

Chap. XIII. a M EX^IC A. V9 



6. Conception de la Vega, adorn'd with a Cathedral and Cloyfters of Fryers, and 

 lying twenty or thirty Leagues Northward of St.Domingo : It was built by Columbus, 

 and from thence he had his Title of Duke de la Vega. 



7. Santiago delos CaVaOeros, a very pleafant Place, ten Leagues Northward of 

 St. 'Domingo. 



8. Puerto de Plata, or The Silver Haven, four Leagues diftant from St. Domingo to- 

 wards the North : It hath been counted the fecond Place of Trading and Wealth 

 in the whole Ifland, being commodioufly feated on an Arm of the Sea, and forti- 

 fi'd with a Caftle. 



9. Mo?ite Cbrifio, one of the Ports alfo abovc-mention'd : It lies fourteen Leagues 

 Weft ward of Plata, and extends it felf along the Northern Coaft : it is wafh'd by 

 the River Tagui, on whofe Banks are many Salt.pans. 



All thofe Cities are much decay 'd. and thinly inhabited, the Spaniards being moft The If1jna 



rii ft r %f a difpeopled by 



or them drawn by the temptation of new difcover'd Gold and Silver Mines in te«**j*i«. 

 other places, and the firft Inhabitants having been miferably deftroy'd. The Bi- •*■ 

 {hop De las CaJ as, an Eye*witnefs, relates, That the King Gauccanarillo fecur'd the 

 Goods of a ftranded Ship,of which Columbus was Commander, and received the Spa* 

 niards very courteoufly ; but not being able to continue fupplying them with that 

 quantity of Gold they requir'd, wanting Men to gather fo much out of the Streams 

 and Mines, and feeing no way to rid himfelf from the Spaniards Oppreflions, fled 

 to the Province oiCiguayos, the Cafique of which was his Deputy ; whereat the Spa* 

 niards werefo enrag'd, that they burnt all that they could meet with, neither fpa- 

 xing young nor old ; and at length taking Guaccanar iUo, put him in Irons, and Thcirbarba - 

 thought to have carried him to Madrid - y but the Ship in which Ee went fuffering •*•*■«*** 

 Shipwrack, he with many others was caft away, being before almoft dead with 

 grief for his Confort, who had been Ravifh'd by a Spanijh Commander. Likcwifc 

 Anacoana, Sifter to the Cafique, or Governor of the Province Xarana, and Partner 

 with him in the Government, feeing three hundred of her Councilors burning in 

 a great Houfe, fet on fire by the Spaniards, and her Subjects torn by Dogs, or cut in 

 pieces, hung her felf out of defpair. The fame Death died Higuanama, Queen of 

 Huguey. Others fay that Anacoana was put to death together with her Brother in a 

 moft barbarous and cruel manner, by 7S(jcholas de Olanda, who fucceeded Diego de 

 Arana in the Government of this Ifland. Many Women and Children were kept 

 alive onely to Manure the Ground. The Men dying of their hard Labour in the 

 Gold-Mines, and thofe which endur'd ftoutly the cruel Labour under Ground, 

 were never fuffer'd to go to their Wives ; from whence proceeded a great decreafc 

 of People, the Spaniards feeming purpofely to defign the deftrudtion of the Na- 

 tives of Hifpaniola, though they receiv'd great benefit by their Service; for Gold in 

 former times was found between the Cracks and fplit Stones of the Mountains, 

 whofe Veins the Mine-workers digg'd for not without great and dangerous La- 

 bour, 



The firft Planters of Hifpaniola are, according to the common opinion, deriv'd #^0^1 

 from Matinio, a high and Mountainous Ifle, from whence the moft eminent Inhabi- $**&£* 

 tants were driven by certain Rebels, as formerly the Syrians under the Government ""'*• 

 of Dido, were driven from Tyre to Lybia, and the ftauYuns from Hejfen to the Coun- 

 trey between %hyne and Wall, at prcfent inhabited by the Gelders and Hollanders. 

 Thefe Matininoenfians thus cxpell'd from their native Countrey, fetled themfelvcs on 

 Cahonao, near the River Bahaboni : The firft Houfe they call'd Camoteia, and after- 

 wards turn'd it into a Temple, to which they fhew'd Reverence, and made great 

 Prcfcnts : In like manner the 2}ettu,which flood on a high Rock belonging to one 









