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
The Inhabitants of one of these Provinces, perceiving that four or five
of their Governours were sent to the other World in a fiery Vehicle or
Chariot, being terrified therewith, took to the Mountains for
Sanctuary, there being four or five thousand in number, as appears by
good Evidence; and the aforesaid Captain sends a Tyrant, more cruel
than any of the rest after them. The _Spaniards_ ascend the Mountains
by force (for the _Indians_ were naked an unarm'd) Proclaiming Peace,
if they would desist and lay down their Arms, which the _Indians_ no
sooner heard, but quitted their Childish Weapons; and this was no
sooner done but this Sanguinary _Spaniard_ sent some to possess
themselves of the Fortifications, and they being secur'd, to attaque
the _Indians_. Thus they, like Wolves and Lyons, did rush upon this
flock of Sheep, and were so tired with slaughter, that they were forced
to desist for a while and take breath, which done, the Captain commands
them to fall to it again at the same bloody rate, and precipitate all
that survived the Butchery, from the top of the Mountain, which was of
a prodigious height; and that was perform'd accordingly. And the
Witnesses farther declare upon Oath, that they saw the bodies of about
seven hundred _Indians_ falling from the Mount at one time, like a
Cloud obscuring the Air, who were all broken to pieces.
This very Tyrant came once to the city _Cota_, where he surprized
abundance of Men, together with fifteen or twenty Casics of the highest
rank and quality, whom he cast to the Dogs to be torn Limb-meal in
pieces, and cut off the Hands of several Men and Women, which being run
through with a pole, were exposed to be viewed and gaz'd upon by the
_Indians_, where you might see at once seventy pair of hands,
transfixed with Poles; nor is it to be forgotten, that he cut off the
Noses of many Women and Children.
The Witnesses farther depose, that the Cruelties and great Slaughters
committed in the aforesaid new Kingdom of _Granada_, by this Captain,
and other Tyrants, the Destroyers of Mankind, who accompany him, and
have power still given them by him to exercise the same, are such and
so hainous, that if his Majesty does not opportunely apply some remedy,
for the redress and prevention of such mischiefs for the future, (since
the _Indians_ are daily slaughtered to accumulate and enrich themselves
with Gold, which the Inhabitants have been so rob'd of, that they are
now grown bare, for what they had, they have disposed to the
_Spaniards_ already) this Kingdom will soon decay and be made desolate,
and consequently the Land being destitute of _Indians_, who should
manure it, will lye fallow and incultivated.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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