Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber's Note: Every attempt has been made to replicate the
original as printed; therefore, numerous inconsistencies in spelling,
diacritical marks, etc., have not been reconciled. However, all
spelling changes listed in the Corrigenda have been made in this
etext.

WORKS ISSUED BY

The Hakluyt Society.

THE CONQUEST

OF

THE RIVER PLATE.

FIRST SERIES. NO. LXXXI-MDCCCXCI

THE CONQUEST

OF

THE RIVER PLATE

(1535-1555).

I.

VOYAGE OF ULRICH SCHMIDT TO THE RIVERS LA
PLATA AND PARAGUAI.

_FROM THE ORIGINAL GERMAN EDITION, 1567._

II.

THE COMMENTARIES OF ALVAR NUÑEZ CABEZA
DE VACA.

_FROM THE ORIGINAL SPANISH EDITION, 1555._

TRANSLATED FOR THE HAKLUYT SOCIETY.

With Notes and an Introduction,

BY

LUIS L. DOMINGUEZ,

MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY OF THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC, CORRESPONDING MEMBER
OF THE ARGENTINE GEOGRAPHICAL INSTITUTE AND OF THE ROYAL SPANISH
ACADEMY OF HISTORY.

BURT FRANKLIN, PUBLISHER
NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Published by
BURT FRANKLIN
514 West 113th Street
New York 25, N. Y.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY THE HAKLUYT SOCIETY

REPRINTED BY PERMISSION

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

COUNCIL
OF
THE HAKLUYT SOCIETY.

CLEMENTS R. MARKHAM, Esq., C.B., F.R.S., President.

Major-General Sir HENRY RAWLINSON, K.C.B., D.C.L., LL.D., F.R.S.
Associé Étranger de L'Institut de France, Vice-President.

Lord ABERDARE, G.C.B., F.R.S., late Pres. R.G.S.

JOHN BARROW, Esq., F.R.S., F.S.A.

WALTER DE GRAY BIRCH, Esq., F.S.A.

Rear-Admiral LINDESAY BRINE.

ROBERT BROWN, Esq., M.A., Ph.D.

The Right Hon. Sir MOUNTSTUART E. GRANT DUFF, G.C.S.I.

ALBERT GRAY, Esq.

R. H. MAJOR, Esq., F.S.A.

E. A. PETHERICK, Esq.

Admiral Sir F. W. RICHARDS, K.C.B.

Lord ARTHUR RUSSELL.

ERNEST SATOW, Esq., C.M.G., Minister Resident in Uruguay.

S. W. SILVER, Esq.

COUTTS TROTTER, Esq.

Prof. E. B. TYLOR, D.C.L.

Sir CHARLES WILSON, R.E., K.C.B., K.C.M.G., F.R.S., D.C.L., and LL.D.

E. DELMAR MORGAN, Honorary Secretary.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PAGE
INTRODUCTION xiii

BIBLIOGRAPHY xli

VOYAGE OF ULRICH SCHMIDT 1

THE COMMENTARIES OF ALVAR NUÑEZ CABEZA DE VACA:--

CHAP. I.--Of the Commentaries of Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca 95

CHAP. II.--How we departed from the island of Cabo Verde 98

CHAP. III.--Which treats of how the governor arrived with his
armada at the island of Santa Catalina, in Brazil, and
disembarked his troops there 100

CHAP. IV.--How nine Christians came to the island 101

CHAP. V.--How the governor hastened his journey 104

CHAP. VI.--How the governor and his people advanced into the
interior 106

CHAP. VII.--Which treats of what happened to the governor
and his people in his journey, and of the nature of the land 108

CHAP. VIII.--Of the troubles that the governor and his people
underwent on their way, and of a kind of pine tree, and of the
fruits of that land 112

CHAP. IX.--How the governor and his people found themselves
starving, and appeased their hunger with worms from reeds 114

CHAP. X.--Of the fear the Indians had of the horses 117

CHAP. XI.--How the governor navigated the river Yguazú in
canoes, and how, in order to avoid a cataract of that river,
he carried the canoes one league by hand 119

CHAP. XII.--Which treats of the rafts that were made to carry
the sick 122

CHAP. XIII.--How the governor arrived at the Ascension, where
the Spaniards lived whom he had come to relieve 124

CHAP. XIV.--How the Spaniards, left behind through sickness, on
the river Pequiry, arrived at the town of Ascension 126

CHAP. XV.--How the governor, wishing to re-people Buenos
Ayres, sent reinforcements to those who had come there in
the ship '_Capitana_' 127

CHAP. XVI.--How the natives kill and eat their enemies 129

CHAP. XVII.--Of the peace which the governor concluded with
the Indian Agazes 131

CHAP. XVIII.--Of the complaints addressed to the governor by
the pobladores against the officers of His Majesty 134

CHAP. XIX.--How the governor received complaints against the
Indian Guaycurús 135

CHAP. XX.--How the governor informed himself concerning
the complaint 136

CHAP. XXI.--How the governor and his people crossed the
river, and how two Christians were drowned 139

CHAP. XXII.--How the spies, by order of the governor, went
in search of the Guaycurús 140

CHAP. XXIII.--How the governor, pursuing the enemy, was
informed that he was marching in front 142

CHAP. XXIV.--Of a panic among the Spaniards and Indians,
caused by a tiger 143

CHAP. XXV.--How the governor and his people overtook the
enemy 145

CHAP. XXVI.--How the governor pursued the enemy 147

CHAP. XXVII.--How the governor and all his people returned
to the town of Ascension 149

CHAP. XXVIII.--How the Indian Agazes broke the peace 150

CHAP. XXIX.--How the governor set at liberty one of the
captive Guaycurús, and sent him to summon his fellow tribesmen 152

CHAP. XXX.--How the Guaycurús came and submitted to His
Majesty 153

CHAP. XXXI.--How the governor, after making peace with the
Guaycurús, delivered the prisoners to them 154

CHAP. XXXII.--How the Apirús came and made a treaty of
peace and submitted 156

CHAP. XXXIII.--Of the judgment passed on the Agazes by the
advice of the monks, captains, and other officers of His
Majesty 158

CHAP. XXXIV.--How the governor sent relief to Buenos Ayres 159

CHAP. XXXV.--How the three Spaniards and the Indians returned
from their reconnaissance 161

CHAP. XXXVI.--How wood was prepared for the construction
of two brigantines and one caravel 162

CHAP. XXXVII.--How the Indians came again and offered their
services 163

CHAP. XXXVIII.--How the settlement of Ascension was burned 166

CHAP. XXXIX.--How Domingo de Irala arrived 167

CHAP. XL.--What Gonzalo de Mendoza wrote 170

CHAP. XLI.--How the governor helped those who were with
Gonzalo de Mendoza 172

CHAP. XLII.--How four Christians died of their wounds
during this war 173

CHAP. XLIII.--How the friars took to flight 175

CHAP. XLIV.--How the governor took four hundred men on his
voyage of discovery 177

CHAP. XLV.--How the governor left part of the provisions he
had brought with him 179

CHAP. XLVI.--How he stopped to speak with the natives of
another port and land 180

CHAP. XLVII.--How he sent for an interpreter to treat with
the Payaguás 182

CHAP. XLVIII.--How the horses were embarked in the port 183

CHAP. XLIX.--How Juan de Ayolas entered the port where he
and his Christians were killed 185

CHAP. L.--How the interpreter and those who had promised to
come failed to do so 188

CHAP. LI.--How the Guaxarapos spoke with the governor 192

CHAP. LII.--How the Indians come and establish themselves on
the shore of the river 193

CHAP. LIII.--How they erected three crosses at the mouth of
the river Yguatú 196

CHAP. LIV.--How the Indians of the port of Los Reyes cultivate
the soil 199

CHAP. LV.--How the Indians of Garcia settled in this place 202

CHAP. LVI.--How they spoke with the Chaneses 203

CHAP. LVII.--How the governor sent to find out the Indians of
Garcia 204

CHAP. LVIII.--How the governor held a council with his officers
and informed them of what was passing 205

CHAP. LIX.--How the governor sent an expedition to the Xarayes 207

CHAP. LX.--How the interpreters came back from the Xarayes 212

CHAP. LXI.--How the governor decided on entering the country 215

CHAP. LXII.--How the governor arrived at the Rio Caliente 216

CHAP. LXIII.--How the governor sent to discover the house
which was further on 218

CHAP. LXIV.--How the interpreter returned from the Indian
habitation 219

CHAP. LXV.--How the governor and his people returned to the
port of Los Reyes 221

CHAP. LXVI.--How the Indians would have killed those who
remained at the port of Los Reyes 222

CHAP. LXVII.--How the governor sent Captain Mendoza in
search of provisions 223

CHAP. LXVIII.--How he sent a brigantine to discover the river
of the Xarayes with Captain de Ribera 225

CHAP. LXIX.--How Captain Francisco de Ribera returned from
his exploration 228

CHAP. LXX.--How Captain Francisco de Ribera reported of his
discovery 229

CHAP. LXXI.--How the governor sent for Gonzalo de Mendoza 233

CHAP. LXXII.--How Hernando de Ribera returned from his
exploration along the river 236

CHAP. LXXIII.--What befell the governor and his people in
the port of Los Reyes 237

CHAP. LXXIV.--How the governor, having arrived with his
people at the town of Ascension, was made a prisoner 239

CHAP. LXXV.--How the population assembled before the house
of Domingo de Irala 243

CHAP. LXXVI.--Of the tumults and disturbances that took
place in the country 245

CHAP. LXXVII.--How the governor was kept in prison 247

CHAP. LXXVIII.--How the insurgents ravaged the land and
took possession of the property of the inhabitants 249

CHAP. LXXIX.--How the monks left the country 250

CHAP. LXXX.--How they tortured those who were not on
their side 252

CHAP. LXXXI.--How they wished to kill a sheriff who had
made them a requisition 253

CHAP. LXXXII.--How the insurgents gave the Indians permission
to eat human flesh 254

CHAP. LXXXIII.--How the insurgents had to write to His
Majesty and send him a report 256

CHAP. LXXXIV.--How they gave arsenic three times to the
governor during the voyage 259

NARRATIVE OF HERNANDO DE RIBERA 263

INDEX 271

ILLUSTRATION.

Map of South America in the XVI Century.

CORRIGENDA.

Page 1, title, _for_ Von Straubingen, _read_ of Straubing.
" 15, line 27, _for_ lakes ix, _read_ lake six.
" 16, last line, _for_ salnaischo, _read_ saluaischo.
" 24, note, _for_ for mof, _read_ form of.
" 32, line 15, _for_ St. Catherine, _read_ Sta. Catharina.
" 43, note, _for_ Guaragos, _read_ Guarayos.
" 80, line 4, _for_ Schmiedel, _read_ Schmidt.
" 83, note, _for_ Uruguai, _read_ Uruguay.
" 106, line 18, _for_ Estropiñan, _read_ Estopiñan.
" 107, line 4, _for_ Estropiñan, _read_ Estopiñan.