The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-05-06 00:00:00

small town called La Carman, which is under tile Buenos
Ayrian government, and which is occasionally subjected to
predatory incursions from the Aborigines, who carry off
cattle, horses, and sometimes prisoners. In the year 1836
they made a bold attempt to take possession of the town,
though it is generally protected by a large party of soldiers.
Such was the vigour of the attack that every individual in
the town capable of bearing arms was called out by the com-
mandant. Notwithstanding the powerful attempts made to
repulse them, the Indians succeeded in gaining considerable
advantage. They sacked the town, and took a number of
prisoners, whom they carried away with them to their own
territory, where they encamped. Amongst the prisoners was
an Englishman, who had been ordered by the commanding
officer to bear arms with the rest. The Indians, who were of
the Pampa tribe, immediately held a council, and, according
to their custom, led out the prisoners to put them to death.
The executioner performed his office with the singular weapon
which they use to catch wild horses. This weapon consisted
of three balls, attached at different distances to a rope of
green hide. With this they entangled the legs of the horses,
and captured them with great ease. Each of the prisoners, on
this occasion, was in succession placed opposite to an Indian,
who, holding by one ball, rapidly swung the others round his
bead, till, at length, a blow was struck which put an end to
the existence of the unfortunate individual who was doomed.
Five of the Spaniards were in this manner despatched, and the
Englishman was next led forward. He was placed opposite to
the Indian who wielded the fatal balls, and expected instant
death. His appearance, however, attracted the attention of
the chief, who, observing the fairness of his complexion,
stepped up to him, and, in broken Spanish, asked him whe-
ther he were a Christian. Fortunately, the Englishman was
aware that Christian was the term by which the Indians dis-
tinguish the Spaniards. He replied, "No ; lam an English-
man." " And how came you to fight against us ?" asked the
Indian. " I was compelled by the commandant," was the
reply. The chief ordered him to be instantly released, pro-
fessing the greatest esteem for the tribe to which the English-
man belonged and its chief. The Englishman was not less
surprised than overjoyed at his escape, as the reader may
readily believe. The chief ordered a horse to be provided
for him, and sent a guide with him to put him fairly on his
road to La Carman. The above was related to the writer by
the gentleman who experienced this rather singular proof of
kindness from the chief of the Pampas. That preference is
thus accounted for. Some years previously to the occurrence
alluded to, the English sloop-of-war Beagle was on a survey
of three years in the River Plate and round the coast of
Patagonia. During that time the captain of the Beagle made
an excursion a considerable distance up the Rio Colorado in
his boats. He established a very friendly intercourse with
the inhabitants, and made various presents to their chief.
On his departure, he erected a flag-staff, and hoisted a union
; jack thereupon. It is to this polite conduct, on the part of
the captain of the Beagle, that the gentleman alluded to
_ attributes his fortunate escape. It is also worthy of remark,
that a crew of Germans, who were cast away on the Patago-
dian coast about twelve months previously to the occurrence
above alluded to, were treated with extreme kindness by the
natives.