A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies

Tyrant pronounced this Sentence, that unless he did perform his Golden Promise he
should be exposed to severe Torments. They rackt him, poured boiling Soap into his
Bowels, chain'd his Legs to one post, and fastened his Neck to another, two men
holding his Hands, and so applyed the scorching heat of the Fire to his Feet; the
Tyrant himself often casting his eye upon him, and threatning him with death, if he
did not give him the promised Gold; and thus with these kind of horrid torments, the
said Lord was destroy'd; which while they were doing, God being willing to manifest
how displeasing these Cruelties are to His Divine Majesty, the whole City, that was the
Stage on which they were acted, was consumed by fire; and the rest of the Captains
following his example, destroy'd all the Lords of that Region by Fire and Faggot.
Once it fell out, that many Indians addressed themselves to the Spaniards with all
Humility and Simplicity, as they use to do, who thinking themselves safe and secure,
behold the Captain comes into the City, where they were to do their work, and
commands all these Indians, sleeping and taking their rest, after Supper, being
wearied with the heavy drudgery of the day, to be slain by the Sword: And this
stratagem he put in practice, to make a greater impression of fear on all the minds of
the Inhabitants; and another time a certain Captain commanded the Spaniards to
declare upon Oath, how many Casics and Indians every individual person had in his
Family at home, who were presently lead to a publick place, and lost their Heads; so
there perisht, that bout, four or five hundred Men. The Witnesses depose this of a
particular Tyrant, that by beating, cutting off the Hands and Noses of many Women as
well as Men, and destroying several persons in great numbers, he exercised horrid
Cruelties.
Then one of the Captains sent this bloody Tyrant into the Province of Bogata, to
inquire who succeeded that Prince there, whom he so barbarously and inhumanely
Murder'd, who traveling many miles in this Countrey, took as many Indians as he
could get, some of which, because they did not tell him who was Successor of this
Deceased Prince, had their Hands cut off, and others were exposed to hunger- starv'd
Currs, to be devour'd by them, and as many of them perished miserably.
Another time about the fourth Watch, early in the morning he fell upon several Casics,
Noblemen and other Indians, who lookt upon themselves to be safe enough, (for they
had their faith and security given, that none of them should receive any damage or
injury) relying upon this, they left the Mountains their lurking places, without any
suspition or fear, and returned to their Cities, but he seized on them all, and
commanding them to extend their hands on the ground, cut them off with his own
Sword, saying, that he punished them after this maner, because they would not
inform him what Lord it was, that succeeded in that Kingdom.
The Inhabitants of one of these Provinces, perceiving that four or five of their
Governours were sent to the other World in a fiery Vehicle or Chariot, being terrified
therewith, took to the Mountains for Sanctuary, there being four or five thousand in
number, as appears by good Evidence; and the aforesaid Captain sends a Tyrant,