What is contained in the LETTER fent to the EMPEROR, mentioned Preface, p. 37.
THIS letter is dated July 6th, 1519. Cortes
in his fecond disparch takes notice that it was fent off on the 16th of July.
The great object of the persons who wrote this letter, is to juftify their own conduct in establishing a colony independent on the jurifdiction of Velasquez. With this view they
endeavoured to detract from his' merit, in fitting out the two former armaments under Cordova and Grijalva, reprefenting these as equipped by the adventurers who engaged in the expedition, not by the governor. They labour like wife to depreciate the fervices of Cordova and Grijalva, in order to exalt the merit of their own exploits.
They contend, that the fole object of Velafquez was to trade or barter with the natives. not to attempt the conqueft of New Spain, or the establishment of colony there. This is frequently mentioned by B. Diaz del Caftillo, c. 19. 41, 42, &c. But if Velafquez had not conqueft and fettlement In view, there feems to have been no reafon for equipping fuch a confiderable armament.
They affert, that Cortes defrayed the greateft part of the expence of fitting out the armament. But this does not agree with the account of his flender fortune given by Gomara, Cron. c. 7, and 8. Diaz, c. 20, or what I have mentioned Note lxxi. vol. ii.
They take notice, that though confiderable numbers were wounded in their different encounters with the people of Tabafco not one of them died, and all recovered in a fhort time. This feems to confirm what I have obferved vol. ii. p. 285, concerning the imperfection of the offenfive weapons of the Americans.
They give fome account of the manners and inftitutions of the Mexicans. It is very fhort, and as they had refided but a fhort time in the country, and had but little intercourfe with the natives, it is both defective and inaccurate. They defcribe minutely, and with great horror, the human facrifices offered by the Mexicans to their deities, and affirm that fome of their number were eye-witneffes of those barborous rites.
They fubjoin to their letter a catalogue and defcription of the prefents fent to the emperor. That published by Gomara, Cren. c. 29. feems to have been copied from it, and Pet. Martyr describes many of the articles in his treatise De Infulis nuper inventis, p. 354, &c.
N. B. The Roman Numerals refer to the Volume and the Figures to the Page.
ABYSSINIA, an embaffy fent to that country by John II. king
Acapulco, the nature of the trade carried on from thence to Manila iii. 370. Amount of the treasure on board the ship taken by Lord Anfon 463.
Acofta, his method of accounting for the heat, in the old and new continents, ii. Adair, his account of the perfevering speed ricans; ii. 456.
Adanfou, his juftification of Hanno's account of the African feas,
Africa, the western coast of, firft explored by order of John 1. king of Portugal, i. 33. Is difcovered from Cape Non," ta Bojador, 55. Cape Bojador doubled, 60. The countries fouth- ward of the River Senegal difcovered, 68. Cape of Good Hope feen by Bartholomew Diaz, 73. Caufes of the extreme heat of the climate there, ii. II. Ignorance of the ancient aftronomers concerning, i. 332. Agriculture, the ftate of, among the native Americans, ii. III. Two principal caufes of the defects of, 116.
Aguado, is fent to Hifpaniola, as a commiffioner to infpect the condu&t of Columbus, i. 175.
Aguilar, Jerom de, is relieved from a long captivity among the Indians at Cozumel, by Fernando Cortes, ii. 246.
Albuquerque, Rodrigo, his barbarous treatment of the Indians of Hifpaniola, i. 282.
Alcavala, in the Spanish customs, the term explained, iii. 466. Alexander the Great, his political chara&er, i. 18. His motive
in founding the city of Alexandria, 19. His difcoveries in India, 21, 22.
Alexander VI. Pope, grants to Ferdinand and Ifabella of Caftile, the right of all their weftern difcoveries, i. 149. Sends miffio- naries with Columbus on his fecond voyage, 150. Almagro, Diego de, his birth and chara&er, iii. 3. Affociates with Pizarro and de Luque, in a voyage of discovery, 4. His
unfuccessful attempts, 5 feq. Is neglected by Pizarro in his Spanish negociation, 13. Is reconciled to him, 15. Brings reinforcements to Pizarro at Peru, 33. Beg nning of diffenfious between him and Pizarro, 52. Invades Chili, 56. Is created governor of Chili, and marches to Cuzco, 62 feq. Seizes Cuzco, out of the hands of Pizarro, 64. Defeats Alvarado, and takes him pri- foner, 65. Is deceived by the artful negociations of Francis Pizarro, 68. Is defeated by the Pizarros, 73. Is taken priso- ner, ibid. Is tried and condemned, 75. Is put to death, 76. Almagro, the fon. affords refuge to his father's' followers at Lima, iii. 87, His caracter, 88. Heads a confpiracy against Francis Pizarro, 89. Pizarro, affaffinated ibid, feq. Is acknowledg- ed as his fucceffor, 91. His precarious fituation, 92. Is de- feated by Vaca de Caftro, 96. Is betrayed and executed, 97. Almajorifafgo, in the Spanifh American customs, the amount of, iii. 466.
Alvarado, Alonzo, is fent from Lima, by Francis Pizarro, with a body of Spanlards to relieve his brothers at Cuzco, iii. 65. Is takeu prifoner by Almagro, ibid, His efcape, ̈ 68. Alvarado, Pedro de, is left by Cortes to command at Mexico, while he marched against Narvaez, ii. 339. He is besieged by the Mexicans, 348. His imprudent condu&t; ibid. His expedition to Quito in Peru, iii. 49.
Amazons, a community of, said to exift in South America, by Francis Orellana, iii. 84.
America, the continent of, difcovered by Chriftopher Columbus, i. 182. How it obtained this name, 198. Ferdinand of Caftile nominates two governments in, 252. The propofitions offered to the natives, 253, Ill reception of Ojeda and Nicueffa among them 254. The South Sea is difcovered by Balboa, 269. Rio de Plata discovered, 280. The natives of, injuriously treated by the Spaniards, 309. The vast extent of, ii. I. The grand objects it prefented to view, 3. The circumstances of, favort- rable for commerce and civilization, 5. The climates of, 7. Various caufes of the peculiarity of its climates, Io. Its rude and uncultivated state when first difcovered, 13. Its animals, 17. Its infects and reptiles, 20. Birds, 21. General account of its foil, 22. Inquiry into the first population of, 25. Could not be peopled by civilized nations, 32. The northern extremity of, contiguous to Afia; 36. Probably peopled by Afiaticks, 45. Condition and character of the native inhabitants inquired into, 47. were more rude than the natives of any other known parts of the earth, 49. The Peruvians and Mexicans excepted, 50. The first discoverers incapable of a judicious fpeculative exa- mination, 51. The various fyftems of philosophers refpe&ting
the natives, 54. Method obferved in the prefent review of their bodily conftitution and circumftances, 56, The venereal difeafe derived from this part of the world. 82. why fo thinly inhabited, 122. The country depopulated by continual wars, 162. Caufe of the extreme coldness toward the fouthern extremity of, 442 The natural uncultivated state of the country defcribed, 446. Bones of large extinct fpecies of animals difcovered under ground near the banks of the Ohio, ibid. Why European animals degenerate there, 448. Supposed to have undergone a convulfive feparation from Afia, 453. Caufes of the depopulation of, traced, iii. 260. This depopulation not the refult of any intentional fyftem of policy. 263. Nor the refult of religion, 266. Num- ber of the Indian natives ftill remaining in Mexico, and Peru, 267. All the Spanish dominions there, fnbjected to two vice- roys, 271. Its third viceroyalty lately establifhed, 272. See Mexico, Peru, Cort es, Pizarro, &c. Americans, native in Spanish America, their bodily constitution and complexion, ii. 58. Their frength and abilities, 59. Their infenfibiliry with regard to their women, 62, No deformities in their frame, 68. This circumftance accounted for, ibid. 69. Uniformity of their colour, 71. A peculiar race of, defcribed, 73. The Efquimaux, 76. Patagonians, 77. The existence of Patagonian giants yet remaining to be decided, 78. Their difeaes, 81, The venereal difeafe, peculiarly theirs, 82, The powers and qualities of their minds, 83. Are only folicitous to fupply immediate wants, 85, The art of computation, fear, cely known to them, 87. Have no abftra& Ideas, 88. The North Americans much more intelligent than those of the South, go. Their averfion to labour, 91. Their focial fiate, 95. Do- meftick union. ibid. The women, 97. Their women not pro- lifick, 101. Their parental affe&tion and filiaì duty, 103. Their modes of fubfiftence, 105. Fishing, 1C7. Hunting. 108. Agri- culture. III. The various objects of their culture, 112. Two principal causes of the defe&s of their agriculture, 116. Their want of tame animals, ibib. Their want of ufeful metals, 119, Their political inflitutions, 121. Were divided into fmall inde- pendent communities, ibid. Unacquainted with the idea of property, 123. Their high fenfe of equality and independence, 125. Their ideas of fubordination imperfect, 126. To what tribes these descriptions apply, 128. Some exceptions, 130. Florida, 131. The Natcbez, 132. The iflands, 133. In Bogota, 134. Inquiry into the caufes of thefe irregularities, 135. Their art of war, 139. Their motives to hoftility, 140. Caufes of their ferocity. 141. Perpetuity of their animofities, 344. Their
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