96 BAHIA BLANCA. [CHAP. v. 



must have been far in tho interior, for the Cordillera were in 

 sight. The Indians, men, women, and children, were about one 

 hundred and ten in number, and they were nearly all taken or 

 killed, for the soldiers sabre every man. The Indians are now so 

 terrified that they offer no resistance in a body, but each flies, 

 neglecting even his wife and children; but when overtaken, like 

 wild animals, they fight against any number to the last moment. 

 One dying Indian seized with his teeth the thumb of his adversary, 

 and allowed his own eye to be forced out sooner than relinquish 

 his hold. Another, who was wounded, feigned death, keeping a 

 knife ready to strike one more fatal blow. My informer said, when 

 lie was pursuing an Indian, the man cried out for mercy, at the 

 same time that he was covertly loosing the bolas from his waist, 

 meaning to whirl it round his head and so strike his pursuer. " I 

 however struck him with ray sabre to the ground, and then got off 

 my horse, and cut his throat with my knife." This is a dark 

 picture ; but how much more shocking is the unquestionable fact, 

 that all the women who appear above twenty years old are 

 massacred in cold blood ! When I exclaimed that this appeared 

 rather inhuman, he answered, " Why, what can be done ? they 

 1 treed so!" 



Every one here is fully convinced that this is the most just war, 

 because it is against barbarians. Who "would believe in this age 

 that such atrocities could be committed in a Christian civilized 

 country? The children of the Indians are saved, to be sold or 

 given away as servants, or rather slaves for as long a time as the 

 owners can make them believe themselves slaves ; but I believe in 

 their treatment there is little to complain of. 



In the battle four men ran away together. They were pursued, 

 one was killed, and the other three were taken alive. They turned 

 out to be messengers or ambassadors from a large body of Indians, 

 united in the common cause of defence, near the Cordillera. Tho 

 tribe to which they had been sent was on the point of holding a 

 grand council ; the feast of mare's flesh was ready, and the dance 

 prepared : in the morning the ambassadors were to have returned 

 to the Cordillera. They were remarkably fine men, very fair, 

 above six feet high, and all under thirty years of age. The three 

 survivors of course possessed very valuable information; and to 

 extort this they were placed in a line. Tho two first being 

 questioned, answered, " No se " (I do not know), and were one 



