return towards the north, deceived by the darkness, went southward, and were driven into the market-place by a troop of Abipones. Amid such clamouring both of the pursuers and of the pursued, I do not know whether one drop of blood was shed by these heroes. This I know, that I spent a sleepless night, watching at the door of the court-yard for the protection of the old women; as my companion, who should have relieved me in my office of watchman, was tormented with a violent tooth-ache. That, too, was a memorable day when a fresh incursion of the Mocobios was averted by the craftiness of our Abipones. These savages were discovered meditating an assault upon the town in a neighbouring field. Our Abipones were all absent, except seven, which caused the Cacique Alaykin great anxiety. Hamihegemkin, a little, but very brave man, exclaimed, "Since men and strength are wanting, we must fight with cunning to-day." Forthwith he puts on a Spanish dress, and accompanied with six others approaches the Mocobios, who, suspecting that the St. Iagan soldiers were lying in wait for them, preferred flight to combat. At length, perceiving that these petty excursions, performed by detached parties, were fruitless, and even prejudicial to themselves, the Mocobios determined to assault our town with their whole force. They formed a warlike alliance with the Tobas, Lenguas, Mataguayos, Malbalaes, Yapitalakas, and Vilelas. Out of so many nations a vast number of savages was assembled, who, relying on the multitude of their confederates, and the excellence of their leaders, thought themselves hastening to victories, and rich spoils of all sorts of cattle, rather than to a contested fight. Two or three times indeed they began the journey, but were obliged to return and abandon their undertaking, at one time by a drought and consequent scarcity of water, at another by a heavy flood, and once by their horses, which were completely knocked up by the heat of the sun. Although the enemies were not able to reach our town, yet a rumour which spread amongst us respecting their numbers, and the journey they had commenced, disturbed our minds almost more than their actual presence would have done. Esteeming themselves unable to cope with such a mighty force, numbers withdrew from the colony, under pretext of a desire to hunt; and the few who remained, having their apprehensions, and their actual danger augmented by the number of seceders, were constantly filling our ears with reports of the enemy's approach, so that we were obliged to be perpetually on the watch to prevent the possibility of a surprize. To this constant war with foreign foes was added an intestine one between the two Abiponian nations, whose inveterate enmities were extremely detrimental to the progress of the new colony.