Chan. "IV. 



AMERICA. 



2Z? 



Sect. III. 



Honduras. 



HOniuras hath on the South, Guatemala abovefaid ; on the Weft, a certain Bay, sirttation *°* 

 or Arm of the Sea, which they call Golf o Duke, from the abundance of * 

 frefli Waters which run into it from all Parts . on the North and North- 

 Eaft, the Atlantick Ocean . and fomewhat to the South-Eaft, ISljcaragua. It contains 

 in length, Yt%. from Eaft to Weft, Coafting along upon the Sea, about a hundred 

 and fifty Leagues, and in breadth eighty. The Countrcy is rich both in Corn and 

 Pafturage, being faid to be very much advantag d that way by the conftant over- 

 flowings of the Rivers, which are very many, about bnchaelmafrtimc, and which 

 the People order fo well, that they water their Gardens, and exceedingly fertilize 

 the whole Champain, or lower part of the Grounds by them. 



The fruitful Valleys of this Countrcy Were anciently very well inhabited, till 

 vaft multitudes of the Natives were deftroy'd by the Spaniards Cruelties, of which 

 the Bifliop Sartbolomeo de las Cafas, in his Letter to the Emperor Charles the Fifth, 

 gives this Relation : 



" The young Children (faith he) they murder'd, beating out their Brains againft Cr UC i« cs *f 

 " the Stones , the Kings and Princes of the Countrey they either fcorch'd to death, &* 1 "* 

 €C or threw them to the Dogs to be torn in pieces ,. the poor People they drove in- 

 " to their Houfes, and then fet them on fire - thofe that rcmain'd were condemn d 



< to the greatcft flavery imaginable, being us'd in ftead of Mules and Horfes, and 

 : < having greater Burdens laid upon them than they were able to carry, infomuch 

 c£ that thoufands of them fell down dead under them ; fome out of defpair run- 

 " ning into the Woods were famiOi'd, after they had kill'd and eat their Wives and 

 " Children for Hunger. In this one Province onely they maflacred above twenty 

 " hundred thoufand Men, and amongft others, Perfons of Quality, which had ci- 

 " villy Entertain'd them : nay, they tortur'd the poor innocent Natives all the 

 ic ways they could paffibly invent, onely to know of them where their Gold lay ; 



1 particularly Diego de Valafco fpar'd none that ever fell into his hands . infomuch 



c that in a Monethstime above ten thoufand were (lain by him : He hang'd thir. 

 lc teen Noble*men, to twelve of whom he gave the Denomination of The twelve 

 ic Affiles ; and the chiefeft of them he call'd in a derifion, Jefus Chrift. Some they 



1 fuffer'd to ftarve to death , with their Heads comprefs'd between the cloven Barks 

 cf of wild Vines - fome alfo they buried alive, and leaving onely their Heads to 

 c< appear above Ground, bbwl'd Iron Bullets at them, and fore'd them to eat one 

 "another; befides infinite other hellifli Cruelties, too horrid and dreadful to be 

 " recounted. 



This Countrey produces much Mai^, Wheat, Honey, and great Calabaftes, from CtimmotHtiel 

 whence the firft Difcovercrs call'd that Sea Golfo de las 1bu%w, becaufe they met with 

 abundance of Calabafhes, floating on the Water, which at Santo Domingo bear the 

 Name of Ibuera*. 



This Countrey is watered by three Rivers, the firft Cbamalucom, which glides by 

 the City San Tedro • the fecond Uha, inhabited on both Shores . the third Ha- 

 guaro, the Grounds adjacent to which would prove very fruitful, were the Inhabi- 

 tants not too lazy. In ftead of a Plough they ufe a long Pole, with two crooked 

 Staves at the end, one bent downwards and the other upwards, with which they 

 cut and turn the Earth. The Natives feed on feveral Roots, f left, and Vermine; 



A a j Ac 



of the Cdut- 

 trc/. 



