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 New Spain. As also of Panucon, and Xalisco.

THese horrid murders and massacres be∣ing committed, besides others that I have omitted, in the Provinces of New Spain, there came another cruel and furious Tyrant into the Provin∣ces of Panucon, who having perpetrated many hainous iniquities, and sent great numbers of the Natives to be sold in the Countreys of Spain, laid waste all this Kingdome: and once it hapned that they used eight hundred of the Indians in stead of a team to draw their carriages, as if they had been meer beasts and irrational creatures. He was afterwards made Presi∣dent of the City of Mexico, and with him many other his fellow tyrants advanced to the office of Auditors; which Offices they contaminated with so many impieties and abominations, that it is hardly to be imagi∣ned. And as for this Countrey it self, they so far destroyed it, that if some of the Franciscan Friers had not strenuously op∣posed him, and that the Kings Councel had not provided a sudden remedy for it, in two years space they had wholly depopulated

New Spain, as they had done in Hispaniola. One of the Associates of the President that he might enclose his Garden with a wall, used the service of eight thousand Indians, and because he afforded them neither food, nor wages, they all perished after a most sad and lamentable manner.

After the first Captain, of whom we spake before, had put an end to the de∣struction of Panucon; and that there came newes to him that the Kings Councell was coming into these parts, he went fur∣ther into the Countrey, that he might exercise his cruelties with more liberty, and caused fifteen or twenty thousand of the Indians to follow and carry the bur∣thens of the Spaniards, of whom scarce two hundred returned alive, the rest be∣ing all destroyed; at length they came to the Province of Machuaca which is distant above forty miles from Mexico, and is no∣thing at all inferior to the other either for plenty of provision, or number of peo∣ple; the king coming to meet him with all shewes of respect and honour, they put in prison because he was repor∣ted to be very rich: which that they might get from him, they thus tormented him; having put his feet in a kinde of stocks, and stretching out his body, they tyed his hands to a stake, and then put∣ting

fire to his feet, while a boy was set to baste them with oyle, that they might roast the better; there stood another also with dogs behind him, threatning to set them upon him; which if he had done, they would have soon put an end to his life: and with these torments they vexed him, to make him bring his treasures to light. At length there came a Franciscan Frier who freed him from his torments, but not from death, which immediately ensued. With this kinde of torture they put to death many other of the Princes and Noble men of the Countrey.

About this time a certain man who came to visit their purses rather then their souls, knowing the Indians to be adorers of Idols, for the Spaniards had not taught them better, kept them captive till they had delivered all their Images, for they thought that they had been all of Gold, but when they found themselves deceived, he inflicted upon them punishments as if they had committed some great offence, and because he would not utterly lose their hopes, caused them to redeem their Idols with Gold, to adore them; and thus did the Spaniards procure the worship of God among the Indians.

This Tyrant out of the Province of Pa∣nucon, went to Methuaca and Xalisco, which

were Countreys fruitful both in men and money, and no small glory of the Indian Nation, having Cities that were in length above seven miles. When he came into these Countreys, the Indians, as they were wont, met him with accustomed signes of joy and gladnesse; but he immediately brake forth into his wonted cruelties, to attain his usual scope, which was the hea∣ping up of Gold, the only God which they adore. The Cities they burnt to the ground; Their Princes, having first tor∣mented them, they carried away captive, binding them in chains. Women with childe, without any consideration of their weaknesse, they oppressed with tedious la∣bours and hunger, that they dy'd by the way. And as for their Children, because they could not carry them, they were forc'd to throw them away, by which a number of Infants were destroyed.

There being a certain Christian who went about to defile a virgin, her mother interposed her self, and would have taken the daughter from him; the Spaniard draw∣ing forth his dagger, cut off her hand, and af∣terwards slew the virgin, because she would not give consent to his lustful desire.

Among other things also this was most unjust, that they caused to be marked with the mark of slavery above four thousand

five hundred of the Indians that were all as free born as themselves; among which they also caused to be thus marked chil∣dren of two, three or four years old, though they were all such as came forth to meet him with great acclamations of joy; other things without number I passe by in si∣lence.

All these above mentioned abominati∣ons being done, they reduced the rest to a tyrannicall subjection, for which cause they thought that they were only sent thither. In which regions the said Governour gave liberty to all the Spaniards, especially to his Stewards and Officers, to exercise what tor∣tures they pleased upon the Indians to draw out of them the knowledge where their trea∣sure lay. His Steward in times of peace kill'd many Indians, burning some, and casting other to his dogs, cutting off others hands, legs, and heads, that thereby their minds being totally subjected they should never deny where their Gold or treasure lay hid. All these things were done, the Tyrant himself beholding and consenting; and not only so, but they oppressed them and continually abused them with stripes and blowes of their canes and fists, lea∣ving no cruelty unexercised toward them. In this Kingdome of Xalisco they consu∣med by fire six thousand villages, upon

which the Indians growing desperate, see∣ing the remainder of those that escaped daily destroyed; they made an insurre∣ction against the Spaniards, and killing some of them, as they well deserved, they betook themselves again to the Moun∣tains. But the cruelties and injuries of the Tyrants that went from these parts to depopulate (which they called disco∣ver) other Regions overtaking them; ma∣ny Indians were by them slain, while they sought to defend themselves in the rocks: and to this present there are a thousand Butcheries committed upon them; where∣by there are hardly left any people in the whole Countrey. And thus the Spa∣niards being blinded and forsaken by God, and given over to a reprobate sense, con∣sidered not how unagreeable both to the Law of God and nature were their pro∣ceedings against the Indians, how unjust∣ly they went about to destroy them by force of armes, and not only to cast them out of their Countrey, but to torture them and cut them in pieces: nor do they see how impious their violences and ty∣rannies are over these poor people; they do believe and do affirme both in deed and word, that those victories which they have obtained and used to

the destruction of the Indians, as if their unjust wars were of right, and are so impudent as to give God thanks for them: like those theeves of whom Zachary speaks in the eleventh Chapter, the third and fourth Verses. Feed the flock of the slaughter, whose possessors slay them and hold themselves not guilty, and they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich.