The Province of St. Martha

The Province of St. Martha was rich in the Neighbouring Golden Mines, and a fruitful Soil, nay the People were very expert and industrious in those Mine-works: Upon this Account, or Temptation it was, that from the Year 1540, to 1542, abundance of Tyrants sailed thither, laying waste the whole Country by their Depredations, slaughtering the Inhabitants at a prodigious and bloody rate; and robbing them of all their Gold, who dayly fled to their Ships for Refuge, moving sometime to one place, and sometime to another. And thus those Provinces were laid waste, the greatest Outrages being committed on the Sea-shore, which lasted till the Year 1523, whither the Spaniards then came to seat themselves, and fis their intended Habitation. And becuase it is a plentiful Region and Opulent withal; it was subjected to several Rulers, who like Infernal Fiends contended who should obtain the Palm, by out-staining the Sword of his Predecessor in Innocent Blood; insomuch, that from the Year 1529 to this very day, they have wasted and spoiled as much good ground as extended Five Hundred Miles, and unpeopled the Countrey.

The Province of St. Martha was rich in nearby gold mines and had fertile soil. Its people were also highly skilled and hardworking miners. This wealth tempted many tyrants to sail there from 1540 to 1542. They ravaged the whole country, slaughtered its inhabitants in enormous numbers, and robbed them of all their gold. They fled daily to their ships for refuge, moving from one place to another. And so those provinces were devastated. The worst atrocities took place along the coast and continued until 1523. That year, the Spaniards arrived to settle there and establish their intended home. Because the region was fertile and wealthy, it was placed under several rulers. Like demons from hell, these rulers competed for the prize of staining their swords with more innocent blood than their predecessors. As a result, from 1529 to this very day, they have ravaged and ruined fertile land stretching five hundred miles. They have left the country without inhabitants.

If I design'd to enumerate all the Impieties, Butcheries, Desolations, Iniquities, Violences, Destructions and other the Piacula and black Enormities committed and perpetrated by the Spaniards in this Province, against God, the King, and these harmless Nations; I might compile a Voluminous History, and that shall be compleated, if God permit my Glass to run longer, in his good time. It may suffice for the present to relate some passages written in a Letter to our King and Lord by a Revernd Bishop of these Provinces, Dated the 20th of May, An. Dom. 1541. wherein among other matters he thus words it.

If I tried to list all the sins, massacres, devastation, injustices, violence, destruction, sacrileges, and other monstrous crimes, I could fill a vast history. The Spaniards committed these offenses in this province against God, the King, and these harmless nations. I will complete that history in God's good time, if he allows me to live long enough. For now, some passages from a letter to our King and Lord may suffice. A reverend bishop of these provinces wrote the letter, dated the 20th of May, AD 1541. Among other matters, he writes as follows.

I must acquaint your Sacred Majesty, that the only way to succour and support this tottering Region is to free it from the Power of a Father in Law, and marry it to a Husband who will treat her as she ought to be, and lovingly entertain her, and that must be done with all possible Expedition too, if not, I am certain that she will suddenly decay and come to nothing by the covetous and sordid Deportment of the Governours, &c. And a little after he writes thus, By this Means your Majesty will plainly know and understand how to depose the Prefects or Governours of those Regions from their Office if they deserve it, that so they may be alleviated and eas'd of such Burthens; which if not perform'd, in my Opinion, the Body Politick will never recover its Health. And this I will make appear to your Majesty that they are not Christians, but Devils; not Servants of God and the King, but Traitors to the King and Laws, who are Conversant in those Regions. And in reality nothing can be more obstructive to those that live peacably, then Inhumane and Barbarous Usage, which they, who lead a quiet and peacable Life, too frequently undergo, and this is so fastidious and nauseous to them, that there can be nothing in the World so odious and detestable among them, as the Name of a Christian: for they term the Christians in their Language Yares, that is, Devils; and in truth are not without reason; for the Actions of those that reside in these Regions, are not such as speak them to be Christians or Men, gifted with Reason, but absolute Devils; hence it is, that the Indians, perceiving these Actions committed by the Heads as well as Members, who are void of all Compassion and Humanity, do judge the Christian Laws to be of the same strain and temper, and that their God and King are the Authors of such Enormities: Now to endeavour to work upon them a contrary perswasion is to no purpose; for this would afford them a greater Latitude and Liberty to deride Jesus Christ and his Laws. Now the Indians who protect and defend themselves by force of Arms, think it more eligible, and far better to dye once, than suffer several and many Deaths under the Spanish Power. This I know experimentally, Most Invicible Casar, &c. And he adds farther, Your Majesty is more Powerful in Subjects and Servants, who frequent these Kingdoms, then you can imagin. Nor is there one Soldier among them all, who does not publickly and openly profess, if he robs, steals, spoils, kills, burns His Majesties Subjects, 'tis to purchase Gold: He will not say that he therein does your Majesty great Service, for they affirm they do it to obtain their own Share and Dividend. Wherefore, Most Invincible Casar, it would be a very prudential Act for your Majesty to testifie by a rigid Correction and severe Punishment of some Malefactors, that it is disservice to you for your Subjects to commit such Evil Acts, as tend to the Disobedience and Dishonour of the Almighty.

I must tell your Sacred Majesty that there is only one way to save and support this faltering region. Free her from the power of a father-in-law and marry her to a husband who will treat her properly and lovingly. This must be done as quickly as possible. Otherwise, I am certain the region will soon decline and come to nothing because of the governors’ greedy, corrupt conduct, etc. A little later he writes as follows: By these means, your Majesty will clearly understand how to remove those regions’ prefects or governors if they deserve removal. In this way, the regions may be relieved of such burdens. Unless these officials are removed, I believe the body politic will never recover its health. And I will show your Majesty that those serving in these regions are not Christians, but devils. They are not servants of God and the King, but traitors to the King and the laws. Indeed, nothing causes greater harm to those who live peacefully than the inhuman and barbarous treatment they so often suffer. This treatment fills them with such disgust that nothing in the world is more hateful to them than the name Christian. In their language, they call Christians Yares, meaning devils, and truly they have reason to do so. The actions of those living in these regions mark them neither as Christians nor as human beings endowed with reason. Instead, their actions mark them as outright devils. The Indians see these acts committed by leaders and followers alike, all lacking compassion and humanity. So the Indians judge Christian laws to be equally cruel, and believe the Christians’ God and King authorize these atrocities. Now trying to persuade the Indians otherwise is useless. Such attempts would only give them greater freedom and scope to ridicule Jesus Christ and his laws. Now the Indians who defend themselves by force of arms consider dying once preferable, and far better, than suffering many deaths under Spanish rule. I know this from experience, Most Invincible Caesar, etc. He adds further: Your Majesty has more subjects and servants who travel to these kingdoms than you can imagine. Not one soldier among them fails to admit publicly and openly why he commits these acts. If he robs, steals, plunders, kills, or burns your Majesty’s subjects, he does so to acquire gold. He will not say that these acts greatly serve your Majesty. These soldiers declare that they act to obtain their own share of the profits. Therefore, Most Invincible Caesar, your Majesty would act very wisely by firmly correcting and severely punishing some offenders. Such punishment would show that your subjects do you no service by committing these evil acts. These acts lead to disobedience toward the Almighty and dishonor him.

What you have read hitherto is the Relation of the said Bishop of St. Martha, Epitomized and Extracted from his Letters, whereby it is manifest, how Savagely they handle these mild and affable People. They term them Warlike Indians, who betake themselves to the Mountains to secure themselves from Spanish Cruelty; and call them Country Indians, or Inhabitants, who by a dreadful Massacre are delivered up to Tyrannical and Horrible Servitude, whereby at length they are become depopulated, made desolate, and utterly destroy'd; as appears by the Epistle of the praementioned Bishop, who only gives us a slight Account or Essay of their persecution and Sufferings. The Indians of this Country use to break out into such Words as these, when they are driven, loaded like Brutes through the uncouth wayes in their Journeys over the Mountains, if they happen to faint through Weakness, and miscarry through extremity of Labour, (for then they are kicked and cudge'd, their Teeth dasht out with the Pummels of their Swords to raise them up again, when tired and fallen under weighty Burthens, and force them to go on without Respiration, or Time to take Breath, and all this with the following increpation, or upbraiding and taunting words, O what a wicket Villain art thou?) I say they burst out into these Expressions, I am absolutely tir'd, kill me, I desire to dye, being weary of my Life as well as my Burthen and Journey: And this not without deep Heart-breaking Sighs, they being scarce able to draw or breathe out their words, which are the Characteristical Notes, and infallible of the Mind drowned in Anguish and Sorrow. My it please our Merciful God to order the discovery of these Crimes to be manifested to those Persons, who are able and oblig'd to redress them.

What you have read so far is the account of the Bishop of St. Martha, summarized from his letters. His account makes clear how savagely the Spaniards treat these gentle, friendly people. They call those who flee to the mountains to escape Spanish cruelty warlike Indians. They call those subjected to tyrannical and horrible slavery through a dreadful massacre country Indians, or inhabitants. This treatment has finally left their communities depopulated, desolate, and utterly destroyed. The bishop’s letter shows this, though he gives only a brief outline of their persecution and suffering. The Indians of this country often cry out in words like these when driven across the mountains. They are loaded like beasts and forced along rough paths. If they collapse from weakness and exhaustion, they are kicked and beaten with clubs. Their teeth are knocked out with sword pommels to make them rise after falling beneath heavy loads. They are forced onward without a pause or time to catch their breath. All this is accompanied by insults and taunts like these: Oh, what a wicked villain you are! Then, I say, they cry out: I am completely exhausted. Kill me. I want to die. I am as weary of my life as of my burden and journey. These words come with deep, heartbreaking sighs. They can barely breathe out the words, unmistakable signs of a mind overwhelmed by anguish and sorrow. May our merciful God bring these crimes to the attention of those who can and must put them right.

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