Depopulation Of The Island - Preventive Measures - Introduction Of Negro Slaves

1515-1534



The natural consequence of natural calamities and invasions was the

rapid disappearance of the natives. "The Indians are few and serve

badly," wrote Sedeno in 1515, about the same time that the crown

officers, to explain the diminution in the gold product, wrote that

many Indians had died of hunger, as a result of the hurricane. " ...

The people in la Mona," they said, "have provided 310 loads o bread,

with which we have bought an estate in San German. It will not do to

bring the Indians of that island away, because they are needed for the

production of bread."



Strenuous efforts to prevent the extinction of the Indians were made

by Father Bartolome Las Casas, soon after the death of King Ferdinand.

This worthy Dominican friar had come to the court for the sole purpose

of denouncing the system of "encomiendas" and the cruel treatment of

the natives to which it gave rise. He found willing listeners in

Cardinal Cisneros and Dean Adrian, of Lovaino, the regents, who

recompensed his zeal with the title of "Protector of the Indians." The

appointment of a triumvirate of Jerome friars to govern la Espanola

and San Juan (1517) was also due to Las Casas's efforts. Two years

later the triumvirate reported to the emperor that in compliance with

his orders they had taken away the Indians from all non-resident

Spaniards in la Espanola and had collected them in villages.



Soon after the emperor's arrival in Spain Las Casas obtained further

concessions in favor of the Indians. Not the least important among

these were granted in the schedule of July 12, 1520, which recognized

the principle that the Indians were born free, and contained the

following dispositions:



1st. That in future no more distributions of Indians should take

place.



2d. That all Indians assigned to non-residents, from the monarch

downward, should be ipse facto free, and be established in villages,

under the authority of their respective caciques; and



3d. That all residents in these islands, who still possessed Indians,

were bound to conform strictly, in their treatment of them, to the

ordinances for their protection previously promulgated.



Antonio de la Gama was charged with the execution of this decree. He

sent a list of non-residents, February 15,1521, with the number of

Indians taken from each, his Majesty himself heading the list with 80.

The total number thus liberated was 664.



These dispositions created fierce opposition. Licentiate Figueroa

addressed the emperor on the subject, saying: " ... It is necessary to

overlook the 'encomiendas,' otherwise the people will be unable to

maintain themselves, and the island will be abandoned."



However, the crown officers ascribe the licentiate's protest to other

motives than the desire for the good of the island. "He has done much

harm," they wrote. "He has brought some covetous young men with him

and made them inspectors. They imposed heavy fines and gave the

confiscated Indians to their friends and relations. He and they are

rich, while the old residents have scarcely wherewith to maintain

themselves."



But Figueroa had foreseen these accusations, for he concludes his

above-mentioned letter to the emperor, saying: " ... Let your Majesty

give no credence to those who complain. Most of them are very cruel

with the Indians, and care not if they be exterminated, provided they

themselves can amass gold and return to Castilla."



Martin Fernandez Enciso, a bachelor-at-law, addressed to the emperor a

learned dissertation intended to refute the doctrine that the Indians

were born free, maintaining that the right of conquest of the New

World granted by the Pope necessarily included the right to reduce the

inhabitants to slavery.



And thus, in spite of the philanthropic efforts of Las Casas, of the

well-intentioned ordinances of the Catholic kings, and of the more

radical measures sanctioned by Charles V, the Indian's lot was not

bettered till it was too late to save him from extinction.



"The Indians are dying out!" This is the melancholy refrain of all the

official communications from 1530 to 1536. The emperor made a last

effort to save the remnant in 1538, and decreed that all those who

still had Indians in their possession should construct stone or adobe

houses for them under penalty of losing them. In 1543 it was ordained

by an Order in Council that all Indians still alive in Cuba, la

Espanola, and Puerto Rico, were as free as the Spaniards themselves,

and they should be permitted to loiter and be idle, "that they might

increase and multiply."



Bishop Rodrigo Bastidas, who was charged to see to the execution of

this order in Puerto Rico, still found 80 Indians to liberate.

Notwithstanding these terminant orders, so powerless were they to

abolish the abuses resulting from the iniquitous system, that as late

as 1550 the Indians were still treated as slaves. In that year

Governor Vallejo wrote to the emperor: "I found great irregularity in

the treatment of these few Indians, ... they were being secretly sold

as slaves, etc."



Finally, in 1582, Presbyter Ponce de Leon and Bachelor-at-Law Santa

Clara, in a communication to the authorities, stated: "At the time

when this island was taken there were found here and distributed 5,500

Indians, without counting those who would not submit, and to-day there

is not one left, excepting 12 or 15, who have been brought from the

continent. They died of disease, sarampion, rheum, smallpox, and

ill-usage, or escaped to other islands with the Caribs. The few that

remain are scattered here and there among the Spaniards on their

little plantations. Some serve as soldiers. They do not speak their

language, because they are mostly born in the island, and they are

good Christians." This is the last we read of the Boriquen Indians.



* * * * *



With the gradual extinction of the natives, not only the gold output

ceased, but the cultivation of ginger, cotton, cacao, indigo, etc., in

which articles a small trade had sprung up, was abandoned. The Carib

incursions and hurricanes did the rest, and the island soon became a

vast jungle which everybody who could abandoned.



"We have been writing these last four years," wrote the crown

officers, February 26, 1534, "that the island is becoming depopulated,

the gold is diminishing, the Indians are gone. Some new gold deposits

were discovered in 1532, and as much as 20,000 pesos were extracted.

We thought this would contribute to the repeopling of the island, but

the contrary has happened. The people, ruined by the hurricanes of the

year 1530, thinking that they might find other gold deposits, bought

negroes on credit at very high prices to search for them. They found

none, and have not been able to pay their creditors. Some are fugitive

in the mountains, others in prison, others again have stolen vessels

belonging to the Administration and have gone with their negroes no

one knows where. With all this and the news from Peru, not a soul

would remain if they were not stopped."



When the news of the fabulous riches discovered in Peru reached this

island, the desire to emigrate became irresistible. Governor Lando

wrote to the emperor, February 27, 1534: " ... Two months ago there

came a ship here from Peru to buy horses. The captain related such

wonderful things that the people here and in San German became

excited, and even the oldest settlers wanted to leave. If I had not

instantly ordered him away the island would have been deserted. I

have imposed the death penalty on whosoever shall attempt to leave the

island."



On July 2d he wrote again: " ... Many, mad with the news from Peru,

have secretly embarked in one or other of the numerous small ports at

a distance from the city. Among the remaining settlers even the oldest

is constantly saying: 'God help me to go to Peru.' I am watching day

and night to prevent their escape, but can not assure you that I shall

be able to retain the people.



"Two months ago I heard that some of them had obtained possession of a

ship at a point on the coast two leagues from here and intended to

leave. I sent three vessels down the coast and twenty horsemen by

land. They resisted, and my presence was required to take them. Three

were killed and others wounded. I ordered some of them to be flogged

and cut off the feet of others, and then I had to dissimulate the

seditious cries of others who were in league with them and intended to

join them in la Mona, which is twelve leagues from here. If your

Majesty does not promptly remedy this evil, I fear that the island

will be entirely depopulated or remain like a country inn. This island

is the key and the entrance to all the Antilles. The French and

English freebooters land here first. The Caribs carry off our

neighbors and friends before our very eyes. If a ship were to come

here at night with fifty men, they could burn the city and kill every

soul of us. I ask protection for this noble island, now so

depopulated that one sees scarcely any Spaniards, only negroes ..."



But even the negro population was scarce. The introduction of African

slaves into la Espanola had proceeded pari passu with the gradual

disappearance of the Indians. As early as 1502 a certain Juan Sanchez

had obtained permission to introduce five caravels of negro slaves

into that island free of duty, though Ovando complained that many of

them escaped to the mountains and made the Indians more insubordinate

than ever; but in San Juan a special permission to introduce negroes

was necessary. Geron in 1510 and Sedeno in 1512 were permitted to

bring in two negroes each only by swearing that they were for their

own personal service. In 1513 the general introduction of African

slaves was authorized by royal schedule, but two ducats per head had

to be paid for the privilege. Cardinal Cisneros suspended the export

of slaves from Spain in 1516, but the emperor sanctioned it again in

1517, to stop, if possible, the destruction of the natives.



Father Las Casas favored the introduction of African slaves for the

same reason, and obtained from the emperor a concession in favor of

his high steward, Garrebod, to send 4,000 negroes to la Espanola,

Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Garrebod sold the concession to a Genovese firm

(1517), but negroes remained very scarce and dear in San Juan till

1530, when, by special dispensation of the empress in favor of some

merchants, 200 negroes were brought to this island. They were greedily

taken up on credit at exorbitant prices, which caused the ruin of the

purchasers and made the city authorities of San Juan petition her

Majesty April 18, 1533, praying that no more negro islaves might be

permitted to come to the island for a period of eighteen months,

because of the inability of the people to pay for them.



In Governor Lando's letter of July, 1534, above quoted, he informs the

emperor that in the only two towns that existed in the island at that

time (San Juan and San German) there were "very few Spaniards and only

6 negroes in each." The incursions of the French and English

freebooters, to which he refers in the same letter, had commenced six

years before, and these incursions bring the tale of the island's

calamities to a climax.