A Voyage to 



again, Dec. 4. lib. 4. And that no Man paffmg through 

 Indian Dwellings, or Towns, JJoould receive Provifions from 

 them, unlefs freely gi-ven, or paying the Value thereof Ne- 

 vertheiefs they oblige rhe Indians to work for them, and 

 ferve them in the Trade they drive, without giving them 

 anything, not even a Subfiftence ; thus they caufe prodi- 

 gious Numbers of Mules to be brought homTucuman and 

 Chili, which they do fo arrogate to themfelves the Right 

 of felling, that no Man dares procure them any other 

 way, tho' they fell them at an exccflive Rate to the Indians 

 of their Precinft, whom they force to buy their own 

 Labour. The Authority the King allows them, that they 

 only may fell fuch European Commodities as the Indians 

 have occafion for, within their own Jurifdi&ion, fupplies 

 them with another Means of being Vexatious j thus, when 

 they have not ready Money, they get Goods of their 

 Friends upon Truft, which are fold to them at three 

 times their real Value for this Reafon, that in Cafe of 

 Death, they run a Hazard of lofmg the Debt, as happens 

 almoft Daily in that Country, It is eafy to judge how 

 much they afterwards raife them upon the Indians ; and 

 becaufe they are by Way of Lots, or Species, the poor 

 Indian muft take a Piece of Cloth, or fuch other Com- 

 modity as he has no Occafion for ; for by fair or^foul 

 Means he muft buy what is allotted him. 



The Governors are not the only Perfons that take upon 

 them to pillage the Indians; the Merchants and other 'Spa* 

 niards who travel, boldly take from them, and generally 

 without paying for it, whatfoever they have Occafion for, 

 without the Owners daring to fpeak one Word, unlefs he 

 will run the Hazard of being pay'd in Blows / this is an 

 ancient Cuftom, which is never the lefsufed for having been 

 prohibited, as has been faid above fo that in many Places, 

 thofc People being worn out with fo many Vexations, keep 

 nothing in th^ir Houfes, not even to eat they fow no more 

 IS/Iaiz, or Indian Corn, than is requilite for their Family., 

 and bide in fome Caves the Quantity they know by Ex- 



~ ~ ~ periencs 



