A Description of Hispaniola.--A Relation of the French Buccaneers.
The large and rich island called Hispaniola is situate from 17 degrees
to 19 degrees latitude; the circumference is 300 leagues; the extent
from east to west 120; its breadth almost 50, being broader or
narrower at certain places. This island was first discovered by
Christopher Columbus, A.D. 1492; he being sent for this purpose by
Ferdinand, king of Spain; from which time to this present the
Spaniards have been continually possessors thereof. There are upon
this island very good and strong cities, towns, and hamlets, as well
as a great number of pleasant country houses and plantations, the
effects of the care and industry of the Spaniards its inhabitants.
The chief city and metropolis hereof is Santo Domingo; being dedicated
to St. Dominic, from whom it derives its name. It is situate towards
the south, and affords a most excellent prospect; the country round
about being embellished with innumerable rich plantations, as also
verdant meadows and fruitful gardens; all which produce plenty and
variety of excellent pleasant fruits, according to the nature of those
countries. The governor of the island resides in this city, which is,
as it were, the storehouse of all the cities, towns, and villages,
which hence export and provide themselves with all necessaries for
human life; and yet hath it this particularity above many other
cities, that it entertains no commerce with any nation but its own,
the Spaniards. The greatest part of the inhabitants are rich and
substantial merchants or shopkeepers.
Another city of this island is San Jago, or St. James, being
consecrated to that apostle. This is an open place, without walls or
castle, situate in 19 deg. latitude. The inhabitants are generally
hunters and planters, the adjacent territory and soil being very
proper for the said exercises: the city is surrounded with large and
delicious fields, as much pleasing to the view as those of Santo
Domingo; and these abound with beasts both wild and tame, yielding
vast numbers of skins and hides, very profitable to the owners.
In the south part of this island is another city, called Nuestra
Sennora de Alta Gracia. This territory produces great quantities of
cacao, whereof the inhabitants make great store of the richest
chocolate. Here grows also ginger and tobacco, and much tallow is made
of the beasts which are hereabouts hunted.
The inhabitants of this beautiful island of Hispaniola often resort in
their canoes to the isle of Savona, not far distant, where is their
chief fishery, especially of tortoises. Hither those fish constantly
resort in great multitudes, at certain seasons, there to lay their
eggs, burying them in the sands of the shoal, where, by the heat of
the sun, which in those parts is very ardent, they are hatched. This
island of Savona has little or nothing that is worthy consideration,
being so very barren by reason of its sandy soil. True it is, that
here grows some small quantity of lignum sanctum, or guaiacum, of
whose use we say something in another place.
Westward of Santo Domingo is another great village called El Pueblo de
Aso, or the town of Aso: the inhabitants thereof drive great traffic
with those of another village, in the very middle of the island, and
is called San Juan de Goave, or St. John of Goave. This is environed
with a magnificent prospect of gardens, woods, and meadows. Its
territory extends above twenty leagues in length, and grazes a great
number of wild bulls and cows. In this village scarce dwell any others
than hunters and butchers, who flay the beasts that are killed. These
are for the most part a mongrel sort of people; some of which are born
of white European people and negroes, and called mulattoes: others of
Indians and white people, and termed mesticos: but others come of
negroes and Indians, and are called alcatraces. Besides which sorts of
people there are several other species and races, both here and in
other places of the West Indies, of whom this account may be
given--That the Spaniards love better the negro women in those western
parts, or the tawny Indian females, than their own white European
race; when as, peradventure, the negroes and Indians have greater
inclinations to the white women, or those that come near them, the
tawny, than their own. From the said village are exported yearly vast
quantities of tallow and hides, they exercising no other traffic: for
as to the lands in this place, they are not cultivated, by reason of
the excessive dryness of the soil. These are the chiefest places that
the Spaniards possess in this island, from the Cape of Lobos towards
St. John de Goave, unto the Cape of Samana nigh the sea, on the north
side, and from the eastern part towards the sea, called Punta de
Espada. All the rest of the island is possessed by the French, who are
also planters and hunters.
This island hath very good ports for ships, from the Cape of Lobos to
the Cape of Tiburon, on the west side thereof. In this space there are
no less than four ports, exceeding in goodness, largeness, and
security, even the very best of England. Besides these, from the Cape
of Tiburon to the Cape of Donna Maria, there are two very excellent
ports; and from this cape to the Cape of St. Nicholas, there are no
less than twelve others. Every one of these ports hath also the
confluence of two or three good rivers, in which are great plenty of
several sorts of fish very pleasing to the palate. The country
hereabouts is well watered with large and deep rivers and brooks, so
that this part of the land may easily be cultivated without any great
fear of droughts, because of these excellent streams. The sea-coasts
and shores are also very pleasant, to which the tortoises resort in
large numbers to lay their eggs.
This island was formerly very well peopled, on the north side, with
many towns and villages; but these, being ruined by the Hollanders,
were at last, for the greatest part, deserted by the Spaniards.
The spacious fields of this island commonly are five or six leagues in
length, the beauty whereof is so pleasing to the eye, that, together
with the great variety of their natural productions, they captivate
the senses of the beholder. For here at once they not only with
diversity of objects recreate the sight, but with many of the same do
also please the smell, and with most contribute delights to the taste;
also they flatter and excite the appetite, especially with the
multitudes of oranges and lemons here growing, both sweet and sour,
and those that participate of both tastes, and are only pleasantly
tartish. Besides here abundantly grow several sorts of fruit, such are
citrons, toronjas, and limas; in English not improperly called crab
lemons.
Beside the fruits which this island produces, whose plenty, as is
said, surpasses all the islands of America; it abounds also with all
sorts of quadrupeds, as horses, bulls, cows, wild boars, and others,
very useful to mankind, not only for food, but for cultivating the
ground, and the management of commerce.
Here are vast numbers of wild dogs: these destroy yearly many cattle;
for no sooner hath a cow calved, or a mare foaled, but these wild
mastiffs devour the young, if they find not resistance from keepers
and domestic dogs. They run up and down the woods and fields, commonly
fifty, threescore, or more, together; being withal so fierce, that
they will often assault an entire herd of wild boars, not ceasing to
worry them till they have fetched down two or three. One day a French
buccaneer showed me a strange action of this kind: being in the fields
a-hunting together, we heard a great noise of dogs which had
surrounded a wild boar: having tame dogs with us, we left them to the
custody of our servants, being desirous to see the sport. Hence my
companion and I climbed up two several trees, both for security and
prospect. The wild boar, all alone, stood against a tree, defending
himself with his tusks from a great number of dogs that enclosed him;
killed with his teeth, and wounded several of them. This bloody fight
continued about an hour; the wild boar, meanwhile, attempting many
times to escape. At last flying, one dog, leaping upon his back,
fastened on his testicles, which at one pull he tore in pieces. The
rest of the dogs, perceiving the courage of their companion, fastened
likewise on the boar, and presently killed him. This done, all of
them, the first only excepted, laid themselves down upon the ground
about the prey, and there peaceably continued, till he, the first and
most courageous of the troop, had ate as much as he could: when this
dog had left off, all the rest fell in to take their share, till
nothing was left. What ought we to infer from this notable action,
performed by wild animals, but this: that even beasts themselves are
not destitute of knowledge, and that they give us documents how to
honour such as have deserved well; even since these irrational animals
did reverence and respect him that exposed his life to the greatest
danger against the common enemy?
The governor of Tortuga, Monsieur Ogeron, finding that the wild dogs
killed so many of the wild boars, that the hunters of that island had
much ado to find any; fearing lest that common sustenance of the
island should fail, sent for a great quantity of poison from France to
destroy the wild mastiffs: this was done, A.D. 1668, by commanding
horses to be killed, and empoisoned, and laid open at certain places
where the wild dogs used to resort. This being continued for six
months, there were killed an incredible number; and yet all this could
not exterminate and destroy the race, or scarce diminish them; their
number appearing almost as large as before. These wild dogs are easily
tamed among men, even as tame as ordinary house dogs. The hunters of
those parts, whenever they find a wild bitch with whelps, commonly
take away the puppies, and bring them home; which being grown up, they
hunt much better than other dogs.
But here the curious reader may perhaps inquire how so many wild dogs
came here. The occasion was, the Spaniards having possessed these
isles, found them peopled with Indians, a barbarous people, sensual
and brutish, hating all labour, and only inclined to killing, and
making war against their neighbours; not out of ambition, but only
because they agreed not with themselves in some common terms of
language; and perceiving the dominion of the Spaniards laid great
restrictions upon their lazy and brutish customs, they conceived an
irreconcilable hatred against them; but especially because they saw
them take possession of their kingdoms and dominions. Hereupon, they
made against them all the resistance they could, opposing everywhere
their designs to the utmost: and the Spaniards finding themselves
cruelly hated by the Indians, and nowhere secure from their
treacheries, resolved to extirpate and ruin them, since they could
neither tame them by civility, nor conquer them with the sword. But
the Indians, it being their custom to make the woods their chief
places of defence, at present made these their refuge, whenever they
fled from the Spaniards. Hereupon, those first conquerors of the New
World made use of dogs to range and search the intricatest thickets of
woods and forests for those their implacable and unconquerable
enemies: thus they forced them to leave their old refuge, and submit
to the sword, seeing no milder usage would do it; hereupon they killed
some of them, and quartering their bodies, placed them in the
highways, that others might take warning from such a punishment; but
this severity proved of ill consequence, for instead of frighting them
and reducing them to civility, they conceived such horror of the
Spaniards, that they resolved to detest and fly their sight for ever;
hence the greatest part died in caves and subterraneous places of the
woods and mountains, in which places I myself have often seen great
numbers of human bones. The Spaniards finding no more Indians to
appear about the woods, turned away a great number of dogs they had in
their houses, and they finding no masters to keep them, betook
themselves to the woods and fields to hunt for food to preserve their
lives; thus by degrees they became unacquainted with houses, and grew
wild. This is the truest account I can give of the multitudes of wild
dogs in these parts.
But besides these wild mastiffs, here are also great numbers of wild
horses everywhere all over the island: they are but low of stature,
short bodied, with great heads, long necks, and big or thick legs: in
a word, they have nothing handsome in their shape. They run up and
down commonly in troops of two or three hundred together, one going
always before to lead the multitude: when they meet any person
travelling through the woods or fields, they stand still, suffering
him to approach till he can almost touch them: and then suddenly
starting, they betake themselves to flight, running away as fast as
they can. The hunters catch them only for their skins, though
sometimes they preserve their flesh likewise, which they harden with
smoke, using it for provisions when they go to sea.
Here would be also wild bulls and cows in great number, if by
continual hunting they were not much diminished; yet considerable
profit is made to this day by such as make it their business to kill
them. The wild bulls are of a vast bigness of body, and yet they hurt
not any one except they be exasperated. Their hides are from eleven to
thirteen feet long.
It is now time to speak of the French who inhabit great part of this
island. We have already told how they came first into these parts: we
shall now only describe their manner of living, customs, and ordinary
employments. The callings or professions they follow are generally but
three, either to hunt or plant, or else to rove the seas as pirates.
It is a constant custom among them all, to seek out a comrade or
companion, whom we may call partner in their fortunes, with whom they
join the whole stock of what they possess towards a common gain. This
is done by articles agreed to, and reciprocally signed. Some
constitute their surviving companion absolute heir to what is left by
the death of the first; others, if they be married, leave their
estates to their wives and children; others, to other relations. This
done, every one applies himself to his calling, which is always one of
the three afore-mentioned.
The hunters are again subdivided into two sorts; for some of these
only hunt wild bulls and cows, others only wild boars. The first of
these are called bucaniers, and not long ago were about six hundred on
this island, but now they are reckoned about three hundred. The cause
has been the great decrease of wild cattle, which has been such, that,
far from getting, they now are but poor in their trade. When the
bucaniers go into the woods to hunt for wild bulls and cows, they
commonly remain there a twelvemonth or two years, without returning
home. After the hunt is over, and the spoil divided, they commonly
sail to Tortuga, to provide themselves with guns, powder, and shot,
and other necessaries for another expedition; the rest of their gains
they spend prodigally, giving themselves to all manner of vices and
debauchery, particularly to drunkenness, which they practise mostly
with brandy: this they drink as liberally as the Spaniards do water.
Sometimes they buy together a pipe of wine; this they stave at one
end, and never cease drinking till it is out. Thus sottishly they live
till they have no money left, and as freely gratify their lusts; for
which they find more women than they can use; for all the
tavern-keepers and strumpets wait for these lewd bucaniers just as
they do at Amsterdam for the arrival of the East India fleet. The said
bucaniers are very cruel and tyrannical to their servants, so that
commonly they had rather be galley slaves, or saw Brazil wood in the
rasphouses of Holland, than serve such barbarous masters.
The second sort hunt nothing but wild boars; the flesh of these they
salt, and sell it so to the planters. These hunters have the same
vicious customs, and are as much addicted to debauchery as the former;
but their manner of hunting is different from that in Europe; for
these bucaniers have certain places designed for hunting, where they
live for three or four months, and sometimes a whole year. Such places
are called deza boulan; and in these, with only the company of five or
six friends, they continue all the said time in mutual friendship. The
first bucaniers many times agree with planters to furnish them with
meat all the year at a certain price: the payment hereof is often made
with two or three hundredweight of tobacco in the leaf; but the
planters commonly into the bargain furnish them with a servant, whom
they send to help. To the servant they afford sufficient necessaries
for the purpose, especially of powder and shot to hunt withal.
The planters here have but very few slaves; for want of which,
themselves and their servants are constrained to do all the drudgery.
These servants commonly bind themselves to their masters for three
years; but their masters, having no consciences, often traffic with
their bodies, as with horses at a fair, selling them to other masters
as they sell negroes. Yea, to advance this trade, some persons go
purposely into France (and likewise to England, and other countries)
to pick up young men or boys, whom they inveigle and transport; and
having once got them into these islands, they work them like horses,
the toil imposed on them being much harder than what they enjoin the
negroes, their slaves; for these they endeavour to preserve, being
their perpetual bondmen: but for their white servants, they care not
whether they live or die, seeing they are to serve them no longer than
three years. These miserable kidnapped people are frequently subject
to a disease, which in these parts is called coma, being a total
privation of their senses. This distemper is judged to proceed from
their hard usage, and the change of their native climate; and there
being often among these some of good quality, tender education, and
soft constitutions, they are more easily seized with this disease, and
others of those countries, than those of harder bodies, and laborious
lives. Beside the hard usage in their diet, apparel, and rest, many
times they beat them so cruelly, that they fall down dead under the
hands of their cruel masters. This I have often seen with great grief.
Of the many instances, I shall only give you the following history, it
being remarkable in its circumstances.
A certain planter of these countries exercised such cruelty towards
one of his servants, as caused him to run away. Having absconded, for
some days, in the woods, at last he was taken, and brought back to the
wicked Pharaoh. No sooner had he got him, but he commanded him to be
tied to a tree; here he gave him so many lashes on his naked back, as
made his body run with an entire stream of blood; then, to make the
smart of his wounds the greater, he anointed him with lemon-juice,
mixed with salt and pepper. In this miserable posture he left him tied
to the tree for twenty-four hours, which being past, he began his
punishment again, lashing him, as before, so cruelly, that the
miserable wretch gave up the ghost, with these dying words: “I beseech
the Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth, that he permit the
wicked spirit to make thee feel as many torments before thy death, as
thou hast caused me to feel before mine.” A strange thing, and worthy
of astonishment and admiration! Scarce three or four days were past,
after this horrible fact, when the Almighty Judge, who had heard the
cries of the tormented wretch, suffered the evil one suddenly to
possess this barbarous and inhuman homicide, so that those cruel hands
which had punished to death his innocent servant, were the tormentors
of his own body: for he beat himself, and tore his flesh, after a
miserable manner, till he lost the very shape of a man; not ceasing to
howl and cry, without any rest by day or night. Thus he continued
raving mad, till he died. Many other examples of this kind I could
rehearse; but these not belonging to our present discourse, I omit
them.
The planters of the Carribbee islands are rather worse, and more cruel
to their servants, than the former. In the isle of St. Christopher
dwells one named Bettesa, well known to the Dutch merchants, who has
killed above a hundred of his servants with blows and stripes. The
English do the same with their servants; and the mildest cruelty they
exercise towards them is, that when they have served six years of
their time (they being bound among the English for seven) they use
them so cruelly, as to force them to beg of their masters to sell them
to others, though it be to begin another servitude of seven years, or
at least three or four. And I have known many, who have thus served
fifteen or twenty years, before they could obtain their freedom.
Another law, very rigorous in that nation, is, if any man owes another
above twenty-five shillings English, if he cannot pay it, he is liable
to be sold for six or eight months. Not to trouble the reader any
longer with relations of this kind, I shall now describe the famous
actions and exploits of the greatest pirates of my time, during my
residence in those parts: these I shall relate without the least
passion or partiality, and assure my reader that I shall give him no
stories upon trust, or hearsay, but only those enterprises to which I
was myself an eye-witness.