this occafion to the Admiral by Guarionéx, Cacique of the Vega Real, namely that he would make a huge farm for the manufacture of bread, stretching from Isabella to St. Domingo (i. e. from sea to sea) which would fuffice to maintain all Caftile with bread. The Cacique would do this on condition that his vaffals were not to pay tribute in gold, for they did not know how to collect that. But this propofal was not accepted, as Columbus wifhed to have tribute in fuch things as he could fend over to Spain.* This tribute is faid to have been a most unreasonable one in point of amount; † and Columbus was obliged to modify his demands upon these poor Indians, and in some instances to change the nature of them, for we find that in 1496, fervice inftead of tribute was demanded of certain Indian villages as they were ordered to make the farms * Ofreció Guarionex Rey de la gran Vega Real al Almirante que le haría una labrança de pan, que llegaffe defde la Yfabela hafta fanto Domingo, que es de mar a mar, y ay buenas cinquenta y cinco leguas de camino, con lo qual bastaria a mãtener de pan a toda Caftilla, con que no le pidieffe oro, porque fus vaffalos no lo fabian coger, pero como el Almirante era forastero, solo y desfauorecido de los miniftros de los Reyes Catolicos, y como prudête conocia, que lo que le auia de conferuar, eran las riquezas que embiaffe, dauase priffa por el oro. Herrera, dec. 1, lib. 2, cap. 17. + Contribucion durífima, y ordenada con fuma ligereza. Muñoz, lib. 5, cap. 30. in the Spanish settlements*-which may be confidered as the beginning of the system of repartimientos, or encomiendas as they were afterwards called. We must not, however, suppose that Indian flavery would not have taken place even if these uprifings and defeats of the Indians in the course of the year 1495 had never occurred. Very early indeed we see what the views of Columbus were with regard to the Indians. In the diary which he kept of his firft voyage, on the 14th of October, three days after discovering the New World, he describes a position which he thinks would be a very good one for a fort; and he goes on to fay, "I do not think that it (the fort) "will be neceffary, for this people is very fimple “ in the use of arms (as your Highnesses will fee " from seven of them that I have taken in order "to bring them to you, to learn our language " and afterwards to take them back) fo that when * Antes que fe fueffe a Caftilla el Almirante, el año de. 1496. por el mes de Março o poco defpues de partido, en lugar de los tributos se impuso a algunos pueblos, que tuuieffen cuydado de hazer las labranças de las poblaciones de los Castellanos, a imitacion de lo que vfauan con fus Caziques. Herrera, dec. 1, lib. 3, cap. 13. your Highneffes command, you can have them "all taken to Caftile or kept in the island as cap❝tives."* Columbus was not an avaricious nor a cruel man; and certainly a very pious one; but he had been brought up on the coast of Africa, and was accustomed to a flave trade. Moreover he was anxious to reduce the expenfes of these Indian poffeffions to the Catholic Sovereigns, to prove himself in the right as to all he had faid respecting the advantages that would flow to Spain from the Indies, and to confute his enemies at Court. We shall naturally be curious to know how the news of these veffels laden with flaves, the fruit of the Admiral's first victory over the Indians, was received by Los Reyes, recollecting how tender they had been about flavery before. This is a very different cafe though from the former. Here are people taken in what would be called rebellion-prifoners of war. Still we must be glad to find that Ferdinand and Isabella are heedful in their proceedings in this matter. There is a letter of theirs to Bishop Fonfeca, who ftill managed Indian affairs, telling him to withhold receiving the money for the fale of these Indians *Navarrete, Col. vol. 1, p. 24. that Torres had brought with him, until their Highneffes fhould be able to inform themselves from men learned in the law, theologians and canonifts, whether with a good confcience these Indians could be ordered to be fold or not.* The hiftorian, Muñoz, fays that he does not find that the point was decided; and if he has failed, we are not likely to discover any direct evidence about the decifion. We shall hereafter, however, find fomething which may enable us to conjecture what the decifion had practically come to be. The fo-called free Indians in Hifpaniola had many of them perhaps even a worse fate than their brethren condemned to flavery. Seeing the Spaniards quietly fettling down there, building houses, and making forts, and no veffels in the harbour of Ifabella to take them away, the profoundest sadness fell upon the Indians, and they bethought them of the defperate remedy of attempting to ftarve the Spaniards out, by not sowing or planting anything. But this is a fhallow device when undertaken on the part of the greater number, in any country, against the smaller. The scheme reacted upon themselves. They had intended to gain a * Porque Nos queriamos informarnos de letrados, Teologos e Canoniftas, fi con buena conciencia se pueden vender eftos por folo vos ó no. Navarrete, Col. Dip. Doc. Núm. xcii. fioner of enquiry fent to the Indies. secure though scanty sustenance in the hills; but though the Spaniards fuffered bitterly from famine, they were only driven by it to further purfuit and moleftation of the Indians who died then in great numbers of hunger, fickness, and mifery. About this period there arrived in the Indies from the Court of Spain a Commiffioner of enquiry Commif- (Juez pefquifidor) his miffion being doubtless occafioned by the various complaints made against the Admiral by Father Buil, Margarite, and the Spaniards who had returned from Hifpaniola. The name of this Commiffioner was Juan Aguado and his powers were vouched for by the following letter from Los Reyes. "THE KING AND THE QUEEN. "Cavaliers, Efquires and other persons who by "our command are in the Indies: we fend you "there Juan Aguado our Steward, who will speak "to you on our part: we command that you give "him faith and credence. "I the King: I the Queen. "By command of the King and Queen, our Lords. "HERNAND ALVAREZ. "Madrid the ninth of April, one thousand four "hundred and ninety five." |