I passed over the ground where Alvarado’s camp had been pitched, and where the caciques were sentenced to be burnt. Certainly the sixteenth century witnessed most extraordinary scenes of cruelty and carnage in this unhappy country. At this distance of time it is difficult to understand what could have been the reasons which impelled the Spaniards to burn the Indians in such numbers. Many of them were consigned to the flames for disobedience to orders, others upon suspicion of treasonable designs against the conquerors, others for being discovered worshipping their ancient gods, or for not conforming to the new religion. Perhaps the most inexplicable of all these cruelties is what happened soon after the conquest of the city of Mexico. Cortes, upon his return there after his expedition to Honduras, heard that during his absence, there had been a rising of Indians in one of the distant provinces, a sort of local rebellion which had been suppressed. Upon his making inquiries as to the cause of this disaffection, the principal inhabitants of the province came and reported to him that the Spaniards under whom they had been placed had burnt alive eight of their principal chiefs, five of whom died on the spot, and the remaining three a few days afterwards, and although they had demanded reparation and justice it had not been granted to them.[68] Later in the century all the penalties of the Inquisition were established, but it was found that the results of these acts to enforce the Spanish rule, and to convert the Indians were unsatisfactory. The Indians fled to the hills and forests, and would not obey the orders to form communities or villages and thus be exposed to such cruelties. Finally the punishment of burning alive was abolished, and the milder punishment of whipping at the post was introduced and has remained. It is at the present time the customary method of punishing the natives for any default or misconduct.