An Account of the Abipones, an Equestrian People of Paraguay, (1 of 3)

The principal rivers, with the waters of which the Paraguay is enriched, join it on the western shore: the Jaurù, which flows into the Paraguay in 16° 29´ of south latitude, and 320° 10´ of longitude from the island of Ferro; the Mandiỹ beneath the site of the feigned lake Xarayes; the Rio Verde; the Yabebirỹ; the Pilcomayo, which falls into the Paraguay in two branches some leagues apart; the Timbò, a very large river, formed of two other lesser streams in the place called La Herradura, and diametrically opposite to the river Tebiguarỹ, which is at the other bank of the Paraguay. Here I founded the Abiponian colony of San Carlos. The Rio Grande, or Vermejo, enters the Paraguay before its junction with the Parana. On the eastern shore, beginning at the north, the Paraguay is joined by the river De los Porrudos, which had before received the waters of the Cuyaba, the name of a Portugueze town, and to which also the rivers Cuchipò-guazù, Cuchipò-miri, and Manso had previously united themselves. Lower down the river Taguarỹ, augmented by the waters of the Camapuâ, enters the Paraguay by three mouths, which are formed by intervening lands. Through these and other rivers the Portugueze sail in boats to their colonies Cuyabà, and Matto Grosso, where they gather little bits of gold out of the sand, with no inconsiderable profit. In Camapuâ, an intermediate place, Andreas Alvarez, a Portugueze, took up his residence with a number of negro slaves, and supplied the Portugueze, who travelled backwards and forwards, with provisions, waggons, and other necessaries from the produce of his land. The following are the names of the rest of the rivers: the Mboteteỹ, in the land of the Guarany Ytatinguas, for whom the Jesuits formerly founded two colonies in this place; the Ygarỹpe, the Mboymboỹ, the Tareytỹ, the Guaycuruỹ, on the banks of which the Guaycarus settled, and where they remain to this day; the Corrientes, the Mbaerỹ, the Ỹpane-guazù, formerly the Guarambarè, the Yeyuỹ, navigable to large boats, impeded by many rocks, and augmented by many rivers, the most important of which is the Caapivarỹ, which mingles its waters with the Yeyuỹ, about twenty leagues before that river enters the Paraguay. The shores of the Yeyuỹ, and of the Caapivarỹ, are surrounded by immense woods, nurseries of the herb of Paraguay, a vast quantity of which is carried from the town Curuguati to the city of Asumpcion, by the other Spanish inhabitants. But let us proceed. The Paraguay receives into itself the following streams: the Tobatỹ, the Caañiabê, and the Tebiguarỹ, navigable to middle-sized vessels. By the accession of so many, and such considerable tributary streams, the Paraguay is increased to such a size, that the old Spaniards used to sail through it to the city of Asumpcion, and even more distant places, in the same ships which had borne them on the Ocean, from the port of Cadiz. At this time no one dares attempt that, for fear of being wrecked, for this river swells to such a breadth, that you often cannot see either bank, as on the sea. It is intersected by many islands, and abounds in rocks, shallows, and quicksands. It is dangerous to sail on it without a pilot, called Pratico, well acquainted with the river, who must be hired to go before the ship in a boat, and sound the depth every now and then. At night you must rest in a safe situation, and anxiously seek port on an approaching storm. But alas! spite of every art that can be exerted, vessels often stick in shoals, and quicksands, out of which they must be taken on the shoulders of the sailors, or, with the assistance of a skiff, in great part unloaded. For many persons, through greediness of gain, load their vessels with so much merchandise, that you can scarce see two palms of wood above the water, in consequence of which, if the wind blows violently, they are swallowed up in the waves. This river is likewise rendered dangerous by two whirlpools – places where, even when there is no wind, the water twists into circles, and forms, in the centre, a whirlpool, which sucks up whatever comes near it; but it may be passed without danger, unless the sailors are extremely stupid. There is more danger in various other places, where the river hurries along like lightning, and dashes vessels upon rocks or shallows. In sailing against the stream, oars alone will not suffice; sails must be made use of likewise. From these things you may judge that the navigation of this river can never be effected without danger, and reasonable alarm.

I must now speak of the cataract of this river, which is called by the Spaniards El Salto Grande, and occurs about the 24th deg. of lat. and 325th of long., near the ruined city of Guayra. I myself never saw it: I shall, therefore, describe this prodigy of nature in the words of Father Diego Ranconier, a Fleming, who gave a most accurate description of it in the name of the Jesuit Father Nicolas Duran, then Provincial of Paraguay, in his annals of Paraguay, dated Rome, in the year 1626. "Amongst all the things," says he, "capable of exciting admiration in these provinces, this cataract easily obtains the first place; and indeed I know not whether the whole terraqueous globe contains any thing more wonderful. The river precipitates itself, with the utmost violence, down an immensely high rock, twelve leagues in descent, and dashes, in its downward course, against huge rocks of horrible form, from which the waters, being reverberated, leap up to a great height, and as the channel is in many places intersected, on account of the exceeding roughness of the rocks, the waters are separated into various paths, and then meet together again, causing stupendous whirlpools. In other places also, the waters, leaping down, rush into the rocks themselves, and are concealed from the view: then, after having remained hidden for some time, again break forth, as if they had sprung from various fountains, and swallow up vast masses of rocks. Lastly, so great is the violence of the waters in the descent of the stream, that, during the whole course of twelve leagues, they are covered by a perpetual foam, which, reflecting the rays of the sun, dazzles the eyes of beholders with its brightness. Also the sound of the water, falling down and dashing against the rocks, may easily be heard at four leagues distance. This rough descent being ended, the water seems inclined to rest on the bottom, in smoother ground. For it often stagnates there by day, but almost every hour a loud noise arises, from some hidden cause, and the water leaps up to the height of many cubits. Fish of immense size are seen there: and Father Antonio Ruiz de Montoya, then missionary of the Guarany nation, in Guayra, declares that he saw a fish, as big as an ox, swimming on the river, with only half his body above water. Nor is this incredible; for when I visited the Guarany Reductions," (he means the new colonies of Indians,) "they wrote me word that an Indian had been swallowed by a river-fish of this kind, and afterwards ejected whole on to the bank."

Between the Guarany town De la Candelaria, and the city Corrientes, the Parana throws in the way of navigators another smaller rapid, full of projecting rocks. I have no doubt that in the long course of the Parana, there lurks many a hidden whirlpool; the credibility of which opinion I will endeavour to prove to you, by relating a recent event. In the year 1756, whilst I was residing in the town of Loretto, a number of Guaranies began to sail in boats up the river Parana, to gather the herb of Paraguay in distant woods. When they had got a very few leagues beyond the town of Cuerpo de Cristo, all perished, except one man, the announcer of this unfortunate catastrophe. "About noon," said he, "they briskly rowed the boat to the sound of pipes and drums. The sky was serene, the air tranquil, the river placid, when suddenly the prow of the ship was lifted straight upright, like a pillar, and the poop proportionably lowered; but it fell back into its former situation, and put an end to the sudden terror excited, but not to the danger. For soon after the prow was again elevated by some hidden impulse, and the ship and all the sailors were swallowed up in a moment." One alone escaped, as I told you, by swimming, and announced the sad fate of his companions. We know the fact, but are ignorant of the cause. Almost every body agreed with me in attributing it to a hidden whirlpool, which had remained till then undiscovered in this frequented river. Often in vast rivers, and still oftener in the wide ocean, places destructive to ships are discovered, which had, for many ages, escaped the observation of skilful navigators.

The Parana abounds in innumerable islands of various sizes. It often demolishes the old, and creates new ones. For the annual floods heap up the sands, which are liberally supplied with seeds of willows wafted thither by the wind; these soon take root and quickly grow up with the aid of abundant moisture. Wait a little, and you will see the island covered with willows, other trees, and turf, and haunted by birds, wild beasts, and amphibious animals. Other islands are gradually destroyed by the violence of the waves; we have seen some of them sunk under water, others rocked like a ship by the wind and the waves, and borne up and down till they are dissolved and swallowed up. The most considerable islands are Martin Garzia, Las dos Hermanas, the Island of St. Gabriel, La Isla de Flores, and La Isla de Lobos. The Parana overflows twice every year. The greater flood generally commences in the summer month December, continues during the whole of January, and sometimes does not subside till the end of February. The lesser begins about the middle of June, and lasts thirty days. In both floods all the islands, some of which are three leagues in extent, are so entirely covered that the tops of the very highest trees are alone visible.

Tigers and stags like those of our country, which are very numerous, come out upon the shores. When the river is not contained within its very high banks, it spreads to the space of many leagues. I remember sailing near the town of St. Ferdinand, in a ship, amid palm trees, on the plain which, at other times, I used to gallop over on horseback. The waters of the Parana are muddy; but if suffered to settle in a pitcher, not unwholesome for the natives of the town; though in strangers, they occasion diarrhœa, which proved fatal to fourteen of my companions, whilst we were awaiting an opportunity of sailing to Europe, in the city of Buenos-Ayres, whither we had assembled from different parts of the province. I, also, was confined to my bed, and placed in extreme danger by it. The tide of the sea spreads full a hundred leagues up the Parana, especially when the south wind blows violently; but its waters are fresh about six leagues from the mouth of the sea.

The Parana, now distinguished by the unmerited appellation of La Plata, has five havens for sea-vessels; but perfect security is to be found in neither of them. Ships rest in the port of Buenos-Ayres, three leagues from land, exposed to all winds and storms. The south wind, which rages most in those parts, threatens immediate destruction, unless the anchors and cables be very strong and firm. Long, light ships, called Lanchas, which are much used in this river, draw to land by the river Riachuelo, when it is augmented by the tide; for when the sea ebbs, it is too shallow to bear those vessels. Colonia do Sacramento, which lies on the eastern shore, opposite to the city Buenos-Ayres, and almost fifteen leagues distant from it, (for such the width of the river is reckoned to be,) affords a safer station for vessels, and one nearer to land, being somewhat defended against the wind by high banks on one side, and on the other by the neighbouring island of St. Gabriel, though this very circumstance of the island's being so near, as well as the hidden rocks, are great causes for apprehension, because mournfully signalized by not a few shipwrecks. The best, and, to say truth, the only port on the same shore, is that of Monte-Video, which is situated thirty leagues distant from the colony, and as many from the sea, and is commodiously defended by artillery, and by a castle which contains five hundred guards. This bay, which is about one league and a half long from the port, and almost circular, is protected against all winds, except the south, which is very formidable here, by high shores, and by a lofty mountain visible at eight leagues distance. It is also navigable to ships of war. The little island of rabbits, La Isla de los Conejos, occupies the port. The castle of the place is so small, considering the immense sums expended upon it by the court of Madrid, that it rather deserves the name of a castlet. The island Maldonado, about nine leagues distant from the mouth of the sea, and about as many from Monte-Video, betwixt La Isla dos Lobos, and La Isla de Flores, affords a convenient situation to ships of every size, and a defence against the S. E. wind. The Governour, Pedro Ceballos, fortified this bay as well as he could with new works. Men skilled in these matters have declared it as their opinion that this post is excellently well situated, and might be made very important to the security of the province, if nature were assisted by art. On the opposite shore, towards the west, the bay Barragan, twelve leagues distant from Buenos-Ayres, affords an opportunity for repairing ships, but little security for them. For it is every where surrounded by low banks, and lies exposed to all winds. The entrance itself is not devoid of danger. The harbour is indeed of wide extent, but, being rather shallow, the larger ships remain two leagues from land. The place has no fortifications of any kind, consisting of a very few wretched huts of hides and rushes.

As the river La Plata has but a few ports, and those not very safe ones, it consequently threatens navigators with an hundred dangers, on account of the sand-banks, and shoals which occur here and there. The most remarkable of these are two named El Banco Ingles, and El Banco Ortiz; both of which are many leagues both in length and in breadth. The danger is increased by some hidden rocks near La Isla dos Lobos, and La Isla de Flores, and still more by huge crags in the neighbourhood of the port of Monte-Video, called Las Carretas de Monte-Video, which are the more dangerous on account of their being less easy to be seen. If the pilot is not thoroughly acquainted with the river, or if he neglects to make frequent use of the sounding-line, a shipwreck is inevitable. The vessel will either be buried amid high heaps of sand, or will spring a leak from being dashed against the rocks. This may the more certainly be expected, if the river be so much disturbed by a strong south wind, as to render it impossible to make any use of the rudder; for during a tempest the waves rise mountains high, and the violence of them is incredible. Three or four anchors will scarce hold a ship at such times. Matteo Callao, an experienced man, captain of a war-ship named La Esmeralda, when he brought us back to Spain from Monte-Video, was often heard to exclaim in the river Plata, "Let me only get clear of this devil, and I shall think myself already at the port of Cadiz." Who would not have been terror-struck at the remembrance of so many vessels which had recently perished there? That very ship in which we sailed from Lisbon had nearly been added to the number of those unfortunate ones. I will relate the affair as briefly as possible.

In Portugal, a Brazilian mulatto was hired at a great price by Feliciano Velho, the captain of the ship, because he professed himself well acquainted with the river La Plata, though he was, in reality, extremely ignorant. At the entrance of the river the captain, Joseph Carvalho de Pereira, according to custom, committed the entire management of the ship to this man; but more ignorant than a brute, he made a dangerous error at the very threshold. He took the ship to such a distance from the east shore, which it ought to have kept in sight, that nothing but water and sky was to be seen. On perceiving which, "Holloa!" exclaimed the captain, "you will lose my ship before the sun sets!" This sudden speech proved prophetic: for leaning over the side of the vessel, at about two o'clock in the afternoon, I observed that the water in a certain place was unusually disturbed, and suspecting the truth of the matter, disclosed the circumstance to the captain, who, ascending a mast as quick as possible, perceived that we were steering directly towards the English Shoal, and immediately ordered the prow of the ship to be turned towards the east: for that repercussion of the waters arose, as I suspected, from the neighbouring quicksands. About evening we cast anchor in very shallow water, so that the ship hardly floated at all. After sun-set there came on a furious tempest. While the sky bellowed with thunder, a violent south wind raised huge billows in the river, and created much alarm lest the ship, which was fastened to a muddy bottom with a very bad anchor, should be either dashed upon the rocks of La Isla de Flores on one side, or upon the English Shoal on the other; for the former were on our left, and the latter on our right, at no great distance. Consequently, the sailors were forced to toil day and night in pulling away the anchors and strengthening the cables. This formidable storm lasted two days. On St. Stephen's day, about noon, the captain thought fit to remove from this dangerous neighbourhood. But after a few moments sail we were suddenly forced to cast anchor, for, by the sounding-line, sands were discovered to be close at hand.

We learnt from the Spaniards, who came by night in a skiff from Monte-Video to spy us, that we were in a dangerous situation, and near to the rocks named Las Carretas de Monte-Video. We all vainly wished for some one from the port, well acquainted with the river, to show us the way. They said there was no skiff for such a person to make use of, but that a Portugueze captain was going next day to the port of Colonia, and that this man might go before us in a skiff and conduct our ship. Him we expected next day to show us the way; but as he did not make his appearance, being probably afraid of the stormy wind, we pursued our journey, blindly wandering up and down. Thinking that we had now left behind us the shoal named El Ortiz, we sailed, even at night, without suspicion of danger. But, alas! the greatest danger is in security. About day-break the ship stuck so fast upon those very shoals from which we thought ourselves long since escaped, that for two days no industry or nautical skill was sufficient to remove it from that place. On the second night there arose a most violent tempest. The poop remained immoveable, being thrust into the sand, whilst the other parts of the ship were tost about with such violence, that it seemed every moment as if the joints of the planks would be loosened. About the same time a strong south wind, accompanied with continual thunder, drove such a force of water from the sea into the river Plata, that early in the morning the ship was extricated from that abyss of sands, and floated once again. Carried by the same wind, now favourable to us, we entered the port of Colonia, in safety, next day about noon. After remaining there for two days, and being much tossed about, we were removed to the city of Buenos-Ayres. In crossing this river, which is about fifteen leagues wide, many of us endured more apprehension, and felt more sickness, than in the whole ocean. For want of a better, we went in a skiff, which age had rendered rotten, worm-eaten, and ruinous. Scarcely did one part adhere to the other. The fury of the raging wind increased our fear and our danger, for as it blew against us, our sails were too much bent, and one whole side of the skiff lay under water. But all this was nothing. We gave ourselves up for lost when the rudder was thrust into the sand, and we stuck for some time with the prow lifted up in the air. But who can describe the joy we felt on beholding the shore, and entering the port which we had vainly sought for three whole months?

I have spoken the more fully on this subject, in order to show you that successful navigation in this river depends not upon skill alone, but upon great good-fortune. Should a violent south wind arise, skill, knowledge, and experience all of no avail, the ship will be driven into places where it will either perish, or at least undergo much danger. In the year 1766, the very best skiff in the port of Buenos-Ayres, commanded by the most excellent captains in that city, being dashed against a shoal by the force of a stormy south wind, had its keel split like a nut, was divided into two parts, and utterly perished, ten Jesuits destined for the province of Chili, many Spanish grenadiers, and all the rest of the crew being drowned, except one captain of the grenadiers, who, with a boy of ten years old, seized hold, by chance, of a little boat, and arrived in safety at the opposite shore, at full ten miles distance from the place of the shipwreck. Not a single person offered to accuse the pilot of stupidity, or want of skill. Every one was aware that the foul tempest which had arisen in the night alone occasioned the shipwreck. For it appears from nautical tables and documents, that the north channel of the river is narrower and deeper, and the south channel, on the contrary, wider but of a shallower bottom. All knew whereabouts El Banco Inglez and El Banco Ortiz, with the other well-known rocks, lay concealed. But who could even guess at these new shoals, fresh heaps of sand, which either the river with its inundations, or the sea rushing impetuously into the river, were wont to heap up? By continually making use of the sounding-line, these later shoals are indeed discovered, but often when it is too late, the waves baffling all art and industry. Wherefore the wider this river extends on each side, and the nearer it approaches to the sea, so much the more is it to be dreaded. In this one channel the river La Plata flows between the promontories of Sta. Maria and S. Antonio, which latter is also called Cabo Blanco. The priest Cyriaco Morelli speaks thus concerning the mouth of the river La Plata, in his work intituled Fasti Novi Orbis, "What we call the river La Plata, is in reality an immense bay of the sea, into which the waters of the Parana, the Paraguay, and the Uruguay flow." Different authors give different accounts of the width of this river where it enters the sea. Many Spaniards at this day give it sixty leagues, others fewer, and some say it is seventy leagues across. But Egidio Gonzalez de Avila, in the "Ecclesiastical Theatre of the Indies," vol. ii. affirms that the river La Plata enters the sea by mouths eighty leagues in width. I leave you to form your own opinion on the subject.

I have crossed this channel twice, but must own I never measured it. It is certain, that incautious or too credulous captains are often deceived by the wideness of this vast river, which prevents them from seeing both shores of it. Trusting too much to their own fallacious calculations, they think themselves sailing on the ocean, and boldly proceed with spread sails, and without consulting the sounding-line, but at length when the ship strikes upon shoals, perceive too late that they are in the river Plata, and frequently perish. I write this on my own experience. On St. Thomas's day the ship proceeded full sail, and with a wind as favourable as could be desired. We observed little birds, never at other times seen on the ocean, flying about, bits of grass floating, and the colour of the water changed, from all which it was easy to conclude that we were near land. We represented these circumstances over and over again to the captain, a Portugueze, who, though in other respects a worthy and prudent man, relied too much on his own observations, and was somewhat pertinacious and opiniated He insisted upon it that we were far from land, and openly declared that he should pursue his present course, full sail, till seven o'clock at night. We should have perished had he acted according to his word. For about sun-set, a short-lived but violent gust of wind sprung up. All sails were lowered as usual. We perceived that the ship was surrounded on all sides by seals, which were the means of saving our lives by proving that we were in the perilous river La Plata, or at least in the entrance of it. For you will never see these amphibious animals in the main sea, it being their daily custom to quit the water and go upon shore. The testimony of the seals was also confirmed by the sounding-line, by which we discovered that the bottom was but a very few cubits deep. The captain convinced of his former error, thought fit to put in practice the maxim festina lente! We stuck between the hammer and the anvil, when that first squall was succeeded by a tempest accompanied with thunder and a furious south wind. Lest the ship should be driven to the neighbouring promontory of Sta. Maria, or on to the shoals, the sails were placed in such a manner that the wind when it falls into one is repelled by the other, by which means the ship, floating in the same place, is prevented from proceeding. About the middle of the night, the wind abating a little, we proceeded very slowly with but one sail. At dusk in the evening unknown tracts of land presented themselves to our eyes. At length the sun being fully risen, it was not without terror that we beheld ourselves scarce a gun-shot from the lofty rocks of the promontory of Sta. Maria. Our alarm was increased when, after repeatedly casting the sounding-line, the sailors discovered that, to the imminent danger of the ship, the bottom was but six fathoms deep. For the sea being at ebb, and the waters momently decreasing more and more, we should have been becalmed, and consequently disenabled from receding from the neighbouring rocks, where, if the south wind returned, we should be dashed to pieces, but if the calm lasted we must stick fast in the shallows. We derived safety and incredible consolation from the sun, then at the meridian, from observation of which we at length discovered whereabouts we were. Two hours after noon a gentle gale arose, which enabled us to quit the shallows and that threatening shore, and to re-enter the main sea. The wind becoming more favourable after sun-set, we stole into the very channel of the river, and about dawning got sight of La Isla de Lobos. But this short-lived joy was saddened the same day with all those wanderings and perils which I have just related. From all this you may conclude how formidable the width of the river La Plata is to captains of ever so long experience.