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
In this Isle, which, as we have said, the _Spaniards_ first attempted,
the bloody slaughter and destruction of Men first began: for they
violently forced away Women and Children to make them Slaves, and
ill-treated them, consuming and wasting their Food, which they had
purchased with great sweat, toil, and yet remained dissatisfied too,
which every one according to his strength and ability, and that was
very inconsiderable (for they provided no other Food than what was
absolutely necessary to support Nature without superfluity, freely
bestow'd on them, and one individual _Spaniard_ consumed more Victuals
in one day, than would serve to maintain Three Families a Month, every
one consisting of Ten Persons. Now being oppressed by such evil usage,
and afflicted with such greate Torments and violent Entertainment they
began to understand that such Men as those had not their Mission from
Heaven; and therefore some of them conceal'd their Provisions and
others to their Wives and Children in lurking holes, but some, to avoid
the obdurate and dreadful temper of such a Nation, sought their Refuge
on the craggy tops of Mountains; for the _Spaniards_ did not only
entertain them with Cuffs, Blows, and wicked Cudgelling, but laid
violent hands also on the Governours of Cities; and this arriv'd at
length to that height of Temerity and Impudence, that a certain Captain
was so audacious as abuse the Consort of the most puissant King of the
whole Isle. From which time they began to consider by what wayes and
means they might expel the _Spaniards_ out of their Countrey, and
immediately took up Arms. But, good God, what Arms, do you imagin?
Namely such, both Offensive and Defensive, as resemble Reeds wherewith
Boys sport with one another, more than Manly Arms and Weapons.
Which the _Spaniards_ no sooner perceived, but they, mounted on
generous Steeds, well weapon'd with Lances and Swords, begin to
exercise their bloody Butcheries and Strategems, and overrunning their
Cities and Towns, spar'd no Age, or Sex, nay not so much as Women with
Child, but ripping up their Bellies, tore them alive in pieces. They
laid Wagers among themselves, who should with a Sword at one blow cut,
or divide a Man in two; or which of them should decollate or behead a
Man, with the greatest dexterity; nay farther, which should sheath his
Sword in the Bowels of a Man with the quickest dispatch and expedition.
They snatcht young Babes from the Mothers Breasts, and then dasht out
the brains of those innocents against the Rocks; others they cast into
Rivers scoffing and jeering them, and call'd upon their Bodies when
falling with derision, the true testimony of their Cruelty, to come to
them, and inhumanely exposing others to their Merciless Swords,
together with the Mothers that gave them Life.
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