306 
ÄBERISTO, the Brazilian. 
859. We all knew beforehand that the war was not going to last 
long, but none of us had imagined that it was not going to break out 
at all. On this account the dreams of many a soul yearning to achieve 
great deeds of triumph still remained visionary but as the present 
business was to get so secuiely intrenched as to make the surprise-attack 
by a more numerous military force, which had always to be reckoned on, 
as difficult as possible, the field of honour at the same time developed 
alas, into a scene of hard labour. To us people of peace on the contrary 
this state of affairs was all the more welcome because there was now 
nothing to obstruct or hinder our aims and objects of which we naturally 
had been many a time fearful. As soon as Mr. Youd explained to the 
wondering Indians that the redcoats with the black heads had only come 
to protect them from the “Oaraibas,” every one was ready to help 
transport the ammunition and baggage over from the Awaricuru. 
800. My brother was not a little surprised to find in Pirara an old 
Brazilian acquaintance who now represented liimseelf as the assistant 
and servant of Friar Jose dos Santos Innocentes. Abensto had also 
remained behind at Pirara with the three Brazilians, and now tried his 
level best to render himself useful. My brother had already made his 
acquaintance in a strange way during his stay at Annay in 1835 when 
4 he learnt not only his story, but also his character. While a number 
of Indians were visiting him at Annay one day at his house, one of the 
strangers suddenly picked up a weapon that was at hand and went 
through the whole infantry exercise with such remarkable precision 
as to call forth the loudly expressed astonishment of Lieutenant 
Hanning, who was then accompanying the expedition as volunteer. The 
Indian thereupon took a bit of paper and with a pencil wrote a 
Portuguese greeting on it. As niy brother spoke Portuguese it soon 
transpired that the man was a Brazilian soldier who, to escape pursuit 
on account of the killing of the commandant at Fort Sao Joaquim had 
fled to the Indians. On account of the severe and tyrannical treatment 
under which the garrison were labouring they hatched a conspiracy, 
incited by Aberisto’s thirst for revenge, to murder the officer. Aberisto 
executed the deed while on guard duty at the gate of the Fort by stabbing 
his man with a dagger from behind just as he was mounting his horse 
for the usual evening promenade: the remaining conspirators had there- 
upon rushed forward and killed the already expiring man outright with 
some cannon-balls that had been heaped close at hand. Aberisto fled 
and was at first pursued it is true, but by being so cunning escaped all 
early attempts at capture which were soon abandoned, and lived among 
the Macusis up to the time of the arrival of Friar Jose. During this 
interval he had repeatedly placed obstacles in the way of Mr. Youd’s 
efforts, with the result that when the latter got to Georgetown he 
obtained the Governor’s order for Aberisto’s expulsion from the settle« 
ment, in spite of his having lived here so long before, if by chance he 
were found in Pirara after the withdrawal of the Brazilians. Aberisto 
had not only known how to approach Friar Jose when he came, but also 
to render his services indispensable: it was through the latter’s 
mediation that he had been granted pardon and was appointed Mission 
assistant. 
