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j 123 C H A P T E R F I F T Y- E I G H T The Governor Speaks to the Officials and Lets Them Know What Is Happening After this the Governor called all the officials and clerics together, informing them of the account given by the Xarayes and Guaranis who were then on the frontier. He agreed that, just to be safe, some of the Indians who were natives of the port should go along with two Spaniards and two Guaranis to talk to the Xarayes and look over their land and settlements. “These men should then tell us about the towns and people of the interior,” he said, “after speaking with the people of the settlements and the residents of the lands beyond. Where does the route lie from their country to the interior? And our Spaniards need to be particularly courtly as they speak with the Guaranis, because through them they will most certainly be best advised of conditions and come to know the truth of what lies ahead.” Well, the two Spaniards, Héctor de Acuña and Antonio Correa, interpreters and translators working with the Guaranis, along with about ten Sococies and two Guarani Indians, left that same day. Their orders were to talk to the chief of the Xarayes. “Speak with the chief of the Xarayes,” said the Governor, “and tell him that I’ve sent you so that you might converse with him and come to know him and his people. We hope he and his people will accept us as their friends. I would also like to ask him to come and see me.” The Governor wanted the Xaray chief to tell the Spaniards about the settlements and people of the interior and the best route to take to get to them. The Governor loaded up these Spaniards with a lot of trinkets and trade goods and a scarlet bonnet to give to the chief of the Xarayes. He got together an equal series of presents for the chief of the Guaranis, so that they might also convey his wishes to the Xaray chief. 124 j C H A P T E R F I F T Y - E I G H T One day shortly thereafter, Captain Gonzalo de Mendoza arrived back at the port with his men and ships. The captain and his men said that on the evening of Todos Santos, he was sailing through the country of the Guaxarapos, having talked once with them and come to the conclusion that they were friendly. 1 He had spoken with them first on his way upriver, at a time when the weather was no good for sailing. Some of the Spaniards in his brigantines had jumped out and were making their way by land, and as Mendoza passed, through some twist or turn of the river the wind caught the sails of the five brigantines in front. The one boat that was left behind, which was a brigantine whose captain was Agustín de Campos, was being towed by all her men, who were ashore. The Guaxarapos suddenly rushed out of the bush, hitting them hard and killing five Christians. Juan de Bolaños drowned while trying to take refuge in the ship. All our men had been traveling along safe and secure, thinking the Indians were their friends, trusting them and taking no precautions for themselves. And if the other Christians had not gotten back to the one brigantine , the Indians would have killed them all, as they had no arms with which to defend themselves or cause anyone else any harm. The death of our Christians caused grave damage to our reputation, as the Guaxarapos freely traveled in their canoes to visit and trade with the Indians of Puerto Reyes, with whom they were friends. The Guaxarapos told them how they had killed five Christians and that we were gutless. They said we had tender heads, and that the Indians of Puerto Reyes should grab us and kill us and that the Guaxarapos would help them do it. From that point forward they were in open revolt, and they did indeed begin to put bad thoughts into the minds of our Indians in Puerto Reyes. ...

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