"Were I a captive at Algiers, amongst the Moors," said he, "my life would be more tolerable than amongst these savages by whom you see me surrounded." Having entered his chamber, with the crowd of Abipones still at my side, I opened my packet to deliver the Bishop's letter to the Father, when they all thrust their hands into it, and not only examined everything, but would have stolen any of my little matters that happened to please their fancies, had they not been restrained by respect for the by-standers. Shortly after, the whole market-place resounded with the clangor of war trumpets, the neighing of horses, and the shouting of women. On my inquiring the cause of this uproar, they replied that the savage Mocobios were at hand. At the same time the Heavens bellowing with thunder, and the approaching shades of night, increased our horror. "See!" said the Father to me, "amid what daily tumults our lives are passed: to these, whether you like it or no, you must be enured." A hut, built of stakes plastered over with mud, was given me for a habitation, straw or hay for a roof, wooden shutters for a window, a rough board without a lock for a door, a piece of wood scarcely planed for a table, a bull's hide suspended on four posts for a bed, and the grassy ground, all perforated by ants, for a floor. Immense gaps in the walls and roof afforded ready admission to wind, dust, rain, and sun, as well as to serpents, gnats, and toads. The decaying palms which supported the roof distressed my ears exceedingly with the hiss of gnawing worms, and my eyes with the yellow dust that fell from them both by day and night. Great pieces of plaster, often weighing thirty pounds, broke all at once from the wall, and were more than enough to crush me had they touched any part of my body. What shall I say of my fare? Beef, either boiled or roasted, was my daily dinner and supper, and if to this some maize, or a melon, were added, we thought we had fared sumptuously; for we had not yet time to cultivate our fields or garden, to which however, afterwards, we diligently applied ourselves. Bread was never even dreamt of. The river supplied us with our only beverage, and wine could seldom be obtained even for mass. This scarcity of all necessaries will not be attributed to our own improvidence when it is recollected that the city of St. Iago, where we had to procure everything, was a hundred and seventy leagues from our town, that of Sta. Fè sixty, and that we were often prevented from attempting the journey by the inconvenience and danger which marshes and wandering savages occasioned. Such was the face of affairs for two years in that town, which may be called my apprenticeship amongst the savages, and the trial of my patience. CHAPTER XXV. THE VICISSITUDES AND DISTURBANCES OF THE COLONY.