and rob'd them of a great quantity of Gold, this he did in the Infancy
of his Tyrannical Attempts, when he arriv'd at _Pugna_ a Neighbouring
Isle so called, he had the Reception of an Angel; but about Six Months
after, when the _Spaniards_ had spent all their Provisions, they
discover'd and opened the _Indians_ Stores and Granaries, which were
laid up for the sustenance of themselves, Wives and Children against a
time of Dearth and Scarcity, brought them forth with Tears and
Weepings, to dispose of at pleasure: But they rewarded them with
Slaughter, Slavery and Depopulation as formerly.
Thence they betook themselves to the Isle _Tumbala_, scituate on the
firm Land, where they put to Death all they met with. And because the
People terrified with their abominable Sins of Commission, fled from
their Cruelty, they were accused of Rebellion against the _Spanish_
King. This Tyrant made use of this Artifice, he commanded all that he
took, or that had bestowed Gold, Silver and other rich Gifts on him,
still to load him with other Presents, till he found they had exhausted
their Treasures, and were grown naked and incapable of affording him
farther supplies, and then he declared them to be the Vassals and
Subjects of the King of _Spain_, flattering them, and proclaiming twice
by sound of Trumpet, that for the future he would not captivate or
molest them any more, looking upon it as lawful to rob, and terrifie
them with such Messages as he had done, before he admited them under
the King's protection, as if from that very time, he had never rob'd,
destroy'd or opprest them with Tyrannical Usage.
Not long after _Ataliba_ the King and Supreme Emperor of all these
Kingdoms, leading a great Number of Naked Men, he himself being at the
Head of them, armed with ridiculous Weapons, and wholly ignorant of the
goodness of the _Spaniards_ Bilbo-Blades, the Mortal Dartings of their
Lances, and the Strength of their Horse, whose Use and Service was to
him altogether unknown, and never so much as heard of before, and that
the _Spaniards_ were sufficiently weapon'd to rob the Devils themselves
of Gold, if they had any, came to the place where they then were;
saying, Where are these _Spaniards_? Let them appear, I will not stir a
foot from hence till they give me satisfaction for my Subjects whom
they have slain, my Towns they have reduc'd to Ashes, and my Riches
they have stoln from me. The _Spaniards_ meet him, make a great
Slaughter of his Men, and seize on the Person of the King Himself, who
was carried in a Chair or Sedan on Mens Shoulders. There was a Treaty
had about his Redemption, the King engaged to lay down Four Millions of
Crowns, as the purchase of his Freedom, but Fifteen were paid down upon
the Nail: They promise to set him at Liberty, but contrary to all Faith
and Truth according to their common Custom (for they always violated
their promises with the _Indians_) they falsly imposed this upon him,
that his People were got together in a Body by his Command; but the
King was made answer, That throughout his Dominions, not so much as a
Leaf upon a Tree durst move without his Authority and Pleasure, and if
any were assembled together, they must of necessity believe that it was
done without his Order, he being a Captive, it being in their power to
deprive him of his LIfe, if any such thing should be ordered by him:
Notwithstanding which, they entred into a Consultation to have him
burnt alive, and a little while after the Sentence was agreed upon, but
the Captain at the intreaty of some Persons commanded him first to be
strangled, and afterward thrown into the fire. The King understanding
the sentence of Death past upon him, said; Why do you burn me? What
Fact have I committed deserving Death? Did you not promise to set me
free for a Sum of Gold. And did I not give you a far larger quantity
than I promised? But if it is your pleasure so to do, send me to your
King of _Spain_, and thus using many words to the same purpose, tending
to the Confusion and Detestation of the _Spanish_ Injustice, he was
burnt to Death. And here let us take into serious Consideration the
Right and Title they had to make this War, the Captivity, Sentence, and
Execution of this Prince, and the Conscience wherewith these Tyrants
have possessed themselves of vast Treasures, which they have
surreptitiously and fraudulently taken away from this King, and a great
many more of the Rulers of these Kingdoms. But as to the great number
of their Enormities committed by those who stile themselves Christians
in order to the extirpation of this People, I will hear repeat some of
them, which in the very beginning were seen by a _Franciscan_,
confirm'd by his own Letters, and signed with his Hand and Seal,
sending some of them to the _Perusian_ Provinces, and others to the
Kingdom of _Castile_: A Copy whereof I have in my Custody, Signed with
his Hand, as I said before; the Contents whereof follow.
I Frier _Marcus de Xlicia_, of the _Franciscan_ Order, and Praefect
of the whole Fraternity residing in the Perusian Provinces, one of
the first among the Religious, who arriv'd with the _Spaniards_
in these parts. I decalre with incontrovertible and undeniable
Testimony, those Transactions, which I saw with my own Eyes, and
particularly such as relate to the usage of the Inhabitants of this
Region. In the first place I was an Eye-Witness, and am certainly
assur'd, that these _Perusians_ are a People, who transcend all other
_Indians_ in Meekness, Clemency, and Love to _Spaniards_; and I have
seen the _Indians_ bestow very liberally on them Gold, Silver, and
Jewels, being very serviceable to them many other wayes. Nor did the
_Indians_ ever betake themselves to their Arms in an Hostile manner,
till by infinite Injuries and Cruelties they were compell'd thereunto:
For on the contrary, they gave the _Spaniards_ an amicable and
honourable Reception in all their Towns, and furnished them with
Provisions, and as many Male and Female Servants as they required.
I can also farther testifie, that the _Spaniards_, without the least
provocation on their part, as soon as they entred upon these
Territories, did burn at the Stake their most Potent _Caciq Ataliba_,
Prince of the whole Country, after they had extorted from him above Two
Millions of Gold, and possessed themselves of his Province, without the
least Opposition: and _Cochilimaca_, his Captain General, who with
other Rulers, came peaceably into them, follow'd him by the same fiery
Tryal and Death. As also some few days after, the Ruler of the
Province of _Quitonia_, who was burnt, without any Cause given, or
Crime laid to his Charge. They likewise put _Schapera_, Prince of the
_Canaries_ to the same Death, and in like manner, burnt the Feet of
_Alvidis_, the greatest of all the _Quitonian_ Lords, and rackt him
with other Torments to Extract from him a discovery of _Ataliba's_
Treasure, whereof as appear'd after, he was totally ignorant. Thus
they treated _Cocopaganga_, Governour of all the Provinces of
_Quitonia_, who being overcome with the Intreaties of _Sebastian
Bernalcarus_, the Governours Captain, went peaceably to pay them a
Visit; but because he could not give them as much Gold as they
demanded, they burnt him with many other _Casics_ and Chief Persons of
Quality. And as I understnad, did it with this evil Intention, that
they might not leave one surviving Lord or Peer in the whole Countrey.
I also affirm that I saw with these Eyes of mine the _Spaniards_ for no
other reason, but only to gratifie their bloody mindedness, cut off the
Hands, Noses, and Ears, both of _Indians_ and _Indianesses_, and that
in so many places and parts, that it would be too prolix and tedious to
relate them. Nay, I have seen the _Spaniards_ let loose their Dogs
upon the _Indians_ to bait and tear them in pieces, and such a Number
of Villages burnt by them as cannot well be discover'd: Farther this is
a certain Truth, that they snatched Babes from the Mothers Embraces,
and taking hold of their Arms threw them away as far as they would from
them: (a pretty kind of barr-tossing Recreation.) They committed many
other Cruelties, which shook me with Terror at the very sight of them,
and would take up too much time in the Relation.
I likewise aver, That the _Spaniards_ gathered together as many
_Indians_ as fill'd Three Houses, to which, for no cause, (or a very
inconsiderable one) they set fire, and burnt every one of them: But a
Presbyter, _Ocana_ by Name, chanced to snatch a little baby out of the
fire, which being observ'd by a _Spaniard_, he tore him out of his
Arms, and threw him into the midst of the Flames, where he was with the
rest, soon burnt to Ashes, which _Spaniard_ the same day he committed
that Fact, returning to his Quarters, dyed suddenly by the way, and I
advised them not to give him Christian Burial.
Farthermore I saw them send to several _Casics_ and Principal
_Indians_, promising them a protecting Passeport to travel peaceably
and securely to them, who, no sooner came, but they were burnt; Two of
them before my Face, one at _Andonia_, and the other at _Tumbala_, nor
could I with all my perswasions and preaching to them prevail so far as
to save them from the Fire. And this I do maintain according to God
and my own Conscience, as far as I could possibly learn, that the
Inhabitants of _Perusia_ never promoted or raised any Commotion or
Rebellion, though as it is manifest to all Men, they were afflicted
with Evil Dealings and Cruel Torments: And they, not without Cause, the
_Spaniards_ breaking their Faith and Word, betraying the Truth and
Tyrannically contrary to all Law and Justice, destroying them and the
whole Country, inflicting on them great Injuries and Losses, were more
reay to prepare themselves for Death, than still to fall at once into
such great and irrecoverable Miseries.
Nay I do declare, according to Information from the _Indians_
themselves, that there are to this day far greater Quantities of Gold
kept hid and concealed than ever were yet detected or brought to light,
which by means of the _Spanish_ Injustice and Cruelty, they would not
then, nor ever will discover so long as they are so barbarously
treated, but will rather chose to dye with the Herd. Whereat the Lord
God is highly offended and the King hath very ill Offices done him, for
he is hereby defrauded of this Region, which was sufficiently able to
furnish all _Castile_ with Necessaries, the Recovery whereof can never
be expected without great difficulty and vast Expenses.
Thus far I have acquainted you with the very words of this Religious
_Franciscan_, ratified by the Bishop of _Mexico_, who testifieth that
the said Frier _Marc_ did affirm and maintain what is above-mentioned.
Here it is to be observ'd what this said Frier was an Eye-Witness of;
for he travelled up in this Countrey Fifty or a Hundred Miles, for the
space of Nine or Ten Years, when as yet, few _Spaniards_ had got
footing there, but afterward, at the noise of Gold to be had there in
great plenty, Four or Five Thousand came thither, who spread themselves
through those Kingdoms and Provinces the space of Five or Six Hundred
Miles, which they made wholly desloate, committing the same, or greater
Cruelies than are before recited; for in reality they destroyed from
that time to these very days, above an Hundred Thousand poor Souls more
than he gives an Account of, and with less fear of God and the King,
nay with less Mercy have they destroyed the greatest part of Mankind in
these Kingdoms, above Four Millions suffering by violent Death.
A few days after they darted to Death with Arrows made of Reeds a
Puissant Queen, the Wife of a Potentate, who still sways the Imperial
Scepter of that Kingdom, whom the _Spaniards_ had a design to take,
which instigated him to raise a Rebellion, and he still continues a
Rebel. They seized the Queen his Consort, and contrary to all Law and
Equity murdered her, as is said before, who was then, as report, big
with Child, only for this Reason, that they might add fresh Affliction
and Grief to her Husband.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
_Of the New Kingdom of_ Granada
Many Tyrants there were, who set Sail from _Venecuela_, St. _Martha_,
and _Carthagena_, hastening to the Conquest of _Perusia_, Anno Dom.
1539. and they accompanied with many more going farther from this
Region, endeavored to penetrate into the Heart of this Countrey, where
they found about Three Hundred Miles from _Carthagena_ and St.
_Martha_, many admirable Provinces and most fruitful Land, furnished
with an even-tempered or meek-spirited People, as they are in other
parts of _India_; very rich in Gold and those sorts of precious Stones
known by the name of Emralds: To which Province they gave the Name of
_Granada_, upon this account, because the Tyrant who first arrived in
these Regions, was born in the Kingdom of _Granada_ belonging to these
parts; now they that spoiled these Provinces with their rapine being
wicked, cruel, infamous Butchers, and delighting in the effusion of
Humane Blood, having practically experimented the piacular and grand
Enormities perpetrated among the _Indians_; and upon this account their
Diabolical Actions are so great, so many in number, and represented so
grievously horrid by circumstantial aggravations, that they exceed all
the villanies committed by others, nay by themselves in other Regions,
I will only select and cull out a few out of so great a number which
have bene transacted by them within these three years, for my present
purpose.
A certain Governour, because he that went to commit depredations and
spoils in the Kingdom of _Granada_, would not admit him, as a Companion
in his Robberies and Cruelties, set up an Inquisition, and produced
proofs confirmed by great evidence, whereby he palpably lays open, and
proves the Slaughters and Homicides he committed, and persists in to
this very day, which were read in the _Indian_ Courts of Judicature,
and are there now Recorded.
In this Inquisition the Witnesses depose, that when all these Kingdoms
enjoy'd Peace and Tranquillity, the _Indians_ serv'd the _Spaniards_,
and got their living by contstnat day-labour in Tilling and Manuring
the Ground, bringing them much Gold, and many Gems, particularly
Emeralds, and what other Commodities they could, and possessed, their
Cities and Dominions being divided among the _Spaniards_, to procure
which is the chiefest of their care and pains; and these are the proper
measures they take to obtain their proposed ends, to wit, heaping and
treasuring up of Gold and Riches.
Now when all the _Indians_ were under their accustomed Tyranny: A
certain Tyrant, and Chief Commander, took the King and Lord of the
whole Countrey, and detain'd him Captive for six or seven moneths,
demanding of him, without any reason, store of Gold and Emeralds. The
said King, whose name was _Bogoca_, though fear, promised him a House
of Gold, hoping, in time, to escape out of his clutches, who thus
plagu'd him, and sent some _Indians_ for Gold, who frequently, and at
several times, brought him a great quantity of Gold, and many Jewels;
but because the King did not, according to his promise, bestow upon him
an Apartment made of pure Gold, he must therefore forfeit his Life.
The Tyrant commanded himto be brought to Tryal before himself, and so
they cite and summon to a Tryal the greatest King in the whole Region;
and the Tyrant pronounced this Sentence, that unless he did perform his
Golden Promise he should be exposed to severe Torments. They rackt
him, poured boiling Soap into his Bowels, chain'd his Legs to one post,
and fastened his Neck to another, two men holding his Hands, and so
applyed the scorching heat of the Fire to his Feet; the Tyrant himself
often casting his eye upon him, and threatning him with death, if he
did not give him the promised Gold; and thus with these kind of horrid
torments, the said Lord was destroy'd; which while they were doing, God
being willing to manifest how displeasing these Cruelties are to His
Divine Majesty, the whole City, that was the Stage on which they were
acted, was consumed by fire; and the rest of the Captains following his
example, destroy'd all the Lords of that Region by Fire and Faggot.
Once it fell out, that many _Indians_ addressed themselves to the
_Spaniards_ with all Humility and Simplicity, as they use to do, who
thinking themselves safe and secure, behold the Captain comes into the
City, where they were to do their work, and commands all these
_Indians_, sleeping and taking their rest, after Supper, being wearied
with the heavy drudgery of the day, to be slain by the Sword: And this
stratagem he put in practice, to make a greater impression of fear on
all the minds of the Inhabitants; and another time a certain Captain
commanded the _Spaniards_ to declare upon Oath, how many _Casics_ and
_Indians_ every individual person had in his Family at home, who were
presently lead to a publick place, and lost their Heads; so there
perisht, that bout, four or five hundred Men. The Witnesses depose
this of a particular Tyrant, that by beating, cutting off the Hands and
Noses of many Women as well as Men, and destroying several persons in
great numbers, he exercised horrid Cruelties.
Then one of the Captains sent this bloody Tyrant into the Province of
_Bogata_, to inquire who succeeded that Prince there, whom he so
barbarously and inhumanely Murder'd, who traveling many miles in this
Countrey, took as many _Indians_ as he could get, some of which,
because they did not tell him who was Successor of this Deceased
Prince, had their Hands cut off, and others were exposed to hunger-
starv'd Currs, to be devour'd by them, and as many of them perished
miserably.
Another time about the fourth Watch, early in the morning he fell upon
several _Casics_, Noblemen and other _Indians_, who lookt upon
themselves to be safe enough, (for they had their faith and security
given, that none of them should receive any damage or injury) relying
upon this, they left the Mountains their lurking places, without any
suspition or fear, and returned to their Cities, but he seized on them
all, and commanding them to extend their hands on the ground, cut them
off with his own Sword, saying, that he punished them after this maner,
because they would not inform him what Lord it was, that succeeded in
that Kingdom.
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.
And here is to be noted, how pestilential and inhumane the cruelty of
these Tyrants hath been, and how violently exercised, when as in two or
three years space, they were all slain, and the Country wholly desolate
and deserted, as those that have been Eye-witnesses can testifie; they
having acted like Merciless Men, not having the fear of God and the
King before their Eyes, but by the instigation of the Devil; so that it
may well be said and affirmed, not one Person will be left alive,
unless his Majesty does retard, and put a stop to the full career of
their Cruelties, which I am very apt to believe, for I have seen with
these very eyes of mine, many Kingdoms laid waste and depopulated in a
small time. There are other stately Provinces on the Confines of the
New Kindgom of _Granada_, as _Popayan_ and _Cali_, together with three
or four more above five hundred miles in length, which they destroyed,
in the same manner, as they have done other places, and laid them
absolutely waste by the prementioned Slaughters, who were very
Populous, and the Soil very Fruitful. They who came among us from
those Regions report, that nothing can be more deplorable or worthy of
pity and commiseration, then to behold such large and great Cities
totally ruinated, and intombed in their own Ashes, and that in a City
adorn'd with 1000 or 2000 Fabricks, there are hardly now to be seen 50
standing, the rest being utterly demolished, or consum'd and levelled
to the ground by Fire and in some parts Regions of 100 miles in length,
(containing spacious Cities) are found absolutely destroyed and
consumed by Fire.
Finally many great Tyrants who came out of the _Perusian_ Kingdoms by
the _Quitonians_ Travelled to the said new Kindgom of _Granada_ and
_Popayan_, and by _Carthagena_ and the _Urabae_, they directed their
course to _Calisium_, and several other Tyrants of _Carthagena_ assault
_Quito_, who joyn'd themselves in an intire Body and wholly depopulated
and laid waste that Region for the space of 600 miles and upward, with
the loss of a prodigious number of poor Souls; nor as yet do they treat
the small remnant of so great and innocent a people with more humanity
then formerly.
I desire therefore that the Readers who have or shall peruse these
passages, would please seriously to consider whether or no, such
Barbarous, Cruel and Inhumane Acts as these do not transcend and exceed
all the impiety and tyrrany, which can enter into the thoughts or
imagination of Man, and whether these _Spaniards_ deserve not the name
of Devils. For which of these two things is more eligible or desirable
whether the _Indians_ should be delivered up to the Devils themselves
to be tormented or the _Spaniards_? That is still a question.