A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies: Or, a faithful NARRATIVE OF THE Horrid and Unexampled Massacres, Butcheries, and all manner of Cruelties, that Hell and Malice could invent, committed by the Popish Spanish Party on the inhabitants of West-India, TOGETHER With the Devastations of several Kingdoms in America by Fire and Sword, for the space of Forty and Two Years, from the time of its first Discovery by them.

								


                            AMERICA.

America was discovered and found out Ann. Dom. 1492, and the Year
insuing inhabited by the Spaniards, and afterward a multitude of them
travelled thither from Spain for the space of Nine and Forty Years.
Their first attempt was on the Spanish Island, which indeed is a most
fertile soil, and at present in great reputation for its Spaciousness
and Length, containing in Circumference Six Hundred Miles: Nay it is on
all sides surrounded with an almost innumerable number of Islands,
which we found so well peopled with Natives and Forreigners, that there
is scarce any Region in the Universe fortified with so many
Inhabitants: But the main Land or Continent, distant from this Island
Two Hundred and Fifty Miles and upwards, extends it self above Ten
Thousand Miles in Length near the sea-shore, which Lands are some of
them already discover'd, and more may be found out in process of time:
And such a  multitude of People inhabits these Countries, that it seems
as if the Omnipotent God has Assembled and Convocated the major part of
Mankind in this part of the World.
Now this infinite multitude of Men are by the Creation of God
innocently simple, altogether void of and averse to all manner of
Craft, Subtlety and Malice, and most Obedient and Loyal Subjects to
their Native Sovereigns; and behave themselves very patiently,
sumissively and quietly towards the Spaniards, to whom they are
subservient and subject; so that finally they live without the least
thirst after revenge, laying aside all litigiousness, Commotion and
hatred.
This is a most tender and effeminate people, and so imbecile and
unequal-balanced temper, that they are altogether incapable of hard
labour, and in few years, by one Distemper or other soon expire, so
that the very issue of Lords and Princes, who among us live with great
affluence, and fard deliciously, are not more effminate and tender than
the Children of their Husbandmen or Labourers: This Nation is very
Necessitous and Indigent, Masters of very slender Possessions, and
consequently, neither Haughty, nor Ambitious.  They are parsimonious in
their Diet, as the Holy Fathers were in their frugal life in the
Desert, known by the name of Eremites.  They go naked, having no
other Covering but what conceals their Pudends from publick sight.  An
hairy Plad, or loose Coat, about an Ell, or a  coarse woven Cloth at
most Two Ells long serves them for the warmest Winter Garment.  They
lye on a coarse Rug or Matt, and those that have the most plentiful
Estate or Fortunes, the better sort, use Net-work, knotted at the four
corners in lieu of Beds, which the Inhabitants of the Island of
Hispaniola, in their own proper Idiom, term Hammacks.  The Men are
pregnant and docible. The natives tractable, and capable of Morality or
Goodness, very apt to receive the instill'd principles of Catholick
Religion; nor are they averse to Civility and good Manners, being not