422 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 102 



Chapter XVI 



Of the Cruelties Perpetrated by the Traitor in Margarita. 



1215. As soon as they had reloaded, the traitor Aguirre stood up 

 in the midst of the brigantines and came up to the Governor and said: 

 "Governor, there is no reason why I should conceal anything from 

 you in connection with these matters, for you should have a clear 

 conception of theuL We left the Kingdoms of Peru with Gov. Pedro 

 de Ursua to explore the Marafion and provinces of El Dorado ; but 

 we killed him, for so it was fitting ; we did not want to work for the 

 King, who does not reward the man who serves him, but sends us 

 out judges who oppress us ; how I should have liked to catch in my 

 jurisdiction some of these loose-robed scoundrels, to chastise them 

 for the evils and injustices they inflict on everybody. For this and 

 other reasons we have risen and rebelled against the service of His 

 Majesty ; perhaps he has the inheritance of our father Adam, which 

 forces us to serve him. I shall write this to him so that after this 

 example he will be more careful to reward those who serve him and 

 look at the judges he sends out ; and we are not sorry or regretful, 

 nor shall we be while life is in us, that we have risen and rebelled 

 against the service of the King; perhaps he is more than just a man 

 like us established in that dignity, and perhaps with less title and 

 eiTort than in our case." And having said this, he laid hands on the 

 Governor, and said to him : "Governor, it is inevitable that Your 

 Worship should be my prisoner, and these gentlemen who have come 

 with you, until I, with my own hand and my companions, take and 

 provide ourselves with what we need that is available in this island 

 and city." And so they took them all prisoners and he ordered the 

 Militia Captain at once to go with 8o harquebussiers and take the city. 

 And so the Militia Captain went immediately and took possession of 

 the city and the fortress, and Lope de Vega and the rest of the army 

 at once took the Governor and the other citizens prisoners. And 

 the rebel asked the Governor what ships he had in the harbor, and 

 if there was someone about who would tell the truth, for if he did 

 not, he would die. The Governor told the truth, that there were only 

 two small boats anchored in the harbor, which were engaged in the 

 corn and fish trade ; but 9 leagues from there there was a 200-ton 

 ship belonging to Fray Francisco Montesinos, the Dominican Pro- 

 vincial, who was converting by religious instruction some Indians 

 down there in Maracapana. And when the tyrant heard this he was 

 much pleased about the ship, for it was good for his projected 

 expedition ; and he immediately appointed Capt. Diego de Mongiiia 



