tales of the exceeding brutality of many of the early Spanish voyagers in their relations with the natives.  He went out to see for himself, and wrote voluminously of his experiences.  He also wrote with exceeding frankness, and often with great indignation.  He writes about Hatuey.  The inference is that this Cacique, or chieftain, fled from Haiti to escape Spanish brutality, and even in fear of his life.  There are other translations of Las Casas, but for this purpose choice has been made of one published in London about the year 1699.  It is given thus: 

“There happened divers things in this island (Cuba) that deserve to be remarked.  A rich and potent Cacique named Hatuey was retired into the Isle of Cuba to avoid that Slavery and Death with which the Spaniards menaced him; and being informed that his persecutors were upon the point of landing in this Island, he assembled all his Subjects and Domestics together, and made a Speech unto them after this manner.  “You know, (said he) the Report is spread abroad that the Spaniards are ready to invade this Island, and you are not ignorant of the ill usage our Friends and Countrymen have met with at their hands, and the cruelties they have committed at Haiti (so Hispaniola is called in their Language).  They are now coming hither with a design to exercise the same Outrages and Persecutions upon us.  Are you ignorant (says he) of the ill Intentions of the People of whom I am speaking?  We know not (say they all with one voice) upon what account they come hither, but we know they are a very wicked and cruel People.  I’ll tell you then (replied the Cacique) that these Europeans worship a very covetous sort of God, so that it is difficult to satisfy him; to perform the Worship they render to this Idol, they will exact immense Treasures of us, and will use their utmost endeavors to reduce us to a miserable state of Slavery, or else put us to death.”  The historian leaves to the imagination and credulity of his readers the task of determining just where and how he got the full details of this speech and of the subsequent proceedings.  The report of the latter may well be generally correct inasmuch as there were Spanish witnesses present, but the account of this oration, delivered prior to the arrival of the Spanish invaders, is clearly open to a suspicion that it may be more or less imaginary.  But the historian continues:  “Upon this he took a Box full of Gold and valuable Jewels which he had with him, and exposing it to their view:  Here is (said he) the God of the Spaniards, whom we must honor with our Sports and Dances, to see if we can appease him and render him propitious to us; that so he may command the Spaniards not to offer us any injury.  They all applauded this Speech, and fell a leaping and dancing around the Box, till they had quite tired and spent themselves.  After which the Cacique Hatuey resuming his Discourse, continued to speak to them in these terms:  If we keep this God (says he) till he’s taken away from us, he’ll certainly cause our lives to be taken away from us; and therefore I am of opinion it will be the best way to cast him into the river.  They all approved of this Advice, and went all together with one accord to throw this pretended God into the River.”