He enjoyed every thing but the name of Cacique. He was born of a most honourable family amongst the Riikahés, and nearly related to Debayakaikin, who taught him, when a boy, to sit a horse, and to manage it. He was exceedingly tall, with an oval face, an aquiline nose, and strength adequate to all of the fatigues of warfare; indeed, the whole conformation of his body was exactly expressive of, and suitable to a military man. On the strength of a peace, established between the Riikahés and the people of Sta. Fè, the youth Ychoalay visited that city, and served the Spaniards for hire, either as a breaker-in of horses, or a guard in the estates. At length he assumed the name of his master, Benavides, and by this name he was afterwards known, when a leader of the Abipones, and an enemy to the Spaniards; though his own countrymen called him Oahari in his boyhood, and at a more advanced period of his life, Ychoalay. Though averse to the Christian religion, he was so desirous of an acquaintance with the Spanish language, that in order to be more sure of attaining it, he went from Sta. Fè to the kingdom of Chili, whither a Spaniard was returning with a number of waggons: this man he served on the journey as a driver, and afterwards as a cultivator of vines, at Mendoza. Ychoalay, ever mindful of his origin, constantly showed himself the soldier, never appearing out of doors without a spear, and manifesting courage superior to that of the rest. Hence, when his companions were robbed or murdered by the Charruas or Pampas, in the deserts of Paraguay, Ychoalay, repelling force by force, remained a survivor. Some years after, he returned from Mendoza to Sta. Fè, and on his masters' refusing to pay him his wages, became disgusted with the Spaniards. Anger was turned into rage, when he learnt from a Spaniard of Cordoba, that his life had been attempted by an inhabitant of Sta. Fè. Weary of his condition, and of the society of the Spaniards, he rejoined the Abipones, who were, at that time, harassing the territories of Cordoba with daily inroads, and accompanied his countrymen in all their plundering excursions, displaying so much valour as caused him to be soon after promoted from a fellow-soldier to be a leader of others. Shrewd and active, he always executed with wonderful bravery, and equal good fortune, whatever he planned to the injury of the Spaniards. He had a great share in all the victories which I have related as being obtained over the Spaniards, and in all the dangers and slaughters inflicted upon them. Frequent and successful expeditions gained him so much celebrity, that he was as much honoured by his own people as feared by others.