and difinterested; and though, from the accomplishment of his defigns, ineftimable benefits would refult to the crown of Caftile, he never had claimed, nor ever would receive any recompence on that account.

The fcheme of Las Casas approved of.

Charles, after hearing both, and confulting with his minifters, did not think himself fufficiently informed to establish any general arrangement with respect to the ftate of the Indians; but as he had perfect confidence in the integrity of Las Cafas, and as even the bishop of Darien admitted his fcheme to be of fuch importance, that a trial fhould be made of its effects, he iffued a patent, (1520.) granting him the district in Cumana formerly mentioned, with full power to establish a colony there according to his own plan. s)

His preparations for executing it.

Las Cafas pufhed on the preparations for his voyage with his ufual ardour. But, either from his own inexperience in the conduct of affairs, or from the fecret oppofition of the Spanish nobility, who univerfally dreaded the fuccefs of an inftitution that might rob them of U 2

*) Herrera, dec. 2. lib. iv. c. 3. 4. 5. Argenfola Annales d'Aragon, 74. 97. Remifal Hift. Gener, lib. ii. c. 19, 20,

the induftrious and ufeful hands which cultivated their eftates, his progrefs in engaging hufbandmen and labourers was extremely flow, and he could not prevail on more than two hundred to accompany him to Cumana.

Departs for America, and meets with formidable
obftacles.

Nothing, however, could damp his zeal. With this flender train, hardly fufficient to take paffeffion of fuch a vast territory, and altogether unequal to any attempt towards civilizing its inhabitants, he fet fail. The first place at which he touched was the ifland of Puerto Rico. There he received an account of a new obftacle to the execution of his fcheme, more infuperable than any he had hitherto encountered. When he left America in the year one thousand five hundred and fixteen, the Spaniards had little intercourfe with any part of the continent, except the countries adjacent to the gulf of Darien. But as every fpecies of internal industry began to ftagnate in Hifpaniola, when, by the rapid decrease of the natives, the Spaniards were deprived of thofe hands with which they had hitherto carried on their operations, this prompted them to try various expedients for fupplying that lofs. Confiderable numbers of negroes were imported; but, on account of their exorbitant price, many of the planters could not afford to purchase them.

In

order to procure flaves at an easier rate, fome of these fitted out veffels to cruize along the coaft of the continent. In places where they found themfelves inferior in ftrength, they traded with the natives, and gave European. toys in exchange for the plates of gold worn by them as ornaments; but, wherever they could furprife or overpower the Indians, they carried them off by force, and fold them as flaves in Hifpaniola. t) In those predatory excurfions, the moft atrocious acts of violence. and cruelty were committed. The Spanish

name was held in deteftation all over the continent. Whenever any fhips appeared, the inhabitants either fled to the woods, or ruthed down to the fhore in arms, to repel thofe hated disturbers of their tranquillity. They forced fome parties of the Spaniards to retreat with precipitation; they cut off others; and in the violence of their refentment against the whole nation, they murdered two Dominican miffionaries, whofe zeal had prompted them to fettle in the province of Cumana. u) This outrage against perfons revered for their fanctity, excited fuch indignation among the people of Hifpaniola, who, notwithstanding all their li centious and cruel proceedings, were poffeffed with a wonderful zeal for religion, and

t) Herrera, dec. 3. lib. ii. c. 3.

u) Oviedo, Hift. lib. xix. c. 3.

つ

a fuperftitious refpect for its minifters, that they determined to inflict exemplary punishment, not only upon the perpetrators of that crime, but upon the whole race. With this view, they gave the command of five fhips and three hundred men to Diego Ocampo, with orders to lay wafte, the country of Cumana with fire and fword, and to transport all the inhabitants as flaves to Hifpaniola. This armament Las Cafas found at Puerto Rico, in its way to the continent; and as Ocampo refused to defer his voyage, he immediately perceived that it would be impoffible, to attempt the execution of his pacifick plan in a country deftined to be the feat of war and desolation. x)

Labours to furmount them.

In order to provide against the effects of this unfortunate incident, he fet fail directly for St. Domingo, leaving his followers cantoned out among the planters in Puerto Rico. From many concurring caufes, the reception which Las Cafas met with (12th April 1517.) in HiSpaniola was very unfavourable. In his nego

ciations for the relief of the Indians, he had cenfured the conduct of his countrymen fettled there with fuch honeft severity as rendered him univerfally odious to them. They confi dered their own ruin as the inevitable con

x) Herrera, dec. 2. lib. ix. c. 8, 9.

fequence of his fuccefs. They were now elated with hope of receiving a large recruit of flaves from Cumana, which must be relinquished if Las Cafas were affifted in fettling his projected colony there. Figueroa, in confequence of the inftructions he had received in Spain, had made an experiment concerning the capacity of the Indians, which was reprefented as decifive against the system of Las Cafas. He collected in Hifpaniola a good number of the natives, and fettled them in two villages, leaving them at perfect liberty, and with the uncontrouled direction of their own actions. But that people, accustomed to a mode of life extremely different, incapable of affuming new habits at once, and dejected with their own misfortunes as well as those of their country, exerted fo little induftry in cultivating the ground, appeared fo devoid of folicitude or forefight in providing for their own wants, and were fuch ftrangers to arrangement in conducting their affairs, that the Spaniards pronounced them incapable of being formed to live like men in focial life, and confidered them as children, who fhould be kept under the perpetual tutelage of perfons fuperior to themselves in wisdom and fagacity. y)

Final mifcarriage of his fcheme.

Notwithstanding all thofe circumftanees, which alienated the people to whom Las Cafas y) Herrera, dec. 2. lib. x. c. 5.