dexterity, he poffeffed a bustling indefatigable activity, which fometimes accomplishes its purpofes with greater fuccefs, than the most exquifite difcernment and addrefs. He courted the Flemish minifters with affiduity. He reprefented to them the abfurdity of all the maxims hitherto adopted with refpect to the government of America, and particularly the defects of that arrangement which Ximenes had introduced. The memory of Ferdinand was odious to the Flemings. The fuperior virtue and abilities of Ximenes had long the object of their envy. They fondly wifhed to

have a plaufible pretext for condemning the measures, both of the monarch and of the minifter, and of reflecting fome difcredit on their political wisdom. The friends of Don Diego Columbus, as well as the Spanish courtiers, who had been diffatisfied with the cardinal's adminiftration, joined Las Cafas in cenfuring the scheme of fending fuperintendents to America. This union of fo many interefts and paffions was irresistible; and, in confequence of it, the fathers of St. Jerome, and their associate Zuazo, were recalled. Roderigo de Figueroa, a lawyer of fome eminence, was appointed chief judge of the ifland, and received inftructions, in compliance with the request of Las Cafas, to examine once more, with the utmost attention, the point in controversy between him and the people of the colony, with

respect to the treatment of the natives; and in the mean time to do every thing in his power to alleviate their fufferings, and prevent the extinction of the race. i);

Scheme of fupplying the colonies with negroes.

This was all that the zeal of Las Cafas could procure, at that juncture, in favour of the Indians. The impoffibility of carrying on any improvement in America, unless the Spanish planters could command the labour of the natives, was an infuperable objection to his plan of treating them as free fubjects. In order to provide fome remedy for this, without which he found it was in vain to mention his fcheme, Les Cafas propofed to purchase a fufficient number of negroes from the Portuguese fettlements on the coaft of Africa, and to tranfport them to America, in order that they might be employed as flaves in working the mines and cultivating the ground. One of the first advantages which the Portuguefe had derived from their difcoveries in Africa, arofe from the trade in flaves. Various circumftances concurred in reviving this odious commerce, which had long been abolished in Europe, and which is no less repugnant to the feelings of humanity, than to the principles of religion. As early as the year one thousand five hundred and three,

1) Herrera, dec. 2. lib. ii. c. 16. 19. 21. lib. iii. c. 7. 8.

a few negroe flaves had been fent into the New World. k) In the year one thousand five hundred and eleven, Ferdinand permitted the importation of them in greater numbers. 1) They were found to be a more robuft and hardy race than the natives of America. They were more capable of enduring fatigue, more patient under fervitude, and the labour of one negro was computed to be equal to that of four Indians. m) Cardinal Ximenes, however, when folicited to encourage this commerce, peremptorily rejected the propofition, because he perceived the inquity of reducing one race of men to flavery, while he was confulting about the means of reftoring liberty to another. n) But Las Cafas, from the inconfiftency natural to men who hurry with headlong impetuofity towards a favourite point, was incapable of making this diftinction. While he contended earnestly for the liberty of the people born in one quarter of the globe, he laboured to enflave the inhabitants of another region; and in the warmth of his zeal to fave the Americans from the yoke, pronounced it to be lawful and expedient to impofe one ftill heavier upon the Africans. Unfortunately for the latter, Las Cafas's plan was adopted. Charles granted a patent to one of his Flemish favour

k) Herrera, dec. I. lib. v. c. 12.

1) Ibid. lib. viii. c. 9.

m) lbid. lib. ix. c. 5.

n) lbid. dec. 2. lib. ii. c. 8.

ites, containing an exclufive right of importing four thousand negroes into America. He fold his patent to fome Genoefe merchants for twenty five thousand ducats, and they were the first who brought into a regular form that commerce for flaves between Africa and America, which bas fince been carried on to fuck an amazing extent. o)

Las Cafas propofes fending labourers to Hispaniola.

conducting

But the Genoefe merchants, their operations, at first, (1518.) with the rapacity of monopolifts, demanded fuch an high price for negroes, that the number imported into Hifpaniola made no great change upon the ftate of the colony. Las Cafas, whofe zeal was no less inventive than indefatigable, had recourse to another expedient for the relief of the Indians. He obferved, that most of the perfons who had fettled hitherto in America, were foldiers and failors employed in the discovery or conqueft of the country; the younger fons of noble families, allured by the prospect of acquiring fudden wealth; or defperate adventurers, whom their indigence or crimes forced to abandon their native land. Inftead of fuch men, who were diffolute, rapacious, and incapable of that fober perfevering induftry which is requifite in forming new colonies, he pro

o) Herrera, dec. 1. lib. 2. c. 20.

pofed to fupply the new fettlements in Hifpa niola and the other iflands with a fufficient number of labourers and hufbandmen, who fhould be allured by fuitable premiums to remove thither. These, as they were accustomed to fatigue, would be able to perform the work to which the Indians, from the feeblenefs of their conftitution, were unequal, and might foon become ufeful and opulent citizens. But though Hifpaniola ftood much in need of a recruit of inhabitants, having been vifited at this time with the fmall-pox, which swept off many of the natives, and though Las Cafas had the countenance of the Flemifh minifters, this fcheme was defeated by the bifhop of Burgos, who thwarted all his projects. p)

Forms the idea of a new colony.

Las Cafas now defpaired of procuring any relief for the Indians in thofe places where the Spaniards were already fettled. The evil was become fo inveterate there, as not to admit of a cure. But fuch difcoveries were daily making in the continent, as gave an high idea, both of its extent and populoufness. In all thofe vast regions there was but one feeble colony planted; and except a small spot on the ifthmus of Darien, the natives ftill occupied the whole country. This opened a new and more ample

p) Herrera, dec. 2. lib. ii, c. 21.