Htitorie of the Indies, lib.y. 505 



fuperiours , by meanes whereof they did in a manner 

 quite abandon this brutifli life, yet did they alwaycs 

 continue in the Mountaines divided from the reft. 

 Notwithstanding I hold it forccrtainc, that this 

 feare hath growne from other Nations and Provinces 

 of the Indies, who at the firft were favage men , who li 

 ving onely by hunting, piercing the rockie and rough 

 countries, difcovcringanevv world , the inhabitants 

 whereof were almoft like favage beafts, without cove 

 rings or houfcs, without tilled landes, without cattell, 

 without King,Law,God,or Reafon. Since,others fee- 

 king better and new lands,inhabited this fertile Coun- 

 trey, planting pollitike order, and a kinde of common- 

 weale,although it were very barbarous. After the fame 

 men, or other Nations , that had more vnderftanding 

 then the reft,laboured to fubdueand opprefle the leffc 

 mighty, eftablifhing Realities and great Empires. So it 

 happened in Mexico, at Peru, and in fomc partes where 

 they finde Citties and Coinmon-weales planted a- 

 mong thefe Barbarians. That which confirmes me in 

 my opinion, (whereof I have amply difcouried in the 

 firft bookejthat the firft inhabitants of the Weft Indies 

 came by land, and fb by confcquence, that the firft 

 continent of the /#<//>*, ioynes with thatof AfaEurope^ 

 and Affrikc, and the new world with the old,although 

 they have not yet difcovercd any countrcy that tou- 

 cheth and ioynes with the other world-or if there-bea 

 ny fea betwixt the two 5 it is fo narrovv,that wilde beafts 

 may eafily fwim over,and men in fmall boates. But lea 

 ving this Philofophie, let vs rcturnc to our hiftory. 



