The tears of the Indians being an historical and true account of the cruel massacres and slaughters of above twenty millions of innocent people, committed by the Spaniards in the islands of Hispaniola, Cuba, Jamaica, &c. : as also in the continent of Mexico, Peru, & other places of the West-Indies, to the total destruction of those countries / written in Spanish by Casaus, an eye-witness of those things ; and made English by J.P.

Of the New Kingdome of GRANATA.

IN the yeare 1539. many of these Ty∣rants departing from Venecuela, Santa Martha and Carthagena, met together to make a Conquest of Peru. And many others comming out of the same Regions, having a desire to make a further Progress, they found many pleasant Countries, a∣bout some 300. miles from Carthagena, & divers gallant Provinces, well stored with courteous and affable Inhabitants like to other places in India, abounding also in Gold and Precious Stones, which are cal∣led Emraulds; which Provinces by a new name they called New Granata, because that the Tyrant that first came into these parts was borne in the Kingdome of Gra∣nata. And because those that robb'd and spoil'd these Countries, were cruel men, and perverse Stewards, famous butchers and spillers of humane blood, therefore are their diabolical actions so great and so many, that they farre surpassed those which were done before them in other Countries, of which, some of the most se∣lect ones I will rehearse.

A certain Governour, because he that destroy'd those parts would not admit him to share with him in his gettings, made certain Inquisitions and proofes, which he got prov'd by many witnesses, by which are apparent the murders and ho∣micides which the other committed; in the committing whereof he perseveres unto this day; There were read in the Councel, and stand these recorded.

In the said Examinations the witnesses depose, that when all these Kingdomes were peaceful, the Indians serv'd the Spa∣niards, getting their living by painful la∣bours in the tillage of the Earth, bring∣ing them what quantity of Gold or Gems they had or could get, having also divided their houses and their habitations among them, of which they are not a little co∣vetous, as being a means for them to obtain their Gold the more easily.

But when all the Indians were labouring under their accustomed tyranny, the Chief Captain and Tyrant of the Spaniards took the King and Lord of the Country, and kept him a prisoner for the space of six or seven moneths, for no other reason then to squeez from him what Gold and precious Stones he could. The said King, whose name was Bogata, through fear promised him that he would give him a golden house, hoping by that meanes to be set at

liberty; and so he sent his Indians, who brought back great sums of Gold and Precious Stones. But because the King gave them not a golden house, therefore they told him that he must be put to death, because he did not stand to his word. Whereupon the Tyrant commanded that he should be brought before him; and thus they presum'd to call to judgement one of the greatest Kings of the Land. Whereupon sentence was given that hee should be tormented, because he had not given the gold'n house. Whereupon they tortur'd him, dropping hot sope upon his belly; then they fetterd his two feet to two posts or stakes, and bound his neck to another; then two men holding his hands, they set fire to his feet, the Tyrant com∣ming now and then to him, and threat∣ning death to him, unlesse that he would tell them where his treasure lay; But that could not be done, for with torments they soon ended his life. Which things, while they were doing, the displeasure of Heaven fell upon the City for their sakes, whereby it was immediately consum'd with fire. The other Captaines of the Spaniards, re∣solving to walk in their Leaders footsteps, because they knew no Art but that of dis∣membring the poor people, were not less guilty of the same crimes, with divers and most horrible torments afflicting both the

Nobles and the Commonaly which sub∣mitted themselves unto them, though they would faine have bought their peace with great presents both of Gold and Precious Stones. They tormented them onely that they might obtaine from them the greater Sums of Gold and Silver; and thus all the Noble Blood of that Country was spilt in a most barbarous and shameful man∣ner.

One time it happend that a certain num∣ber of the Indians, full of innocence and simplicity, came to proffer their service to the Spanish Captain; But while they thought themselves safe under the prote∣ction of their own humility, a Captain at that instant came to the City where they serv'd their Masters, who, after he had sup'd, commanded all the Indians, who were sleeping and resting from the hardnesse of their labours, to be all put to the sword. Which slaughter he made with intention to make himselfe the more dreadful to all the Country. Once the Captain comman∣ded all the Spaniards that they should bring forth as many of the Indian Lords or common people, as they had in their houses, into a publick place, and there kill them; and thus they slew above four or five hundred men. This the witnesses affirme of a certain particular Tyrant, that he exercis'd very great cruelties, by cut∣ting

off the hands, noses, and feet both of men and women.

Another time it happend that the chief Captain sent an Officer into the Province of Bogata, to enquire who had succeeded the Prince that was so cruelly murdered; who riding many miles into the Country, took the Indians captive, cutting off the hands and ears of many of them, onely because they would not tell who was their Kings Successor; others they threw to their dogs to be torn to pieces; and thus they kill'd and destroy'd great numbers of the Indi∣ans in these parts.

Upon a certain day, about the fourth watch of the night, they fell upon many Princes, Peers, and other men who thought themselves in safety; for the Spaniards had made promise to them that they should not receive any injury; upon which promise they came out of their lurking holes in the mountaines, returning without any fear or suspition to their houses; all these this Tyrant took, and causing them to lay their hands upon the ground, with his own sword cut them off, telling them that he would chastise them for not declaring where their King was.

Another time, because the Indians did not bring a chest of Gold to the Captain which he required, he therefore sent for∣ces to make war upon them, in which

war so many were slain, so many dismem∣bred, that the number was hardly to be reckond; besides others that they cast to their dogs, bred up and fed with humane flesh, who were immediately devoured by them.

Another time the Inhabitants of another Province, seeing that they had murderd about four or five of their chief Princes and Rulers, fled in fear to a certain moun∣tain for shelter against their inhumane ene∣mies, where there were got together above foure or five thousand Indians, as hath been proved by witnesses: But the Cap∣tain, or Governour of the Spaniards, sent a notorious Tyrant with a company of Souldiers to reduce, as he said, those re∣bellious Indians, that had fled from their slaughters and cruelties; and to chastise them for it, as if they had done an unlaw∣ful action; or as if punishment had been due to the Indians, and not rather more deser∣ved by themselves, to have bin us'd without all pity, who had shewd themselves so mercilesse to others. The Spaniards scale this Mountain by force, for the Indians were weak and unarmed, telling them that they desired peace if they would lay down their Armes; whereupon they all immediately threw away their weapons, which when the chief Tyrant beheld, he sent to certain of the Spaniards to possesse

themselves of the cheife places of strength in the Mountaine; and then commanded them to fall upon the Indians. Whereupon they fall upon them as Wolves or Lyons fall upon a flock of sheep, till they were wearied with murdering; but they had no sooner taken breath, but he commanded them again to renew their fury, and caus'd them to precipitate the rest which were re∣maining from the top of the Rock which was very high and steep. And the wit∣nesses affirm that they have seen a cloud of Indians falling down from the Mountain, which were all bruis'd to peices.

And to finish his cruel enterprise, he caus'd the Indians that had hid themselves among the thickets to be searched out and put to the sword, and then thrown down from the tops of the high mountaines. And not satiated with these cruelties, that their horrible abominations might be the more notorious, he gave command that all the Indians that were reserv'd alive should be kept by his particular souldiers as their slaves, a custome which they constantly ob∣served; as for the women, those excepted whom they thought most fit for their ser∣vice, they were all thrust together into a house made of straw and there burnt to death, to the number of above four or five hundred.

The same Tyrant came to the City of

Cota where he took an infinite sight of peo∣ple, and cast fifteen or sixteen of the Nobles and Lords of the Kingdom to his dogs, cutting of the hands of many of the Indians both men and women, which he hung upon a perch for the Indians to behold; in this manner were seen hung together above seventy paire of hands. This is also to be added that they cut off the noses both of Infants and their Mothers.

No man can rehearse the cruelties com∣mitted by this man, the enemy of God; They are innumerable, neither heard of nor seen before, especially those committed in Guatimala, which were their chiefe master∣peices in this art of destruction which they have been so long practising.

The witnesses do moreover adde this, that the cruelties and slaughters committed in the said new Kingdome of Granata by the said Captain and his accom∣plices the destroyers and Abaddons of mankinde, who are with him, and to whom he gives the power to exercise these strange abominations, are so many and so great, that if his Majesty do not stop the deluge of evils which they bring along with them (for the slaughters of the Indians are made onely through the desire of their Gold, though it be all in their own hands already) in a very short time the Kingdom will be ruin'd & laid desolate, and the land

when all the Inhabitants are destroy'd must of necessity lie untill'd.

In this place we must noe passe by a most pernicious cruelty of these Tyrants which was so violent, that in the space of two or three years (for no longer time there was between the desolation and the discovery of this Kingdom which was the most popu∣lous Country in the whole World) they totally ruin'd and depopulated the whole Country, shewing themselves so void of compassion, so empty of grace, so regard∣lesse of the Kings honour, that they had not left a person living, had not his Majesty a little stopt the current of their cruelty: which I the more easily believe, because I have seen my selfe in a few dayes several great Kingdomes and Countries destroy'd and desolate. There are some large Pro∣vinces adjoyning to the Kingdom of new Granata which are call'd Popagan and Cali, and three or four others which stretch them∣selves in length above 500. miles, which they destroy'd in the same manner as they did the other, and by their foresaid Massa∣cres brought down to the lowest degree of desolation, and this some who return'd out of these Countries & came to us relate; But if there were ever any thing to be be∣wailed by man, they were the stories which they told of large Cities ruin'd and buri∣ed in their own ashes; scarce fifty houses

remaining where before there were above a thousand, or two thousand; and the sad narrations which they brought, of large Countries and Regions that lay desolate and spoil'd of their inhabitants.

At length there went out of the King∣domes of Perne through the Country of Quitonia into the Regions of Granata and Popaganum, many very cruel Tyrants, who march'd through the Carthagenians, and Vrabia, to reach Calisium, while others stay'd to assaile Quitonium it selfe. But these at length joyn'd toge∣ther, depopulating above sixe hundred miles in length, with an infinite waste of men, to the remainder whereof they are at present no lesse cruel.

And thus what I set down as a rule, still holds good, that the violence and cruelty of the Spaniards, by continuance still wax∣ed more and more furious and bloody. But among all these Crimes, which are one∣ly worthy of fire and sword, that have been perpetrated in these Countries, this which followes is worthy the taking notice of.

When the heate of Massacring and kil∣ling is over, they carry captive away some∣times two hundred, sometimes three hun∣dred men apeice; and when their master pleases, he commands a hundred at a time to be brought before him, to whom when

they come like meek and patient lambs, he commands thirty or forty of them to be put to death; telling the rest that thus they shall all be us'd unlesse they prove diligent in his service.

Consider I beseech you, all that read, or shall read these few papers, whether an act so horrible, so detestable, so inhumane, do not exceed all the iniquities and cruelties that the imagination of man can compre∣hend; and whether such Spaniards may not be deservedly called Devils; or whether it be not a thing almost indifferent whether the Indians should be in the hands of Spaniards, or of the Infernal spirits. Neither will I forget to relate one barbarou's action, which as I think doth exceed the cruelty of beasts.

The Spaniards which are among the Indians do breed up a sort of fierce dogs, which they teach and instruct to fall upon the Indians and devour them. Now let all men, judge whether Christians or Turks, in this it much imports not, whether so much cruelty ever peirc'd their eares before. These dogs they take along with them in all their ex∣peditions, carrying also divers Indians in chaines for the sustenance of those dogs. And it was a common thing for them to say one to another; Give me a quarter of your Indian for my dogs, and too morrow when I bill one I will pay it you again; As if they

were no more to be accounted of then the offals of a hog or sheep. Others were wont to go a hunting in the morning, and being ask'd how they had sped: Oh very well reply'd the other, my dogs have kill'd fifteen or sixteen Indians this morning; These have been all proved in the impeachments made by one Tyrant against another. Could there be any thing more horrible or more cruel?

But I will here stay, until there shall come news of greater impieties (if greater there can be) or till we shall return to behold these things which for the space of above forty years we have already seen. And now I do protest according to my consci∣ence and in the sight of God, that the losses of the Indians were so great, and so many their subverted Cities, the cruelties and massacres so horrible, the violences and iniquities so in human, that though I have done my utmost to relate what I could, and to paint them in their own lively colours, yet have I not been able to rehearse one thing done among a thousand, either as to the quantity or the quality of the Crimes.

And now that all true Christians may be mov'd with the greater compassion to∣wards the poor creatures, that their losses may appeare the more deplorable, that they may with a greater indignation de∣test the ambition, cruelty, and covetousness,

of the Spaniards, to those which I have abovesaid, I will also adde this for a truth, that, from the time America was first dis¦covered unto this present, the Indians ne∣ver were the men that ever shewed the least disaffection, or offer'd the least inju∣ry to the Spaniards, but rather ador'd them as Angels of immortality come to visit them from Heaven, till their owne actions betrayd them to a far worse cen∣sure.

This I will also adde, that from the beginning to this day, the Spaniards were never any more mindful to spread the Gos∣pel among them, then as if they had been dogs; but on the contrary forbid religious persons to exercise their dutie, deterring them by many afflictions and persecutions from preaching and teaching among them, for that they thought would have hinde∣red them in getting their Gold, and kept the people from their labours. Neither had they any more knowledge of the God of Heaven, as to say whether he were of wood, brasse, or iron, then they had above a hun∣dred years before. New Spaine being onely excepted, whither the Religious persons had most liberty to go: So that they all dy'd without Faith or Sacraments, to the willing destruction of their souls.

I Frier Bartholmew Casaus, of the Or∣der

of St. Dominic, who went to these parts through the mercy of God, desiring the salvation of the Indians, that so many pre∣cious soules redeemd with the blood of Christ might not perish, but wishing with my whole heart, that they might through the knowledge of their Creator live eter∣nally: Because of the care also and com∣passion which I beare to my Country, which is Castile, fearing lest God should destroy it in his anger for the sins which it hath committed against his divine Majesty, the faith and the honour of divers great per∣sons in the Court of Spaine, zealously re∣ligious, and who abominate these bloody and detestable actions, after many hinde∣rances of businesse, did at length put an end to this brief Tractate at Valentia the eighth day of December 154••. when the Spaniards (though they were in some pla∣ces more cruel, in some places lesse, after the end of all their torments, violences, ty∣rannies, desolations and oppressions, were at length come to Mexico, which enjoyes a gentler usage then other parts; for there is an outside of Justice, which doth something restrain their cruelty, though not at all the immoderate tributes which they lay upon them. And now I have a real hope, that Charles the Fifth our So∣veraign Lord and Prince, Emperor & King of Spaine, (to whose eares the wickednes∣ses

and impieties of these tyrants do daily come, which are committed against the will of God in these Countries, for they have hitherto conceal'd these things from him) not lesse subtilly then maliciously, will extirpate the causes of so many evils, and apply fitting remedies to the calami∣ties of this New World delivered by God to him as to a Lover of Justice and Mercy. Which God we doe beseech to grant him happinesse in his life and in his Imperial dignity, and to bless his Royal soule with eternal happiness. Amen.