well armed, but must in the end be destroyed.
7. They constructed some pits in the middle of the streets, covered
over with broken boughs of trees and grass, completely concealing
them: they were filled with sharp stakes hardened by fire which
would be driven into the horses's bellies if they fell into the
pits. Once, or twice, did some horses fall in but not often,
because the Spaniards knew how to avoid them. In revenge, the
Spaniards made a law, that all Indians of whatsoever rank and age
whom they captured alive, they would throw into the pits. And so
they threw in pregnant and confined women, children, old men and as
many as they could capture who were left stuck on the stakes, until
the pits were filled: It excited great compassion to see them,
particularly the women with their children.
8. They killed all the others with lances and knives; they threw them
to savage dogs, that tore them to pieces and ate them; and when they
came across some lord, they accorded him the honour of burning in
live flames. This butchery lasted about seven years from 1524 to
1531. From this may be judged what numbers of people they destroyed.
9. Among the numberless horrible operations that this unhappy and
accursed tyrant performed in this kingdom, together with his
brothers, (for his captains and the others who helped him, were not
less unhappy and senseless than he) was one very notorious one. He
went to the province of Cuzcatan, in which, or not far distant,
there is the town of San Salvador, which is a most delightful place
extending all along the coast of the South Sea from forty to fifty
leagues: and the town of Cuzcatan, which was the capital of the
province, gave him the kindest of welcomes, sending him more than
twenty or thirty Indians loaded with fowls and other provisions.
10. When he arrived, and had received the gift, he commanded that each
Spaniard should take from that multitude of people, as many Indians
as he pleased for his service during their stay there, whose duty
should be to bring them everything they needed. Each Spaniard took
a hundred, or fifty or as many as he reckoned would be sufficient
for his service, and those innocent lambs bore with the
distribution, and served with all their strength, and almost adored