The Island of Hispaniola

In this Isle, which, as we have said, the Spaniards first attempted, the bloody slaughter and destruction of Men first began: for they violently forced away Women and Children to make them Slaves, and ill-treated them, consuming and wasting their Food, which they had purchased with great sweat, toil, and yet remained dissatisfied too, which every one according to his strength and ability, and that was very inconsiderable (for they provided no other Food than what was absolutely necessary to support Nature without superfluity, freely bestow'd on them, and one individual Spaniard consumed more Victuals in one day, than would serve to maintain Three Families a Month, every one consisting of Ten Persons. Now being oppressed by such evil usage, and afflicted with such greate Torments and violent Entertainment they began to understand that such Men as those had not their Mission from Heaven; and therefore some of them conceal'd their Provisions and others to their Wives and Children in lurking holes, but some, to avoid the obdurate and dreadful temper of such a Nation, sought their Refuge on the craggy tops of Mountains; for the Spaniards did not only entertain them with Cuffs, Blows, and wicked Cudgelling, but laid violent hands also on the Governours of Cities; and this arriv'd at length to that height of Temerity and Impudence, that a certain Captain was so audacious as abuse the Consort of the most puissant King of the whole Isle. From which time they began to consider by what wayes and means they might expel the Spaniards out of their Countrey, and immediately took up Arms. But, good God, what Arms, do you imagin? Namely such, both Offensive and Defensive, as resemble Reeds wherewith Boys sport with one another, more than Manly Arms and Weapons.

On this island, which the Spaniards attacked first, as we have said, the bloody slaughter and destruction of people began. The invaders violently carried off women and children to enslave them, and treated them cruelly. They consumed and wasted the food the islanders had obtained through great sweat and toil, yet still remained dissatisfied. Each islander freely gave them food according to their means and ability, which were very limited. For the islanders provided only enough food to sustain life, with nothing to spare. One individual Spaniard ate more in one day than would feed three families of ten people each for a month. Oppressed by such abuse, and suffering such terrible torment and violence, the islanders began to understand something. Men like these could not have been sent from Heaven. So some islanders hid their food, while others hid their wives and children in concealed places. But some fled to rugged mountaintops to escape the hard-hearted and dreadful nature of these people. For the Spaniards did not merely slap, punch, and brutally beat the islanders with clubs. They also violently attacked the governors of towns. Their boldness and shamelessness finally grew so great that a certain captain dared to abuse the island’s most powerful king’s wife. From that time, the islanders began considering how they might drive the Spaniards out of their country. They immediately took up arms. But, good God, what sort of arms do you imagine? Their weapons, both for attack and defense, were more like reeds boys play with than weapons fit for men.

Which the Spaniards no sooner perceived, but they, mounted on generous Steeds, well weapon'd with Lances and Swords, begin to exercise their bloody Butcheries and Strategems, and overrunning their Cities and Towns, spar'd no Age, or Sex, nay not so much as Women with Child, but ripping up their Bellies, tore them alive in pieces. They laid Wagers among themselves, who should with a Sword at one blow cut, or divide a Man in two; or which of them should decollate or behead a Man, with the greatest dexterity; nay farther, which should sheath his Sword in the Bowels of a Man with the quickest dispatch and expedition.

As soon as the Spaniards saw this, they began their bloody slaughter and schemes. They rode fine horses and were well armed with lances and swords. They overran cities and towns, sparing no one, regardless of age or sex, not even pregnant women. They cut open these women’s bellies and tore them apart alive. They bet among themselves on who could cut a man in two with a single sword stroke. They also bet on who could behead a man with the greatest skill. They went further, betting on who could plunge his sword into a man’s guts the fastest.

They snatcht young Babes from the Mothers Breasts, and then dasht out the brains of those innocents against the Rocks; others they cast into Rivers scoffing and jeering them, and call'd upon their Bodies when falling with derision, the true testimony of their Cruelty, to come to them, and inhumanely exposing others to their Merciless Swords, together with the Mothers that gave them Life.

They snatched young babies from their mothers’ breasts and smashed those innocent babies’ brains out against the rocks. They threw other babies into rivers, mocking and jeering at them. As the babies fell, they mockingly called out for the babies to come to them. This mockery was clear proof of their cruelty. And they mercilessly put other babies to the sword, along with the mothers who had given them life.

They erected certain Gibbets, large, but low made, so that their feet almost reacht the ground, every one of which was so order'd as to bear Thirteen Persons in Honour and Reverence (as they said blasphemously) of our Redeemer and his Twelve Apostles, under which they made a Fire to burn them to Ashes whilst hanging on them: But those they intended to preserve alive, they dismiss'd, their Hands half cut, and still hanging by the Skin, to carry their Letters missive to those that fly from us and ly sculking on the Mountains, as an exprobation of their flight.

They built large gallows, but made them low enough that the victims’ feet almost touched the ground. Each gallows was designed to hold thirteen people, supposedly in honor and reverence of our Redeemer and his Twelve Apostles. This claim was blasphemous. Beneath the gallows, they lit fires to burn the victims to ashes as they hung. But they let those they intended to keep alive go, with their hands half severed and hanging by the skin. These survivors were to carry letters to those fleeing from us and hiding in the mountains, rebuking them for fleeing.

The Lords and Persons of Noble Extract were usually expos'd to this kind of Death; they order'd Gridirons to be placed and supported with wooden Forks, and putting a small Fire under them, these miserable Wretches by degrees and with loud Shreiks and exquisite Torments, at last Expir'd.

Lords and people of noble birth were usually subjected to this kind of death. Iron grates were ordered to be placed on forked wooden supports, with a small fire underneath. These miserable victims slowly died, screaming loudly and suffering extreme agony.

I once saw Four or Five of their most Powerful Lords laid on these Gridirons, and thereon roasted, and not far off, Two or Three more over-spread with the same Commodity, Man's Flesh; but the shril Clamours which were heard there being offensive to the Captain, by hindring his Repose, he commanded them to be strangled with a Halter. The Executioner (whose Name and Parents at Sevil are not unknown to me) prohibited the doing of it; but stopt Gags into their Mouths to prevent the hearing of the noise (he himself making the Fire) till that they dyed, when they had been roasted as long as he thought convenient. I was an Eye-Witness of these and and innumerable Number of other Cruelties: And because all Men, who could lay hold of the opportunity, sought out lurking holes in the Mountains, to avoid as dangerous Rocks so Brutish and Barbarous a People, Strangers to all Goodness, and the Extirpaters and Adversaries of Men, they bred up such fierce hunting Dogs as would devour an Indian like a Hog, at first sight in less than a moment: Now such kind of Slaughters and Cruelties as these were committed by the Curs, and if at any time it hapned, (which was rarely) that the Indians irritated upon a just account destroy'd or took away the Life of any Spaniard, they promulgated and proclaim'd this Law among them, that One Hundred Indians should dye for every individual Spaniard that should be slain.

I once saw four or five of their most powerful lords laid on these iron grills and roasted. Nearby were two or three more, covered with the same commodity, human flesh. But the shrill cries disturbed the captain by keeping him from resting. He ordered the victims strangled with a rope. The executioner stopped this from being done. I know his name and his parents in Sevil. Instead, the executioner stuffed gags into the victims’ mouths so their cries could not be heard. He tended the fire himself until they died, after roasting them for as long as he thought fit. I witnessed these cruelties and countless others. All who could find an opportunity sought hiding places in the mountains. They fled these brutal, barbarous people as they would dangerous rocks. These people knew nothing of goodness and were enemies and destroyers of humankind. Because people fled, the Spaniards raised fierce hunting dogs. These dogs could devour an Indian like a hog, at first sight, in less than a moment. Such slaughters and cruelties were carried out by these vicious dogs. If the Indians, provoked with just cause, ever killed a Spaniard, which rarely happened, the Spaniards announced and proclaimed this law: One hundred Indians must die for every single Spaniard killed.