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Royal Commentaries.
B O
O
l<:'
IV.
Of ihe Actidents which hefell the Vice-king
Bla{co Nunnez
Vela
fo foon rzs he landed rm the Continent and on the Con–
fines of
Peru.
I
N the preceding Hiíl:ory we have
given a
ileíation ofthe
0
Ítappy and profpe-i
.
rous State of Affairs in the Kingdom of
Mexir:o,
caufed by die Moderationl
'Wifedom and good Conduét of
tpe
Vificor
Don Ftancifco Té/lo
,de
Sandwal:
We are now, on the contrary, obliged ·to make aRelatión of the Ruines,
Slaughters and other Calamities of the Empire of
Peru,
caufed by the Rigour;
Severicy and Evil difpofition of the Vice-king
Blafco·NHnne.:, Ye/a
,
who
fo
obfti~
·nately , againíl: che opinion and fenfe of aUhis Council and Officers , purfued che
defign of putting the new Scatutes into praétice , .thac for want of due confide-·
ration of what rnight conduce to his Majeíl:ies fervice, he put che whole well·
fare of che Empire inco danger : We have fórmerly rnentioned , how that ·che
two Fleecs bound for
Peru
and
Mexico
feparaced ~ach from che ocher in che Gulf
or Bay of
Ltu
Dam.u;
and íl:eering chence a different couríe, the Vice-king wich–
a profperous Wind arrived ac
Nombre de Dios,
on che 1och of
'lanuary
1
5'44·
frorri
whence he travailed to
Panama,
where he manumitted, or fec at liberty great num- ·
bers of
Jndians,
añd freed chem from their duty and fervitude to che
S'paniards,
who
ha.d broughc them from
Peru,
and c~ufed chem again to return thicher; che whi~h
aétion was difpleafing and·
ill
refented on all fides ; for that che
Spaniards
were
highly troubled to be deprived of che Vaífalage of cheir
Indian
Servants :whom
~
they had iníl:ruéted and taught to be induíl:rious : and they chemfelves being tur–
ned Chriíl:ians, and inured to che i~rvice of che
Spaniards
1
and domcíl:icated
in
their families, were unwiHing
to
quit ¡heir Maíl:ers. And though it was oftea,
infinuated to che Vice-king that this aétion would prove to che différvice both of
God and che King, to exempt the
lndians
from their.fervituae
to
che·
Spaniards
;
in
regard chac fuch
of
them as had decl¡ired and profeífed themfelves Chriíl:ians ,
could noc long continue in thac íl:ace; but
fo
foon .as they returned to the power
of
their
Caciquu;
would renounce Chriíl:ianity , and revert
'to
their dld prin–
cipies and Sacrifices to che Devil. Moreover , they reprefenced
unto
him , tbat
chough his Majeíl:y ordained thanhe
Jndians
íhould
be
fet at libercy·;
yet
he com–
maMded , thac they íhould be free to refide where.they pleafed ; and not be for~
ced againíl: their own
wills
to return unto
Peru
,
and with
fo
litt!e Provifion and
ill
accommodation, that it was almoft impofiible for chem to be füíl:ained ; but
thac moft of them muíl: perifh in the voyage thither: To all which the Vice-
p
p p
p
king .