LOPEZ VAZ AD 



1572-87. 



ment as they were, never was there any people knowen of 

 so resolute and desperate mindes : for oftentimes a great 

 number of them being together over night, they should 

 be found all dead before the morning : such extreme 

 hate did this brutish people beare against the Spaniards, 

 that they chose rather to die the death, then to indure 

 their insolencies. It happened on a time, that a Spaniard 

 calling certaine Indians to worke in the mines (which 

 labour of all others did most grieve them) they, rather 

 then they would goe, offered to lay violent hands on 

 themselves : which the Spaniard perceiving sayd unto 

 them: seeing you will hang your selves rather then goe A pretty jest. 

 and worke, I likewise will hang my selfe and will beare 

 you company, because I will make you worke in an 

 other world : but the Indians hearing this, replied, we 

 will willingly worke with you here, to the intent you 

 may not goe with us into another world : so unwilling 

 were they of the Spaniards companie. So that of all 

 the inhabitantes of this Hand there were none that 

 escaped death, save onely these fewe, which came to 

 passe by the meanes of this one Spaniarde, otherwise 

 they would have hanged themselves also. Some of 

 these people are yet living, but very few. This Hand 

 of Hispaniola is for the most part called The He of 

 Sant Domingo, because the chiefe citie thereof is so 

 called, which was the first citie in all the West Indies 

 that was inhabited. There are in this citie above eight 

 hundred fire-houses of good building inhabited by 

 Gentlemen of great wealth. This Hand is unhealthfull, 

 for it raineth here the most part of the yeere. The 

 riches that now this Hand affordeth are sugar (for ^ugai\ hides, 

 here are many Ingenios or sugar-houses) and great copper-mines. 

 store of hides by reason of the abundance of cattell ; 

 there are copper mines also, which is the cause that 

 they have such store of copper-money, for their gold 

 mines be all exhausted, and the golde which they have 

 commeth from other places. This Hand being (as is 

 beforesaide) destitute of the first inhabitants, and the 



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