BOOK XXI.

A GENERAL SURVEY OF SPANISH

COLONIZATION IN AMERICA.

CHAPTER I.

INTERMIXTURE OF RACES-MAIN LINES OF

SPANISH DISCOVERY.

TO explain and illustrate the dealings of the B. XXI.

Ch. 1.

mother country with the colonies; to show how the various provinces in America and the West Indies, that fell under the Spanish dominion, were in part dispeopled of the Indian natives, and peopled by Europeans and Africans; -in fine, to describe how the Old World fastened itself upon the New,-is a task which, fortunately, may be accomplished without narrating in full each individual conquest and discovery. As the foregoing results greatly proceeded from legislation, the history has merely had to follow the Spanish occupation of those countries where the events which occurred had the greatest influence in causing certain general modes of government to be adopted by the Spanish Monarchs and their Council of the Indies. Moreover, it would naturally be from the earlier and the more important conquests that the Spanish Church and the Spanish Government at home would form their ideas of the nature and capacity* of the Indians; Capacity of

*It is very difficult to determine that capacity, and perhaps no one has decided that question

better than a certain Father
Ximenez, who has described them
as "A people altogether in ex-

the Indians.

Ch. I.

B. XXI. and these ideas greatly determined legislation. Again, it was from these earlier conquests that the Indians formed their opinions of the Spaniards, and learnt, for the most part, to avoid their company with horror.

ture of

races.

From what has been already narrated of the proceedings in the West India Islands and in Mexico, in Peru and in Guatemala, it is comparatively easy in the present day to ascertain why Intermix such violent contrasts are to be seen in the colour and the race of the different inhabitants of various cities in the New World. At Lima, for example, negroes abound. The reasons for this are obvious. This city was not of Peruvian origin, but was founded by the Spaniards. The legislation, which prevailed at the Court of Spain soon after the founding of Lima, forbade Indian slavery; discouraged, and finally prevented, the personal service of the Indians; and so ordered the encomiendas, by fixing the tribute to be levied

At Lima.

tremes: in labour most laborious; | bienes riquisimos y sumamente in idleness most idle; in eating pobrisimos; y asi de todas las most voracious; in not eating demas cosas suyas, y todo esto most abstinent;" and, in fact, tan general, que lo mismo es uno like "children with beards."- que otro, el rico y el pobre, el que "Y para definir los Indios con es Cacique ó Principal, como el definicion adecuada, es, definien- mas igual: todos son iguales, y dolos por contradictorias, porque tan aniñados unos como otros, y es gente que en todo es extremos, así dijo bien el que los llamó y todos contrarios, y opuestos; al | niños non barbos, y á la verdad mismo método que lo que dijo ellos son como muchachos en Apiano, y prosiguiendo aquello todo."-Las Historias del Oridigo que es gente, en el trabajo gen de los Indios de Guatemala, fortisimos, en no trabajar pere- por El R. P. F. FRANCISCO XI. sosisimos; en comer voracisimos, MENEZ, p. 143. Vienna and en no comer parsisimos; en sus London, 1857.