A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies: Or, a faithful NARRATIVE OF THE Horrid and Unexampled Massacres, Butcheries, and all manner of Cruelties, that Hell and Malice could invent, committed by the Popish Spanish Party on the inhabitants of West-India, TOGETHER With the Devastations of several Kingdoms in America by Fire and Sword, for the space of Forty and Two Years, from the time of its first Discovery by them.Casas, Bartolomé de las
History
A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies: Or, a faithful NARRATIVE OF THE Horrid and Unexampled Massacres, Butcheries, and all manner of Cruelties, that Hell and Malice could invent, committed by the Popish Spanish Party on the inhabitants of West-India, TOGETHER With the Devastations of several Kingdoms in America by Fire and Sword, for the space of Forty and Two Years, from the time of its first Discovery by them.
Casas, Bartolomé de las
Indians, Treatment of -- Latin America; Spain -- Colonies -- America
They made the supream Lord of the Province a Slave, to squeeze his Gold
from him, racking him to extort his confession who escaping fled into
the Mountains, their common Sanctuary, and his Subjects lying absconded
in the Thickets of the Woods, were stir'd up to Sedition and Tumult or
Mutiny. The _Spaniards_ follow and destroy many of them, but those
that were taken alive and in their power were all publickly sold for
Slaves by the Common Crier.
They were in all Provinces they came into entertained and welcomed by
the _Indians_ with Songs, Dances and Rich Presents but Rewarded very
ungratefully with bloodshed and Slaughter. The German Captain and
Tyrant caused several of them to be clapt into a Thatcht House, and
there cut in pieces; but some of them to avoid falling by their bloody
and merciless Swords, climb'd up to the beams and Rafters of the House,
and the Governour, hearing it (O cruel Brute?) commanded Fire to be put
to it and burnt them all alive, leaving the Region desert and desolate.
They also came to another stately Province, bordering on St. _Martha_;
whose inhabitants did them many egregious and notable services,
bestowing on them innumerable quantities of Gold besides many other
gifts, but when they were upon departure, in retribution of their Civil
Treating and Deportment the German Tyrant, commanded that all the
Indians, with their Wives and Children if possible, should be taken
into Custody; inclosed in some large capacious place, and that there it
should be signified unto them, whosoever desired to be set at Liberty
should redeem himself at the Will and Pleasure (as to price;) of the
unjust Governour, or at a certain rate imposed upon himself, his wife
and every Childs head; and to expedite the business prohibited the
administration or allowance of any food to them, till the Gold required
for Redemption was paid down to the utmost grain. Several of them sent
home to discharge the demanded price of their Redemption, and procur'd
their Freedom, as well as they could by one means or other, that so
they might return to their Livelihood and profession, but not long
after he sent other Rogues and Robbers among them to enslave those that
were Redeemed.
To the same Gaol they are brought a second time, being instigated or
rather constrained to a speedy Redemption by hunger and thirst; Thus
many of them were twice or thrice taken, captiv'd and Redeedmed; but
some who were not capable of Depositing such a sum, perished there.
Farthermore this Tyrant was big with an itching desire after the
discovery of the _Perusian_ Mines, which he did accomplish. Nay should
I enumerate the particular Cruelties, Slaughters, _&c._ committed by
him though my discourse would not in the least be contrariant to the
Truth, yet it would not be beleived and only stupifie and amaze the
Reader.
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