A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies

B >> Bartolome de las Casas >> A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

The Third Kingdom was distinguished by the Appellation of _Maquana,_
another admirable, healthful and fruitful Region, where at present the
most refined sugar of the Island is made. _Caonabo_ then reigned there,
who surmounted all the rest in Power, State, and the splendid
Ceremonies of His Government. This King beyond all expectation was
surpriz'd in his own Palace, by the great subtilty and industry of the
_Spaniards,_ and after carried on board in order to his transportation
to _Castile,_ but there being at that time six Ships Riding in the
Haven, and ready to set Sail such an impetuous storm suddenly arose,
that they as well as the Passengers and Ships Crew were all lost,
together with King _Canabao_ loaded with Irons; by which judgement the
Almighty declared that this was as unjust and impious an Act as any of
the former. This Kind had three or four Brothers then Living, Men of
strength and Valour, who being highly incensed at the Captivity of
their King and Brother, to which he was injuriously reduc'd, having
also intelligence of the Devastations and Butcheries committed by the
_Spaniards_ in other Regions, and not long after hearing of their
Brothers death, took up Arms to revenge themselves of the Enemy, whom
the _Spaniards_ met with, and certain party of Horse (which proved very
offensive to the _Indians_) made such havoc and slaughter among them,
that the half of this Kingdom was laid waste and depopulated.

_Xaraqua_ is the Fourth Kingdom, and as it were the Centre and Middle
of the whole Island, and is not to be equalled for fluency of Speech
and politeness of Idiom or Dialect by any Inhabitants of the other
Kingdoms, and in Policy and Morality transcends them all. Herein the
Lords and Peers abounded, and the very Populace excelled in in stature
and habit of Body: Their King was _Behechio_ by name and who had a
Sister called _Anacaona,_ and both the Brother as well as Sister had
loaded the _Spaniards_ with Benefits and singular acts of Civility, and
by delivering them from the evident and apparent danger of Death, did
signal services to the _Castilian_ Kings. _Behechio_ dying the supreme
power of the Kingdom fell to _Anacaona:_ But it hapned one day, that
the Governour of an Island, attended by 60 Horse, and 30 Foot (now the
Cavalry was sufficiently able to unpeople not only the Isle, but also
the whole Continent) he summoned about 300 Dynasta's, or Noblemen to
appear before him, and commanded the most powerful of them, being first
crouded into a Thatcht Barn or Hovel, to be exposed to the fury of the
merciless Fire, and the rest to be pierced with Lances, and run through
with the point of the Sword, by a multitude of Men: And _Anacaona_ her
self who (as we said before,) sway'd the Imperial Scepter, to her
greater honor was hanged on a Gibbet. And if it fell out that any
person instigated by Compassion or Covetousness, did entertain any
_Indian_ Boys and mount them on Horses, to prevent their Murder,
another was appointed to follow them, who ran them through the back or
in the hinder parts, and if they chanced to escape Death, and fall to
the ground, they immediately cut off his Legs; and when any of those
_Indians,_ that survived these Barbarous Massacres, betook themselves
to an Isle eight miles distant, to escape their Butcheries, they were
then committed to servitude during Life.

The Fifth Kingdom was _Hiquey,_ over whom Queen _Hiquanama,_ a
superannuated Princess, whome the _Spaniards_ Crucified, did preside
and Govern. The number of those I saw here burnt, and dismembered, and
rackt with various Torments, as well as others, the poor Remnants of
such matchless Villanies, who surviving were enslaved, is infinite.
But because so much might be said concerning the Assassinations and
Depopulating of these people, as cannot without great difficulty be
published in Writing (nor do I conceive that one fragile part of 1000
that is here contained can be fully displayed) I will only add one
remark more of the prementioned Wars, in lieu of a Corollary or
Conclusion, and aver upon my Conscience, that notwithstanding all the
above-named Injustice, profligate Enormities and other Crimes which I
omit, (tho sufficiently known to me) the _Indians_ did not, nor was it
in their power to give any greater occasion for the Commission of them,
than Pious Religioso's Living in a well regulated Monastic Life did
afford for any Sacrilegeous Villains to deprive them of their Goods and
Life at the same time, or why they who by flight avoided death should
be detain'd in perpetual, not to be ransom'd Captivity and Slavery. I
adde farther, that I really believe, and am satisfied by certain
undeniable conjectures, that at the very juncture of time, when all
these outrages were commited in this Isle, the _Indians_ were not so
much guilty of one single mortal sin of Commission against the
_Spaniards_, that might deserve from any Man revenge or require
satisfaction. And as for those sins, the punishment whereof God hath
reserved to himself, as the immoderate desire of Revenge, Hatred, Envy
or inward rancor of Spirit, to which they might be transported against
such Capital Enemies as the _Spaniards_ were, I judge that very few of
them can justly be accused of them; for their impetuosity and vigor I
speak experimentally, was inferior to that of Children of ten or twelve
years of age: and this I can assure you, that the _Indians_ had ever a
just cause of raising War against the _Spaniards_, and the _Spaniards_
on the contrary never raised a just was against them, but what was more
injurious and groundless then any undertaken by the worst of Tyrants.
All which I affirm of all their other Transactions and passages in
_America_.

The Warlike Engagements being over, and the Inhabitants all swept away,
they divided among themselves the Young Men, Women, and Children
reserved promiscuously for that purpose, one obtained thirty, another
forty, to this Man one hundred were disposed, to the other two hundred,
and the more one was in favor with the domineering Tyrant (which they
styled Governor) the more he became Master of, upon this pretence, and
with this Proviso, that he should see them instructed in the Catholick
Religion, when as they themselves to whom they were committed to be
taught, and the care of their Souls instructed them were, for the major
part Idiots, Cruel, Avaritious, infected and stained with all sorts of
Vices. And this was the great care they had of them, they sent the
Males to the Mines to dig and bring away the Gold, which is an
intollerable labor; but the Women they made use of to Manure and Till
the ground, which is a toil most irksome even to Men of the strongest
and most robust constitutions, allowing them no other food but Herbage,
and such kind of unsubstantial nutriment, so that the Nursing Womens
Milk was exsiccated and so dryed up, that the young Infants lately
brought forth, all perished, and females being separated from and
debarred cohabitation with Men, there was no Prolification or raising
up issue among them. The Men died in Mines, hunger starved and
oppressed with labor, and the Women perished in the Fields, harrassed
and broken with the like Evils and Calamities: Thus an infinite number
of Inhabitants that formerly peopled this Island were exterminated and
dwindled away to nothing by such Consumptions. They were compelled to
carry burthens of eighty or one hundred pound weight, and that an
hundred or two hundred miles compleat: and the _Spaniards_ were born by
them on the Shoulders in a pensil Vehicle or Carriage, or kind of Beds
made of Net-work by the _Indians_; for in Truth they made use of them
as Beasts to carry the burthens and cumbersom baggage of their
journeys, insomuch that it frequently happened, that the Shoulders and
Backs of the _Indians_ were deeply marked with their scourges and
stripes, just as they used to serve a tired Jade, accustomed to
burthens. And as to those slashes with whips, blows with staves, cuffs
and boxes, maledictions and curses, with a Thousand of such kind of
Torments they suffered during the fatigue of their laborious journeys
it would require a long tract of time, and many Reams of Paper to
describe them, and when all were done would only create Horror and
Consternation in the Reader.

But here is is observable, that the desolation of these Isles and
Provinces took beginning since the decease of the most Serene Queen
_Isabella_, about the year 1504, for before that time very few of the
Provinces situated in that Island were oppressed or spoiled with unjust
Wars, or violated with general devastation as after they were, and most
if not all these things were concealed and masked from the Queens
knowledge (whom I hope God hath crowned with Eternal Glory) for she was
transported with fervent and wonderful zeal, nay, almost Divine desires
for the Salvation and preservation of these people, which things so
exemplary as these we having seen with our eyes, and felt with our
hands, cannot easily be forgotten.

Take this also for a general Rule, that the _Spaniards_ upon what
_American_ Coasts soever they arrived, exercised the same Cruelties,
Slaughters, Tyrannies and detestable Oppressions on the most innocent
_Indian_ Nation, and diverting themselves with delights in new sorts
of Torment, did in time improve in Barbarism and Cruelty; wherewith the
Omnipotent being incensed suffered them to fail by a more desperate and
dangerous lapse into a reprobate state.

_Of the Isles of St._ John _and_ Jamaica.

In the Year 1509, the _Spaniards_ sailed to the Islands of St. _John_
and _Jamaica_ (resembling Gardensa and Bee-hives) with the same purpose
and design they proposed to themselves in the Isle of _Hispaniola_,
perpetrating innumerable Robberies and Villanies as before; whereunto
they added unheard of Cruelties by Murdering, Burning, Roasting, and
Exposing Men to be torn to pieces by Dogs; and Finally by afflicting
and harassing them with un-exampled Oppressions and torments in the
Mines, they spoiled and unpeopled this Contrey of these Innocents.
These two Isles containing six hundred thousand at least, though at
this day there are scarce two hundred men to be found in either of
them, the remainder perishing without the knowledge of Christian Faith
or Sacrament.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

_Of the Isle of _Cuba.

In the Year of our Lord 1511. They passed over to _Cuba_, which
contains as much ground in length as there is distance between
_Valledolid_ and _Rome_, well furnished with large and stately
Provinces and very populous, against whom they proceeded with no more
humanity and Clemency, or indeed to speak truth with greater Savageness
and Brutality. Several memorable Transactions worthy observation,
passed in this Island. A certain _Cacic_ a potent Peer, named
_Hathney_, who not long before fled _Hispaniola_ to _Cuba_ for Refuge
from Death, or Captivity during Life; and understanding by certain
_Indians_ that the _Spaniards_ intended to steer their course thither,
made this Oration to all his People Assembled together.

You are not ignorant that there is a rumor spread abroad among us of
the _Spaniards_ Arrival, and are sensible by woeful experience how such
and such (naming them) and _Hayti_ (so they term _Hispaniola_ in their
own language) with their Inhabitants have been treated by them, that
they design to visit us with equal intentions of committing such acts
as they have hitherto been guilty of. But do you not know the cause and
reason of their coming? We are altogether ignorant of it, they
replied, but sufficiently satisfied that they are cruelly and wickedly
inclined: Then thus, he said, they adore a certain Covetous Deity,
whose cravings are not to be satisfied by a few moderate offerings, but
they may answer his Adoration and Worship, demand many unreasonable
things of us, and use their utmost endeavors to subjugate and
afterwards murder us. Then taking up a Cask or Cabinet near at hand,
full of Gold and Gems, he proceeded in this manner: This is the
_Spaniards_ God, and in honour of him if you think well of it, let us
celebrate our _Arcytos_ (which are certain kinds of Dances and caprings
used among them); and by this means his Deity being appeas'd, he will
impose his Commands on the Spaniards that they shall not for the future
molest us; who all unanimously with one consent in a loud tone made
this reply. Well said, Well said, and thus they continued skipping and
dancing before this Cabinet, without the least intermission, till they
were quite tired and grown weary: Then the Noble _Hathney_ re-assuming
his discourse, said, if we Worship this Deity, till ye be ravished from
us, we shall be destroyed, therefore I judge it convenient, upon mature
deliberation, that we cast it into the River, which advice was approved
of by all without opposition, and the Cabinet thrown in to the next
River.

When the Spaniards first touched this Island, this _Cacic_, who was
thoroughly acquainted with them, did avoid and shun them as much as in
him lay, and defended himself by force of Arms, wherever he met with
them, but at length being taken he was burnt alive, for flying from so
unjust and cruel a Nation, and endeavuoring to secure his Life against
them, who only thirsted after the blood of himself and his own People.
Now being bound to the post, in order of his Execution a certain Holy
Monk of the _Franciscan_ Order, discours'd with him concerning God and
the Articles of our Faith, which he never heard of before, and which
might be satisfactory and advantagious to him, considering the small
time allow'd him by the Executioner, promising him Eternal Glory and
Repose, if he truly believ'd them, or other wise Everlasting Torments.
After that _Hathney_ had been silently pensive sometime, he askt the
Monk whether the _Spaniards_ also were admitted into Heaven, and he
answering that the Gates of Heaven were open to all that were Good and
Godly, the _Cacic_ replied without further consideration, that he would
rather go to Hell then Heaven, for fear he should cohabit in the same
Mansion with so Sanguinary and Bloody a Nation. And thus God and the
Holy Catholick Faith are Praised and Reverenced by the Practices of the
_Spaniards_ in _America_.

Once it so hapned, that the Citizens of a Famous City, distant Ten
Miles from the place where we then resided, came to meet us with a
splendid Retinue, to render their Visit more Honourable, bringing with
them delicious Viands, and such kind of Dainties, with as great a
quantity of Fish as they could possibly procure, and distributing them
among us; but behold on a sudden, some wicked Devil possessing the
minds of the _Spaniards_, agitated them with great fury, that I being
present, and without the least Pretence or Occasion offered, they cut
off in cold Blood above Three Thousand Men, Women and Children
promiscuously, such Inhumanities and Barbarisms were committed in my
sight, as no Age can parallel.

Some time after I dispatch Messengers to all the Rulers of the Province
of _Havana_, that they would by no means be terrified, or seek their
refuge by absence and flight, but to meet us, and that I would engage
(for they understood my Authority) that they should not receive the
least of Injuries; for the whole Country was extremely afflicted at the
Evils and Mischiefs already perpetrated, and this I did with the
advice of their Captain. As soon as we approached the Province, Two
and Twenty of their Noblemen came forth to meet us, whom the Captain
contrary to his Faith given, would have expos'd to the Flames,
alledging that it was expedient they should be put to Death, who were,
at any time, capacitated to use any Stratagem against us, but with
great difficulty and much adoe, I snatcht them out of the fire.

These Islanders of _Cuba_, being reduc'd to the same Vasselage and
Misery as the Inhabitants of _Hispaniola_, seeing themselves perish and
dy without any redress, fled to the Mountains for shelter, but other
Desperado's, put a period to their days with a Halter, and the Husband,
together with his Wife and Children, hanging himself, put an end to
those Calamities.

By the ferocity of one _Spanish_ Tyrant (whom I knew) above Two Hundred
_Indians_ hang'd themselves of their own accord; and a multitude of
People perished by this kind of Death.

A certain Person here in the same Isle constituted to exercise a kind
of Royal Power, hapned to have Three Hundred _Indians_ fall to his
share, of which in Three Months, through excessive labour, One Hundred
and Sixty were destroy'd, insomuch that in a short space there remained
but a tenth part alive, namely Thirty, but when the number was doubled,
they all perisht at the same rate, and all that were bestow'd upon him
lost their lives, till at length he paid his last Debt to Nature and
the Devil.

In Three or Four Months time I being there present, Six Thousand
Children and upward were murder'd, because they had lost their Parents
who labour'd in the Mines; nay I was a Witness of many other stupendous
Villanies.

But afterward they consulted how to persecute those that lay hid in the
Mountains, who were miserably massacred, and consequently this Isle
made desolate, which I saw not long after, and certainly it is a
dreadful and depolorable sight to behold it thus unpeopled and laid
waste, like a Desert.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

_Of the_ CONTINENT.

In the Year 1514, a certain unhappy Governour Landed on the firm Land
or Continent, a most bloody Tyrant, destitute of all Mercy and
Prudence, the Instrument of God's Wrath, with a Resolution to people
these parts with _Spaniards_; and although some Tyrants had touched
here before him, and Cruelty hurried them into the other World by
several wayes of Slaughter, yet they came no farther than to the Sea
Coast, where they comitted podigious Thefts and Robberies, but this
Person exceeded all that ever dwelt in other Islands, though execrable
and profligate Villains: for he did not only ravage and depopulate the
Sea-Coast, but buried the largest Regions and most ample Kingdoms in
their own Ruins, sending Thousdands to Hell by his Butcheries. He made
Incursions for many Miles continuance, that is to say, in those
Countries that are included in the Territories of _Darien_ and the
Provinces of _Nicaraqua_, where are near Five Hundred Miles of the most
Fertil Land in the World, and the most opulent for Gold of all the
Regions hitherto discover'd. And although _Spain_ has bin sufficiently
furnished with the purest Gold, yet it was dig'd out of the Bowels and
Mines of the said Countries by the _Indians_, where (as we have said)
they perished.

This Ruler, with his Complices found out new inventions to rack,
torment, force and extort Gold from the _Indians_. One of his Captains
in a certain Excursion undertaken by the Command of his Governeur to
make Depraedations, destroy'd Forty Thousand Persons and better
exposing them to the edge of the Sword, Fire, Dogs and variety of
Torments; of all which a Religious Man of the Order of St. _Francis,
Franciscus de S. Romano_, who was then present was an Eye-Witness.

Great and Injurious was the blindness of those praesided over the
_Indians_; as to the Conversion and Salvation of this People: for they
denyed in Effect what they in their flourishing Discourse pretended to,
and declar'd with their Tongue what they contradicted in their Heart;
for it came to this pass, that the _Indians_ should be commanded on the
penalty of a bloody War, Death, and perpetual Bondage, to embrace the
Christian Faith, and submit to the Obedience of the _Spanish_ King; as
if the Son of God, who suffered Death for the Redemption of all
Mankind, had enacted a Law, when he pronounced these words, _Go and
teach all Nations_ that Infidels, living peaceably and quietly in their
Hereditary Native Country, should be impos'd upon pain of Confiscation
of all their Chattels, Lands, Liberty, Wives, Children, and Death
itself, without any precedent instruction to Confess and Acknowledge
the true God, and subject themselves to a King, whom they never saw, or
heard mention'd before; and whose Messengers behav'd themselves toward
them with such Inhumanity and Cruelty as they had done hitherto. Which
is certainly a most foppish and absurd way of Proceeding, and merits
nothing but Scandal, Derision, nay Hell itself. Now suppose this
Notorious and Profligate Governour had bin impower'd to see the
Execution of these Edicts perform'd, for of themselves they were
repugnant both to Law and Equity; yet he commanded (or they who were to
see the Execution thereof, did it of their own Heads without Authority)
that when they phansied or proposed to themselves any place, that was
well stor'd with Gold, to rob and feloniously steal it away from the
_Indians_ living in their Cities and Houses, without the least
suspicion of any ill Act. These wicked _Spaniards_, like Theives came
to any place by stealth, half a Mile off of any City, Town or Village,
and there in the Night published and proclaim'd the Edict among
themselves after this manner:

You _Cacics_ and _Indians_ of this Continent, the Inhabitants of such
a Place, which they named; We declare or be it known to you all, that
there is but one God, one hope, and one King of _Castile_, who is Lord
of these Countries; appear forth without delay, and take the oath of
Allegiance to the _Spanish_ King, as his Vassals.

So about the Fourth Watch of the Night, or Three in the Morning these
poor Innocents overwhelm'd with heavy Sleep, ran violently on that place
they named, set Fire to their Hovels, which were all thatcht, and so,
without Notice, burnt Men, Women and Children; kill'd whom they pleas'd
upon the Spot; but those they preserv'd as Captives, were compell'd
throughTorments to confess where they had hid the Gold, when they found
little or none at their Houses; but they who liv'd being first
stigmatized, were made Slaves; yet after the Fire was extinguisht, they
came hastily in quest of the Gold. Thus did this Wicked Man, devoted to
all the Infernal Furies, behave himself with the Assistance of Profligate
Christians, whom he had lifted in his Service from the 14th to the 21. or
22. Year, together with his Domestick Servants and Followers, from whom he
received as many Portions, besides what he had from his Slaves in Gold,
Pearls, and Jewels, as the Chief Governor would have taken, and all
that were constituted to execute any kind of Kingly Office followed in
the same Footsteps; every one sending as many of his Servants as he
could spare, to share in the spoil. Nay he that came hither as Biship
first of all did the same also, And at the vory time (as I conjecture)
the _Spaniards_ did depraedate or rob this Kingdom of above Ten Hundred
Thousand Crowns of Gold: Yet all these their Thefts and Felonies, we
scarce find upon Record that Three Hundred Thousand _Castilian_ Crowns
ever came into the _Spanish_ King's Coffers; yet there were above Eight
Hundred Thousand Men slain: The other Tyrants who governed this Kingdom
afterward to the Three and Thirtieth year, depriv'd all of them of Life
that remain'd among the Inhabitants.

Among all those flagitious Acts committed by this Governour while he
rul'd this Kindom, or by his Consent and Permission this must by no
means be omitted: A certain _Casic_, bestowing on him a Gift,
voluntarily, or (which is more probably) induced thereunto by Fear,
about the weight of Nine Thousand Crowns, but the _Spaniards_ not
satisfied with so fast a Sum of Money, sieze him, fix him to a Pole;
extended his Feet, which being mov'd near the Fire, they demanded a
larger Sum; the _Casic_ overcome with Torments, sending home, procur'd
Three Thousand more to be brought and presented to them: But the
_Spaniards_, adding new Torments to new Rage and Fury, when they found
he would confer no more upon them, which was because he could not, or
otherwize because he would not, they expos'd him for so long to that
Torture, till by degrees of heat the Marrow gusht out of the Soles of
his Feet, and so he dyed; Thus they often murder'd the Lords and Nobles
which such Torments to Extort the Gold from them.

One time it hapned that a Century or Party of One Hundred _Spaniards_
making Excursions, came to a Mountain, where many People shunning so
horrid and pernicious an Enemy conceal'd themselves, who immediately
rushing on them, putting all to the Sword they could meet with, and
then secur'd Seventy or Eighty Married Women as well as Virgins
Captives; but a great Number of _Indians_ with a fervent desire of
recovering their Wives and Daughters appear'd in Arms against the
_Spaniards_, and when they drew near the Enemy, they unwilling to lose
the Prey, run the Wives and Maidens through with their Swords. The
_Indians_ through Grief and Trouble, smiting their Breasts, brake out
into these Exclamations. O perverse Generation of Men! O Cruel
_Spaniards_! What do you Murder _las Iras_? (In their Language they
call Women by the Name of _las Iras_ as if they had said: To slay Women
is an Act of bloody minded Men, worse than Brutes and Wild Beasts.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8