SPANISH OPPRESSION, 



15f 



with the task^ which they had been unable to 

 accomphsh. Their food, all this time^ was of 

 the worst description^ particularly in the manu- 

 factories^ where they were locked up to work 

 from morning to nighty and whipped severely 

 if the allotted and daily task was left undone^ 

 or negligently performed. In shorty a more 

 revolting picture of human depravity and mi- 

 sery is scarcely to be found in the history of 

 tyranny and oppression. 



The consequence of all this was^ that^ of those 

 sentenced to this labour^ which no constitution 

 could stand uninjured^ scarcely a tenth part 

 survived to return to their habitations. At the 

 conquest, the Indian population of Peru was 

 reckoned at from five to six millions ; and, by a 

 census taken in 1796, by the order of the then 

 viceroy, the returns amounted only to 608,899. 

 Since that period until the emancipation, the 



