112 SCRAPS BY THE AUTHOR OF THE DELTA LETTERS. 



These are chiefly of two casts, both rather red in colour : 

 of these one is mischievous, the other not ; " and it ap- 

 pears that they divide the soil between them, and keep it 

 divided in good earnest, for the spot of ground is clearly 

 marked out which one sort possesses without doing any mis- 

 chief, and that which the other occupies causing destruction ; 

 and the good sort will not allow the bad to pass these limits. 

 And what I now say is well known to all in this city and 

 island to be true, and I can show it in a plantation of my own, 

 one league from this city, and also it may be seen in many 

 parts of this island." 



Truly if the people of Espaiiola were delivered from their 

 troubles by St. Saturninus, I should much doubt his humanity. 

 Happy would it have been had the Spaniards been driven 

 from every inch of ground they possessed in that glorious 

 new world Columbus gave them ; but, perhaps, the day is 

 not far distant when Spain will be without a colony there ; 

 even now she has scarce foothold. 



" Oh, could their ancient incas rise again, 

 How would they take up Israel's taunting strain- 

 Art thou, too, fallen, Iberia? do we see 

 The robber and the murderer weak as we ?" &c 



But before I conclude this, I must beg you and my readers 

 to forgive me if I trespass for a few lines. Early in this 

 article occurs the name of one, the glory of his country, the 

 pious, the kind-hearted, the undaunted Bishop of Chiassa, 

 Bartolome de Las Casas, one of the best men the world ever 

 saw. 



But there is one cloud on his fame, one dishonouring spot 

 on the wreath that encircles his brow. This never ought to 

 have been allowed to remain. I should not have remarked 

 on this now, had not very recently Dr. Madden, and my friend 

 Mr. E. Abdy, in his work on the United States, repeated the 

 old charge, — I suppose on the authority of Robertson, who 

 ought to have known better. What I allude to is the charge 

 of his being the first to introduce negro slaves into the 

 Western Indies. Herrera, the only old writer that I can find 

 making the charge, sufficiently refutes himself. (Compare 

 Decade 2, cap. 20, and cap. 8.) Other authors have followed 

 Herrera, trusting to his usual accuracy. Not only is there no 



