placing them
behind them on their horses, and another Spaniard approached from
behind and ran his lance through them. Another, if a child was on
the ground, cut off its legs with his sword. Some, who could flee
from this inhuman cruelty, crossed to a little island lying eight
leagues distant in the sea; and the said governor condemned all such
to be slaves, because they had fled from the carnage.
15. The fifth kingdom was called Higuey: and an old queen called
Higuanama ruled it, whom they hanged. And I saw numberless people
being burnt alive, torn, and tortured in divers, and new ways, while
all whom they took alive were enslaved.
16. And because so many particulars happened in this slaughter and
destruction of people, that they could not be contained in a lengthy
description--for in truth I believe that however many I told, I could
not express the thousandth part of the whole--I will simply conclude
the above mentioned wars by saying and affirming, before God and my
conscience, that the Indians gave no more cause, nor were more to
blame for all this injustice done unto them, and for the other said
wickedness I could tell, but omit, than a monastery of good and well
ordered monks would have given that they should be robbed and
killed, and that those who escaped death, should be placed in
perpetual captivity and servitude, as slaves.
17. And furthermore, I attest, that in all the space of time during
which the multitudes of the population of this island were being
killed and destroyed, as far as I can believe or conjecture, they
did not commit a single mortal sin against the Christians that
merited punishment by man. And of those which are reserved to God
alone, such as the desire of vengeance, hatred and rancour, that
these people might harbour against such mortal enemies as were the
Christians, I believe very few of the Indians committed any such.
They were little more impetuous and harsh, judging from the great
experience I have of them, than children or youths of ten or twelve
years.
18. I have certain and infallible knowledge, that the Indians always
made most just war on the Christians while the Christians never had
a single just one with the Indians; on the contrary, they were all
diabolical and most unjust, and m