of American Indians by war,
disease, and killing work, and the importation of negroes
into Spanish America was begun in order to fill the void in
the labor market.

Influenced by the spirit of Bartolome de las Casas, a
Spanish monk, celebrated as the defender of the Indians
against his own countrymen who conquered them, the monarchs
of Spain prohibited Indian slavery. "It is a very
significant fact that the great 'Protector of the Indians,'
Las Casas, should, however innocently, have been concerned
with the first large grant of licenses to import negroes
into the West India Islands."

We first hear of the introduction of negro slaves in those
islands through the instructions given in 1501 to Nicolas de
Ovando, who in the following year succeeded Columbus as
governor. During the nine years of his governorship negro
slavery in the Spanish possessions of the New World was
greatly extended. A few years later, as shown by Helps,
official license gave it a legal sanction. Helps' account
begins with an abstract of Las Casas' memorials to the King
of Spain looking to a remedy for the bad government of the
West Indies.

The outline of Las Casas' scheme was as follows: The King was to give to
every laborer willing to emigrate to Espanola his living during the
journey from his place of abode to Seville, at the rate of half a real a
day throughout the journey, for great and small, child and parent. At
Seville the emigrants were to be lodged in the Casa de la Contratacion
(the India House), and were to have from eleven to thirteen maravedis a
day. From thence they were to have a free passage to Espanola, and to be
provided with food for a year. And if the climate "should try them so
much" that at the expiration of this year they should not be able to
work for themselves, the King was to continue to maintain them; but
this extra maintenance was to be put down to the account of the
emigrants, as a loan which they were to repay. The King was to give them
lands--his own lands--furnish them with ploughshares and spades, and
provide medicines for them. Lastly, whatever rights and profits accrued
from their holdings were to become hereditary. This was certainly a most
liberal plan of emigration. And, in addition, there were other
privileges held out as inducements to these laborers.

In connection with the above scheme, Las Cas