An account of the first voyages and discoveries made by the Spaniards in America containing the most exact relation hitherto publish'd, of their unparallel'd cruelties on the Indians, in the destruction of above forty millions of people : with the propositions offer'd to the King of Spain to prevent the further ruin of the West-Indies / by Don Bartholomew de las Casas, Bishop of Chiapa, who was an eye-witness of their cruelties ; illustrated with cuts ; to which is added, The art of travelling, shewing how a man may dispose his travels to the best advantage.

Of the River de la Plata, or Silver-River.

SEveral Spanish Captains have undertaken Voyages to the Silver-River, since the year 1502. The Country upon it is of a vast extent, and contains ma∣ny great Kingdoms and noble Provinces. The In∣habitants are a very rational and civil sort of Peo∣ple, and live at a considerable distance from the other Indians; which render'd it an easy matter to the Spaniards to molest 'em with impunity, and to exercise all their wonted Rapine and Cruelty among 'em. They every where carry with 'em the same design of enriching and making themselves great and powerful at the cost of these unhappy People, whom they plunder of their Treasure, as if it were the spoil of a just and lawful War. Wher∣ever they come, they use the same ways and means to compass their design; they torment and kill the People, pillage and destroy the Country, ruining whole Nations to possess themselves of their Gold and Silver.

On the Banks of the Silver-River they have de∣stroy'd divers great Provinces and Kingdoms; and cut the Throats of multitude of Indians, treating 'em with all the Cruelties they could invent: for when they were at this vast distance from Spain, they did not much fear the King's Authority; be∣lieving the remoteness of the place where they com∣mitted their Crimes, would secure 'em from the danger of suffering for 'em. This hope of impu∣nity made 'em more barbarously cruel in this Coun∣try than in others; so that they liv'd here after the most licentious manner imaginable, without the least regard to Law or Justice. However some of their Actions have been reported to the Council of the Indies. A certain Governor one day command∣ed his Souldiers to enter into a Town, and massa∣cre all the Inhabitants, if they should refuse to give 'em what provisions they wanted. The Sol∣diers prompted by this Order, and supported by the Authority of the Governor that sent 'em, kill'd 5000 of these poor Creatures; who looking on the Spaniards as their declared Enemies, were not willing to trust 'em, or to have any commerce with 'em; and therefore hid themselves, not so much to avoid giving 'em what they as'kd, as to escape the points of their Swords. The other In∣dians were so terrified by this slaughter, that they readily offer'd themselves in great numbers to serve the Spaniards. These Indians when they were one day call'd by the Governour to receive some orders from him, I know not by what hap, made some de∣lay to present themselves before him; upon which he commanded 'em to be deliver'd up to another Nation of Indians who were their mortal Enemies. The poor Wretches as soon as they heard this cruel Sentence, cried out most hideously, entreating the Spaniards with tears in their Eyes rather to kill 'em

outright with their Swords and Lances, than to abandon 'em to the rage of their sworn Enemies. Nor could they by any means be got out of the house were they were; upon which the Spaniards hew'd 'em in pieces one after another; while the poor Indians complain'd to 'em of their barbarity, expres∣sing themselves with hearts full of anguish and despair after this manner: We came voluntarily to meet you, to offer our Service to you, and to shew you all the re∣spect we could; and all the return you make to our kind∣ness is to murder us without pity. Our Blood that is dash'd on every side upon the Walls of this House shall be an everlasting witness of your cruelty, and cry for ven∣geance against you for the unjust death you make us suffer. 'Tis impossible to reflect on this Action without be∣ing mov'd both with horror and compassion.