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

BARBUDOS

The Spanish Paraguayrians employed in collecting the herb of Paraguay in the thick northern woods, often see very large and melancholy apes, with extremely long beards, on account of which circumstance they have given them a ridiculous name which I prudently forbear to mention. They love dark recesses, flying mankind and the light, but are universally dreaded, on account of the arms they make use of: for at every passer-by they throw some of their stinking dung, which is always ready. But in comparison to that of the skunk, this stink may be accounted rose and saffron. No one has hitherto ever thought of catching and taming them.

THE CARUGUÀ

In the more secret recesses of the woods wander apes, which the Guaranies call caruguà, and the Spaniards diablos del monte, devils of the woods. They are hairy, and taller than other apes; in walking they generally stand on their hind-feet. Their footsteps are like those of a boy of fourteen years old. They love solitude, and do not lie in wait for man, but if they spy one near them in the narrow parts of the forests, they tear him to pieces with the utmost ferocity. I knew of a Guarany belonging to the new colony of St. Stanislaus, who died of a dreadful wound he received from a caruguà. An Indian belonging to the same colony killed one of these apes in a distant wood. Fearing that the trouble of a long journey, under a burning sun, would prove insufferable, he left the carcass of the beast, but cut off his horrid nails, more formidable than any dagger, and showed them to Father Pietro Paulo Danesi, a Roman, to whom the care of the town was at that time entrusted; they were carried about the other Guarany towns, that all who beheld might thereby judge of the beast to whom they belonged, and learn to know and dread the terrific arms of the caruguà, whenever they had to traverse rugged forests. I was once very near becoming the prey of one of these ferocious beasts. Passing the night in the woods of Mbaeverà, whilst the Indians and my companion Paschali Vilalba were sound asleep, I heard the noise of boughs breaking, together with a little singing sound resembling a human voice. As the voice and the noise approached nearer to me, and I was at a great distance from the fire of the Indians, I cried out and inquired of my comrades, who were at length awakened by my clamour, what bird or beast uttered those sounds? After listening awhile, they all exclaimed that the caruguà, the devil of the woods, was approaching. A number of them ran to encounter him, armed with spears and firebrands. The beast, alarmed at their approach, hastened back; and thus delivered from peril, I breathed once again.

THE QUATÌ

The quatì appears to be of a mongrel breed, for its snout is like that of a barrow-pig, its head like that of a fox, while the rest of its body resembles a middle-sized ape, with a yellow skin, and a tail longer than all the rest of its body, divided into little rings of various colours. Like apes, these animals leap up and down the boughs of trees, on the fruit of which they subsist, though you sometimes meet a numerous herd of them jumping about upon the ground. Even when full grown, they are completely tamed by the Indians, within a few days, but are always destructive to hens, and their eggs, which they delight in.

THE AỲ

The last of the different tribes of apes is an animal which, from the slothfulness of its nature, and the slowness of its motions, is called by the Guaranies, aỳ, and by the Spaniards, la pereza, the sloth. It is about the size of a fox, and has a small head, a narrow face, smooth nose, little black eyes, and long hair, of the colour of ashes, which spreads over its neck like a mane. It has a dusky streak in the middle of its back, long nails, bent backwards on each foot, a wide mouth, a thick tail, weak teeth, no ears; its appearance, in short, is ridiculous and disagreeable in every point of view. It lives upon the tops of trees, and feeds upon their leaves, and sometimes upon the smaller kinds of ants. It never gets up upon its feet, nor is it ever seen to drink, perhaps content with dew. Slower than any tortoise, it so dreads the slightest motion, that it spends a whole day in creeping up or down a tree. It detests the least drop of rain. Every now and then it pronounces the letter I, like a person groaning. It has a remarkably firm skin; but its flesh is nauseated even by the Indians. From what I have said, you may perceive that this most slothful animal is extremely dissimilar to apes, which spend the whole day in running, leaping, and playing, as if impatient of the shortest respite. The Indians, in travelling, take great delight in the flesh of apes, which, in various countries of America, is the chief and most esteemed food of the Indians. Moreover, many of the Americans have believed apes to possess the power of speech, and to feign themselves dumb, that they may not be obliged to labour by the Spaniards. Whenever an ape is wounded by a bullet, he puts his hand to the wound, as if to prevent his life from being shed with his blood; and when the body is quite lifeless, stiff, and cold, the hand remains in the same situation. I have found, from experience, that their teeth are hurtful and dangerous; for my companion, after being bitten by a mad she ape, was seized with an erysipelas, which spread from the arm to the head, induced a great heat and swelling, and caused terrible, and almost mortal agonies. In European towns I have seen many apes which are not found in any part of Paraguay; for in various countries there is a great variety of apes; their names are also various on account of the diversity of tongues.

THE ARMADILLO, OR TATÙ

This little animal, which is scarce larger than a common tortoise, is called by the Spaniards armadillo. Its whole body is armed with horny scales, elegantly varied with red and white. Its head, which resembles that of a young pig, it discovers in walking, but on the approach of danger entirely conceals under this coat of mail. It has rather a long neck. Its scales are clothed here and there with white hairs, especially under the belly. The feet are like those of a tortoise, with five unequal fingers, armed with very sharp nails with which it digs holes under ground to hide itself in, or clings so firmly to the surface of the earth that the strongest man can hardly make it loosen its hold. It has a long scaly tail, of which, prefixed to a reed, the Abipones make military trumpets. Its little ears are destitute both of hairs and scales. It is furnished with two joints near the neck, so that it can bend its throat here and there. It runs very fast, and makes many doubles to escape the pursuit of dogs and men. It feeds upon herbs and roots, drinks plentifully and grows very fat. Dogs discover its subterranean retreats by the scent. This animal does not lay eggs, like a tortoise, but brings forth a numerous living progeny. Paraguay produces three species of armadillos, all different in form, size and name. To the first kind belong armadillos full two spans long, and larger than a barrow-pig, with very long nails, and some with yellow, others with red hairs. The scales of the red ones, half burnt and pulverized, are very efficacious in healing horses' backs, which are either ulcerated, or stripped of their hair. These larger armadillos, on account of their feeding on the carcasses of mules and horses, are loathed by most people; but their great shells, or coats of mail, are used by the lower order of Spaniards for dishes and plates. Armadillos of the second species, which are much smaller than the others, abstain from carcasses, and yield flesh and fat of a very pleasant savour. The smallest of the three kinds roll themselves up at will, like a hedge-hog. Such is the strength of their globose coat of mail, that no force is sufficient to make it expand, except you pour water with violence upon it; for when wetted they open themselves voluntarily. Their flesh is very white, full of excellent gravy, and even by an European would be esteemed superior to capon, pheasant, or chicken. Their fat is also used for medicinal purposes. The plains of Paraguay swarm with these mailed animals.

So far concerning the wild quadrupeds indigenous to Paraguay. Let us now proceed to amphibious animals.

THE CROCODILE, OR CAYMAN

At the head of the amphibious animals stands the crocodile, which exceeds all the rest in the slowness of its motions, and the size of its body. The young creature, when it breaks its shell, resembles a small lizard, such as is commonly seen in European gardens, scarce more than half a span in length. In the course of years it grows by degrees to an enormous size. Crocodiles ten feet long are very common in Paraguay. When a two years' drought had exhausted many of the lakes and rivers in Paraguay, among other aquatic beasts we found numbers of crocodiles roaming about the plain, which died of thirst from being unable to get a sufficiency of water. I am of opinion that most crocodiles reach to extreme old age from the advantage of a singular nature, by which they are so effectually fortified, that it is exceedingly difficult to kill them. I will give you a description of this animal. It has a large, flat head, a very wide mouth, armed on each side with extremely sharp, but unequal teeth, and large, round grey eyes, with a black pupil. It has no tongue, but the place of one is supplied by a little immoveable membrane. Its feet, which are furnished like birds' claws with four fingers, and nails, it uses, sometimes in walking slowly on the shore, sometimes in swimming. Its body, which resembles a huge trunk, terminates in a long tail, like the point of a weapon, at the extremity of which lies a small black ball, closed on every side, the distinguishing mark of the female sex, for the males are not furnished with this ball. Its rough skin, covered with very hard scales, which are elegantly variegated with black and white, like shells, forms a mail which renders its head, back and tail impenetrable to all weapons. Softer scales adorn rather than arm its belly, sides and feet, where circular or square figures, distinguished at intervals by a colour partly yellow, partly dusky, project, like shells, from the surface of the skin. The tail is composed of blackish rings, and a little denticulated fin which it moves in swimming. The skin of the neck is softer, and very easily wounded. Crocodiles on being attacked by tigers, kill them by a stroke of their tail. They are themselves killed if their neck or belly, both which are covered with softer skin, is wounded by the horns or claws of beasts, by a bullet, a spear, or an arrow; on these occasions they take to swimming, but the Indians generally swim after them, and bring them back to shore. During a pretty violent south wind crocodiles are rendered torpid by the cold at night, from being immersed in pools; but when the sun is risen, they lie, like logs of wood, on the sunny shore to warm themselves, and their limbs being stiffened, and their senses almost gone, are pierced with spears by the Abipones, without danger or trouble. Leaving their bodies, they carry away nothing but the teeth, and the little bones of the spine, which, being as hard as iron, as sharp as awls, and at the same time elastic, are used by them for the purpose of pricking their limbs, at drinking parties. Crocodiles' teeth, which are thought by the Indians extremely efficacious in curing or preventing the bites of serpents, they wear themselves, or sell to the Spaniards. The flesh of crocodiles is tender, and so white that it can hardly be distinguished from that of sturgeon. Many American nations, especially those which inhabit the islands of the Orinoco, and others, are said to feed on it. But in Paraguay, excepting the Payaguas, who live near rivers, scarce any other nation eats them, because that country abounds in cattle, and wild animals, as well as in vegetables and fruits. But I think that no European would dislike the flesh of the crocodile, unless it were on account of the musk which it has both in its jaws and testicles. Provident priests hang up a small particle of the glans, to which that musk adheres, wrapped in a piece of gold, or silk stuff, in the sacred coffer of the great altar, where the Eucharist is kept, in order to keep off worms, which, in so moist and hot a climate, are otherwise bred in the sacred wafer.

When you hear it said that crocodiles abound in venom, pray account it an old wife's fable; for it is very certain that they are eaten by the Indians, and would be eagerly sought by all Europeans also, were it not for their musk. Crocodiles' teeth grow very deep in the head, are hollow at the root, but where they terminate in a point, extremely solid, and capable of tearing the hardest substance. It is a terrible circumstance that whatever this beast gets within its teeth it never lets loose of. In the new kingdom of Granada, if a crocodile catches hold of the arm of a swimming Indian with his jaws, those who come to his assistance immediately cut it off, to preserve the rest of the body, as the man would otherwise lose his life. I will now describe to you their manner of breeding. The females, almost every day, lay about thirty eggs, cylinder-shaped, and as large as those of ducks; these eggs are buried under the sand, and when heated by the sun, bring forth creatures like our lizards. As crocodiles have short feet, and sweep the ground with their vast bellies, they crush a number of eggs whenever they move: for if Providence had not ordered it thus, there would be no room left either for beasts or fishes in America. Crocodiles' eggs are in high esteem amongst the Indians. In the town of Concepcion two crocodiles, a male and a female, newly hatched, were brought by an Abipon to my companion, at whose request I undertook the care of rearing them. To prevent them from escaping, I shut them both up in a very wide and deep wooden mortar, frequently poured fresh water on them, and threw in mud, little fishes, and very small pieces of meat for them to feed upon. This was their habitation, this their food, during seven months. I sometimes took them out of the water, and allowed them to walk up and down the court-yard of the house. The Abipones were delighted to see the little creatures playing on the grass, or striving together with gaping mouths and erected bodies. I had a young dog, which, as was natural to his age, was extremely playful. He imprudently rushed barking upon the crocodiles, when one of them laid hold of his nostrils with its very sharp teeth. Unable by any means to get rid of this disagreeable appendage, he at length came to me and implored my assistance, when by the hands of the by-standing Abipones, who were laughing heartily at the adventure, the pertinacious crocodile was torn from his nose. It was evident that these beasts were extremely quick of hearing, for they heard the slightest noises, such as would escape human ears – perceived thunder from a cloud at a great distance below the horizon, and acquainted me with the circumstance by repeatedly murmuring ù ù ù ù. At seven months of age, when scarce a span long, they were killed by the cold, in a journey of one and twenty days, taken with the Spanish soldiers, to change the situation of the colony. A sharp frost, for it was the winter season, killed these pupils of mine. Had they enjoyed their natural liberty and food, I have no doubt they would have grown more in so many months.

Much has been written concerning the ferocity of crocodiles towards mankind. I contradict no one. But it would be wronging the Paraguayrian crocodiles to complain of them, for during the two and twenty years of my residence in that country, I never heard of a single creature's being killed or hurt by a crocodile. Almost all the Abipones, men, women, boys and girls, daily cooled themselves during the heat of the sun, by bathing in rivers, pools, streams and lakes, all which are frequented by crocodiles; yet no one ever received any injury from these animals, no one suspecting the danger of such a thing. They are generally scared away by the noise which the Indians make in swimming, especially the black ones; for the red are considered more bold and more dangerous by the Abipones. But I myself have found that crocodiles of any colour, whether in the water or on dry land, are perfectly harmless. Crossing rivers in a bull's hide, or low boat, I have often seen crocodiles swimming past, with erected heads, sparkling eyes, and gaping mouths; but knowing them to be harmless, I beheld them with the utmost unconcern. In the town of the Rosary, scarce a gun-shot from my house, there was a pool swarming with crocodiles. The town of St. Joachim was surrounded with lakes. About sun-set we often went out to breathe the fresh air, and in our walk always met with crocodiles of every age and species, but never received any injury from them, though unarmed, and perhaps on that account more safe: for it is my opinion that crocodiles have been injurious chiefly to those by whom they have been themselves injured. They spare those that spare them. I do not in the least wonder that in the territories of Quito, and Nuevo Reyno, and in certain parts of Asia and Africa, crocodiles have shown the utmost fury towards men, when they are daily tormented, taken, and slain, by the inhabitants, who feed regularly upon their flesh.

Different nations make use of different artifices in hunting and killing crocodiles. Some go upon the river in boats, and throw into the water a piece of wood, to which flesh or fish is fastened with a long rope. The crocodiles swallow the wood along with the flesh, but as it is crossed in their jaws, are unable to throw it up, and being dragged to the bank by means of the rope, are presently killed. Others take a long, sharp, pointed piece of timber, and when the crocodile approaches thrust it deep into the animal's jaws, by which means it is killed without danger. The Abipones generally pierce those crocodiles with a spear which they find lying basking in the sun quite stiffened with cold. An arrow, though extremely strong, unless it touch the neck of the crocodile, where the skin is softer, always proves a weak and precarious instrument of death. The same may be said of bullets. Though crocodiles are perfectly harmless to mankind in Paraguay, they are in like proportion destructive to fishes, which are either consumed or put to flight by them. They are useful in medicine. Wounds inflicted by a crocodile are happily cured by being smeared with the fat of the same animal. One of their intestines, when dried and reduced to powder, is a remedy for the pain of the stone. Little stones, like common flint, found in the stomach of the crocodile, are said to be very efficacious in curing quartan agues, and stone in the kidneys, if reduced to powder and drunk. I have observed elsewhere that envenomed wounds of snakes are both healed and prevented by crocodiles' teeth, and shall tell you many things relative to the use of this remedy, in their proper place.

If I have been too prolix in my remarks on this prince of amphibious animals, the reader will excuse it, for I shall aim at brevity in treating of more ignoble creatures.

THE AGUARÀ, OR WATER-DOG

In lakes and rivers dwells the water-dog, called by the Guaranies aguarà, and I have often seen it in plains near the shore. Though larger than a mastiff it is afraid of every thing, takes to flight on espying a man at a distance, and is an object of fear to no one. Its ears resemble those of an ass, its head that of a dog. It has plenty of strong and sharp teeth. By night it roars very loud, and lies in wait for lesser animals. The Abipones hunt it for the sake of its skin alone, which is shaggy, of a dark yellow colour, and marked along the back with a black line like an ass. Its hair is extremely soft and much valued by the Spaniards on account of its efficacy in assuaging sciatica, gout, and pains in the bowels. Some lay it upon saddles, finding its warmth extremely salutary. On returning from Paraguay I brought some of it home, but it was stolen from me, a loss which I regret to this day.

THE YGUARÒ, OR WATER-TIGER

This beast, which is larger than a mastiff, is generally concealed under deep water. It is shaggy, with a long tail, ending in a point, and is armed with very strong nails. It lays hold of horses and mules, as they are swimming across rivers, and drags them to the bottom. Shortly after, the bowels of the animal, which it has torn to pieces, are seen floating on the surface of the water. The yguarò generally dwells in deep gulphs of rivers, but digs large caverns in the higher banks, where it can hide both itself and its offspring. On the high shores of the Paraguay, we often heard a tremendous noise in our nightly navigation, and the sailors and soldiers informed me that it proceeded from those caves, which were hollowed by the continual dashing of the water, and had at length begun to gape.

THE AÒ

This dreadful beast, which has a head and claws like those of a tiger, which resembles a mastiff in size, has no tail, and possesses singular ferocity, and equal swiftness, is called by the Guaranies aò, a word signifying clothing, but given to this beast because, from its wool, the Guaranies formerly wove themselves garments. They wander gregariously in pools, marshy places, or woods far from the noise of men. But if one of them chance to meet an Indian hunting, his life is as good as gone, unless he can avoid its cruel fangs, by a very swift flight, or by ascending a tree; though when seated on the very highest boughs he cannot be perfectly secure, for as these ferocious animals are incapable of climbing a tree, they will tear it up by the roots with their claws, and when it falls seize hold of their prey. These things the Indians and Spaniards all agree in relating and believing. For my part, after so many journeys on foot, and on horseback, after traversing so many of the woods, plains and marshes of Paraguay, I never saw even the shadow of such a beast. From which I infer that they cannot be very numerous, nor common to the whole province. Would that they were banished from every part of Paraguay! That ferocious animal which writers call famacosio, most of us think to differ from the aò in name only.

THE CAPIIGUÁRA, OR WATER-PIG

The water-pig inhabits the larger rivers and streams, but not the very largest, although, as it feeds upon grass, it comes out to pasture in the neighbouring plains, not without committing great depredations in the fields. When full grown it resembles a pig of two years old in size, and almost in appearance, except in its vast round head, and the whiskers on its upper lip, which are similar to those of a cat. It has short ears, large, black eyes, a very wide mouth, but rather narrow lips, dusky and very short hair, and no tail. Besides two long, curved tusks, which project from its mouth, it is armed with forty-eight teeth, plain at the top, but hollow beneath. Its feet are like those of a pig; the front ones have four nails, the hind only three. These beasts swim or walk in company, and cross rivers with surprizing expedition. By night they bray like asses, and sometimes alarm travellers unacquainted with America. Their flesh is very like pork, but as it has a fishy taste, is eaten by none but the Indians; though when young they are reckoned a dainty by Europeans even. Capiiguáras may be wounded without difficulty, either with a spear, an arrow, or a ball, but it requires great good fortune to catch them; for on receiving a wound, as they are excellent swimmers and divers, they immediately hide themselves under water, and extract the arrow or spear which is sticking in their flesh. The Abipones, who frequently employ themselves in hunting these animals, after wounding a pig, swim after it and overtake it in the water. The skin of the capiiguára is very thick, and were it properly dressed, would be useful in various ways.

THE OTTER

Otters swarm in the lakes and rivers of Paraguay. If I mistake not, they differ from those of Europe in no other respect than in being somewhat smaller. They are most numerous in the Abiponian territories, and those adjacent to the cities of Sta. Fè, Cordoba, and Corrientes. In the distant hordes of the Mocobios and Abipones, towards the north, there are no otters, or very few at least. The savages make use of them in various ways. They feed upon their flesh, and make cloaks of their skins.