Difficulties That Came With Colonizing
The colonists' city was surrounded by a hastily made three-feet-thick adobe wall made of mud. Every time it rained it nearly melted away. Along with this occasionally deteriorating wall, the colonists had to deal with another problem: famine. Food eventually became scarce, and the residents had to resort to eating rats, mice, snakes, lizards, rawhide boots, and even the bodies of those who died.
In addition to these difficulties, a coalition of the natives formed. They attacked the city again and again, many times leaving the city almost completely burned to the ground. Still suffering from syphilis, Mendoza appointed Juan de Ayolas to succeed him as captain-general.
Ayolas dealt with the problem by sailing up the Parana River with a large part of the remaining force. They defeated the Guaranies, made a treaty of friendship with them, and then Ayolas found the city of Asuncion (in Paraguay) in 1537.
Read more about this topic: Pedro De Mendoza
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