The Spaniards, with great justice, attributed the whole success of this expedition to the Abipones, by whose sagacity the settlements of the savages had at first been discovered, and by whose celerity great numbers were prevented from escaping. I never could learn the exact number of persons that fell that day, but the captives of every description amounted to forty, mostly taken by the Abipones, who obtained besides a booty of an immense drove of horses belonging to the enemy. The Spanish soldiers, though they terrified all the savages by the firing of their muskets in this sudden attack, were able to wound but very few of them, owing to the circumstance of their having passed the preceding night, in order to be in readiness for pursuing their journey, on horseback amongst the trees; in which situation the gunpowder was moistened by the nocturnal dew, so that it was with the utmost difficulty that it could be afterwards made to take fire. An old Toba, who had been wounded by a bullet, drove on his family before him, defending them with an uplifted spear, till he had very nearly reached the border of the wood, without any of the Spaniards daring to oppose him; but he and his people were cut to pieces by our Cacique Oahari, with a sword which he snatched from a Spaniard as it lay idle in its sheath. The wife and two daughters of the Cacique Keebetavalkin were slain in the same manner. Not one of the Spaniards was killed, or even hurt, in this chase, rather than battle. Many of them were present only to increase the number of soldiers, and to be spectators of the assault. A Spanish boy, who had been carried away from Paraguay by the Tobas in his infancy, was set at liberty on this occasion. It is incredible how great was his abhorrence of his countrymen the Spaniards, whom he had ever considered as enemies; he was neither to be conciliated by gifts nor caresses. A Spanish woman, who was released from captivity amongst the Tobas, informed the Governor that there was a very numerous horde of Tobas, scarce two days' journey from that place; but he, disregarding the wishes of the Abipones, who urged him to attack it, alleged the weariness of the horses and scarcity of provisions as excuses for hastening his return, and deferring the attack upon that horde till another time; but that time never came. All the sensible Spaniards were indignant at the Governor's letting slip this long wished for opportunity of destroying, or at any rate chastising the atrocious nation of Tobas, whose daily business and delight it for so many years had been to cut the throats of the Spaniards. They thought that the society of the Abipones, who were of so much service in seeking out and fighting the enemy, might not hereafter be obtained without great difficulty; and that many would perhaps atone with their blood for one man's fault in neglecting such fair opportunities of victory.