CHAH. in.] WEST INDIES. 61 



great hive of the Mexican empire. Juan de Grijalva, 

 one of the adventurers from Cuba in 1518, found a 

 people who spoke the language of that island^on the 

 coast of Jucatan^J but at what period such emigra- 

 tions were made; whether the Charaibes were pre- 

 viously possessed of the widely extended coast that 

 bounds the Atlantic, or, in posterior ages, accidental- 

 ly found their way thither by sea, from the ancient 

 continent (perhaps, by their invasion, giving birth to 

 that hereditary and unconquerable hatred which still 

 prevails between them and the other Indian nations'- 

 these are points concerning which, as it is impos- 

 sible to determine., it is in vain to inquire. 



In estimating the number of our islanders, when. 

 lirst discovered by Columbus, historians widely differ. 

 Las Casas computes them at six millions in the whole ; 

 but the natives of Hispaniola were reckoned by Ovi- 

 edo at one million only, and by Martyr, who wrote 

 on the authority of Columbus, at 1,200,000, and this 

 last account is probably the most correct. Judging of 

 the other islands by that, and supposing the popula- 

 tion of each to be nearly the same in proportion to its 

 extent, the whole number will fall greatlv short of 



. o / 



the computation of Las Casas. Perhaps if we fix on 

 three millions, instead of six, as the total, we shall 

 approach as near the truth as possible, on a, question 

 that admits not of minute accuracy. Indeed, such are 



J 



the accounts of the horrible carnage of these poor 

 people by the Spaniards, that we are naturally led to 



m 



J P. Martyr, decad. 'iii. lib. x. 



