THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



all I approached whatever articles I had about me, such 

 as cloth and many other things, taking nothing of theirs 

 in return : but they are naturally timid and fearful. 

 Indian As soon however as they see that they are safe, and 

 virtues, have laid aside all fear, they are very simple and 

 honest, and exceedingly liberal with all they have ; 

 none of them refusing anything he may possess when 

 he is asked for it, but on the contrary inviting us to 

 ask them. They exhibit great love towards all others 

 in preference to themselves ; they also give objects of 

 great value for trifles, and content themselves with 

 very little or nothing in return. I however forbade 

 that these trifles and articles of no value (such as pieces 

 of dishes, plates, and glass, keys, and leather straps) 

 should be given to them, although if they could obtain 

 them, they imagined themselves to be possessed of 

 the most beautiful trinkets in the world. . . . They 

 bartered, like idiots, cotton and gold for fragments of 

 bows, glasses, bottles and jars ; which I forbade, as 

 being unjust, and myself gave them many beautiful and 

 acceptable articles which I had brought with me, taking 

 nothing from them in return ; I did this in order that 

 I might the more easily conciliate them, that they might 

 be led to become Christians, and be inclined to enter- 

 tain a regard for the King and Queen, our Princes, and 

 The fate of all Spaniards.' With this fair dawn of mutual courtesy, 

 ispamoa, gi^j^gj-^y^ ^^^ ^h^ traffic of honourable men, began a 

 day of pillage and cruelty and devastation such as the 

 world has seldom seen. Twelve years after the first 

 landing of Columbus the five great tribes of Hispaniola 

 were all but exterminated. Many of the Indians 

 perished by the sword, many under the lash of the 



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