangs, pretty large at their root, but terminating in a point, and by means of a hol- low in thefe fangs, pours into the wound it makes all the humour that tormented it. The effects of the bite of this, and many other fpecies of ferpents and fnakes, are very fudden : fometimes the blood iffues violently at the eyes, nofe, ears, gums, and roots of the nails ; but there are antidotes to be found every- where againft this poifon. The moft fuccefsful are a ftone, to which they have given the name of St. Paul., bezoard, and a poultice of chewed garlick.. The very head of the animal, and its liver, which is likewife eaten to purify the blood, are equally efficacious : the fureft method, however, is to begin by making an incifion diredlly in the part that has been flung, and then apply brimftone to it. Nay, this drug alone has been often found to make a perfedl cure. There OF PARAGUAY. There are here likewife fome hunting ferpents, which climb up the trees to difcover their prey, and from thence dart upon it when within reach, fqueeze it fo tight, that it cannot ftir, and then devour it alive at their ieifure. But when they have eat up whole carcaffes, they become fo heavy as not to be able to move, and, as they fometimes have not a fuf- ficient degree of natural heat to digeft fuch enormous meals, would inevitably become the vidims of their own voracity, did not nature fuggeft to them: a re- medy, which reafon certainly would never permit them to employ. On this occafion the moniler turns up his belly to the fun, whofe heat makes it putrify ; the worms then breed in it, and the birds, coming to their affiftance, feed upon a fliperfluity, which other- wife would mofl certainly kill him : the patient takes care not to let the birds go too great lengths, and in a fhort time, after this extraordinary operation, finds himfelf as well as ever. But it often happens, they fay, that the Ikin of the ferpent clofes upon the branches of trees upon which he has been in too great halle to ftation himfelf ; this is a fcrape, out of which he mull find it a much more difficult matter to extricate himfelf than the former. Many of thefe reptiles live upon fifli ; and father Montoya, from whom I have taken almoft all thefe particulars, informs us, that he one day happened to ipy a huge fnake whofe head was as big as a calf’s, fifhing on the banks of a river : the firft thing the monfter did, v/as to difeharge by it’s mouth a great quantity of foam into the river ; he then trufl his head into the water, and kept it very quiet, ’till a great many fmail fillies, attraded by the foam, had gathered about it ; when luddenly opening his jaws, he laid about him, and fwallowed in great numbers ail thofe that were unhappy enough to lie within his reach. Another time, the fame author alTures us, he faw an Indian of the tallell feature, who happened to C 3 be 22 THE history be fifhing up to his middle in water, fwailowed alive by a huge fheak, which the next day vomited his prey afhore quite whole, all to the bones which were Imaihed to pieces, as if they had been bruiled be- tween two mill-fliones. This monftrous fpecies of reptiles never quit the water ; and in the rapids, which are pretty common in the Parana, they are often feen fwimming with a huge tail, and their head, which is li.kewile very large, above water. The Indians fay, that they en- gender in the fame manner with land-animals, and that the males often attack women, as it is pretended monkeys do in fome countries. One thing however is certain, and that is, that father Montoya was one day called upon to hear the confeflion of an Indian woman, whom, while fhe was walhing fome linen on the banks of a river, one of thefe animals at- tacked, and, as fhe faid, offered violence to her : the miffionary found her flretched on the very fpot, where fhe faid the thing had happened ; fhe told him fte was fure fhe had but a few minutes to live, and in fadt ex- pired, almolf as foon as fhe had finifh’d her confelTion. The rivers and great lakes, which never dry up, are full of caymans or crocodiles, from ten to tw^elve feet long. There are a prodigious number of them, particularly in the Pilco Mayo, the greateft river in Chaco, where they are called yacaras. When thefe monfters have made a hearty meal of hfh, they come on fhore and lie on their backs, that the heat of the fun may help them to digeft it. Tho’ their fcales are very hard and thick fet, the Spaniards find means to kill them with their fire-arms, but the Indians have a pretty fingular method of taking them in the water. They make fafl; one end of a rope to a tree, and to the other end of the rope tie a flick pointed at both ends ; then, as foon as they efpy a cayman, they throw they flick into his mouth, which is always open ; but as the animal has no tongue, or its tongue is * OF PARAGUAY. 23 is exceedingly fmall, the Hick, by diHending his throat, makes way for a great deal of water^ and the more the cayman endeavours to get rid of it, the deeper it enters, fo that he is foon fuffocated • the Indians then pull him. afhcre, by means of the rope to which the ftick is faflened. The cayman has under the paws of his fore- feet bags full of a fubftance, whole icent is fo very Hrong, that it immediately afcends to the biain ; but wh^i dried in the fun, it becomes mild like muflt. The female, they pretend, lays upwards of twenty eggs at a tirne, but the male breaks a great many of them with his claws ^ and as fhe buries them in the fand, the rivers, when they overflow, fweep away great part of what remain. It is faid, that when the teeth of this animal are grown foul with the flfh he has de- voured, a little fparrow comes to clean them ; but that another very often, as foon as he fees the mon- fter prepare for this operation by diflending his jaws, immediately ruflies into hi&ftomach, in order to prey upon his entrails. Allowing the fadt to be true, how does this little invader get out again ? Herrera pre- tends, that the caymans of Rio de la Plata don’t at- tack men ; 1 have however heard the contrary from travellers, who related, as eye-witnefles, feveral tra- gical hiflories in fupport of their aflertions. Perhaps tho they might have miftaken fharks for caymans, for it is certain that this great river fwarms with fharks much larger than thofe of other rivers ^ and that they lie in wait for the oxen that come to drink Its waters, feize them by the muzzle, and fliifle them. In fome parts of this country, there are cameleons from five to fix feet long, that carry their young ones aboufwith them, and always keep their mouths open on that fide form whence the wind blows They are a very mild but very flupid animal. The monkeys here are in fize almofl; equal to the human fpecies, ^ 4 havq 24 THE HISTORY have great beads, and very long tails. They fcream in a frightful manner when wounded by an arrow, pluck it out, and hurl it back at the aggrelTor! Foxes are very common in fome provinces : there are fome near Buenos Ayres, w^hich greatly refemble hares, and whofe fur is very fine, and beautifully va- riegated. Nothing can be prettier than this animal, which is befides of fo friendly a nature, that he comes out of the v/oods to fawn upon travellers ; but it is proper to be on one’s guard againff him, for when you think kaH of it, he difcharges his urine, the ftench of which is not to be equalled, and which is befides of fo penetrating a quality, that no fcowring can get it out of any thing it falls upon, fo that what- ever has been once infected by it, it is fit for nothing but the fire. There are two fpecies of tatares^ or rackoons ; one fpecies are as tall as a pig of fix months, have in the belly a kind of nacre or fhell, and another in the region of the kidneys. The two fore-paws ferve it for hands, and every paw has five fingers. There are likewife two fpecies of rabbets^ which the Spaniards call apercos ; they have little or no tail, filver-grey hair, and their flefii is very delicate eating. Another kind of rabbit has fo fmall a mouth, that a pifmire can fcarce enter it. Lion s and tygers are every where common, fince the horned cattle, Spanifhhorles, and hogs have mul- tiplied to fuch a degree. The lions are much fmal- ler and lefs fierce by a great deal than thofe of Africa, but the tygers are no where larger or more furious! The Indians, however, have difcovered a certain method of driving away thefe animals. As they are very light and nimble, the minute they fpy one making towards them, if they have no arms to defend themfelves, they hurry up into a tree ; the animal, unable to purfue his prey, furveys him with greedy eyes from the bottom of his afylum, and would there remain, it is probable, long enough, to oblige OF PARAGUAY. 25 oblige him to furrender at difcretion, or let himfelf fall to the ground thro’ weaknefs, had it not been happily difcovered, that this animal cannot bear the fmell of human urine ; the Indian takes advantage of this difcovery, and the tyger immediately flies to a fufficient diflianee, to give him an opportunity of making his efcape. Thofe among the Indians, who make ufe of fire-arms, are fliill lefs at a lofs on thefe occafions, for their aim is fo good, that they have of- ten been feen to fhoot tygers dead while making a fpring at them. They diffinguifh three kinds of deer in thefe pro- vinces ; fome are almofl: as tall as an ox, and have very branchy horns ; they are moft commonly to be found in marfhy places. Others are larger than goats, and feed in the plains. The third fpecies are fcarce bigger than a kid of fix months. There is little or no difference between the fhamoys of Para- guay and ours. The wild-hoars here have the navel, or perhaps a kind of vent, upon the back. Their flefli is delicate, and fo very wholefom, that the fick are permitted to make ufe of it. The plains of Chaco arecovered with flocks of black, red, and white goats y but the white are to be met with no where but on the banks of the Pilco Mayo. Both deer and fhamoys always feed in flocks, like the fheep of Europe. Another animal, pretty common in this part of America, is a kind of Buffalo, called anta. It is of the flze of an afs, which it likewife greatly refem- bles in fhape, all to its having very fhort ears. But what ferves mofl: to diffinguifh this animal, is a kind of trunk, which he extends and contradfs at plea- fure, and by which, it is thought, he likewife bi eathes. Each of his teet has three nails, to which they aferibe a fovereign virtue againft all manner of poifons, efpecially to thofe of the left fore-foot, ypon which he lies down as often as he find himfelf indifpofed. 26 THE HISTORY indilpofed * He makes ufe of his two fore-feet in the fame manner with monkeys and beavers, and with equal facility. In his belly are found bezoard- ftones, which are held in great efteem. In the day- time he bronzes upon the grafs, and by night eats a kind of clay which he finds in the marlhes, where he retires at fun-fet. The flefh of this animal is \'ery wholefom, and differs from beef in nothing but being more light and delicate. His fkin is fo flout, that when well dried, they pretend it is mufket- fhot proof; for which reafbn the Spaniards, when they can get any, make fkull-caps and cuiraffes of it. They hunt the anta in the night-time, and it is an exercife attended with very little trouble. The huntfmen repair to thefe places where thefe animals generally affemble together at night- fall, and on their approach iffue out to meet them with lighted torch- es, which fo dazzle and ffagger the poor creatures, that they tumble one over another to the ground. The huntfmen then fire upon them, and feldom mifs a fhot ; fo that at the return of day, they are fure to find great numbers of them dead or grievoufiy wounded. All kinds of volatiles fwarm in almoft every part of this country, and of geefe alone they reckon in it fix different fpecies. The ravens here are white ; ^h^fparrows of a gold colour ; and patridges as large as hens, and in fuch plenty, efpecially in the yaff plains tliat lie between Buenos Ayres and Tucu- man, that travellers take them, like fifh, with a line, without being obliged to alight from their horfes or carriages. Oftriches and fea-wolves are iikewife very common in fome places. Among the fifh found in the * Memoires de Trevoux, October, 1751, page 2194. It is not faid that this animal is fubjedl to the epilepfy, or that he cures himfelf when attacked by it, by rubbing his ear with his left hoof, as it is faid the original or elk of Canada does, whom the anta greatly refembles in other refpeds. OF PARAGUAY. ^7 the rivers and lakes, there is one which differs in nothing from a hog, but that it has no teeth ; and a water-dog or cams aqiiaticus^ which barks like tlie land-dogs of Europe. A miffionary one day ipyed one of thefe animals, on the banks of a river, wiicre having been wounded with an arrow, he fell a bark- ing with all his might, till feveral others immediate- ly came to his affiflance, and tranfported him to the oppofite diore. ^ Such is in general this great country, ^ ■ efteemed by numbers of people one of the richefl: in the New World. It was firfl difcovered in 1516, by John de Solis, great pilot of Caftile,and that by mere accident. So! is had failed from Spain to continue the difcovery of Brazil, begun in the year 1500, by Vincent Yannes Pinfon, v/ho had accom- panied Columbus in his fir ft voyage, and two i^onths before the Portuguefe had the leaft knowledge of it. The lirft of January,! 5 16, he entered a port foimed by the difcharge of a river, which he called Rio Ge- nero* and took pofieifion of it for the Crown of Caftile, as Pinfon had done fixteen years before, at Cape St. Auguftin, which he called the Cape of Con- folation. Solis then continued to range the coaft, and on turning it to the right, found himfelf in a bay at the mouth of a great river, to which he gave his name ; but he did not think proper to venture his veftel a great way up it, as he found it to be full of rocks, fhoals, and fand banks ; being loth howe- ver to return home without fome knowledge of the river, he fet out in his long-boat, and after ranging for fome time the weftern coaft, difcovered fome Indians, who feemed to invite him afhore, by laying at their feet every thing they had, and, as it were^ to offer them to him. Deceived * That is to fay, January River. The Portuguefe call It Rio Janeyro, which fignifies the fame thing in their lan- guage. 28 the history iower not to^ be feen any more by him, and to guard againft any violence or furprize. Mangora, on his fide, think- ing that if he could but get her to his habitation, he might difpofe of her as he pleafed, often invited Hurtado to come and fee him, and bring his wife along with him. But Hurtado as often begged to be excufed, alledging that he could not abfent himfelf from the fort, without the commander’s leave ; and that he was fure he fbould never be able to obtain it. Such an anfwer as this was enough to let the Ca- cique fee, that, to fucceed in his defigns upon the wife, he mufl firft get rid of the hufband. While he was, therefore, confidering ways and means to do it, he got intelligence, that the hufband had been de- tached with another officer, called Ruiz Mofchera, and fifty foldiers, to colle<^ provifions. Looking upon this, therefore, as a favourable opportunity, fince it not only removed the hufband, but weakened the garrifon, by which the wife might expedf? to protedted, he polled four thoufand picked men in a marfb in the neighbourhood of the fort, and fet out OF PARAGUAY, 3^ out for it, with thirty others loaded with refrefla- ments. On his arrival at the gates of it, he fent word to Lara, that, Clearing how much he was in want of provifions, he was come with enough to ferve him, till the return of the convoy. Lara re- ceived the treacherous Cacique with the greatefi: de- monftrations of gratitude, and infilled upon enter- taining him and his followers. This was what Man- gora had expedled ; and, he had, accordingly, given his men inflrudlions how to behave, and appointed fignals for thofe he had polled in the marfh. i ^27-^0 entertainment began with a great ^ ^ ^ ' deal of chearfulnefs on both fides, and lafled till the night was far advanced ; when, the Spaniards rifing to break up, Mangora gave fome of his attendants the fignal for doing what he had before-hand direded ; which was to fet fire to the magazines of the fort, as fbon as the Spaniards fhould be retired. This was accordingly done, without the Spaniards having the leafl fufpicion of the matter. The officers were fcarce compofed to reft, when moft of them being alarmed by the fbldiers crying out^^r^ ! fire ! and jumping out of bed to extinguifii It, the Indians feized the opportunity of dilpatchino" them. The reft were killed in their fleep ; and the four thoufand men polled in the marlh, having been at the lame time let into the fort, it was immedi- ately filled with daughter and confufion. The go- vernor, though wounded, having efpied the trea- cherous Cacique, made up to him, and ran him through the body ; but, being more intent upon latisfying his revenge, than conliilting his lafety, he continued fo long venting his now ufelefs fury on the dead body of his enemy, that the Indians had time to intercept his flight j and immediately dif- patched him. There now remain’d no living no foul in the fort but the unfortunate Miranda, the innocent caufe of ^2 fo the history fo bloody a tragedy, four other women, and as many little children, who were all tied and brought before Siripa, brother and fuccelTor to the late Cacique. This Barbarian, at the fight of Miranda, conceived the fame paflion for her, that had proved fo fatal to his brother, and ordered her to be unbound, relin- quifhing to his attendants ail the other prifoners. He then told her, that Ihe muff not confider herfeif as a flave^ in his houfe ; and that it would even be her own fault, if (lie did not become the miftrefs of it ; and that he hoped fhe had fenfe enough to pre- fer to an indigent forlorn hufband, the head of a pow- erful nation, who would take pleafure in fubmitting to her, himfelf and all his fubjedfs. Miranda might well expedl, that, by' refufmg his offers, fhe fhould expofe herfeif, at beft, to a perpetual and moft cruel flavery ; but her virtue got the better of every other confideration. She even gave Siripa the an- fv/er fhe thought was moft likely to exafperate him, in hopes his love might change into fury ; and a fpeedy death put her innocence and honour beyond the reach of his brutal inclinations. But in this fne was greatly miftaken. Her refu- ials ferved only to increafe the efleem, Siripa had conceived for her, and heighten his paflion, which he if ill flattered himfelf he fhould be at lafl able to fa- tisfy. He continued, therefore, to treat her with a great deal of lenity, and even fhe wed her more ci- vility and refpedf , than could be well expected from a Barbarian. But his pioderation and gentlenefs ferved only to make her more fenfible of the danger Ihe was expofed to. In the mean time, Hurtado, being returned with his convoy, was greatly furpri- zed to behold nothing but a heap of afhes, where he had left Gabot’s tower. The firfl: thing he did was to enquire what was become of his wife; and, being informed fhe was with the Cacique of the Timbuez, he immediately fet out to look for her, without con- fidering OF PARAGUAY. 39 fidering what dangers he thereby fruitlefsly expofed himfelf to. Siripa, at the fight of a man^ who was the foie objed; of all Miranda’s affedions, could no longer contain himfelf, but ordered him to be tied to a tree, and there Ihot to death with arrows. . Hi s attendants were preparing to obey him, when Miranda, drowned in tears, threw herfelf at the ty- rant’s feet, to obtain the life of her hulband ; and, fuch is the power of a paflionate affedion, it calmed the violent florm, which it had but a little before excited in the heart of a Barbarian. Hurtado was unbound ; he was even, fometimes, permitted to fee his wife. But the Cacique, at the fame time he thus indulged them, gave them to underftand, that they mufl not, on pain of death, attempt to go any fur- ther lengths. It is, therefore, probable, he only meant this indulgence as a fnare to obtain a pretext for recalling the conditional reprief he had granted Hurtado, who foon fupplied him with one. A few days after, Siripa’s wife came to inform him, that Miranda was laid down with her hufband ; the bar- barian immediately ran to examine the truth of the report with his own eyes ; and, in the firfl emotion of his palfion, more to the fatisfadion of his wife’s jea- loufy, than his own, he condemned Miranda to the flames, and Hurtado to the kind of death he had but lately efcaped. The fentence was immediately exe- cuted, and this faithful pair expired in fight of each other, full of fentiments worthy of their virtues, j - _ . In the mean time Mofchera had made d 3 35- preparations at Gabot’s fort. Bur, finding at lafl:,^that it was to no purpofe to continue there, as the animofity between the Spaniards and Indians was now becoming irreconcilable, on account of the treachery of the latter, he embarked with the poor remnant of his garrifon, on board a little velfel which Gabot had left behind him ; and after falling down the river to the fea, ranged the coafl: to the 32 d F) 4 degree 40 THE HISTORY degree of South latitude, where, having difcovered a convenient port, he built a little fort on its banks, and, finding the inhabitants difpofed to live in friend- fhip with him, fowed a fmall trad of land. But he had not been there long, when the governor of Bra- zil fent to inform him, that, if he expeded to re- main in quiet poffeflion of his eftablilliments, he mufh confent to take an oath of allegiance to the king of Portugal, to whom all the country belonged. To this fummons iVlofchera anfwered, that he was re- folved to maintain his ground, till their refpedive mailers had agreed upon a partition of the Indies. He was, however, very little able to keep his word, for want of arms and provifions. But a French fhip having foon after call anchor at the little ifland of Canaanee, oppofite his fort, he furprized her, and by that means fupplied himfelf with both. He then ereded a little battery, with four pieces of cannon he found on board his prize ; and, the Portuguefe being come foon after to attack him, to the amount of 8o men, fupported by an army of Brazilians, he, after letting them land, and even pafs unmolefled through a wood, gave them fo warm a falute in front, while a detachment, placed in the fame wood, attacked them in the rear, that they immediately dilperled ; and all thole, who, after being Ipared by the cannon, had not faved themfelves by flight, were put to the fword. Molchera, not fatisfied with this advantage, embarked with this part of his men, and a great number of Indians, on board the velfels that had brought the Portuguefe, and fell upon the town of St. Vincent, where he plundered the king’s ma- gazines. He foon perceived, however, that thefe luccefles, inllead of ferving to ftrengthen his efta- blifhment, tended only to the ruin of it, by making it an objed fo much the more worthy of the atten- tion of the crown of Portugal. He, therefore, very judicioufly removed his colony to the ifland of St- Catherine, OF PARAGUAY. 41 Catherine, where he flattered himfelf the Portugiiefe would not be in fuch hafle to purfue him. Yet he made no long ftay here. The court of Spain had not, in the mean time, loft fight of Paraguay, though the news of all the Spaniards, that were fettled in the country, having been either killed by the Indians, or obliged to de- fert it, joined to the abfence of the Emperor, threw a damp upon all the refolutions taken to make good his claims to fo defireable an acquifition. But the Emperor, being at laft returned to Ma- drid, began to think ferioufty of forming a power- ful fettlement on Rio de la Plata ; and the prepara- tions made for it greatly furpaffed thofe already made to eftablifh colonies in any other part of Amer rica. Don Pedro de Mendoza, great cup-bearer to the Emperor, was appointed commander in chief of the expedition, adelantade and governor, and captain- general of all the countries that might be difcovered as far as the South-fea, on condition that he ftiould tranfport there, in two voyages, one thoufand men, and one hundred horfes, with arms, ammunition and provifions for one year, the whole at his own expence. He was, indeed, permitted to make eftabliftiments in any part, he thought proper, of the lands he might difcover ; and gratified with a penfion,for life, of two thoufand ducats, with leave, befides, to levy the fame film on the produce of the countries, of which he was appointed governor. The other conditions were, that of three fortrelfes, which he was to build at his own expence, he ftiould be hereditary Alcalde ; and Alguazil major of that where he might think proper to fix his refidence; that, after refiding in his govern- ment for three years, he might return to Spain, and name a governor to fucceed him, who, on receiving his commiflion, ftiould be entitled to the fame pre- rogatives he himfelf had eryoyed ; that though, ac- cording 4Z THE HISTORY cording to the laws of the kingdom, the Kings or Indian Caciques taken in war, were to pay their ranfoms into the exchequer : thefe ranfoms ftiould be diftributed among the governor and the troops, after a reduction of one- tenth to the ufe of his majefty. That, in cafe any treafures belonging to Caciques killed in war fhould fall into the hands of the Spaniards, they fhould be equally divided be- tween his majefty and the governor. In fine, that the governor fhould take eight religious with him, to preach the gofpel to the natives of the coun- try, and provide all the pofts with phyficians, furgeons, and medicines. The Emperor then charg- ed Mendoza’s confcience with all the vexations and violences, which the Indians might, through his fault, fuffer from the Spaniards ; and declared, that their converfion being what he had moft at heart, he would fhew no mercy, to thofe, who dared to contradidl his intentions in that refpedf. Orders had been already given to equip 1535 - at Cadiz, a fleet of i4fhips, and Don Juan Oforio, an Italian, who had diftinguifhed himfelf greatly in the wars of Italy, took upon him the com- mand of it, in quality of lieutenant to Mendoza. Such great preparations, and the reports that had been fpread of the richnefsof the countries watered by the Rio de la Plata, attracted fo many perfons, even of the higheft nobility, that the firft armament, inftead of five hundred only, the number originally propofed, confifted of twelve hundred men, amongft whom were thirty noblemen, all the eldeft fons of their families, and feveral Flemifh officers. In a word, no Spanifh colony eftablifhed in the new world can boaft fo many great names among its founders; and the pofterity of many of them ftill fubfifts in Para- guay, efpecially in the capital of the province of that name. This fleet put tofea in the month of Au- guft, 1535, being in the feafon fitteft for that pur- pose. OF PARAGUAY. 43 pofe, as fhips, which happen not to arrive at the Bay of Rio de la Plata, before the end of March, run a great rilk of coming too late for the North and North-eaft winds, and being overtaken by thofe from the oppofiCe quarters, which oblige them to winter in Brazil. Mendoza’s fleet, after pafling the line, was fur- prized and difperfed by a terrible ftorm. The fhips, however, commanded by his brother, Don Diego de Mendoza, and a few others, happily reached the iflands of St. Gabriel. But that Ihip carrying the Adelantade himfelf, and all the reft, were obliged to take refuge in the port of Rio de Janeiro, where, on bare fufpicion that Oforio intended to fupplant him, he very bafely procured him to be aflaflinated. Though the Adelantade, it is probable, was ad- vifed to this ftep by many, who were jealous of Ofo- ri’s great merit, or envied him, as a ftranger, his high poll ; a great many others were fo exafperated at it, that fome of them that refolved to remain in Bra- zil, and others were preparing to return to Spain, when the Adelantade, having received notice of their defign, immediately put to fea, to prevent their carrying it into execution, and had the unmerited good fortune of arriving fafe at the iflands of St. Gabriel. Though Don Diego de Mendoza was greatly pleafed at feeing his brother, he was fo far from entering into his views, in regard to Don Johnj Oforio, that he expreflfed the greateft concern for’ what had happened, and even made no fcruple of de- claring publickly, that he was greatly afraid To unworthy an adion would draw down a judgment upon his brother and his enterprize. The fhips being now united between the iflands of St. Gabriel and the weflern banks of the river, Don Pedro, thinking the neighbourhood might aflford a good fituation for his firil fettlement, lent Don Sanchez del Campo to look out for a fure and con- ' venient 44 the history vepient fpot for that purpofe ; and, this officer having found one, on a point which advances into a river to wards the North, before thecoafl takes a turn to the Weft, Mendoza immediately ordered the plan of a city to be traced out there, under the name of Nuejfa Senora de Buenos Ayres^ becaufe the air here is very wholefom. This done, every man, without diftinc- tion, immediately put his hand to the work, fo that, in a ftiort time, all were conveniently lodged, j - But it was not long before the natives of ^ ‘ the country gave the new comers great reafon to fulpedl , that they were no way difpoftd to favour this eftablifhment of theirs ; therefore as provifions began to grow fcarce, the Adelantade fent out his brother with a detachment of 3000 men, in order to obtain a fupply by force, if he could not procure it by fair means. Some noblemen and a great many gentlemen would likewile ferve as volunteers on the occafion. The fecond day after their fetting out, they came in fight of a body of about 3000 Indians, pofted at the other fide of a little river, which falls into a marfh, and which it was requifite to crofs, to proceed on their journey. Moft of the Spaniards were for waiting, till the Indians them- felves fhould crofs the river ; but Don Diego having directed it to be founded, and by that means dif- covered that it was fordable, gave orders for paffing it without any further delay. The troops obeyed, but the firft that landed were furrounded by the Indians, and charged with fuch fury, that they had not fo much time as to form themfelves. Be- fides, many of them had fuffered their arms to get wet in crolfing the river, fo that they could make no ufe of them. However, a great number of thofe left behind fpeedily arrived to fupport them, the Indians were repulfed with great lofs. But their lofs ferved only to exafperate them, and render them ftill more furious. The Spaniards, therefore, were OF PARAGUAY. 45 were at laft obliged to retreat. Of thofe who left Buenos Ayres, on this expedition, not above 150 efcaped the field of battle ; and of thefe almofl one half died of fatigue, or of iheir wounds, during the retreat ; many lords and gentlemen, and among them Don Diego de Mendoza, the general of this little army, loft their lives on this occafion. The fcarcity, which had prevailed at Buenos Ayres for fome time paft, was now changed into a dread- ful famine ; yet Don Pedro, afraid of giving the In- dians a habit of fpilling Spanifh blood, forbid the in- habitants, under pain of death, to go into the fields in fearch of relief. But, as hunger is one of thofe ex- tremities, which make people blind to the greateft danger, and deaf, even to the moft facred injunc- tions, he placed foldiers at all the out-lets to the country, with orders to fire upon thofe who fhould endeavour to tranfgrefs his orders. A woman, how- ever, called Maldonata was lucky enough to elude the vigilance of the guards ; and God twice preferved her by one of thofe exertions of his providence, to which public notoriety alone can extort belief from the incredulous, apt to take offence at every thing befide the common courfe of things. This woman, having for a long time rambled about the country, took notice of a cavern, where fhe flattered herfelf fhe might at laft find a fure retreat, againft all the dangers that threatened her : but fhe had fcarce en- tered it, when fhe fpied a lionefs, the fight of which terrified her to the laft degree. She was, however, fbon quieted a little, by the careflfes of this animal, at the fame that fhe perceived they were not difin- terefted. The lionefs, it feems, was reduced to the laft extremity, as, though her term for littering was expired, fhe could not get rid of her burthen. Mal- donata, upon this, took courage, and gave the poor creature the afliftance fhe feemed fo earneftly to re- quire. The hoRtfs, being happily delivered, not only immediately 46 THEHISTORY immediately gave her benefaftrefs the moftfenfiblc pi oofs of her gratitude ; but never returned froiri learching her own daily fubfiltence, without laying, at the feet of Maldonata, enough for her’s, till, the whelps being ftrong enough to walk abroad, flie at lalt cook them out with her, and never returned, leaving Maldonata to Ihift for herfelf. Maldonata foon after fell into the hands of fome Indians, who made a have of her, and kept her in captivity for a confiderable time. Being, at length, retaken by fbme Spaniards, fhe was brought back to Buenos Ayres, where Don Francis Ruiz de Ga- lan commanded for Don Pedro de Mendoza, who happened to be abfent. Galan was a man, whofe feverity often degenerated into cruelty. Therefore, as he knew that Maldonata had ftolen out of the city, contrary to orders, and did not think her fuf- nciently punifhed by a very long and very cruel fla- very, he condemned her to death, and ,to a kind of death, which no man but a tyrant could have thought of. He ordered fome foldiers to take her into the country, and there leave her tied to a tree, not doubting but fome wild beaft or other would foon come and tear her to pieces. Two days after, the fame foldiers being fent to foe what was become of her, they were greatly fur- prized to find her alive and unhurt, though fur round- ed by lions and tigers, whom^ a lionefs, lying at her feet with her whelps, kept at a diftance. As foon as the Lionefs perceived the foldiers, fhe retired a little, as it were to give them leave to unbind her benefadrefs, which they accordingly did. Maldo- .nata then related to them the hiflory of this Lionefs, whom fhe knew to be the fame file had formerly affifted ; and the foldiers remarked, that, on their offering to carry away Maldonata, the lionefs fawn- ed greatly upon her, and foemed to exprefs fome concern at lofing her. On the report the foldiers made O F ) P A R A G U A Y. 4^ made to the commander of what they had feen, he faw that he could not but pardon a woman, whom heaven had protected in fo fignal .a manner, with- out appearing more inhuman than lions themfelves. The author of Argentina^ the firft author to re- late this adventure, alTures us, that he had heard it, not only from the pubiick voice, but from the mouth of Maldonata herfelf ; and Father del Techo fays, that, when he arrived at Paraguay, a great many perfons fpoke to him of it, as an event which had happened within their memory, and of which nobody doubted the truth, j . I s A I D that Don Pedro de Mendoza was abfent from Buenos Ayres, when Maldonata was brought back to that city. He had, it feems, fet out on a expedition up the Rio de la Plata, in queft of a remedy againft the famine, which had al- ready carried off 200 fouls. Having ftopt in this excurfion to confider the ruins of Gabot’s tower, he found the fituation of it fo very advantageous, that he built a new fort there, under the name of GW Hope. Some authors mention it by that of Corpus Chrijii. But his chief motive for making this new efla- blifhmpt, was, his being told by Don Juan de Ay- olas, his King’s lieutenant, who had got the flart of him in this expedition, that he might be always fure of provifions among the Timbuez, whom this officer had the good fortune of reconciling with the Spani- ards ; or at leafl, among their neighbours, the Cara- coes. Dorr Juan de Ayolas had done more. He prudently left a detatchment under Don Francifco de Alvarado, at the place where the fort formerly Rood. Mendoza, exceedingly well fatislied with his lieutenant’s condud, ordered him to continue his navigation up the river, as high as he could go, and gave him three barks, and fifty men, for that purpofe He, Jikewife, permitted Don Domingo Martinez de Irala, and feme other gentlemen, to accompany Don 4S THE HISTORY Don Juan, recommending to him, at the fame time, to tranfmit, within four months, an account of his tranlaclions and difcoveries, if he could not himfelf return with it. Mendoza had not as yet amaffed provifions enough to put an entire flop to the famine at Buenos Ayres, where it was attended with ail the horrors we fb often find mentioned in hiftory on the like oeca- fions. But, fome time after, Don Gonzalez de Men- doza, who went to Brazil in queft of a fupply, re-^ turned with a cargo, and was foon after followed by two others, with Mofchera and all his colony of the ifland of St. Catherine, befides a great many Brazi- lian families that had taken a liking to him. Thefe feafonable fupplies were of great fervice to the inha- bitants of Buenos Ayres. But, as the number of them was at the fame time confiderably increafed, though not enough to cover their country labours from the infults of the neighbouring Indians, who feemed, from day to day, more and more determined to ex- tirpate them, there was the greatefl reafon to fear, that the famine would fbon break out again with redoubled fury. Don Juan de Ayolas having, on his fide, pufhed up the river as far as the place where the city of the Af-- fum ption was afterwards built,met with a very friend- ly reception from the Guaranis^\\o occupy the coun- try for a great way on the eaftern banks of the Pa^ raguay, but for a much greater way inland, even as far as ;the frontiers of Brazil. They even filled his vefl'eh vvith provifions, which he paid for in goods which he had taken along with him for thaCpurpofe. He then advanced to the latitude of 2,0 degrees 4a minutes, where he difcovered, to the right, a little port, to which he gave the name of Candlemas-Port, And, as the Guaranis had alfured him, that in this latitude, he would, by marching wefterly over land, meet with Indians who had a great deal of gold and filver, he refolved to go in queft of them. He therefore OF PARAGUAY. 49 therefore, caufed himfelf to be put afhore oppofite to Candlemas-Port, to which he fent back his vef- fels with diredions to Don Domingo Martinez de Irak, to whom he had deJagated all the authority he himfelf had received from Don Pedro de Mendoza, to wait there for him for fix months, at the expira- tion of which, he might, if he heard nothing of him, take what courfe his own diferetion fhould didate to him. He, likewife, left, at Candlemas-Port, a fmall detachment of Spaniards, under the command of captain Vergara. But all thefe precautions proved fruitlefs ; for, Irak, under pretence that his velfels began to grow leaky, remained at Candlemas-Port but four months. It is probable, that Don Juan de Ayoks had fent the Adeientade an account of thefe refolutions and difpofitions of his ; but that his letters never came to hand. At lad:, the want of news from him gave Don Pedro de Mendoza great uneafinefs, as Ayoks was the officer of the whole colony, in whom he had the greated: confidence, and who bed: deferved it. Fie, therefore, difpatched Don Gonzales de Mendo- za, and Don Juan de Salazar, to know what was be- come of him ; and fell fick a few days after their de- parture. He had already taken a refolution to re- turn to Spain; and, as foon as he found himfelf flrong enough to bear the fea, took diipping, with his treafurer Juan de Caceres. He left Don Fran- cis de Gakn commander at Buenos Ayres ; and, in virtue of the power he had received ' from the Em- peror, named Don Juan de Ayoks his fuccelTor, hav- ing fird: appointed him his heir in cafe of death* At length, he put to fea, with a heart ready to butdl with defpair, and curfing the day he had tranfported himfelf to ramble after a chimera, and court diflio- nour in a favage country. He had foon as much reafon to repent his attempting to return. His fjiip had fcarce lod fight of land, when all the elements F feenied 50 THE HISTORY feemed to have confpired againft him. One da3r^ his proyifions being all fpoiled or exhaufted, he found himfelf obliged to eat of a bitch that was preg- nant ; and her infeded flefh, joined to the chagrin that inwardly devoured him, brought on a total alie- nation of his fenfes, which foon changed to a phren-« fy, in a fit of which he, at laft, miferably expired. When the news of Mendoza’s death ^ ' reached Spain, there were in the port of Seville two fhips fitted out on his account, that waited only for a favourable wind, to fail to his af- fiflance ; but, thofe who had advanced the money neceffary for this armament, thought proper to flop them, not knowing who they fiiould apply to for their reimburfement. The Emperor, being in- formed of this delay, immediately ordered, that the fhips fhould be permitted to fail ; gave the com- mand of them to the infpedlor Alphonzo Calrera ; and added a galleon loaded with ammunition and arms, under the command of Don Lopez de Aguiar. His majefly, hkewife, delivered Caceres a commif- fion for Don Juan de Ayolas, appointing him go- vernor and captain-general of the province of Rio de la Plata ; and an amnefey for all thofe who had eat human flefh ; an abomination feveral had been driven to, during the late famine at Buenos Ayres, and to avoid punifhment, had taken refuge among the Indians. Six Francifean Friars were, likewife, fent on board the galleon, and fupplied by the Em- peror with every thing requifite for the exercife of their miniflry. But, though this convoy failed from Cadiz towards the end of 1537, it did not arrive at Buenos Ayres till the year 1539. ^ 0 During this interval, Don Gonzales de t 53 • Mendoza, and Don Juan de Salazar, whom the deceafed governor had fent in quefl of Don Juan de Ayolas, arrived at Candlemas-Port, without being able to procure any intelligence of himi ; but they were OF PARAGUAY. 51 were informed that Irak was among the favages of the neighbourhood, where they, accordindy, found him. They then made with him a great many excurfions and enquiries after Don Avolas ; but all to no purpofe. Upon this, they raitenOT to a tree, at Candlemas-Port, a paper to in- roim Don Juan, in cafe he fhould happen to come that way, of every thing it was proper he IFould know ; and, above all things, to put him upon his guard againft the Payaguas. This advice was the more necelfary, as there is not, perhaps, a more dan- gerous nation on the face of the earth, fincethey co- ver the moll favage difpofitions, with the moll en- 8®g'ng manners, and never make greater protella- tions of friendlhip, than when they are treacheroufly meditating feme mifchief They are, belides, fo ex- pert at contriving means to execute their dark pur- poles, that it is no wonder numbers have been de- eeived by them, till a great many tragical events had difcovered their cruelty and craftinefs. Thefe Barbarians have no fixed habitation, but are to be found every where on both fides of the Paraguay, and on the river itfelf, where they carry on a con- tinual piracy. Mendoza and Salazar,'’after leaving Candlemas- Port, fell down the Paraguay to the mouth of the moll Mrthern branch of the Pilco Mayo into that river, in the latitudeof 25 degrees and feme minutes ; where having taken notice of a port formed by a cape that runs South into the Paraguay, from the eallern banks of it, they were fo taken with the conveniency of its fituation, that they built a fort there, which in a very fhort time grew into a city • and IS, aMhis day, the capital of the province of A- raguay. This place lies mid-way between Peru and Brazil, and at three hundred leagues from Cape St. Mary. Jts founders gave it the name of the Af- lumption, which it flill retains. Mendoza 5^ THE HISTORY Mendoza remained here, while Salazar fet out for Buenos Ayres, which he found reduced to the lafh extremity. The famine had again broke out there, and was arrived at the greateft height. Befides Galan was fo univerfally detefted, that all the inhabi- tants would have defer ted it, but for fear of becom- ing the prey of wild beafts, or of the Barbarians who furrounded them. Salazar’s arrival, therefore, gave them great joy, which was confiderably increafed at the fight of the three veflels from Spain, under Cal- rera, which came to anchor there two or three days after. As Salazar reported, that there was no fcar- city of provifions at the Alfumption, Galan and Cal- rera refolved to go there themfelves to obtain a fup- ply ; and the firft, having declared that he would take with him a party of foldiers, both thofe he picked out for that purpofe, and thole he left behind, were equally oveijoyed ; the firft at the profpe6t of foon getting into a country where there was no danger of ftarving ; and thelaft, at the thoughts of being rid of a commander, whofe feverity they thought equal to any other fcourge. But the firft were greatly difappointed, when, on their arrival at the AlTumption, after a great many dangers and fatigues, they found the fame fcarcity there, they had efcaped at Buenos Ayres. Salazar, however, could not be accufed of having impofed upon them, as it was on the ftrength of the good difpofition of the Indians towards the Spaniards, he had flattered them with the expectation of plenty ; and this good difpofition had been render’d of no effeCt by locufts, which had devoured, in the grafs, all the feed the former had fown ; fo that the commander of Buenos Ayres, who had reinforced his efcort with half the garrifon of the fort of Good Hope, found himfelf under a necelfity of making all the hafte he could back, for fear of increafing a famine in a OF PARAGUAY. 53 place, in which he flattered himfelf with the hopes of enjoying the bleflings of plenty, j - At his arrival at the fort of Good Hope, he vented his fpleen upon the Indians in the neighbourhood, called Caracoas j who had, it feems, been accufed to him of having favoured the ene- mies of the Spaniards. Without examining v/hether the charge was true or falle, he refblved to make them feel the frnart of his refentment. He commu- nicated his defign to Don Francis de Alvarado, cornmander of the fort, and /bme other officers, who omitted nothing to diffuade him from lo bale a pro- ceeding ; but it was all to no purpole : and, as he was unwilling to engage in a war, which might delay him too long, and perhaps coll him a great many men, he made no Icruple of adding treachery to injuftice. After treating the Caracoas in the moft- friendly manner, he one morning at day break tell upon them when they leafl; thought of it ; fet fire to their cabins ; carried off a great many of their wo- men and children, whom he diflributed among his foldiers ; and then reimbarked with Alvarado, who, It is probable, did not chufe to remain in a fort, which he forefaw would foon be attacked by all the Indians in the neighbourhood. Don Antonio Mendoza was left to command in his Head with 100 foldiers. Thi s perfidious behaviour immediately awakened in the hearts of the Timbuez, all their ancient ani. mofity againfl the Spaniards ; and they refolved to rid themfelveseffedualiy of a nation, whofe promifes mey imagined could never be fafely relied upon. To be the furer of their flroke, they pretended an expedition againfl fome other Indians, who, they gave out, were as much the enemies of the Spani- ^ds, as their own ; and then applied for afliflance to on Antonio Mendoza, who had the imprudence to give them half his garrifon, under the command of Alphonfo Suarez de Figueroa. The Timbuez re- E 3 ceived 54 the history ceived this reinforcement with great marks of grati- tude ; and, that very day, the army began its march ; but the Spaniards were fcarce advanced a league, v/hen they were fuddenly attacked, behind, by a body of their pretended allies, that lay in ambufh for that purpofe; and in front, by thofe who conduded them. They fought, however, with the greateft bravery ; but were, at lafi:, overpowered by numbers, fo that not a fmgle man of them efcaped. Th E T imbuez now flattered themfelves, that they fliould have no difficulty in reducing thofe that re- mained in the fort; and immediately invefted it with the mofl: hideous fhouts. Mendoza, judging, that nothing but a defperate ftroke could fave him, made a Tally upon the Barbarians, in hopes of cutting his way through them ; but he loft his braveft men in the attempt, and himfelf received a v ound that dif- abled him. He was, however, fortunate enough to regain the fort, where he had almofl given himfelf up for loff, when, happily, two Spanifh brigantines anchored before it. The commanders of thefe vef- iels foon perceived that it was befieged ; and, as they had been fent by Galan, whom his confcience re- proached with his treachery to the Caracoas, and who began to reded, though a little too late, on the evil confequences that mi^t attend it, they imme- diately landed fome mien to relieve the place. The Timbuez, on their fide, at the fight of the brigan- tines, made their lafh effort to carry it ; but the men that were landed, fupported by fome difcharges of cannon from the brigantines, obliged them, at lafl, to retire with confiderable lofs. Some days after this, Don Anthony de Mendoza dying of his wounds, the offixer who commanded the brigantines, feeing no appearance of being able to preferve the fort of Good Hope, thought proper to demolifh it, and take on board the milerable re- mains of the garrifon. That of the AiTumption was in OF PARAGUAY. 55 in pretty good condition, and Irala continued to take a great deal of pains to get intelligence of the gover- nor. At laft, after making a great many excur- lions to very little purpofe, he returned to Candle- mas-Port But, though he could hear nothing of SJon Ayolas, the writing which he had left there for him, was no longer to be found. He then remount- ed the river ; returned to the Payaguas, where he ran a great many rilks, and was even wounded in a Ikirmilh. At length, one evening, as he lay an- cnored at a good diftance from the Ihore, he heard a voice, calling to him from the other fide of the river. He immediately lent off fome men, in a canoe, to the place from whence it came, where they found an Indian, who defired to be conduced to the cap- tain. As this Indian was alone and unarmed, they readily complied with his requeft. Irak having afked h\m what nation he belonged to, he anfwered to thtChanes, inhabitants of the plains and that he wanted to meet fome Spaniards to inform them of the fate of one of their greateft captains, called Ayolas At pronouncing this name, a flood of tears Itopped his voice, which, after a little paufe, re- lated fighs again interrupted, till at length being a little come to himfelf, he made a Ihift to give the rollowing account “ Capt ain Ayolas, on his arrival among us, com- municated to our Cacique his defign of ptnetrating fui ther, in order to difcover whence fome Indians had got the gold and filver, that had been found among them. As he was but badly efcorted to un- dertake fo long, fo painful, and withal fo dangerous a journey, our Cacique gave him a reinforcement with the Indians, he found out what he was come in quell of On his arrival on the frontiers of Peru he was pretty well received by the Indians he met ® 4 there i 56 THE HISTORY there ; and, indeed, he deferved it by his amiable be- haviour, and the good order he maintained among thofe he brought with him. At length, he returned back to our country, 'loaded with gold and filver ^ and our Cacique made him a prefent of fome more. He then told us, that he intended to join his coun- trymen, whom he had left with his barks on the Pa- raguay, and then return with a greater efcort. Up- on this, our Cacique ordered feveral of his fubje(fts to affift him in tranfporting his treafures to the ri- ver, and I was of the number. We crofTed vafh de- ferts to avoid meeting with fome nations he fufped- ed ; and, at laft, arrived at the place where he had kft his barks ; but they were no longer to be found. However, we thought proper to remain with him fome days longer, in hopes he might, at leaft, get fome intelligence of them. In the mean time, fome Indians, allies of the Payaguas, after having feafted us with their game, invited us to take fome repofe among their friends ; but this was only a fnare laid by the traitors to deceive the Spaniards, who never fufpedfed it ; for, v/hen they had brought us into fome marlhes, v/here our march was attended with great difficulty, the Payaguas, whom they had in- formed of their defigns, fell fuddenly upon us, and maflacred the Spaniards. Many of my countrymen, likewife, loft their lives ; and I, and all the reft were made flaves. Captain Ayolas had happily made his efoape, and hid himfelf among fome bufties ; but they foon difcovered him, and conducled him to an ifland, where they put him to a much more cruel death, than they had done the reft of the Spaniards. Some time after, I was happy enough to make my efcape, and have been ever hnce roving about to meet with Spaniards, and inform them of thefe events.'' Ir ALA would have been very glad to chaftife the Payaguas for their perfidy, and recover the trea- fure OF PARAGUAY. 57 fare that had been both their inducement to com- mit it, and their reward when committed ; but the overflowing of the river would not allow him to fol- low them into their retreats ; and, befides, he had fcarce a man left, that was not either fick, or ex- haufled with fatigue. Himfelf, had not entirely got the better of his wounds ; and, though he had had fomething more prefling to take up his thoughts, he, therefore, made the bell of his way to the Af- fumption, which already began to wear the face of a city, and where moft of his officers had taken up their refidence. Thefe noblemen and gentlemen were refpedted as the conquerors of Paraguay. The difpatches from the court gave them that title. They even formed, for a long time, the council of the pro- vince ; and the Emperor, in mofl of his letters to the governors and commanders, ordered them to undertake nothing without their advice. We have feen, that Don John de Ayolas had delegated all his authority to Don Domingo Martinez de Irak, for the time he fhould be abfent ; and this officer made no doubt of his being acknowledged as governor general of the province of Rio de la Plata, till the Emperor fhould have named another ; nor did any one at the Aflumption think proper to difpute this title with him. Buenos Ayres, in the mean time, was everyday lofing Its inhabitants ; for the lafl: provifions arrived there from Spain having been foon confumed, a third famine enfued, equally violent with either of the two former. Such of the inhabitants, as took re- fuge among the Indians, were maflacred by the Cha- ruas^ who infefted the whole country. At length Ga- len and Calrera refolved to repair to the Aflumption, pd as many of the inhabitants, as could find room in their veflTels, thought proper to accompany them. Galan, finding, on his arrival, Irak not univerfally acknowledged as governor-general, immediately declared 58 THE HISTORY declared himfelf one of his competitors. But Calrera fbon put an end to the competition, by producing a fchedule figned by the Emperor, and which his Imperial Majefty himfelf had delivered him. This inftrument, which was dated the 12th of September, 1537, imported, that, in cafe the per- foil, who might have been appointed by Don Pedro de Mendoza, governor of Rio de la Plata, fhould be dead without naming a fucceffor, and the founders and conquerors of the province had not themfelves put one in his place, he fhould alTemble them, and make them take an oath to eled him, whom they fhould, in their confcience, think beft qualified for fuch an important employment ; that he fhould fee, that the perfon eleded by a plurality of voices was imiverfally acknowledged by the reft ; and obeyed, as one invefted with the Emperor’s authority. Calrera then proceeded to the execution of this commiftion ; and Dominick Martinez de Irala, who had already for him the votes of moft of the eledors, was una- nimoufly proclaimed governor and commander ge- neral, till his majefty fhould be pleafed to name another. Calrera, before he difmilTed the eledors, pro- pofed to them the abandoning of Buenos Ayres, where it was evident, he faid, by many years ex- perience, that it was impoftible to lubfift, till the Spaniards fhould be better able to command the ref- ped of the neighbouring Indians, and obtain pro- vifions from them. The fentiments of the aflembly were divided on this head, feveral reprefented the ' necefiity of having a port for the reception of veftels from Spain, and how much the city of the AlTumption itfelf, fituated at 300 leagues from the fea, was likely to fuffer if no (hips were to arrive from thence. To this the governor anfwered, that it would be an eafy matter to eftablifti a communication with Peru 9 and he OF PARAGUAY. 59 he had art enough to perfuade a great many, that they might eafily procure from thence all the aflift- ance they could Hand in need of. No one, at firft, fufpeded, though it appeared foon after, that all the governor aimed at by this alternative, was to render himfelf independent ; as, in cafe it took place, no orders from court could reach him, but very late, and with great difficulty; and, when they did, he could eafily find pretences for eluding them, fhould they prove any way difagreeable to him. The council, therefore, affented to this plan, and Don Diego d’Abreu was charged with the exe- cution of it. As to the inhabitants of Buenos Ayres, nothing could equal the joy expreffed by them, at the news of fuch a refolution. It proved equally agreeable to the equipage of a Genoefe fhip, wnich, on its voyage to Peru with a cargo worth iifty thoufand ducats, had been firft flopped by contrary winds at the entrance into the flreights of Magel- lan ; and, having afterwards put into Rio de la Plata, had the misfortune of being wrecked there, on a fand-bank pretty near Buenos Ayres, beyond a poffibility of faving any part of the cargo. The men efcaped the danger of being drowned, but 'it was only to fall into that of being ftarved. There were on board this fhip feveral Italian gentlemen, whofe poflerity, it is probable, flill fubfifl in Para- guay ; at leafl, we fliall have occafion to mention fome of them in the courfe of this hiflory. The principal were Don Anthony de Aquino, Don Tho- mas Rizo, and Don John Baptift Trochi. The governor took care to fend a plentiful con- voy of provifions to meet the tranfmigrants ; and, as foon as they were all lodged in the AfTumption, he furrounded it with a paliSdoe ; eflablifhed a po- lice in it ; and took a lift of the inhabitants, who were found to amount to fix hundred men, befides wornen and children. Some time after this, being defirous 6o THE HISTORY defirous of giving the Indians, many of whom had been already baptized by the Francifcan friars, a grand idea of the chriftian religion, he bethought himfelf, for that purpofe, of a general proceffion ; and, accordingly, appointed one for the Holy Thurfday following, in com!memoration of our Sa- viour’s pafTion. He then invited all the Indians of the neighbourhood to be prefent at this ceremony ; but, as the bad ufage which the Spaniards had al- ready begun to give them, had not inlpired them with any great affedion for fuch mailers ; and ma- ny of them, befides, had embraced the gofpel merely through interell or fear, few of them came, but in hopes of finding an opportunity to fhake off a yoke, which, from day to day, was grov/ing more heavy and infupportable. It is faid, there came no lefs than eight thouland of them to behold this ce- remony, without any other arms than their bows and arrows, without which, it was well known, they ne- ver appeared any where. But they knew, that thefe arms alone v/ere fufficient to execute their defigns, as they knew the Spaniards were to appear on the occafion, bare fhouidered ; and with no arms but fcourges, and thefe to be entirely employed on their bodies. And now the procellion was going to fet out, when an Indian woman, fervant to Salazar, who had always ufed her with great kindnefs, enter- ed his room ; and, feeing him ready to fally forth in the equipage of a flagellant, told him, with tears in her •eyes, that Ihe was heartily concerned to fee him thus preparing for dellrudion ; and, upon his pref- fing her to explain herfelf, led him into the whole affair. He, therefore, ran diredlly to inform the governor of what he had fo feafonably difcovered ; and the governor immediately took the only courfe fuch critical circumllances admitted. He pretended he had jufl: received intelligence, that the Japiges, who had lately declared againfl: the OF PARAGUAY. 6 i the Spaniards, were almoft at the gates of the city ; and, after difpatching private orders to all the inha- bitants to arm themlelves, he fent to all the princi- pal chiefs of the Indians, to beg they would diredlly repair to his houfe, and afTift him with their advice. They accordingly came, not fufpeding any defiga againfl them ; and, as fail as they entered, were fettered and Ihut up in feparate rooms, till, all being arrived, he acquainted them with the intelligence he had received of their treacherous defigns, and condemned them to be hanged. The fentence was immediately executed, in fight of the great number of Indians affembled about the city, who, feeing all the Spaniards under arms, not only remained ver/ quiet, but publicly acknowledged they had likewile deferved death ; adding, that, if the Spaniards would but pardon them, they fhould have no reafoa to repent their indulgence. They afterwards made an offer of wives to luch of the Spaniards, as were not yet provided with any ; and their offer w^as ac- cepted. The Indian women, v/hom the Spaniards married on this occafion, proved fruitful, and toler- ably agreeable in their manners and behaviour; which afterwards induced a great many other Spa- niards to contrad alliances of the fam.e kind. Some of them have fince married Negreffes ; and this is the reafon, why there are now ib many Meztizzoes. and Mulottoes in this part of America. I ^40 Emperor, in the mean time, re- ' ceived no news from Paraguay, and, for that reafon, could no longer doubt of Ayolas’s death, his Majefcy began to think ferioufly of giving it another chief, and fuch further affiftance as it might be fuppofed to require. But the queftion was, to find a man willing to contribute to the expence of a confiderable armament, after the difappointments Don Pedro de Mendoza had met with. Charles V. however, was* not long at a bis for one. Don Al- varez 62 THE history varez 'Nunez de Vera Cabeca de Vaca offered to lay out on the occafion eight thoufand ducats, be- ing all he was worth in the world ; and his offer was immediately accepted. It is very furprizing, that a man, in whom pro- bity, prudence, piety, and the moft difinterefted zeal for the true honour of his fovereign,-were emi^ nently confpicuous, fhould not have proved a blef- fing to Paraguay ; and that his great merit fhould have ferved only to ruin him, and expofe him to the moft injurious treatment. His virtues had al- ready undergone fome very fevere trials, in a voyage he made to America in 1528, as treafurer to the fquadron of Pamphile de Narvaez, whofe enterprize had been but one continued iffue of misfortunes ; his veffels were difperfed by a ftorm ; and, that which carried Don Alvarez, having been wrecked on the coaft of New Spain, the whole crew were made flaves by the natives. But Don Alvarez foon attradled the refped of thefe barbarians, efpecially by the great number of cures he performed, which made fuch an impreffion upon them, that they could hardly be withheld from paying him divine honours. The Spaniards themfelves, on account of his ex=> emplary condu(ft, confidered many of thefe cure§ as altogether miraculous. Don Alvarez, on his re- turn to Spain, maintained the reputation he had fo juftly acquired, fo that the Emperor accepted his offers with great pleafure. His Majefty appointed him Adelantade of Rio de la Plata, and governor and captain- general of that province *, on condition, how- ever, that he fhould not affume the two laft titles, till he had received certain intelligence of Ayolas’s death, under whom he was to ad merely as his lieu- tenant, in cafe this governor Ihould be ftill living. * In * The dignity of Adelantade is merely civil, and does not entitle the perfon invefted with it to the firft place, but in the OF PARAGUAY. 63 In the inflrudlions which the Emperor gave Don Alvarez, he charged him, above all things, not to tolerate any lawyers or attorneys in his govern- ment, being convinced, he faid, by experience, that law-fuits tended greatly to retard the progrefs of colonies. He, next, ordered him to take care, that the Spaniards, who Ihould cultivate the lands mark- ed out for them for twenty-five years fucceffively, Ihould be confidered as the proprietors of fuch lands ; * and that all Ihould have liberty to trade with the natives, and return to Spain, when they thought proper. He, likewife, declared, that it was his intention. Alcaldes fiiould be appointed in every town for the adminiftration ofjuftice; that no fett- ler fhould be prolecuted for debt for the firfl four years after his arrival in the country, nor pay, during the two firfh any import duties, or any of the im- ports comprehended under the name of Almajarif- fazgo ; that the privilege of recufation and appeal to the King’s council fhould be inviolably main- tained ; that no one fhould be hindered from hav- ing recourfe to his Majefty’s juftice, or from wri- ting to him ; that in criminal caufes, where the accufed appealed to the council, the proceedings prefcribed in that cafe by the common law fhould take place ; that in regard to thofe, who died intef- tate or without heirs, the regulations added to thefe inftrudtions fhould be punctually complied with ; that Don Alvarez fhould decide nothing precipi- tately, or without advice; and take care that the fu^- baltern commanders and judges aCted with equal caution ; that he fhould not permit the interefl of money to exceed a caftillan, f or the King’s fifth to be the council for civil affairs, and the courts of juftice ; fo that, in the army, an Adelantade may adt as a fubaltern officer. This confeffion, if it may be called one, feems better calculated to tire the patience of new fettlers than animate their induftry. t A piece of gold worth about three ftiillings. 64 the history be levied upon any thing but gold or fiiver ; that commons for cattle fhould- be every where laid out ^ in fine, that the ordinary Alcaldes fhould be allow- ed to decide ail fuch caufes, as it wa^ufual to carry before the tribunal of the Santa Hermandad. * Don Alvarez had no fooner received his dif- patches, than he repaired to Seville, where he pur- chafed two fhips, one of three hundred tons, and the other of one hundred and fifty, with two caravals ; and embarked on the four vefiels 400 foldiers doubly armed, who had very chearfully offered to follow his fortunes. From Seville he repaired with liis lit- tle fleet to Cadiz, and from thence put to fea the beginning of November. In nine days he reached the iflands of Palma, and waited there for a favour- able wind, till the 26th, when he fet fail for the Cape de Verd iflands. The capitana, or largeft of his fhips, though new from the flocks, and in other re- fpebls, to ail appearance, an excellent veffel, made a great deal of water during the paffage, by which a confiderable quantity of his provifions was dama- ged, and his men greatly fatigued. At lafl, how- ever, he in nineteen days reached Santiago, one of the*Cape de Verd iflands. The air of Santiago is very unwholefom ' at this feafbn of the year, and generally cau- fes a very great mortality among the crews of fuch fhips as have the misfortune of being obliged to breathe it ; notwithftanding which, Don Alvarez did not lofe a Angle man, during the A ve-and- twenty days he flayed at this ifland. This was confidered as a very extraordinary exemption, and renewed the memiory of the prodigies operated by him, during his captivity among the Indians. What happened a few days after, conflrmed all his foldiers and failors in their opinion, that heaven favoured their com- mander in a fpecial manner. After * This is a tribunal eftablifhed for the furety of the high roads, and from whofe fentence there is no appeal. OF PARAGUAY. After having paft the line, he found, that, out of one hundred calks of water put on board the Capitana, but three remained ; and, therefore, or- dered his pilots to make for the land. The fourth day, before there was light enough to difcern any thing, the people on board were very much fur- prized to hear a grafhopper fing. A failor, it leems, had, unknown to any body, brought one of thefe infeds on board ; and this was the firft time of its being heard. Upon this, fome of the crew affirmed, that they mull be very near land, as thefe creatures never fail to fing when they fmeli it. Don Alvarez, therefore, immediately fent a failor up into the round-top, who, the moment it was light, deferied fome great rocks bordering a very high land, in fight of which the fhips con- tinued their courfe ; the grafhopper never fail- ing, during the whole time, to proclaim the return of day, though it had been quite filent at the Canary, and Cape de Verd iflands. After doubling Cape Trio, in twenty-four degrees of fouth latitude, they entered the port of Cananea ; and arrived, the 24th of March 1541, at the ifland of St. Catherine, which Don Alvarez immediately took pofTeffion of for the crown of Cafliile, treating the iflanders, however, with great kmdnefs, as alfb the inhabitants of the oppofite continent, where he heard there were two Friars^ in no very agreeable circumftances. Thefe fathers no fboner heard of his arrival, than they came to wait upon him, and informed him, that the Indians, p among whom they had refided, had, in fad, a great averfion to the Spaniards, and no great af- fedion for themfelves in particular. Don Alvarez, therefore, promifed to interpofe in their favour' and his good offices had the defired fuccefs. It now began to appear, that he was bleiled v/ith a me- thod of treating with the Indians, which never F failed 66 THE HISTORY failed of procuring him, even at the firft interview, their efleem and affedtion. In the month of May, he detached a caravel, commanded by the treafurer Philip de Caceres, for Buenos Ayres ; but Caceres, having in vain endeavoured to double Cape St. Mary, returned to the iflands of St. Catherine, where twelve Spa- niards arrived foon after in an open boat. They had made their efcape from Buenos Ayres, being no longer able, they faid, to bear the ill treatment of thofe who commanded there ; they added, that a fupply of men and provifions had lately arrived there ; but that the famine, notwithflanding, ftill continued to rage there with great violence ; and that, befides, the inhabitants, were conftantly in danger of being exterminated by the neighbouring Indians. They, likewife, informed Don Alvarez, that at fix fcore leagues from the place where he now was, a town had been lately built under the name of the AlTumption of the blelTed virgin ; from whence to Cape St. Mary they reckoned, to go down u river, the navigation of which was very dangerous, three hundred and fifty leagues ; that they had received the moft certain intelligence of Don Juan de Ayolas, and all thofe who accompani- ed him, having been murdered by the Payaguas ; and that Don Domingo Martinez de Irala was confidered as the author ot their misfortunes, by not having waited for them at Candlemas-Port, according to the directions left with him by Don Ayolas ; that the royal officers harraffed the In- dians, and treated the Spaniards but little better ; that their defign, in flying from Buenos Ayres, was to make the beft of their way to Spain, and inform the royal council of the Indies of all thefe events ; laftly, that Irala had been acknowledged gover- nor general by the whole province, and com. manded in perfon, at the AlTumption. From OF PARAGUAY. 67 From this relation, inconfiftent with what we have already faid of the evacuation of* Buenos Ayres, unlefs we fuppofe that thofe who gave it iiad been a long time abfent from that place, Don Alvarez judged his prefence was abfolute neceffa- ry at the AlTumption ; and, therefore, refolved up- on going there by the fhortefh road, in fpite of all the arguments made ufe of by his principal officers to perfuade him to continue with the fleet, and touch at Buenos Ayres. He, therefore, ordered the Fador Peter de Orantes, to get intelligence of the route he might take by land ; and this officer, after furveying the country, reported, that the flrfl; In- dians he had met with, and likewife thofe of St. Catherine who accompanied him, informed him, that the fliortefl: way was to follow the river Hahiicu^ which falls into the fea oppofite the northernmoft point of the ifland of St. Catherine, and about nineteen or twenty leagues from the port where he now was. Don Alvarez fent again to examine this route, and, being again informed that it was very pradicable, refolved to fet out without lofing any more time. He intended to have left the Friars we juft mentioned, in the ifland of St. Catherine, to labour in the converflon of the inhabitants and their neighbours on the con- tinent ; but they prefled him fo much for leave to accompany him, that he at lafl; thought proper to grant their requefl:. The 1 8th of October, after giving orders to Don Pedro Efliopinan Cabeca de Vaca, to fet fail with the fquadron for Buenos Ayres, with the firft: fair wind ; and, after fending a party of his men, with fix-and-twenty horfes that he had fliill left, to wait for him on the banks of the Habucu, he took leave of the inhabitants of St. Catherine, whom he loaded with ^refents, and many of whom thought proper to accompany him, both to ferve F z him 68 THE HISTORY him as guides, and take care he fhould want no provifions in his journey. He had Hill with him two hundred and fifty men, with v. horn he fet out on the 8 th of November, to join thofe he had already fent before him to the Habucu. After nineteen days march, during which his little army were often obliged to open themfelves a road by dint of labour, they began to want provifions. But, being now arrived in a more populous country, they were foon met by a great number of Indians loaded with all manner of fruits and other pro- vifions for their relief j and expreffing, befides, the greateft pleafure at the fight of the new go- vernor. These were the Guaranis, who grew Maiz, of which they made the earth yield them every year two crops ; and Manioc, with which they made Caffava bread. They, likewife, reared hogs, geefe, poultry, and parrots. Thefe Guaranis were of the fame origin with thofe who lived on the eaflern banks of the Paraguay, oppofite to the AfTump- tion ; and both together form one of the moft nu- merous and wide extended nations of the whole con- tinent. It is even pretended, that they penetrated as far as the Maranon ; that they rendered them- felves formidable by their depredations, wherever they appeared ; and that it was on this fcore they obtained their prefent name, which fignifies a war- rior. The Cbirignanes^ who inhabit part of the Cordilliera of Peru ; the "Tapez^ who had fettled on the frontiers of Brazil ; and even a great many Bra- ' zilians ; and other nations we fhall have occafion to mention hereafter, who fpeak the Guarani lan- guage ; are, all of the fame extradtion ; but all have not preferved the fame difpofitions, and are not equally fierce, and fond of human flefh ; a dif- ference owing to the roving or fedentary life they lead. Many of them treat their prifoners of war OF PARAGUAY. 69 like the Canadians. Moreover, t.hey are all of very narrow intelleds; and the greateft obftacle in civilizing them confifts in their almoft inconceiva- ble want of forecaft, their furprifing ravenoufnefs, and mortal averfion to any kind of labour Those, whom Don Alvarez firft met with, ap- peared tolerably peaceable. He took polRffion of their country for the crown of Spain, but without letting them know any thing of the matter ; and pve It the name of Provmcia del Campo. That entered, and which he likewife took polieffion of, was pretty much of the fame nature • and he called it after his family, Provmcia de Vera- iwt thefe names fubfifl: no longer. The firft of December, he arrived on the banks of the Imazu, a great river which falls into the Parana, between the 25th and 26th degree of fouth latitude ; and, r u . d'lcovered another, called Cibo?i, whofe bottom is paved with ftones fo large, and, withal fo well laid, that one would, be apt to take it for the work of art. It is, moreover, lb very ra- pid, that the men and horfes could hardly keep their footing ; fo that they were obliged to be tied together, to crofs it with fafety. The good order obferved by Don Alvarez, uring his march, gained him, wherever he ap- peared, the efteem and affedion of the Indians. 1 hey, therefore, gave each other notice of his ap- proach, and never failed coming to meet him with provifions; which kindnefs he always acknowledged by paying them twice the value. His greateft at- tention was to hinder any injury being offered ’ 1' '‘"y feeing done, that might fcan- dahze them, he never permitted any Spaniards to enter their villages, except thofe who were to buy^provifions ; and never font on this errand, but The""’) difcretion he could depend upon. Tae leaft liberty, that any Spaniard took with ^ 3 them. 70 THE HISTORY them, was fever ely punifhed. This his zeal to prevent the Indians being fcandalized or otherwife injured, made him foon repent his having taken with him the two Friars, he intended to have left behind at St. Catherine’s, as they did not always behave in a manner fuitable to the holinefs of their charader. They even Separated from him without his knowledge *, and it was not long before he found himfelf under a neGeffity of fending to look for them in a place, where he was informed their bad behaviour had made their fituation very dan- gerous and difagreeable. He was met, fome time after, by a Brazilian, named Michael, juft returning from the Affump- tion, whither he offered to be his guide. Alvarez accepted his offer, and dilmiffed the Indians who had hitherto ferved in that capacity, with a hand- fome reward for their pains and fidelity. Towards the middle of December, he found himfelf in the latitude of 24 degrees ; and, in a few days more, in a country covered with cyprefs and cedar trees, and others not knov/n in Europe, whole trunks were all fuil of excellent honey ; particularly pines of an extraordinary fpecies, being four or five fathoms in circumference, and bearing nuts en- clofed in (hells pretty lilee chefnut ftiells, but no bigger than acorns. Thefe nuts the inhabitants of the country made into a meal, which was one of their beft foods. The hogs and mionkeys, both very common in this country, likewife fed upon them ; and the fiefti of the former acquired by it a moft excellent flavour. A little farther, the Spaniards met with fields, where Maiz had been fbwn ; as, hkewife white, yellov/, and red potatoes. They rxfterwards entered a mountainous country, the val- lies of which abounded with canes containing ayey wholefom and refrefhing water ; and, likewife, ■ worms OF PARAGUAY. worms ofa finger’s thicknefs, which, fried in their own appeared to the Spaniards a moft delicious repaft. Don ALVA REz,after this, bent his march towards the Iguazu, in order to embark there, and fall down to Its juna.ion with the Parana ; but, being informed, that it was hereabouts, the Portuguefe rom Brazil, mentioned in the beginning of this 1 ?°/- ’ . malTacred by the Indians, and tltat thole inhabiting the banks of a little river called Fequen, which rifes within a fmall way of the ^uazu, and falls into the Uruguay, lay in wait for him, he took with him but fourfcore men, order- ing the reft to march, by land, on both fides of the river. On his entering the Parana, he found both Its Ihores guarded by an army of Guaranis, with their bodies painted all over, and caps of eathers on their heads, who feemed refolved to difpute the paffage with him ; but he not only made them drop their arms by his engaging be- haviour, but ^tained confiderable alTiftance from them The Parana, in this place, is, about a bow-ftot over, and very deep ; notwithftanding whiL,h Its rapidity is fo great as to produce whirl- pools, winch render its navigation very dangerous, ne o ori Alvarez s canoes was overfet by one thefe vvhirl-pwls, and a man in it drowned. Thjs accident afFeded Don Alvarez the more, a painful march from the fea to this river. ^ entered 'the Parana, r n*- -^^“niption, to defire the governor might fend htmi two Brigantines ; and was fo much the more lurprized, not to find them at the place he had ap- pointed, as he had mentioned in his letter, that a ^ his men were fick, and the reft very pmh dilemma, therefore, he embarked, upon rafts, fuch as were no longer in ^ condition to proceed by land, with fifty men to ^ 4 defend 72 THE HISTORY defend them, in cafe they fhould be attacked- He then fet forward himfelf with the reft; ; and was foon met by a Spaniard fent from the Aftump- tion to enquire, if it was really true, that there was a new governor arrived from Spain ; for, it feems, the inhabitants of that place could hardly be brought to believ^e fo agreeable a piece of news. As Don Alvarez had fent notice of his ■ arrival, he was greatly furprifed at fo fmgu- lar a queftion. He had, however, command enough over himfelf, not to let any one know what he thought of the matter. Befides, the Guaranis made him more than amends for this difrefpedtful be- haviour ; for, wherever he came, he found the roads lined with men, women, and children, lifting their hands up to heaven, to blefs God for having beftowed on them a governor, whcwn they, every where, heard fo much good of. They brought him all manner of provifions, and even fent de- puties to compliment him, which fome performed in their own language, and fome in the Spanifh. On his nearer approach to the city, moft of the inhabitants came out to meet him, and expreffed their joy, on his tafe arnval, in terms fufficient to convince him, that the province ftood greatly in need of a man, like him, to govern it. At length, he arrived at the Affumption, the eleventh of March, followed by a great number of officers and other gentlemen, who came out to com- pliment him. Irak received him at the head of the garrifon, attended by the officers of the revenue, and the council of the province. Don Alvarez rhen produced his commiflions, which, being read with a loud voice, Irala faluted him in quality of adelantade, governor, and captain-general of Rio de la Plata. Don Alvarez, on his fide, confirmed Irala, in liis poft of king’s lieutenant ; and all the officers OF PARAGUAY. 73 officers of juftice, in theirs ; and every thing pafTed, in appearance, to the greateft fatisfadlion of ail par- ties. But the fmcereft joy feemed to be that of the army, and the common people. The Spaniards, whom Don Alvarez had left to follow him on rafts, did not arrive in lefs than a month after him. They were attacked by fome Indians, who attempted, with long poles armed with hooks, to draw the rafts alhore, and would, perhaps, have fucceeded in the attempt, if a chriftian Cacique had not come to the affiflance of the travellers, with all his war- riors. The Barbarians, however, wounded fome of the Spaniards, but the Cacique had their wounds very well dreft, and took them home for fome days, fo that they all arrived in pretty good health and condition. , The fateof thefe travellers added newluflre to the prudent condudl of the governor. It was deem- 'ed an inconteftable mark of his fuperior merit, and of his enjoying the fpecial protection of heaven, that, after traverfing lb great an extent of country inhabited by Barbarians, without meeting with any, but the moll refpedtful and affeblionate treatment, he had no fooner feparated from part of his men, than thofe, who ceafed to have him at their head, began to find, in the fame Indians, the moft furi- ous and inveterate enemies. But many of thofe, who could not help allowing the juftnefs of thofe refieftions, took no pains to benefit by his exam - pie ; chufing to confider as a miracle, the manner m which the Indians behaved to him, rather than allow it to be the natural confequence of .virtue?, which they were no way difpofed to imitate. BOOK 74 the history book II. Zeal of Don Alvarez to re-eftablijh Buenos Ayres, -which his predecejfor had abandoned, and to civilize and convert the Indians, many of -whom, particularh the Guaycurus, not-withftanding his great moderation, he IS obliged to bring to reafon by force of arms. Account of the Guaycurus and their countr-t A confpiracy againft Don Alvarez ; defeated. Expe- ditions up the Paraguay and the rivers falling into It, by him and his officers. Curious particulars of the coumries vifited by them, and the neighbouring countries ; efpecially a rich country, greatly refem- bhng that Jo much talked of under the name ./ Del Dorado. Amher confpiracy againft Don Alvarez. He IS confined ; fent to Spain ; and, at length, ac- quitted of the charges brought againft him by the con- fptrators. Don Dominick Martinez de Irak, de- clared governor by them-, undertakes another expe- dition up the Paraguay. Revolution at the Affump- tion during his ahfence. T^ON ALVAREZ heard nothing of the evacu- ^ ation of Buenos Ayres, till his arrival at the Allumption ; when, his firft care, was to take proper meafures for its re-eftablifhment. He immediately fent two brigantines there ; and, foon after,two others, and omitted nothing,toput in a good Rate of defence, a place, whofe importance he was thoroughly ac- quainted with. He zealoufly applied himfdf to gam the affections of the neighbouring Indians ; and, OF PARAGUAY. 75 and, being fully perfuaded, that the befl way to infure fuccels to an attempt of this nature, and to attach them inviolably to the Spaniards, was to unite them together, in the bonds of one religion, he made their converfion the principal obje^ of his attention. The firfh ftep he took for this pur- pofe was to affemble all the regular and fecular clergy of the Affumption, in order to acquaint them, in the Emperor’s name, that his Majefty charged' their confciences with every thing relating to the propagation of the gofpel, in thefe dark countries ; he then diftributed amongfl them facred velTels and ornaments for the altar, of which he had made an ample provifion ; and concluded by giving them his word, that he would fupport them, with all his au- thority, in the funddions of their minifhry ; and let ' them want for nothing, when the worfhip of God required his alTiflance, Great complaints had been made to him, that tlie oihcers of the revenue, under pretence of leaving the Emperor’s duties, treated the natives very cruelly. To remedy this abufe, he alTembled the men of greateft note in his government, as v/ell thofe of the regular and fecular clergy, as thofe of the garrifon and the revenue, and with them the Caciques of the Guaranis, and their mif- fionaries ; and acquainted them, that it was the Em- peror’s intention, the Indians fhould fhew the great- eft refpedl to thofe, who, in order to teach them the way to heaven, had been charitable enough to, ba- nifti themfelves from their native country, and fub- mit to live among them ; that as this great prince had nothing more at heart, than to make them happy during this life, and to fecure to them everlaft- ing blifs in the next, he had given him the ftrideft orders to fee that they were well ufed by all thofe they had to do with ; and that he was refolved, to pay |;he moft pundual obedience to his Majefty’s in- tentions 76 THE HISTORY tentions in this rei^dt ; but that he expedled, on the other hand, that they fhould behave to the Spaniards, in the fame manner ; and renounce the cullom, wliich he, with the greateft horror, heard they were given to, of feeding upon human Helh 1 he Indians, upon this, aifured him, that they fhould, cheerfully, obey his orders ; and all with- drew, penetrated with .refped, and equally charmed with his promifes, and his gracious manner of making them. ■Don Alv A.REz,,in the next place, applied himfelf to reprefs the infolence of fome Indian nations, who were conftantiy committing hoftilities againft the Spaniards. He began by the Agazes, or Algazes, who Jived to theeaft ofParaguay, above the Aflump- tion. Thefe Barbarians, who had ever been the declared enemies of theGuaranis, were of the talleft Ilatiire, of a very treacherous difpofition, to thelaft ^gree .fierce and inhuman, and great robbers. The Spaniards, before the arrival of Don Alvarezj had made war againft them .with fome fiiccefs, and’ had.obliged them to fue for .peace, which, the Aga- zes, however, were refolved to obferve, only till an opportunity offered of.breaking.it to advantage; and, they had, even already, began o renew their incurfions. But they .no 'looner -heard of the arrival of a newgovernor, withafrefhBody of troops, than they fent him a deputation of three of their Ca- ciques, -to promife him .the moft perfed and unli- mited obedience. The firft of the deputies added, that it was not 'his nation, that had renewed the war,’ but fome Jawlefs young men, who had been fe- werely punifhed for their .infolence. Don Alvarez thought proper to appear fatisfied with this apology, and .received their countrymen into favour ; but on condition, that they would no longer moleft the Guaranis, -or any other of the ‘Emperor’s vaflals, threatening, that, in cafe they did, he would not, for the future, fhew them the leaft mercy. The OF PARAGUAY. 77 The governor, though thus intent on fecuring the peace of his province againft its Indian enemies, did not forget the heavy complaints he had received of the revenue-officers, who excifed every thing, and thereby reduced a great number of families to fuch diftrefs, that many of them had nothing left to purchafe the moft ordinary cloathing. He be- gan, by fupplying the moft indigent, with what they wanted, at his own expence. He, next, fup- preffed fuch taxes as the officers had eftablifhed, without a fufficient authority for fo doing ; and be- ing informed, that thefe men began to cabal againft him, he ordered them to be confined, and profe- cuted according to law. In the mean time, the Guaranis and fome other nations, who had fubmitted to the Spaniards, made heavy complaints to him, of the Guaycuriis, But, though he liftened to them, with a great deal of goodnefs, he thought it his duty to examine if their complaints were well grounded, before he took any ftep to redrefs them ; he, therefore, charged the two ecclefiafticks, and the two religious he had brought with him from St. Catherine’s, to enquire into the matter ; and, their report agreeing with the complaints of his Allies, he fent back the two ecclefiafticks, with fifty fbldiers, to tell the Guay- curus, in his name, that he was very well difpofed to live in peace with them, and even receive them among the number of his friends, provided they would acknowledge themfeives vaflals to the crown of Spain, and not moleft thole Indians, who had done fo already ; otherwife, he would let them fee, that he did not want force fufficient to exadf their compiance. He even ordered his deputies to fummon them three times, in this manner ; but the Barbarians did them an opportunity of complying with his directions. After anlwering the fir ft part of his 7 » THE HISTORY his mefTage, by declaring, that they never would acknowledge the king of Spain for their fovereign ^ and that they were firmly refolved to continue their hoftilities ; they defired the deputies to withdraw^ and even difcharged fome arrows at them, by which feveral foldiers were wounded. Don Alvarez thought it his duty, not tp fufFer fo much info- lence to go unpunilhed ; and the 12th of July, 1542, he embarked upon two brigantines, with four hundred Spaniards, followed by ten thoufand Guaranis on two hundred rafts, for the oppofite banks of the river. The 14th, all the troops were landed, and the governor fent a detachment of - Guaranis, to know how the Guaycurus were poll- ed. The Guaranis reported, that they were march- ing back to their towns, with all their families, hunt- ing by the way, according to cuflom, fo that they retreated but very flowly. Upon this Don Alvarez gave orders to purfue them ; and not to difcharge any of their great or fmall arms, or light any fires in the night time during the purfuit. The 15th, the allies began their march, in the following order. A proper number of fcouts, pre- ceded the main body, in order to make ufeful dif- coveries ; and, by night, fpies were fent out, to examine where the enemy encamped. The Gua- ' ranis formed a battalion, whofe front extended a whole league. They all wore caps made of fea- thers ; and, on their foreheads, plates of a certain kind of metal, which, when the fiin fhone upon it, cafl a great luflre. The Spanifh cavalry appeared next, at a little diflance, followed by the governor, at the head of the infantry. The march was clofed by carts full of Indian women, and the neceffary (lores. About the middle of the firfl day’s march, a fpy, belonging to the Guaycurus, came to ac- quaint the governor, that the Guaranis had con- (pired to withdraw themfelves ^ and this intelli- gence, OF PARAGUAY. 7^ gence, whofe author the Spaniards did not know to be what he really was, gave them fome uneafi- nefs. Don Alvarez, however, thought proper not to let the Guaranis know any thing of the matter ; and, as the moon fhone very bright, continued his' march after night-fall, having firft given the Spani- ards orders to keep their matches lighted, and their arms in readinefs againfl the firfb notice. When they had marched for fome time in this manner, they arrived at a fmall, but very thick, wood, where the governor thought proper they fhould halt for the remainder of the night. But the Guaranis had fcarce entered it, when a tyger, getting among them, caufed fome diforder in their battalion. The Spaniards, who, in confequence of the falfe notice they had received the day before concerning thefe Indians, entertained the moft vio- lent fufpicions of their fidelity, took it into their heads, that they were now preparing to withdraw, or even attack them. They, therefore, immediately fired upon the body they formed, and wounded Tome of them. Upon this, the Guaranis all took to their heels, to gain a mountain in the neighbour- hood ; and, that very moment, as the Spaniards Hill continued the fire, two balls grazed the cheek of Don Alvarez, who had ftept forward in order to put a Hop to the diforder. His fecretary tells us in his memoirs, that this fhot had been levelled at him by fome one or another, delirous of doing pleafure to Don Domingo Martinez de Irak, who could not bear the thoughts of being a fubaltern in a province, where he had commanded in chief; and, unhappily for this officer’s charader, his fub- fequent behaviour has given ail the reafon in the world to believe, that his ruling paffion was to have no fuperior, and that he was no way fcru- pulous in the choice of means to make himfelf inde- pendent. It has even been the opinion of feveral, that 8o THE HISTORY that Don Juan de Ayolas, fell a facrifice to hi& ambition. Don Alvarez, however, continued to follow the Guaranis to the top of the mountain, where, on his hrft appearance, they all immediately ga-* thered .about him. He then fet them right, by telling them, that the Spaniards, on feeing them in motion, thought they were going to defert them. The Guaranis anfwered, that, on their fides, they imagined the Guaycurus were coming to fall upon them, and that in gaining the mountain, they had nothing in view, but to take polfeilion of an ad- vantageous pofc to defend themfelves. Don Alva- rez then add relied himlelf to the Spaniards, ftridt- ly commanding them not to give the Guaranis the lead caufe of fufpicion or complaint ; taking no- tice, that, if fo numerous a nation fhouid declare againft them, they would never be able to maintain their ground at the AlTumption, as the Guaranis could ealily unite with the Guaycurus to drive them out of it. He, at the fame time, ordered the cavalry to march firft ; and, in this order, pro- ceeded till two hours after night-fall, when the whole army halted a fecond time to take fome reft and refrefhment ; after which they fet out again, about eleven, in the greateft filence. Some time after, one of the governor’s fpies came to inform him, that he had left the Guaycurus building themfelves huts. This intelligence gave Don Alvarez the more pleafure, as he was afraid the vollies of fmail arms fired in the beginning of the night had been heard by thefe barbarians, and made them haften their retreat. However, he or- dered his troops to march but flowly, in order to arrive by day-break within fight of the enemy. He then diftributed little crolfes among the Guaranis, which he defired them to wear on their breafts or fhouiders, that the Spaniards might diftingnifii them OF PARAGUAY. 8i them during the engagement ; ordered hay to be put into the horfes mouths to prevent their neigh- ing ; and direded the Guaranis to inveft the Guaycurus, except for a fmall fpace towards the mountains, not chufing to reduce them to defpair, as he knew they would, in that cafe, fell their lives at a very dear rate. The Spaniards and Guaranis fbon after got with- in hearing of the enemies drums, to the found of which thefe barbarians cried out with all their might ; that they defired all the nations of the world to come and attack them ; that their numbers were but few, but that they were the braveft men on the face of the earth ; the lords of all its inhabi- tants, and of all animals. It is cuftomary with them, to fing in this manner every night, when they happen to be at war, and think the enemy at no fmall diflance from them. At day break, they quitted their camp, and laid themfelves flat on the ground ; but the next moment perceived the army of the chriflians. At this unexpeded fight, they immediately began to cry out, Who are you that thus dare to approach us r" And the Guaranis liaving anfwered them, in their own language, that they were come to revenge the death of the In- dians they had miaflacred. “ Draw near then, re- plied the Guaycurus, we will ferve you in the lame manner and at the fame time, darted fire-brands in the faces of the chriflians. Then running to their huts for their bows and arrows, they fell upon Don Alvarez’s forces with fo much fury, that the Guaranis at lafl began to give way. The governor upon this, having . commanded Don Pedro de Barba to give the Guaycurus a dif- charge from his artillery; and Don Juan de Salazar to advance with the infantry, which he himfelf drew out in order of battle, ordered the charge to he founded with the ufual cry of Santiago, He G himfelf Sa THE HISTORY himlelf was to be feen every where among the fore- moft, flopping thofe who endeavoured to cover him from the enemy ; and this undaunted be- haviour of his, along with the fight of the horfes, which the Guyacurtis were utterly unacquainted with, caufed fo great a conflernation among them, that, after fetting fire to their cabins, they fled with the utmofl precipitation to the mountain, through the opening that had purpofely been left for them. Their number amounted to four thoufand. Some Spaniards having advanced too haflily, while the cabins were on fire, two of them were killed ; and the Guaycurus cut off their heads, after treat- ing, in the fame manner, two Guaranis whom they had taken prifoners in the beginning of the engage- ment. Don Alvarez purfued the runaways for fome time. During the purfuit, one of them faced about ; faftened upon the neck of a trooper’s horfe, who rode by the fide of Don Alvarez ; and never let go his hold, till he was killed ; as were a great many others. The governor, at length, ordered a retreat to be founded ; and, after a fhort repofe, marched back with all his army towards the Af- fum.ption. Don Alvarez foon perceived, that he had a party of Guaycurus at his heels ; for thofe Indians, knowing it was cuflomary with the Guaranis to re- treat, without looking behind them, as foon as they carried off but an arrow or any fuch flight thing from an enemy, and rambling different ways, were in liopes of picking up fome of them by this means. But the governor, though with a great deal of pains, obliged the Guaranis to march in a body, and in good order, till they were got quite out of the reach of the enemy. The Spaniards made about four liundred prifoners of both fexes, and all ages, on this oceafion ; and, when tliere no longer appeared any enemies behind them, broke OF PARAGUAY. 83 broke up and hunted all the reft of tlie way home fo that they all arrived at the AlTumption^ loaded With evepi fort of game, that the country afforded Don Gonzalez de Mendoza, whom the go- prnor hadleft to command there during his ab- foace, informed him at his return, that feveral In- iibft ft "r ''T 'i’r declared a amfttheGuaycurus, had fent deputies to know, ft^v eT^ cafe they even offered to join the Spaniards againft all en enemies ; but that thefe deputations appeared ft/picous to him ; and that he even imaging tS e defign of them was to difcover, if it was pofllble, to furprize the place, while the greateft part of the garrilon was abfent; which determined him to detain the deputies. Don Alvarez, upon ft? caufed them to be brought into his piknS" and not finding Don Mendoza’s fufpicions fufficiently grounded, treated them all with a great deal of indnefs ; and difmiffed them loaded with prefents to acquaint thep caciques, that he was very willing ttoreceive, as friends and vaffals to the Emperor^ alji ftofe who were difpofed to live in peace wuh his _This was not the cafe with the Agazes,ofwhom Mendoza made heavy complaints to Don Alvarez Thefe yaitors, on a fuppofition that the town had been left in a defencelels condition, had gathered oi?'and ftn t "'S’’' armyl fett.ng out , and, though they retreated on finding their ntentions difcovered, had committed, in their wav T .4 u '"cenfed at this behaviour or- n s granting them a peace, to be hanged ■ bur fy1?/this bre"°Ff F" “ them^perfonal- I for this bteach of their promife. The np.rue.. or Itapuruez, a roving unfettled people, in the ^ 2 neigh. 84 THE HISTORY neighbourhood of the Guaycurus, who had hither- to been very troublefome to the Spaniards, behaved with more difcretion ; they came in of themfelves to fue for peace ; accepted it on Don Alvarez’s own conditions ; and have ever fince inviolably obferved them. As the late defeat of the Guaycurus had not fufficiently terrified that fierce and numerous na- tion, to leave the Spaniards any great hopes, that they would not, on the firfl favourable opportunity, recommence hoflilifies ; Don Alvarez refolved, once for ail, to prevent any future uneafinefs from that quarter. But, as it was no eafy matter to make him defpair of gaining, by fair means, thofe efpecially, whom he had convinced it was in his power to reduce by force ; he thought proper not to employ the laft, till the fir ft fhould prove ineffectual. He, therefore, began by taking from the Guaranis fuch of the Guaycurus as had fallen into their hands, after declaring to both, that it was the Emperor’s intention, that the pri- foners of war fhould not be treated as flaves ; and added, that he would feverely punifh whoever dif- obeyeci his Majefty in this refpect. Having, after this, caft his eyes upon one of the prifoners that had been brought before him, and whofe figure and countenance fpoke greatly in his favour, he ordered him to return home, and let his country- men know, that he was ftill ready to receive them into the number of his friends, on the terms he had at firft propofed to them. This man executed his commiffion fo well, that all the inhabitants of his village fet cut along with him for the Affump- tion. As foon as they made their appearance on the oppofite banks of the river, Don Alvarez fent canoes to ferry them over ; and twenty of their principal men immediately embarked, in order to wait upon him. Having received them in a very friendly OF PARAGUAY. 85 friendly manner, he was told by one among them, who was commi-hioned to fpeak for the reft, that his nation had made war upon every other nation, and ftibdued them all ; but that they now found the Spaniards to be braver than themfelves, and had, therefore, font him to deliver up their arms ; that the governor might give them what orders he pleafod, and that they ftiould chearfully obey them. The ambaffador added, that the Guaranis had never dared to attack them alone ; but that notwithftanding, they were willing to live in peace with them for the future, on the governor’s ac- count. Don Alvarez made anfwer, that he was come into the country to prevail on the inhabitants to embrace the only religion that was true, and yield homage to the Emperor ; and to eftablilh a kiting peace arnong the foveral nations, into which they were divided ; that, if they would but promife him never to difturb the peace, they might be fure to obtain from him all the favour and protecftion they could wifti for; and that he would reftore them all the prifoners he and his allies had taken from them in the late engagement. He even de- livered them, on the fpot, all thofe that were to be found at the Afllimption ; which made fuch an ppreffion upon them, that they immediately fwore inviolable allegiance to the Emperor. He then made them a great many prefonts, and difmifted ^ ^ with his difcourfo, but more with his behaviour. As we ftiall be often obliged to fpeak again of this nation, I think it my duty to take this opportunity of making the reader pro- perly acquainted with it. He may judge, by what I am about to fay of them, how necelTary it was for the fuccelTors of Don Alvarez to follow his example in dealing with the natives of this vM continent. / I ^ AID THE HISTORY I SAID that the Guaycurus were a numerous nation ; but it is only in comparifon with mofh of thofe, who inhabit this part of the continent of America ; for they are very far from being fo in proportion to the vaft tradl of land occupied by them. It is true, that a great deal cf their coun- try is almoE uninhabitable, being full of marfhes when the rivers overflow^, and fo dry and parched up at other feafons of the year, that the ground is every where full of great clefts and crevices ; and the inhabitants, to avoid perifliing with thirfl, are obliged to take poft in the neighbourhood of fome other marfhes which never dry, and whole waters are very foul and turbid. The Guaycurus form three tribes ; all of them, a cruel, fierce, intradfa- ble people, and very troublefome neighbours to the province of Paraguay, whofe inhabitants often fee their country fettlements full of them, when they think them at the greateff diflance ; nay, they have often the afTurance to offer to fale in one place what they have carried off from another. Drunkennefs prevails among them to fuch a degree, as to almofl defiiroy all the hopes the miilionaries might other- •wife entertain of being able to civilize them. They generally go quite naked, except the wo- men, \\ ho wear a covering from the wafle down to the calf of the leg. Wlien the weather is very cold, which feldom happens in their country, they all v/ear fhort cloaks, with large caps made of fkin, which they are always very ready to exchange with the Spaniards for wine or any other flronger liquor. They paint their bodies more or lefs, according to their age, and their rank in the army. Tlie mi- nute a child comes into the world, they bore its ears to hang to them fome baubles ; and, as fail as the hairs appear, pull them all out by the roots, except enough to form a tuft on the crown of the head, and two crowns, of which this tuft is the center^ center. But this oriia-^- v^ - ihar to the males; for they do not .:r;g.e hair orf tfie heads of the girls. The boys are painted olack till the age of fourteen ; and, afterwards, red, till fixteen, when they obtain a bracelet, which they wear a little above the navel, a belt, and a net-work cap for their hair. Till this ceremony they are kept under great fubjeftion, and any one may lay what commands he pleafes upon them. It is cuftom- ary to prick them early in feveral parts of the body ; and, though this operation, in the manner they perform it, is extremely painful ; children ^but four or five years old have been feen to apply for it very earnellly, and endure it with the greateil conflancy. Before they give their children a name, they bore their lower lip to hang to it fbme trinket or other, which they call Alhata. This ceremony is per- formed by their juglers, or old warriors. If there is any ornament in this, it is an ornament fit only for barbarians ; but I am more inclined to think, they do it to appear more terrible ; and it cer- tainly anfwers this purpofe ; for, what with the different colours, with which they daub them- felves ; their almofl total want of hair on their heads; and the odd form of what they keep; their want of eye-lafhes, which they fay they take off in order to fee the better ; their numerous or- naments of glafs, fhells, and metals, which they hang to their bells, and the jingle of which may be heard at a confiderable diftance ; their ears and their lips bored and loaded with imaginary jewels ; they make a moft frightful figure, and fuch as ftrangers can fcarce ever accuftom themfelves to. By the fubjedlion, under which they keep their children, the boys are early enured to war, and the girls to labour ; but, on this occafion, the laws of Gr 4 nature, 88 TH^ HISTORY nature, and the didtates of reafon, are utterly difre- garded. They tak^ no pains to form their heads or their hearts, or infpire them with the leaft re- fpedt or attachment to thofe, from whom they re- ceived their beings ; nay, they often have the info- lence, when ftrong enough to ftrike their parents, without having any thing to fear from the laws of their country. Their villages are but a kind of fpacious barns, divided, by partitions, into three great rooms or halls, and covered with a roof, barely fufficient to fcreen them from the heat of the fun ; for the leafl: puff of wind is fufficient to carry it away. The Cacique occupies the middle divifion, with his family and his officers. Here likewife, all the arms of his fubjedls, are confhantly depofited. The fubjedfs live on both fides, where all the furniture appears, one thing a top of another, in the mofl diforderly manner. The Ca- cique, whofe dignity is hereditary, receives great honours from his fubjedls, who acknowledge in him an unlimited authority, and always obey his orders with the greateft readinefs and pundluality. His children, as foon as they come into the world, are committed to the care of fome trufty perfons, and fent to fome diftant place, where, according to the ideas of the people, they are pretty well educated. During this courfe of education, they fee their pa- rents but very feldom. The boys are admitted foldiers at fixteen ; and this firft flep to military preferment is very painful. It is always fome diftinguifhed veteran, who per- forms the ceremony. He, firft, makes the candi- date fit down by him ; and then begins to pull out, by the roots, the hairs that compofe one of his crowns. This the boy muft fuffer without ftirring, or making the leaft complaint. He, next, pricks him all over the body, and even in the moft private and fenfible parts, with a fharp pointed bone; and with OF PARAGUAY. 89 the blood, that iffues from the numerous pundlures, rubs his head. Then, he feizes the tuft of hair on the crown of the patient’s head ; pulls it with all his ftrength ; ties it as hard as he can ; and wraps it up in a net. To conclude, he rubs him all over the body with a red earth, and declares him foldier. The new foldier is henceforth treated with honour ; no private perfon has, after this ce- remony, any right to command him ; and he may do what he pleafes. The degree of veteranfhip is conferred at the age of twenty, it being fuppofed, that at twenty, a man has acquired his full flrength and vigour. The perfon, who intends to take this degree, caufes his tuft to be cut off the evening before his recepti- on ; and the crown of hair that flill remains, to be reduced to a finger’s breadth ; after which, he rubs himfelf ail over the body with melted wax, or fifh greafe. The night following, he paints himfelf from top to toe, with different colours; binds his head below the crown of hair that fliill remains, with a bandage of red thread ; covers all his body with little feathers prettily enough difpofed, and hangs to his belt little balls made with the fame kind of fea- thers. Thus equipt, he takes into his hand a kind of drum, or rather balloon, well fluft with water, which he beats with a calabafh, finging all the time, from day-break till about five in the evening. He, npt, diflributes among feven foldiers chofen by himfelf for this purpofe, fharp pointed bones, with which they, four or five times, prick his privities through and through, Then, to conclude the ce- remony, they rub his head with the blood that if- flies from the wounds they have made. The life of a foldier among the Guaycuras is a very painful one, in peace as well as in war ; they are conftantly on the watch, that they may not be furprized by their enemies. Every town has a centinei 90 the history centinel placed on a litde eminence, to give notice of every motion in the neighbourhood; and, at night, conflantly fends out fcouts, to fcour the coun- try ; and, befides, places foldiers up and down, who never ceafe whilfling, to fhew that they are awake, and on their guard. They are all up at the firft alarm, when thofe, who cannot bear arms, imme- diately fly to fome place of fafety, where it is im- poflible to track them, they leave fo little impref- fion behind them upon the ground they tread on. They fcarce ufe any other diverfion, but that of fhooting at a mark, and are, of courfe, excellent markfmen. Befides their bows, arrows, and man- canas, they have a kind of knife made with the jaw-bone of a fifh. They, every year, attack fome one nation or another, befides the Spaniards, againfl: whom they carry on a perpetual war. They ge- nerally kill all the men that fall into their hands ; but preferve the boys, to marry them to theirdaugh- ters, felling to their neighbours the children born of thefe marriages. They avoid, as much as pof- fible, coming to hands with the Spaniards in the plains, becaufe they have nothing to defend them- felves againfl; their fire-arms; but they have a hundred ftratagems to attack them to advantage. They are fo well mounted, that, when purfued, they foon reach pofls, which they can ea’fily hinder the Spaniards from penetrating. When they are told that the Spaniards are coming to attack them, they coolly anfwer, '‘ let them come; when they have eat up all their bifeuit, they mufl go as they came, to get a new flock.” The day a child is weaned, and the day it begins to run about with the refl, are both holidays in the town, where the child is weaned, or begins to run about; but the return of the Pleiades, which they call the kidsy upon the horizon, is a general holi- day obferved by the whole nation. They prepare for OP PARAGUAY. 91 for it, by fhaking their matts, and beating their par- titions. The men, then, form themfelves into one battalion ^ and the women into another ; and fall upon each other pretty ferioufly. It is a diverfion, if you pleafe, but is a diverfion fit only for barba- rians. The boys and girls, likewife, exchange fbme cuffs, but merely for form-fake. Thefe en- gagem.ents are followed by races ; and, then, both parties mutually wilh. each other an accomplifh- ment of all their wifhes, and, above all things, fuc- cefs againfl their enemies. The feafl: always ter- minates in drunkenefs. Every tov/n mourns for the death of its Ca- cique, and that of his children, and nearefl relations. This ceremony confifls in obferving a firidt con- tinence, for a longer or fhorter time, in proportion to the rank of the deceafed, or the people’s affedtioii for him ^ in failing, that is, in not eating iilb, which is the thing in the world, next to wine, thefe Indians are fondefl of ; in putting on a forrov/ful countenance, and not painting either face or body. The Cacique, as often as he happens to be in mourning, changes the names of all his fubjeds. On the death of perfons of diftindion,^ they im- mediately butcher a certain number of men and women, to bear him company in the other world ; nor do they find it a difficult matter to obtain vic-^ tims ; there are always enough to put in for this honour. The funeral is performed with great ce- remony. The body is decked out with the iinefl trinkets they can get. Thofe of the Caciques, efpe- ciaiiy carry with them to the^ grave the moft pre- cious ornaments of the whole town. Nor is there any need of compulfion on the occafion ; all preffing to give the deceafed the fincereft proofs of refped and affedion. Po L Y G A M Y is not known among the Guyacurus ; but the bonds of matrimony are fb very flight, that, when 92 THE HISTORY when the parties do not like each other, they feparate without any further ceremony. In other refpeds they do not appear to have the moft diftant notions of that bafhfulnefs fo natural to the reft of man- kind : thofe actions which require moft privacy, being among them performed in the face of the whole world. The girls who prove with child be- fore marriage, either deftroy their burthen in the womb, or lay violent hands upon it, the minute they are delivered of it, in the natural way. The condition of the women is very hard ; they are treated like haves, and never allowed a mo- ment’s refpite. The girls follow the foldiers to the war, in order to wait upon them ; and never meet with the leaft indulgence. The hufbands never appear to give themfelves any trouble about their wives, but at their return from a campaign, when they prefent them with the fcalps of thofe they have flain, the only marks of vidory they bring home along with them. The women deck themfelves out with thefe fcalps, by way of celebrating the tri- umph of their hufbands, who on their fide, adorn their heads with feathers, and their foreheads with plates of l^lver, or fome other metal. The women likewife wear collars upon the occafion ; and, then, faften their fcalps to a poft, about which they dance, finging all the time the praifes of the conquerors. When the Guaycurus think themfelves threat- ened with a ftorm, they fally out of their towns, the men armed with their mancanas, and the wo- men and children howling with all their might ; for, they believe, that, by fo doing, they put to flight the devil that intended to excite it. Daily experi- ence is not fufficient to convince them of their mif- take ; but, perhaps, they think that the devil would ufe them worfe, if they did not thus intimidate him by their cries and menaces. This is the only divi- nity they acknowledge, except the moon, and tlie conftellation called the great bear, to which, how- ever. OF PARAGUAY. 9^ ever, it does not appear, that they pay any manner of worfhip. As they do not cultivate the ground, they live entirely on river and land game. Nothing comes amifs to them. They eat lions, tigers, bears, and the molt venomous fnakes and vipers. Some people pretend, that they inure their conftitutions to this kind of food, by the conftant ufe they make of it from their infancy. Befides, all the Indians of South America have very hot ftomachs. To return to Don Alvarez, he was now chiefly employed in taking proper meafures to aflifl; the Spaniards he had fent, by fea, from the Ifland of St. Catherine to Buenos Ayres ; and, for this pur- pofe, he, at laft, difpatched two brigantines, loaded with all manner of civil and military (lores, and manned by one hundred men, under the command of Don Gonzalez de Mendoza. He, then, fent a detachment of his troops againfl the Agazez, who fufFered themfelves to be furprifed, and lofl; a great ‘ number of men, befides fourteen prifoners, who were immediately hanged. This execution had its defired efFedl. The whole nation implored the governor’s mercy, and fubmitted to all the condi- tions he thought proper to prefcribe, efpecially when they heard of his having taken another meafure, which fpread his reputation all over the country ; and rendered his name as terrible to the Indians, as it had been before dear to them. He had received intelligence, it feems, that the fon of the unfortunate Alexis Garcia was flill a captive among the Indians, who had killed his father, and carried ofF his treafiires ; and thereupon fent to beg they would return him their prifoner ; but thefe barbarians butchered all his meflfengers, except one, whom they fent back to acquaint him, that if he dared to prefent himfelf before them, they would treat him in the fame manner they had done his deputies. Don Alvarez, incenfed at this af- front, 94 THE HISTORY front, ordered his nephew Don Alphonfo Riquelmi, to pick^oiit three hundred Spaniards, and a thou- fand Inoians ; and march againfl thefe barbarians, and make them fenfible, that he was not to be in- fulted with impunity. Riquelmi, accordingly, fet out ; but found them upon their guard, in great numbers, and very advantageoufly polled. He charged them, however, fo luddeniy, that he im- mediately threw them into diforder, killed three thoufand, and .made four thoufand prifoners. His vidory, indeed, cofl him fomething, for he loll fifty of his bell men on the occafion. Don Alvarez’s joy for the fuccefs of this ex- pedition was foon troubled by the arrival of four brigantines from Buenos Ayres, with Ellopinan Ca- beca de Vaca, and all the Spaniards, whom the governor had lent by fea from the illand of St. Catherine. Don Ellopinan acquainted the gover- nor, that, on his arrival at Buenos Ayres, he found a letter there figned by Don Domingo Martinez de Irak, and Alphonfo Cabrera, with orders to evacuate it, as the inhabitants were daily in danger of perifh- ing by hunger, or the arrows of the Indians. He added, that five and twenty Spaniards had taken refuge on the coaR of Brazil ; that, had the alfifcance brought thofe left behind arrived but twenty- four hours late, they mull all have inevitably per idled, one way or another ; that, his arrival hav- ing given the inhabitants fome fpirits, he had taken meafures to alter the fituation of the town, and re- move all the Spaniards to the mouth of the river St. John ; but, as winter came on in the mean time, ■an.d all the rivers had overflown their banks, he thought the only Rep he could take, was- to con- dud to the AlTumption all his men, and all the re- maining inhabitants. • Mendoz A, who, as wejullnow faid, had butjull fet oiit for the relief of Buenos Ayres, had been Rill more OF PARAGUAY. gg more unfortunate, and run much greater rifkiJ. One of his veifels loaded with provifions was wrecked, and fome of the crew drowned. The fhip, which carried himfelf, being moored clofe in fhore to a tree, an earthquake threw the tree upon the fhip, and, by that means, overfet her. The reft of the brigantines fufFered as much ; and fourteen perfons belonging to them were drowned or crufhed to death, fo that it was with great dif- ficulty Mendoza reached the Aftumption, where he foon after had the mortification of being pre- fent at a much more terrible difafter. 9 ^ February, 1543, an Indian woman, fervant to one of the in- habitants, carelefsly fhaking her hammock, which happened to take fire, fome of the fparks flew, un- obferved, into the partitions of the room, which was of ftraw ; fo that in a few minutes, the whole houfe was in flames. The fire fbon gained all thofe that furrounded it ; and carried by a ftrong wind, foon reached the reft, and confumed two hun- dred. Its inhabitants had no time to lave any thino* but their arms ; their very poultry, and moft of their other domeftic animals having been burnt. There remained but fifty houfes, feparated from the reft by water. T hus moft of the inhabitants law them- felves, in a rnoment, without cloaths, v/ithout food, without furniture, or merchandize ; and expofed, withal, for want of houfe room, to all the injuries of the weather ^ but they had a great relburce left m their governor. He, firft, provided againft the moft prefling necelTities, and fent to all the Indian towns, to buy provifions at his own expence. He then furniflied, with equal generofity, the money requifite to fupply the other wants of the inhabi- tants, fo that all the houfes, which had hitherto conlifted of nothing but ftraw, were, with incon- ceivable difpatch, rebuilt of earth. Don 96 THE HISTORY Don Alvarez foon received fome news, that confoled him a little for fuch a train of difafters. In the month of November, of the preceding year, he had, conformably to his inftrudlions, and, with the advice of his council, formed a refolution to re- mount the Paraguay as high as polTible. He in- tended to have been himfelf of this expedition ; but, as his prefence was become, from day to day, more neceiTary at the Aifumption, he thought he had better let fomebody elfe, duly qualified for fuch an undertaking, make the firfh effay ; and for this purpofe cafi: his eye upon his lieutenant, whom he knew to be a man of refolution ; and he was, befides, glad of having a genteel pretext to remove from the Affumption. He, therefore, told him, that he did not know any one fitter for an attempt, the fuccefs of which the emperor had greatly at heart ; and gave him his word, that he would reprefent all the fervices he might render his majefly on the occafi- on, in the moft advantageous light. Don Alvarez earneflly recommended to him, if he could not get quite up to the fource of the river, at ieaft, to pufh as near it as he poflibly could ; to take an exa£t account of the different nations inhabiting its banks ; to fend, from time to time, parties of Indians, with fome Spaniards, into the inland countries, and even penetrate, if poffible, into Peru, as he had agreed wirh Don Chriftophero Vaca de Caflro, to endeavour to eftablifh a com- munication between that kingdom and Paraguay. Irak expreffed great fatisfadion at thefe marks of his general’s efleem and confidence, and, being pro- vided with three flout brigantines manned with ninety Spaniards, and a great number of Indians, and plentifully fbored with provifions of every kind, fet out the 20th of November, 1 542 ; and, after remounting the river two hundred and fifty leagues by eflimation, arrived at the mouth of the lake of DF PARAGUAY. the Xarayez, where he difcovered a port on the weftern Ihore, and called it King’s-Port, becaufe he entered it on the Epiphany, or twelfth-day. After taking a little reft here, he fet forward by land to- wards the weft, with all his Indians and Spaniards, except a fufficient number, whom he left behind, to take care of the veffels. He met on the road with feveral nations, who had a great deal of wrought gold and filver ; but he could never dilcover whence they obtained it. However, he alTured the gover- nor at his return, that he might have eafily pene- trated that way into Peru, had he been in a better condition to awe the Indians, whom he every where met with. He even added, that thofe in the neighbourhood of King’s-Port longed greatly to fee the Spaniards and their general among them ; but, perhaps, he had reafbns of his own for mak- ing this laft part of the ftory. Be that as it will, feme time after Irak’s return to the Aflumption, Riguelmi arrived there, from his expedition againft the murderers of Alexis Garcia 5 and Don Alvarez, at laft, on the report of thefe two officers, refolved not to defer any longer taking the fame rout his lieutenant had purfued, and even to get nearer Peru, if poffible. He had already built ten brigantines for this voyage ; and having given orders to fit them out diredfly, he fent Gonzalez de IVIendoza to buy provifions, in feme Indian towns above the river, up the coun- try of the Gua,ranis ; but the Indians not only refilled to fell him any, but exprefled great inve- teracy againft the Spaniards ; upon which, Don Al- varez fent Irak to his affiftance, with orders, how- ever, to employ eareffes and prefents, to engage them to do with a good grace, what the Spani- ards could oblige them to do by force. This method fucceeded ; and two Caciques of thefe Indians followed Irak to the Affumption ; did ho- VoL. I. H 98 THE HISTORY, mage to the governor ; and promifed to obey, with the greateft pundluality, all the orders he might hereafter be pleafed to give them. Every thing was now ready for his departure, when he received intelligence, that the two friars, whom he had brought with him from the ifland of St. Catherine, were privately fet out from the AlTump- tion, V ith letters to the Emperor, accufmg him of having filled the province with trouble and con- fufion, by the bad ufe he made of his autho- rity. It is likewife faid, that, in order to prevent a difovery of what they were about, they con- fined a number of Indian girls, whom they had been’ ordered to inftrudl ; and carried them off with them. It is not known what they intended by ib doing ^ but it is certain, that the Cacique of the town, whence the poor creatures had been taken, came to complain of fo fhameful an adtion to the gover- nor ; and the governor having immediately fent after their conductors, five and thirty girls were found with them. The friars had fent before them fome Spaniards, who were to return with them to Spain, and a Brazilian, whom they had feduced from the governor’s fervice, in which he was very ufeful to the Emperor. This man, it is probable, was to be their guide to the coaft of Brazil, to- wards which, it feems, they had directed their courfe. The Indian girls and their treacherous con- ductors being brought back^ to the Aflumption ; foon after their arrival, Don Alvarez was given to underftand, that the revenue-officers were at the bottom of this villainous affair ; and fome letters, that were found upon the two friars, convinced him thoroughly of it. Upon this, therefore, he immediately ordered the criminals to be arrefted ; but, though he now faw how much he was to blame for having flopped the profecution, he had ordered to OF PARAGUAY. 99 to be commenced againfl them the preced- ing year ; and fcill more, for having releafed them from their confinement, his natural goodnefs again got the better of his juftice, and blinded him to fuch a degree, as to prevent his refleding, that there are certain crimes, which it is dangerous to punifh by halves. However, he did lefs than half punifh them, for he ordered them all to be fet at liberty, on giving fecurity for their good behaviour for the future. He, it is probable, feared, left the flownefs of a judicial profecution againft them might delay too long his intended expedition up the river. However, he parted them by taking along with him the Fador, Peter de Orantez, and the treafurer, Philip Caceres. He then ap- pointed Don Juan de Salazar to command, during his abfence, at the Affumption ; his lieutenant, it is probable, being engaged elfewhere ; and on the day of the Nativity of the bleffed Virgin, whofe church, confumed in the late conflagration, he had juft rebuilt at his own expence, and had even helped toered as a common workman, he took fliipping with two hundred Spaniards, after having recommended, above all things, to Salazar, to have ready, againft his return, a brigantine he had or- dered to be built, with a view of lending her to Spain, with difpatches to the Emperor. Don Alvarez was followed by twelve hundred of the braveft Guarani warriors in canoes ; but his manners feemed to render fo much pre- caution needlefs. He made fuch confiderable pre- fents to all the Indians, in the towns he pafled by,- on both fides of the river, that they vowed perpe- tual friendfliip to the Spaniards, and religioufly kept their promife. He ordered the two revenue- officers to travel by land, with two hundred Spa- niards more, and an equal number of Indians, and wait for him at Candlemas-port ; but Caceras^ hav- H 2 ing lOO THE HISTORY ing lofl his horfe the very lirfl day, obtained leave to return home, and fend his fon in his Head. The 1 2th, the fleet entered Candlemas-Port, which, by an obfervation of the fun, was found to be in the latitude of 22 degrees and 40 minutes. The day following, feven Payaguas appeared on the banks of the river, and made flgns to exprels their deflre of fpeaking with the Spaniards. Don Alvarez, upon this, fent afhore to them feven Spa- niards, with a Guarani, who, having been a flave among the Payaguas, could fpeak their language very fluently. The Payaguas afked the Spaniards, if they were the fame that fb often went up and down the river, and being anfwered in the affirma- tive, one of the Payaguas told them he would be glad to fpeak with their commander. He was, accordingly, conduced to Don Alvarez, who having, alked him what he wanted, he anfwered, that his Cacique would be very glad to enter into an alli- ance with him ; that he had flill by him all the treafure he had carried off from the great captain Ayolas ; and that he was ready to reftore it, if the governor would but pardon the treachery he had been guilty of, Don Alvarez having afked him in what the treafure confifted, he anfwered, in as much gold and fiiver, in bracelets, crowns, and other ornaments, as fixty-fix Indians could carry. Upon this, Don Alvarez defired the Indian to affure his Cacique, that he was come into the country, by order of the Emperor, to pacify all the nations that inhabited it ^ pardon paft offences ; offer his protedion to fuch of the natives, as were willing to declare themfelves his vaflals, and live upon good terms v/ith his fub- jeds ; and that, if his Cacique was difpofed to ac- cept thefe conditions, he might come to fee him in the greateff fafety, and fhould have all the reafon in the word to be wdl pleafed with his reception. He OF PARAGUAY. lOl He then gave the meflenger fome prefents for his Cacique, and fome for himfelf, and afked him v/hen he might expea to fee him again, and his Cacique. The Payagua anfwered, the day following ; and was then reconduaed to the place where he had been taken up. Some days, however, having part, without the governor s hearing any thing of either of them ; his Ouarani interpreter, to whom he exprelfed his fur- prize at It, told him, he imagined it would be to no purpofe to wait for them any longer ; that there was not a more furpicious or treacherous nation on the mce of the earth, than the Payaguas ; that all the Cacique aimed at by this meffage, was to gain time and amufe him ; that, in his opinion, he would do well to piirfae them; that, as they were .heavily Joaded, it would be no difficult matter to come up With them ; that to judge by what he knew of the country, they would not halt, till they arrived at a lake well llored with fiffi, m the centre of a very fine country ; and which had been well peopled, before the Payaguas had murdered its inhabitLts. the Guarani’s advice, and caufed himfelf to be put afliore, with great part of his troops, at the mouth of a river, by which the lake rScrth"^^*^ into the Paraguay. Beforeffie could of he obferved a pretty numerous of Indians, who, his interpreter informed h m, were the Payaguas endeavouring to make their efcape ; but, though he followed^ for eight days together, the courfe of this river, and mfde lake from whence it ilTues, he could meet with none of them ; and, therefore, judging tW in i?° to proceed fur? ther in quefl of fuch a roving, unfettled oeonlp hCrmade the befi; of his way back to CandUs- H , Here 102 THE HISTORY * Here Don Alvarez embarked again, leaving behind him Mendoza, with irxftrudtions, which probably regarded the Payagiias. The banks of the river in this place are covered with different kinds of fruit-trees, particularly the caffia tree. A little higher, it is rendered exceedingly rapid by two rocks, which, projeding from the oppofite Ihores, greatly ftrengthen the channel. The Spa- niards caught here great plenty of Goldenies, fome weighing fifteen pounds. The flefh of this fifh is both very wholelbm, and very well tailed. It is even pretended, that the water, in which it has been boiled, is a fovereign remedy againft the itch, and the leprofy. Mendoza now rejoined the go- vernor, who, having difcovered a great flir among the Indians, alarmed, no doubt, at the fight of fo numerous a fleet, ordered him to quiet them. He himfeif entered into a conference with the Guaro- ropos^ and made them promife not to moleft fuch of his people, as he might leave behind ; but thefe barbarians broke their word, which, however, Fer- nandez pretends his countrymen gave them fuffl- cient provocations not to keep. In this latitude, the river overflows to fuch a de- gree, when the fun has reached the tropic, that it lays under water more than an hundred leagues of country on both fides ; fo that, according to the author Jufl now cited, canoes pafs freely over the highefl trees. Thefe inundations laft four months ; the waters begin to fall towards the end of March ^ and leave behind them a prodigious quantity of fifh, which, by putrefying, infedl the air, and render the country very ifickly ; but when the waters are quite dried up, the Indians repair, in great num- bers, to the river ; live upon the fifh with which h abounds, and fpend their whole time in mirth ind diverfion. Don OF PARAGUAY. ,oj Don Alvarez, who found them there, would not permit any of his people to have any dealings with them, though he received with great kindnefs feveral of them who came to wait upon him, and even made them forae prefents. The 25th of Oc- tober, he arrived at a place, where the river divi- ded, to the left, into three branches, the middle- moft refembling a great lake, which, a little higher up, unite again, A little higher up, and on the fame fide, is another river, formed by a great many fir earns, which, by their inofculations, compofe a la- byrinth, out of which the Indians of the country find it no eafy matter to extricate themfelves. This river they call Iguatu^ which fignifies good water. Don Alvarez entered it, after planting crolTes to let thofe who followed him know the rout he had taken. The 8th of November, having afeended and defeended all thefe rivers, he returned to the Paraguay, and found himfelf oppofite feveral bald and lofty mountains, of a reddifh colour, in the form of bells ; where he was informed, a kind of white metal was to be found. Between this and King’s-Port, the river was fb low, that his men were obliged to get into the water, and, by force of arms, help the brigantines over fome fhallows, about a crofs-bow (hot in length. The governor, on entering the port, found there before him, a great number of Indians, who impa- tiently waited his arrival, and received him with the greateft demonftrations of joy. On his fide, he treated them with the greateft kindnefs ; and, be- ing informed that they adored idols, a thing that had not as yet been obferved, among any of the other nations of this continent, he earneftly ex-^ horted the fecular and regular clergy, who accom- panied him in this expedition, to omit nothing to open their eyes, and bring them over to the know- ledge of the true God. He even fpoke to them, 4 himfelf. 104 THE HISTORY himfelf, of the weaknefs of thefe dumb and blind divinities ; and at laft prevailed on them, to give up thefe objedts of their worfhip to the flames ; not- withflanding the great apprehenfions they at firft feemed to be under, left the devils fhould punifh them feverely for it. This done, Don Alvarez caufed a crofs to be eredted, and built a chapel, where mafs was fung with great folemnity, to the no fmall fatisfadlion of the Indians. After this ce- remony, he took pofleffion of the whole country, for the crown of Spain ; and, perhaps, there is not any in all this vaft province, in which it was more the intereft of the Spaniards to make a^folid efta- bliftiment, and which, notwithftanding, they have more negledled, as will appear in the courfe of this hiftory. Don Alvarez having by this perceiv- ed, that the Indians took offence at the Spaniards penetrating into their towns, forbid it, dire^ly, un- der the fevereft penalties. These Indians cultivate the earth ; grow feveral kinds of excellent fruit, manioc and maiz, of which laft, they make the earth yield them two crops a year. Fifhing, fowling, and hunting are another great refource. They like wife breed geefe, and cocks and hens, though not entirely fpr the fake of their flefh ; for they make ufe of the firft to rid themfelves of grafshoppers, whofe chirping, it is probable, they do not like ; and the latter, by having them at night, to fecure themfelves from the attacks of a certain fpecies of large bats, the fame, perhaps, as we have before mentioned. Thefe bats are a very dangerous creature, as Don Alvarez himfelf experienced to his coft. One night, as he lay fleeping in his brigantine, with one of his feet uncovered, one of thefe birds, not only bit the tip of his great toe, but ftript the under part of it entirely of the Ikin, without awakening him 5 io that, before he awoke, his bed was full of blood. OF PARAGUAY. 105 blood. But it is upon the ears of horfes, and the dugs of newly littered fows, which they firfl fuck, and then gnaw to the very roots, that thefe terri- ble birds principally fallen. The horfes know them, fo that, on their getting into a liable, the poor creatures in it, become downright furious. Fernandez, who relates thefe fads, has forgot to tell us in what manner the cocks- and hens free the Indians from thefe troublefome animals. Neither this author, nor Herrera have taken the trouble to acquaint us exadly with the fituation of King’s-Port ; and it is merely by indudion, and by following Don Alvarez in the rout he rook to enter it, that we may, without apprehending any millake, place it at the entrance into the lake of the Xarayes, on its wellern Ihore, and oppofite to the ifland of the Orejones ; and this is the fituation al- ready given to it by the famous William de Lille, the only geographer I know, who has mentioned it in his maps for the Spanifh geographers have, all, omitted it. The journals of thofe, who have lince attempted to penetrate from Paraguay into Techo makes the length of the ifland in this lake, thirty miles ; and its greatell breadth, fifteen. This ifland, it is faid, derives its name from that of a Peruvian nation, called Orejones^ becaufe they bore their ears ; many of whom, it is pretend- ed, took refuge here at the conquell of Peru ; and it is probable, that the Spaniards under Don AL varez were the firft to give it the name of the IJland of Paradife. If what all the memoirs I have perufed fay of it, is true, it is very well inti tied to that appellation 5 for though fituated in the torrid zone, between the fifteenth and fixteenth degrees of latitude, it enjoys the mofl: temperate weather all the year round ; owing to the winds which blow ' there conllantly every day at regular hours, and a great io6 THE HISTORY great number of rivulets, with which it is watered. Its fields produce, without culture, the mofl excel- lent fruits ; and the difference between the feafons being fcarce fenfible, every month is equally fit to fow or reap in. The difpofitions of the inhabitants greatly refemble the air they breathe. They do not cultivate the vine, but make a very whole- fom and agreeable liquor, with their honey. Here is, likewife, the greateft plenty of every kind of game, both iifh, fowl, and four-footed animals. All thefe advantages, joined to the confideration of its lying but a league from King’s-Port, engaged the Spaniards to requefl their governor to form an eftablifhment there. Not to fpeak of the beauty of this place, and the mildnefs of its climate, there were, one would ima- gine, many other reafbns fufficient to determine Don Alvarez to fortify it, and leave a garrifon be- hind him to defend it. It was the beft ftep he could take to eflablifh a correfpondence between Para- guay and Peru, which he had fo much at heart ; and we fhall fee hereafter, how much the court of Spain has fuffered, even in Paraguay, by having negleded fo important a pofl. Don Alvarez had too much fenfe, not to fee, himfelf, the neceflity there was to fecure the poffellion of it ; but he had no more men along with him, than what were ab- folutely neceffary to continue the difeoveries, with which he had been charged ; and he could draw no more from the Affumption. Befides, he could not forefee thofe events, which afterwards pre- vented his taking all the fleps the fervice of the Emperor, and the good of his province re- quired. But, be tliat as it will, the foldiers, the veterans efpecially, murmured greatly at his pre- parations to quit thefe charming places : To what purpofe,’’ they publickly exclaimed, “ are we to remain always in favage countries, wafte our- felves OF PARAGUAY. 107 ieives with fatigue, and be perpetually running from one danger into another, without having any thing we can call our own. What do we look for in defarts, in mountains, and in countries co , ered with water, where none but Canibals are to be met with ; and, while we can fee nothing but our countrymen daily perifhing by ficknefs and the ar- rows of barbarians, what can we expedt but the fame fate ? Let us learn to be wife at their ex- pence; and, without going further in queft of chimerical treafures, which feem to fly us in pro- portion as we purfue them, let us feize upon the happinels, with which providence now prelents us ; of what fervice could the gold, with which we are amufed, be to us ; what can we hope to purchafe with it, better than what we adlually pof- ihfsr A GREAT many others, however, were of opi- nion, not to renounce the hopes of meeting with mines, or difcovering a road to Peru, though they allowed it was proper to make an eftablifhment at King’s-Port, tq ferve as an Entrepot, and facili- tate the communication between the two king- doms. All, therefore, unanimoufly united to pre- vail on the governor to confent to this efliablilh- ment, and the oldefl; fpoke, in the name of the reft. But Don Alvarez, not a little provoked at their earneftnefs, anfwered them in the following words. Are thefe men Spaniards” faid he, ‘‘ whom I hear fpeak in this manner ? Have we left Spain, and travelled fo far, in fekrch of land, and there to fpend our days obfcurely in idlenefs and luxury ^ we might have done all this, without leaving our own country. Methinks I fee a parcel of children, who, for the fake of a few apples, negledl treafures, whofe value they are not ac- quainted with. The Emperor, our mafter, has fent us into this new world, to conquer empires loS THE HISTORY for him, and fecure to him the pofleflion of the riches they contain ; were we to Jo/e our lives, or fpend our days in fatigues much greater than ttofe we have already gone through, both duty and ho- nour oblige us to juftify the confidence this great prince has repoled in us. I know the extent of your obligations, as well as my own ; I ought to ftew you good example; and you will follow it, if vou deferve the name you boaft of.” Soon after this, Mendoza arrived with the reft of the fleet, and informed the governor, that the Guaroropos, with whom he flattered himfelf he had made a lafting alliance, had attacked the brigantine commanded by captain Auguftin de Campos ; that five Spaniards had been killed at the firft onfet ; and Juan de Bolanos drowned, in attempting to make his efcape by fwimming ; that thefe traitors had afterwards fet out to prevail on the Indians in the neighbourhood of King’s-Port, to join them againft the Chriftians, who, they affirmed, had neither ftrength nor courage enough to refill them ; and that there was great reafon to dread a general confpiracy of all thefe nations. Don Alvarez, at the lame time, received intelligence by Hedor d’Acuna and Anthony Correa, whom he had fent with ten or twelve foldiers, to invite the Xarayes, to conclude a treaty of alliance with him ; that, after traverfing Ibme overflown coun- tries, where they fuflfered a great deal for want of provifions, they at Jaft joined a party of thefe Indians, whom their Cacique had fent to meet them with refrefhments ; that, after travellino- a little further, they found upwards of five hun- dred more, decked out, in their way, with the moft beautiful feathers, who were likewife come out to meet them, and conducted them to their town, where the Cacique gave them a very friend- ly reception, and acquainted them, by the mouth O F " P A R A G U A Y. lop of a Guarani interpreter, that he would be very glad to fee their general, of whom he had heard a great many fine things ; that, upon this, they allured him, they were come from their general to de- clare to him, that he was willing to be his friend, and that of all his nation ; that the Cacique replied’ that nothing would give him greater pleafure ; that he could not give their general any great in- formation concerning the country he intended to traverfe ; but could fupply him with an interpreter who had travelled a great deal that way, and might be of confiderable fervice to him. These Xarayes were fettled at fome dilla.nce from the lake of the fame name ; but there are others who live conftantly on its banks, or greatly frequent them ; they have been always extremely attached to the Spaniards ; are a very good kind of people; cultivate the earth; and have grain and cotton in abundance. Don Alvarez received the Cacique’s offers very gracioufly ; and, leaving his brigantines to the care of one hundred Spaniards under John de Romero, fet out on his march weftwards. After five days march, du- ring which there was no travelling but by cut- ting a palfage through woods and bufhes, he reached the banks of a river, whofe water was, at the fame time, very warm and very tranfparent. Thus, Don Alvarez was but little the better for his guide ; for, though feveral nations fent depu- tira to wait on him with compliments and pro- vhions ; and he always very generoully paid for the latter ; others of them attempted to oppofe his gffage; but he foon brought them to reafon. He had now travelled a great way, when he informed by bis fcouts, that there had juft falhed put of a town, at no great diftance, five thoufand men, very well armed, who feemed dif- pofed to attack him ; and, in fadt, he had fcarce time no THE HISTORY time to prepare for their reception, when they at-- rived within fight in order of battle. But, at the martial appearance of Don Alvarez’s forces, they immediately difperfed, leaving their town to the difcretion of the Spaniards, who immediately enter- ed it, and found it to confifl of eight thoufand cabins, in the center of which flood a tower ter- minating in a pyramid, built with large pieces of timber and covered, from top to bottom, with palm tree bark. This was the temple and refidence of a mon- flrous ferpent, whom the inhabitants had chofen for their divinity, and fed with human flefh. He was as thick as an ox, and feven and twenty feet long, - with a very large head, and very fiery though fmall eyes. His jaws, when extended, dif- played two ranks of crooked fangs. The whole body, except the tail which was fmooth, was cover- ed with round fcales of a great thicknefs. The Spaniards, though they could not be perfuaded by the Indians that this monfler delivered oracles, were exceedingly terrified at the firft fight of him ^ and their terror greatly increafed, when, on one of them having fired a blunderbufs at him, he gave a roar like that of a lion, and with a flroke of his tail fhook the whole tower. However, they found it no hard matter to make an end of him ; and then, as if this exploit, and the taking of a defencelefs town, had exhaufled all their, courage, mofl of them declared, that they could proceed no further. Don Alvarez, who now thought himfelf at no great diflance from Peru, was pretty much embarrafled what courfe to take ; and, therefore, thought proper to call a council, before he at- tempted to revive the courage of his foldiers. The council were unanimous for his marching back, and he yielded to their advice fo much the more, readily. Ill OF PARAGUAY. readily, as the mifbehaviour of the revenue-officers contributed as much to difcourage the foldiers, as the fatigues of the voyage and the uncertainty of its fuccefs. The foldiers had got fome plunder in the town they were now in pofleffion of, and thefe gentlemen levied the fifth of it for the Emperor. They even pretended that all manner of game was fubjedt to the fame duty. The governor pro- duced his inflrudtions, in which his Majefty gave up this right ; and, as the officers ftill infifled on it, he told them, that, if they fhould ever be called to an account for having being too indulgent on the occafion, he would indemnify the royal treafury at his own expence. But he found it impoffible to contain them for any time, or fome other malecontents, whofe numbers were confider- ably encreafed by the exadt difcipline he made all, without exception, obferve ; and, therefore, gave orders for an immediate retreat. At his arrival at King’s-Port, he heard, that moft of the neighbouring Indians, and even the Orejones, had confpired to fall upon the Spaniards and their allies the Guaranis, to whom, it now appeared, they never brought any provifions, but with a view of examining their fituation and mo- tions ; feveral had, even openly, declared them- felves, efpecially the Guaroropos, who had invited fome other nations to join them in order to ex- tirpate thefe new comers. Upon this, Don Al- varez (ent for the Indian chiefs ; put them in mind of the treaty he had concluded with them ; afked them if he had not paid for all the provifions they had brought in, and always added fome prefents to the price of them ; adding withal, that, if after all this kind ufage they fhould forget themfelves fo far as to attempt any thing againft him, he was ftrong enough to make them repent it. This refblute though mild declaration, had fb far its ' effect, Iiz THE HISTORY efFe(fl, that they all promifed whatever he required 5 after which he difmiired them loaded with prefents. But they kept their word very ill ; for, in a fhort time after, there fcarce remained ten or twelve days provifions in the camp. Some Indians, up- on this, affured the governor, that, at nine leagues from King’s-Port, there were fome nations, who had provifions in plenty. He, therefore, fent Mendoza efcorced by a ftrong party, to them with orders to tell them, that he had heard a great deal of good of them, and was, therefore^ llirprized they had not as yet fent deputies to make an alliance with him, and put themfelves, after the example of fo many other nations, under the Emperor’s protedion. Mendoza was then to call for fome provifions, and offer more than the value for them ; and if, after feveral fummons, they refufed to comply, employ force ; but yet do it with the greateft moderation and circumfpedlion poffible* In the mean time, the Orejonee, whofe friend- fhip Don Alvarez found it no difficult matter to recover, informed him^ that by afcending the Iguatii^ he fhould meet with very rich and nu- merous nations, who would put him in the way of making feveral important difcoveries. Upon this„ he difpatched fifty-two of his beft men under the command of captain Fernandez de Ribera, with orders to take an exadl account of all the particu- lars he might learn ; to omit nothing to gain the good will of the inhabitants ; and, for that pur- pofe, not to be fparing of prefents, with which he abundantly fupplied him. Some time after the departure of this captain, the governor received a letter from Mendoza, that all the inhabitants of the country, where' he had fent him, were enraged againft the Spaniards, and firmly refolved not to fuffer them in the coun- try 5 OF PARAGUAY. i I ? try ; that he had been attacked by a great number of thefe barbarians, and muft having fkllen a victim to their fury with his whole detachment, had he not ordered fome blunderbulTes to be difcharged at them, by which two were killed, and the feft fo terrified, that they immediately fled to the niountains ; that, after their retreat, he had enter- ed their towns, where he found a great deal of provifions, which he fent them word he was ready to pay as much for, as they themfelves thought proper to r^uire ; but that, inflead of liftening to reafon, they returned in great numbers; fet fire to their houfes, and even feat to invite their neighteurs to .heir affiftance. In anfwer to this letter, Don Alvarez ordered Mendoza to omit nothing to make them lifun to reafon ; and, if he law no profpea of fuccefs, m go fomewhere elfe in queft of provifions. To thv., Mendoza replied, that thefe people were become from day to day more intradable, and that the G,araropos weri already come to their affiftance. ^ 1544 - f twenty-fourth of Janu<,y, of the following year, Francis de Riber. arrived at King’s-port with his guide, the fix Spaniards and three out of the eleven Guaranis, the goNgmor had fent along with him. Don Alvarez was Czgt- joyed to fee him, as the other eight GuaraiJs* who had fled back in a panic, to the camp, had given him to underftand, that the reft of the party had been all cut to pieces. Ribera reported, that, at firft, he marched for the fpace of twenty days, to the weft, by fuch bad roads, that he fometimes could not make above half a league a day ; that he never came fhort of fowl, hogs, and antas, which the Indians killed with their arrows, and fometimes even with fticks ; that he likewife found a great deal of honey in the hollows of trees, and every where plenty of VoL. I. I 114 the hlstory wild fruits ; that, about the twentieth day he strived on the banks of a river, where he caught fome fhads of an exquifite tafte ; that, after crolfing this river, he met with an Indian, who wore a chin-piece of filver, and ear-rings of gold ; that, having Ihown the man who came out to meet him, a brafs candleftick, and afked him if there was any fuch metal in his country, he anfwered, that there was fome of the fame colour, but much more beautiful, and which, befides, did not ftink like his ; that having then produced a plate of tin, the Indian told him, that his white metal, likewife, was much finer ^ that they made of it crowns, bracelets, pla-es, and pails, and feveral other utenfils ; tha-^ this man, taking him by the hand, and makingdgns to him to follow him, he foon after fpied a la^c houfe, from whence they were removing a g^ eat deal of cotton clothes, and feveral pieces of furniture, among which he per- ceived bracelet? hatchets, and feveral things of that kinn, a^’ made of filver ; that he was very well received in this houfe,. which proved to be that of conductor, who ordered his guefls to be be fer’cd v/ith wine made of maiz j that the Haves who attended them, gave them to under- ftar^? that there were other Indians in the neigh- lyurhood, called PayzunoeZy and among them were ^ome chriftians, the only name thefe Indians give the Spaniards ; that there appeared, the next mo- ment, fome men painted all over, and armed with bows and arrows ; that the mailer of the houfe took up arms on their arrival ; that the Spaniards obferving a great deal of buflle among them, concluded their lives to be in danger ; that, upon this, he ordered his men to go out ; and, on pre- tence of going to look for more Spaniards, make their retreat the fame way they had advanced ; that he and his men had fcarce left the houfe, when OF PARAGUAY, when upwards of three hundred Indians appeared with a very threatening air, which determined him to malf^ with all his men, the bell of his way to a mountain in the neighbourliood ; that the barbarians purfiie4 them, lb that it was with great difficulty they gained the mountain, moll of them having been wounded in the retreat ; that, the barbarians, however, purfued them no furthe/, for fear, he fuppofed, of meeting with more Spa- niards ; that by this means they got time to re- cover the road by which they had arrived, which the eight Guardnis, who arrived before them, had probably recovered at the firft alarm. It has been flnce difcovered, that thefe Indians, called by Herrera 7‘aropeaciez, were no enemies to the Spaniards ; but, on the contrary, a very peace- able people, and very hofpitable to all ftrano-ers paffing through their country, to whom they° ire very liberal of gold, iilver, and provifions ; but that the fight of the Guaranis had exafperated them, as thefe Indians had formerly committed great ravages, and killed a great many perlbns, in thefe diftrids. Im the mean time, almoft all the Spaniards, now united at King’s-Port, were fallen fick, owing, it was imagined, to the great inundations which rendered the waters very muddy and unwholefome. The Indians, therefore, no longer kept any mea- fures with them ; furprized fome that had wander- ed to too great a dillance from the camp ; and then killed and devoured them. Don Alvarez who likewife began to be greatly out of order, re- called Mendoza, who informed him, that all his foldiers were ill of the fever, and that he would embar-k with them' as foon as he could gather provifions enough ; a thing he found from day to day more difficult to accomplifh. Upon this the governor exerted himtelf to fend Mendoza a ^ 2 . reinforcement, ii6 THE HISTORY reinforcement, which at length enabled him to compel the Indians to fell him, at lead, provifions enough for his return. The thirtieth, Fernandez de Ribera arrived like- wife at King’s-port ; but finding the governor in- difpofed, and hearing befides, that he was upon the point of fetting out on his return to the Af- fumption, he thought he had better wait till their arrival there, to give him an account of his dif* cover ies. Don Alvarez, however, had not as yet renounced all thoughts of purfuing thofe he had begun himfelf ; but, befides the ficknefs, which daily encreafed, the Paraguay and other rivers in the neighbourhood had overflowed to fuch a de- gree, that tlie whole country looked like one great fea, the lowlands being covered with water to the depth of five fathoms. The Indians informed him, that thefe inundations generally lafl four rnonths, and are commonly followed by an in- fedlion in the air, occafioned by the great quantity of filli the waters leave behind them, to putrefy by the great heat of the fun. They added, that tliofe who did not take care to lay in a fufficient flock of provifions againfl this feafon, were often reduced to fo great a degree of want, that the ftrongefl killed the weakefl to fupport nature by feeding on their carcafes. The governor was very far from being in a condition to wait for the fall of the waters ; and, befides, confidered, that, did he defer ever fo fhort a time returning to the AfTumption, ficknefs would infallibly carry off all the foldiers he had flill left; he was even fo bad himfelf, that his life was thought to be in no fmall danger. He, therefore, affembled his council, to deliberate with them upjon the courfe propereft to be taken in thefe conjundlures ; and all agreed to embark without any further delay. Upon this, he immediately fent notice to all the Indians, OF PARAGUAY. uy Indians, who had given hoflages to him as a fecu" rity for their fidelity, to come and withdraw them ; and, to hinder the Spaniards from murmuring at this ftep, he produced an order from the Emperor, not to carry ofF himfelf, or permit others to carry off, the Indians by force out of their country. These orders gave fuch offence to the Spa- niards, that the governor’s firmnefs in caufing them to be diredtly obeyed, contributed not a little to increafe the number of his enemies, which were already but too numerous. The revenue-officers had, for a long time paft, confpired his deflrudiion, and taken the fureft meafure to fecure fuccefs to their wicked defigns. The difcontent among the troops, who had followed him in his lafl voy- age, and with which they flattered themfelves they fhould foon fee the reft infedted, appeared to them a lucky incident to remove one of the greateft ob- ftacles they had to furmount. Be that as it will, Don Alvarez embarked very much out of order, having fcarce a fingle man left, capaple of work- ing his veffels, and much lefs of defending them, if warmly attacked. The Indians, who were no ftrangers to his weaknefs, purfued him for fome days ; but being fired upon, when they drew too near, they let him reach the Aflumption, where he arrived the 8th of April, 1544, without lofing, in fo long a voyage, but a fingle Spaniard, called Miranda, who being on a kind of raft, was wounded with an arrow by the Guararopos, and killed on the fpot. On his arrival, he found Salazar, who command- ed during his abfence, very bufy in making pre- parations to extirpate the Agazes, who had done nothing fince his departure but plunder the country feats of the Spaniards, and the towns of the Guaranis ; and butcher all thofe that were un- fortunate enough to fall into their hands. But, as I 3 the the history the caraval was ready, which the governor had ordered to be built at his fetting out, and he was refolved to go on board it the moment his health would permit him ; and, befides, the difpofition, in which he mud: know feveral perfons were in regard to him, made him every moment apprehend a domeflic war, he thought it v/ould be imprudent to embark during a foreign one ; and, therefore, deferred the chaffifement of the Agazes to another opportunity. Don Alvarez, after all, did not as yet compre- hend the greatnefs of the danger, with which he was threatened ; perhaps he relied fo much on his own innocence and virtue, for protedlion againfl the wicked defigns of his enemies, that he took no care to check their fury, and flop its progrefs ; or knev/ too little of the motives of their inveteracy againd: him. It was well known, that he Rill in- tended to re-eilablifh Buenos Ayres ; and thofe, who had feized upon all authority during his ab- fence, fo as to leave nothing but the fhadow of it to his delegate, were refolved to do all that lay in their power, to render abortive any meafures he might take for that purpofe. It is, in a manner, certain, that they had refolved to render themfelves independent of the court *, and, to accomplidi their defigns, it was abfolutely necedary, they fhould lird: rid themfelves of the only man, v/ho could fuccefsfully oppofe them. Be that as it will, there is not, perhaps, a more fignal proof of the fpecial protedfion of heaven on the virtuous Don Alva- rez, than his enemies not having taken the fhorted: and fureft miethod to put him out of the way. This v/ould have coff them but a fingle crime, whereas the method they purfued, was no better than a titfue of fraud and villainy, of which they could not expedt to avoid the punilhment, but by an open rebellion, the fiiccefs of which muft: be very un- certairL ’ As OF PARAGUAY. 119 As they could not but know, that the bulk of the inhabitants, and the founded part of the army were extremely attached to him, they began by Ipreading a report, that he had formed a defign of enriching all thofe who had followed him to the Indies, at the expence of the private perfons in bed circumdances, whom he had found there ; and gave notice, under hand, to all fuch perfons, that they were firmly refolved to oppofe, effediually, fo unjud a proceeding, to prevent which it was ab- folutely neceffary to put the governor under an arred. The anfwer to this propofal was, that, before taking fuch a dep, it would be proper to reprefent to him the injudice and bad policy of what he intended, as there was all the rea- fon in the world to hope, he would pay due regard to fuch reprefentations. The force- of this argu- ment, the officers of the revenue craftly eluded, by faying, that they knew him too well to think fo ; that it would be highly improper to let him know that this project had taken wind ; and that there was no other way left, to avoid the evils with which they were threatened, but to feize on his perfon, as he would be the readier to liden to their com- plaints, and redrefs their grievances ; that they would, therefore, do well to hold themfelves in con- dant readinefs, till they received notice what to do ; and that the prefervation of the country, to the Em- peror, depended on their good behaviour. The revenue- officers then affigned the other malcon- tents two places, where they were to repair, pri- vately armed, on the fird notice of the bell for re- peating the angelical falutation. This plan was executed without the lead budle in the city ; and, at the hour appointed, Cacerez Cabreras and Garcias Venegas entered the houfe of the governor, then confined to his bed by a fe- ver ; and, crying out, “ liberty, liberty, long live the Emperor,” which was the fignal agreed upon, I 4 they UO THE HISTORY they proceeded to his apartment, where they were immediately admitted by one of his fervants, called Pedro de Onate, whom they had gained over. They then introduced Francilco de Mendoza, James Refquin Solarzano, and the Portuguefe Interpreter, called Diego de Acoila. Refquin immediately made up to the fick man’s bed, and applied to his brealb a bent crofs-bow, charged with a poifonous inflru- ment of deftrudlion, in form of a harpoon. Two other ruffians drew him out of bed, with nothing but his fhirt on, crying out, liberty calling him tyrant ; and telling him they would make him pay feverely for all the mifchief he had done, and in- tended to do. In this manner they hurried him out of his houfe, Refquin ftill holding the bent crofs-bow to his breaR, to hinder him from fpeak- ing. At the fight of fo much infolence and cruelty, even thofe, whom the principal malcontents had engaged to take up arms, began to exclaim againft their behaviour, and only raifed their voices the higher, on the others endeavouring to filence them ; till, at lafl, others joining in their refentment of the indecent manner in which the governor was treated, they, from v/ords, proceeded to blows, which terminated in bloodfhed. The Alguazil, Don Francis de Peralba, and the Alcalde Ma- jor, Don John Pavon, attempted to difcharge their duty on the occafion ; but they were immediately Ilript of their charges. During the tumult, Don Alvarez had been removed to the houle of Ve- negas ; and the other revenue-officers, having dif- perfed the multitude, who was crying out, with ail their might, to have their governor reftored to them, entered the room where he was laid down, and put irons on his legs. They then repaired to the houfe of Peter Fernandez, who was both notary to tile king, and fecretary to Don Alvarez, and was iikewife greatly indifpofed carried off all the papers OF PARAGUAY. izi they found in his pofTeflion ; and conduced him pri- foner, along with Barthelmi Gonzalez, to the hoiife of the King’s lieutenant. A proclamation was then publifhed in the name of the revenue-officers, for- bidding all perfons, already in their houfes, to appear abroad, on pain of death ; at the fame time, that their fatellites took care to clear the fhreets of all thofe they found in them, forcing fome home, and others, who had mofb openly taken the governor’s part, into the publick prifons, out of which all t le criminals were removed, to make room for them. This done, the officers of the revenue repaired to the governor’s houfe ^ feized upon all his papers, his commiffions, the v/ritings belonging to the pro- ceedings that had been heretofore fet on foot againfb themfelves ^ in a word, all his effeds, which they depolited with perfons on v/hom they imagine