the South-Sea. 



their whole Life ; after which, they were to fall to the el- 

 deft of the Family, or to their Wives, in cafe they died 

 without llfue. There was fome Shew of Juftice in that, 

 not only to reward them for their Sufferings and Bravery, 

 but alfo becaufe they had undertaken and carry'd on that 

 War at their own Charge. However, becaufe they treated 

 their Slaves inhumanly, fome good People taking Com- 

 paflion on thofe Wretches, earneftly reprefented to the 

 Court of Spain, that they abufed them, not only by ex- 

 ceflive Exactions, but alfo that they exercifed the utmoft 

 Cruelties on their Perfons, even to the killing of them. 



This Excefs was taken into Confideration ; and, to re- 

 drefs it, the Emperor Charles V. King 6i Spain, in the Year 

 1542, fent Blafco Nunnez Vela unto Peru, as Viceroy, 

 with Orders to caufe the Indians to be difcharged of the 

 Impofitions laid on them, and reftored to their Liberty. 

 But the principal Wealth of the Colonies confiding in the 

 great Number of Slaves, efpecially among the Spaniards^ 

 who fcorn to labour, moft of them refufed to obey thofe 

 Orders, which they thought toofevere; and the Execu- 

 tion whereof would, in fome Meafure, have reduced them 

 to Beggary : They would not, therefore, acknowledge 

 the new Viceroy, which occafion'd thofe bloody Civil 

 Wars, which we have at Length in Zarate. 



At laft, to make the Servitude of the Indians the more 

 ealy, and not ruin the Spaniards, the King feiz'd on thofe 

 whofe Mafters died, and afterwards gave them to his Of- 

 ficers, and to feveral others, upon the Conditions above- 

 mention'd. - 



That Servitude of Encomienda has been the Occafion of 

 the bloody Wars the Spaniards have had with the Indians : 

 They were willing to acknowledge the King of Spain for 

 their Sovereign ; but, as Men of Senfe, they would pre- 

 ferve their Liberty. And upon thefe Conditions the laft 

 Peace was concluded, about 25 or 30 Years ago; fortho* 

 thofe People feem Savages to us, they know very well how 

 to agree about their common Intereft : They affemble with 



