74 



THE ISLAND OF 



This ifland was difcovered by the famous Chrijlopher ColumhuSy who had' 

 but a very flight view of it, which yet was fatal to the natives, for they 

 having prefented him with gold, fome pieces of which he carried \ntoSpai?2y 

 occafioned an immediate refolution tp fettle in it. This was performed in 

 151 1, by Diego de la Fdafquez, who tranfported hither about 500 foot and 

 80 horfe. He was a haughty, cruel, inexorable man, and the treatment the 

 poor people met with from him, was fuch as we want both room and will to 

 relate. The worthy bifhop of Chiapa, who was an eye-witnefs of his b'ar- 

 barity, hath publiflied it to the world, and computed, that by thefe horrid 

 feverities, near five millions of people were deftroyed. Later writers, 

 infliead of fpeaking tenderly, pathetically, and with indignation againfl fq 

 execrable a fail, do all in their power to give this horrid proceeding the air 

 of juftice, by reprefenting the Indians as the moft bafe and wicked nation 

 that ever lived. Herrera tells us, on the contrary, that they were a very good 

 fort of people, and well tempered. They had, fays he, princes and towns of 

 200 or 300 houfes, with feveral families in each of them, as was ufual in 

 Hifpaniola. They had no religion, as having no temples, idols, or facrifices ; 

 but they had the phyficians, or conjuring priefls, as in Hifpaniola, They 

 failed three or four months, taking no fuftenance but the juice of herbs, and 

 when reduced to extreme weaknefs, they were then worthy to be informed 

 whether the feafons of the year would be favourable, or otherwife j what chil- 

 dren would be born ; whether thofe born would live j and fuch like queftions. 

 Thefe were their oracles ; and thefe conjurers they QdWtdi Behiqiies, who led the 

 people into many fuperftitions and fopperies, as pretending to cure the fick by 

 blowing on them, and fuch other exterior actions, mumbling fome words be- 

 twixt their teeth. Thefe people of Cuba knev^ that heaven and earth, and 

 other things, were created, faid they had fome information concerning the 

 flood, and that the world had been deftroyed by water, from three perfons 

 that came three feveral ways : they were men of about 70 years of age ; that 

 an old man knowing that the deluge was to come, built a great canoe^ and 

 went Into it with his family, and abundance of animals ; that he fent out 

 a carrion croWy which did not return, flaying to feed on the dead bodies, and 

 afterwards returned carrying a green branch, with other particulars, even to 



- Noab'% 



