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U M E %I C A. 



Chap. IV. 



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fignifics TS{pble -minded, and oftentimes carry eight or ten Boys on its Back from one 

 fide of the Lake to the other . but being fhot by a Spaniard with an Arrow, never 

 appeared again. 



There is likewife a black Beaft in this Countrey call'd Cafcu, refemblina in fomc 

 things a Hog . it hath a hard Skin, little Eyes, open Ears, cloven Feet, fhort Nofe, 

 and makes fuch a terrible noife, that it affrights thofe which hear it. 



No lefs ftrange and wonderful is the Fox-Ape, which hath two Bellies one under 

 another . in the lowermoft of which it carries its Young, which are never brought 

 into the World till they are able to fhifc for their own Food. It hath the Body of a 

 Fox, Feet like a Man's Hands, and Ears like a Batt. 



It will not be amifs before we conclude with this Province, to give you a Rela- 

 tion of the Difcourfe which hapned Anno 1527. between the Spantfl? Commander 

 Francifco de Monteio and the Nicaraguan Cafique Jlquinotex, who being a hundred and 

 ten years old, told him, "That before the Spaniards arrival there, great numbers 

 u of his Soldiers perifh'd after a ftrange manner . for after having vomited abun- 

 " dance pf Worms, they fell down dead on a fudden : thofe that efcap'd the Con. 

 " tagion differing amongft themfelves, made two Parties, which twice Engaging 

 « with one another, each of them loft above a hundred and fifty thoufand Men- 

 ? Yet both thefe Plagues were no ways to be compar'd to the Slaughter which the 

 " Spaniards had made amongft them. 



About the fame time an Italian, call'd HieronymoBonzp, Lodging with a ISJicara* 

 guan Noble. man that undcrftood the Spamfh Tongue, was thus fct upon by him: 

 What do not (Oh Chrift) the Chriftians do ! they no fooner get their Foot into an Indian'* 

 Hut, hut they commandingly call for Mai^ Honey , Winter -Clothe s , Gold, Silver, and a Woman 

 to cool their luftful deftres : Certainly there is nothing more Vicious on Earth. To which 

 (Bon^o gave him this Anfwcr : The wicked Spaniards commit oftentimes unfeemly things. 

 The Indian again fuddenly retorted, faying, Where are any fuch Men to he found a* gtod 

 Spaniards I 1 have never known any hut wicked Villains. To which Bon*? faid, Why 

 have you made place for them on Nicaragua ? Which was thus reply'd to by the Noble- 

 man 2 " All People round about took Oath on the firft News of the Q?rijiians ar- 

 " rival, to hazard all, and fight to the laft Man, before they would be under the 

 " infupportablc Yoke, with which they had heard other Countreys were opprefs'd 

 " with by them. To which purpofe they made ready Bowes, "Arrows, Lances, 

 " Stones, Clubs, and other Weapons of War : But when it came to the trial, the 

 ( < Spanijb Horfe, of which they had never feen the like, (truck fuch a terror into the 

 '' Indians, that they fled, and fent two Agents to Monteio to defire Peace . but their 

 u Defign was onely to gain time, that they might gather new Forces, to venture 

 ic a fecond Encounter . which prov'd as fatal to them as the firft. Then defiring 

 " Peace once more, they gathered all that were able to bear Arms, and fworeone 

 " to another not to ftir a Foot; and withal made a Law, That whofoever did 

 " fhrink fhould be kill'd immediately : But the Women being inform'd hereof, 

 " be gg'd that they might rather fuffer under the Spanifh Yoke, than be torn in pieces 

 «b'y their Dogs, or kill'd by their Bullets and Swords, alledging, that they were 

 " not able to refill: the Spaniards s and entreated them, that if they were refoiv'd 

 " to go on with their firft Defign , they would firft fend their Wives and Chil- 

 " dren to the other World, that fo they might not fall into the hands of the merci- 

 "lefs and bloody Chrifiians : Whereupon moft Voices judg'd it convenient to 

 " make ufe of the Opportunity, and to fubmit to Monteio. But his cruel deal- 

 " ings made fome to contradift that Determination , for which they paid 

 " dearly ; for not onely they, but their little Infants, were put to the moft cruel 



" Deaths 



