mity which diftinguifhed his character, and with fentiments of piety becoming that fupreme refpect for religion, which he manifefted in every occurence of his life. z)

воок III.

State of the colony in Hifpaniola.

While Columbus was employed in his last

voyage, feveral events worthy of notice happened in Hifpaniola. The colony there, the parent and nurfe of all the fubfequent eftablifhments of Spain in the New World, gradually acquired the form of a regular and profperous fociety. The humane folicitude of Ifabella to protect the Indians from oppreffion, and particularly the proclamation, by which the Spaniards were prohibited to compel them to work, retarded, it is true, for fome time, the progrefs of improvement. The natives, who confidered exemption from toil as fupreme felicity, fcorned every allurement and reward by which they were invited to labour. The Spaniards

had not a fufficient number of hands either to work the mines or to cultivate the foil. Several of the firft colonifts, who had been accustomed to the fervice of the Indians, quitted the ifland, when deprived of thofe inftruments, without which they knew not how to carry on any ope

z) Life of Columbus, c. 108. Herrera, dec. I. lib. vi. c. 13, 14, 15.

ration. Many of the new fettlers who came. over with Ovando, were feized with the diftempers peculiar to the climate, and in a fhort fpace above a thousand of them died. At the fame time, the exacting one half of the product of the mines as the royal fhare, was found to be a demand fo exorbitant, that no adventurers would engage to work them upon fuch terms. In order to fave the colony from ruin, Ovando ventured to relax the rigour of the royal edicts. He made a new diftribution of the Indians among the Spaniards, and compelled them to labour, for a ftated time, in digging the mines, or in cultivating the ground; but, in order to fcreen himfelf from the imputation of having fubjected them again to fervitude, he enjoined their mafters to pay them a certain fum, as the price of their work. He reduced the royal fhare of the gold found in the mines from the half to the third part, and foon after lowered it to a fifth, at which it long remained. Notwithstanding Ifabella's tender concern for the good treatment of the Indians, and Fercinand's eagerness to improve the royal rever ue, Ovando perfuaded the court to approve of both these regulations. a)

War with the Indians.

But the Indians, after enjoying refpite from oppreffion, though during a short interval, a) Herrera, dec. 1. lib. v. c. 3.

now felt the yoke of bondage to be fo galling, that they made feveral attempts to vindicate their own liberty. This the Spaniards confidered as rebellion, and took arms in order to reduce them to fubjection. When war is carried on between nations whofe state of improvement is in any degree fimilar, the means of defence bear fome proportion to thofe employed in the attack; and in this equal conteft fuch efforts must be made, fuch talents are difplayed, and fuch paffions roufed, as exhibit mankind to view in a fituation no lefs ftriking than interefting. It is one of the nobleft functions of hiftory, to obferve and to delineate men at a juncture when their minds are most violently agitated, and all their powers and paffions are called forth. Hence the operations of war, and the ftruggles between contending ftates, have been deemed by hiftorians, ancient as well as modern, a capital and important article in the annals of human actions. But in a contest between naked favages, and one of the most warlike of the European nations, where fcience, courage, and difcipline on one fide, were oppofed by ignorance, timidity, and diforder on the other, a particular detail of events would be as unpleasant as uninftructive. If the fimplicity and innocence of the Indians had infpired the Spaniards with humanity, had foftened the pride of fuperiority into compaffion, and had induced them to improve the inhabitants of the

New World, instead of oppreffing them, fome fudden acts of violence, like the two rigorous chaftifements of impatient inftructors, might have been related without horror. But, unfortunately, this confcioufnefs of fuperiority operated in a different manner. The Spaniards were advanced fo far beyond the natives of America in improvement of every kind, that they viewed them with contempt. They conceived the Americans to be animals of an inferior nature, who were not intitled to the rights and privileges of men.

fubjected them to fervitude.

In peace, they
In war, they

paid no regard to thofe laws, which, by a tacit convention between contending nations, regulate hoftility, and fet fome bounds to its rage. They confidered them not as men fighting in defence of their liberty, but as flaves, who had revolted against their mafters. Their caziques, when taken, were condemned, like the leaders of banditti, to the moft cruel and ignominious punishments; and all their fubjects, without regarding the diftinction of ranks established among them, were reduced to the fame state of abject flavery. With fuch a fpirit and fentiments were hoftilities carried on against the cazique of Higuey, a province at the eaftern extremity of the island. This war was occafioned by the perfidy of the Spaniards, in violating a treaty which they had made with the natives, and it was terminated by hanging

up the cazique, who defended his people with bravery fo far fuperior to that of his countrymen, as intitled him to a better fate. b)

The cruel and treacherous conduct of Ovando.

The conduct of Ovando, in another part of the ifland, was ftill more treacherous and cruel. The province anciently named Xaragua, which extends from the fertile plain where Leogane is now fituated, to the western extremity of the island, was fubject to a female cazique, named Anacoana, highly respected by the natives. She, from that partial fondness with which the women of America were attached to the Europeans (the caufe of which fhall be afterwards explained, ) had always courted the friendfhip of the Spaniards, and loaded them with good offices. But fome of the adherents of Roldan having fettled in her country, were fo much exafperated at her endeavouring to reftrain their exceffes, that they accufed her of having formed a plan to throw off the yoke, and to exterminate the Spaniards. Ovando, though he knew well how little credit was due to fuch profligate men, marched, without further inquiry, towards Xaragua, with three hundred foot and feventy horfemen. To prevent the Indians from taking alarm at this hoftile appearance, he gave out that his fole

b) Herrera, dec. I. lib. vi. c. 9, 10.