The "Ten Plagues" of New Spain. 63 but Cortes was far too wise and too faithful to B. XII. Ch. 2. take the advice. The residencia of Cortes and the changes in the governing authorities of Mexico will be narrated in another place. From this time forward Mexico had something like settled government; and, when the narrative is resumed, we shall turn from the transactions of the conquerors amongst themselves to their proceedings with the conquered, and especially to the establishment of encomiendas in New Spain. of Father Meanwhile, however, from the testimony* of an eye-witness, Father Motolinia, who was greatly Testimony honoured by his contemporaries, and trusted, as Motolinia. we have seen, by Cortes himself, we may discern at what expense of life and suffering the new order of things was brought about in Mexico. plagues" This excellent monk gives an account of what he considers to have been the ten "plagues" of New Spain. 1. The small-pox. 2. The slaughter during the conquest. 3. A great famine which The "ten took place immediately after the capture of the of New city. 4. The Indian and negro overseers (la Spain. quarta plaga fue de los calpixques. y negros). 5. The excessive tributes and services demanded from the Indians. 6. The gold mines. 7. The rebuilding of Mexico. 8. The making of slaves, in order to work them in the mines. * In the library of Sir REDES, to Don ANTONIO PI- B. XII. 64 The Rebuilding of Mexico.. Motolinia's description of the rebuilding of Ch. 2. Mexico is both minute and vivid. He says, that The rebuilding though the streets were very wide, the work was so busily carried on, that a man could scarcely make his way through them.* He describes the loss of life among the Indians from accidents caused by the demolition of old buildings, and the construction of new ones. He says, that not only had of Mexico. they to seek the materials for building, but also to provide the food, and pay the workmen.† He confirms the statement before made, that the work was done by sheer force of human labour; and that a stone, or beam of wood, which should have taken a hundred men only, was dragged by four hundred. Such was the fervour, he adds, with which the work was carried on, that the songs and shouts of the workmen did not cease day or night during the first years of the rebuilding of Mexico. § When we consider these "plagues," we may fairly maintain, that a conquered people have seldom been more hardly dealt with by the diseases and the vices of their conquerors. It was also a surplusage of misery that the conquered territory should be rich in mines, and that the conquerors should have brought with them slaves of another race. *"Apenas podia hombre romper por algunas calles y "La piedra ó viga que avia menester çien ombres trayan la calçadas, aunque son muy quatrocientos."— Ut supra. anchas." Carta de Fray § "Tienen de costumbre de yr cantando y dando vozes, y los cantos y vozes apenas cessavan de noche ni de dia por el gran hervor que trayan en la hedifi cacion del pueblo los primeros años."-Ut supra. CHAPTER I. GIL GONÇALEZ DAVILA DISCOVERS NICARAGUA FRANCISCO HERNANDEZ SENT BY PEDRARIAS TO SETTLE THERE-HE FOUNDS LEON AND GRANADA -- DRIVES OUT GIL GONÇALEZ HERNANDEZ BEHEADED BY PEDRARIAS-DEATH OF PEDRARIAS. - CHAPTER I. GIL GONÇALEZ DAVILA DISCOVERS NICARAGUA NIC ICARAGUA was the battle-field of so many B. XIII. pretensions; it illustrates so completely the Ch. 1. vices and errors of the Spanish Government, and of the Spanish adventurers; its history is so much interwoven with that of Guatemala, Honduras, and even of New Spain;-that some attempt must be made to bring before the reader, however briefly, the principal events connected with its discovery and colonization. New World between the and the For this purpose we must revert to the famous Division of Bull of Pope Alexander the Sixth, which divided between the Portuguese and Castillian monarchs Spaniards the World about to be discovered, laying down Portuan imaginary line to the west of the Azores as the boundary. Now, the peculiar delusion which at this early period haunted the monarchs of Spain and their statesmen was, that the most desirable enterprize which maritime daring could accomplish for their nation, would be, by going westwards, to arrive at the Spice Islands. They would then rival or guese. 1493. |