the more injurious, because they who used, at other times, to repulse the enemies, were then fatigued with carrying on war against their friends the Guaranies. CHAPTER XXI. AN INEFFECTUAL EXPEDITION OF THE SPANIARDS AGAINST THE ABIPONES. At length the Vice-Governors of Sta. Fè and St. Iago resolved upon attacking the Abipones, who had deserted the colonies, in their northern retreats, in order to chastise and restrain their intolerable licence in plundering. Francisco de Vera Muxica, with fifty horse of Sta. Fè, came to St. Jeronymo and joined Barreda, who, though accompanied by five troop of horse of St. Iago, admitted into his society the Abipones who inhabit the town of Concepcion, with the Caciques Malakin, Debayakaikin, and Ypirikin, as these persons were well acquainted with the ways, and the retreats where the savages are accustomed to conceal themselves. Having, in a few days, travelled more than thirty leagues northward, they reached a place famous for capibaris, but could not discover a trace of the hostile Abipones, who, betaking themselves to the well known recesses of the woods, lakes, and marshes, daily eluded the Spaniards. Seven armed Abipones showed themselves on the border of a certain wood, defended by an unfordable river, and in mockery, challenged the Spaniards who passed by to fight. Ybarra, a brave master of the watch, ill enduring this jest, swam across the river with only five of his St. Iagans. But as the rest of his fellow-soldiers, whom he expected to follow him, either delayed or refused to do so, he quickly swam back again to the road, fearing, that as the sun was almost set, he should be overtaken by the shades of night, and by a multitude of savages lurking within the wood. At last despairing of a reencounter with the enemy, the Spaniards returned ingloriously home, with empty hands, and horses miserably fatigued. Some blamed Barreda for taking, as companions of his journey, the Caciques Malakin and Debayakaikin, whom, though apparently friends to the Spaniards, they thought to be treacherous in reality. More concerned for the safety of their countrymen, than for the success of the Spaniards, wherever they went, they sent secret intelligence of their approach to the wandering Abipones. That Debayakaikin was ill inclined towards the Spaniards, when he accompanied Barreda, may be inferred from this circumstance, that he shortly after quitted the town of Concepcion with the rest of his companions, rejoined those who had gone before him to the North, and became openly inimical to the Spaniards. But there, as you will presently hear, he at the same time ceased to live and to be dreaded.