CHAPTER VII. B. XIV. Ch. 7. Importation of negroes. THE IMPORTATION OF NEGROES-MONOPOLIES OF LICENCES-DEPOPULATION OF THE WEST INDIA ISLANDS. FAR AR otherwise was it with the negroes, the history of whose importation into the Indies we must now resume. They flourished in the new land. It was at first thought that they were nearly immortal, as for some time no one had seen a negro die, except by hanging; and it was noticed that negroes and oranges seemed to have found their natural soil in the island of HispaMonopolies niola.* The system of granting monopolies of licences to import negroes was continued. The reader will recollect that the first monopoly by Charles the Fifth, for which Las Casas has been held so much to blame, was given in the year 1517 to the Governor de Bresa,† the Grand of licences. 1517. Ch. 1523. 7. granted to Master of the King's household; and that it B. XIV. was for the importation of four thousand negroes in eight years. The next great monopoly was granted in 1523, before the expiration of the first, to the same personage; and it also gave licence A second for the passing to the Indies of four thousand monopoly negroes in the course of eight years. The De Bresa. representatives at Court of the different islands remonstrated against this grant, alleging the scarcity of slaves which it had caused. The monopoly was recalled, and instead of it, permis- The grant sion was given for the importation of fifteen hundred negroes (half to be men and half women) to Hispaniola: three hundred to Cuba; five hundred to Porto Rico; three hundred to Jamaica; and five hundred to the province of Castilla del Oro on the mainland. De Bresa was compensated by having assigned to him the customs duties on the fifteen hundred negroes imported into Hispaniola. It was also ordered that, recalled. B. XIV. in any household, the negroes should not be more Ch. 7 than a fourth of the household, and that the Christians should be well armed.* 1527. In 1527 a thousand negroes were allowed to 1528. be imported into Cuba. In 1528 another great monopoly was granted to certain Germans for the importation of four thousand negroes.† The Indians of the islands wasting away. 1531. 1537. Meanwhile, the Indians of the islands were rapidly wasting away. The Bishop of St. Domingo in Hispaniola, writing to the Empress in 1531, informs her that the perpetuity of that island and also of Porto Rico and Cuba consists in the negroes, and he suggests that they should be imported without licence. This suggestion was also formally recommended by the Audiencia of that island.§ In 1537 the Empress is informed that in Cuba very few natives remain. In twenty estancias "Se mandó, que nadie pudiesse tener negros, sin que tuviesse la tercera parte de Christianos, que estuviessen bien provehidos de armas, de manera que siempre huviesse las tres partes de Christianos, y una de negros."-HERRERA, Hist. de las Indias, dec. 3, lib. 5, cap. 8. + "En lo de los negros, el "La perpetuidad desta isla, í aun de San Juan í Cuba consiste en los negros : Débese man. dar puedan traerlos todos libremente."-A LA Emperatriz, el OBISPO Í PRESIDENTE DE SANTO DOMINGO; de oi 11 de Agosto, 1531. Coleccion de MUÑOZ, MS., tom. 79. § "Quanto á la Isla Española, tambien el Audiencia Real buscava sus remedios para su conservacion: pedia, que se mandasse conceder licencia general de los esclavos negros, pagando solamente los derechos de almoxarifazgo."-HERRERA, Hist. de las Indias, dec. 5, lib. 2, cap. 5. Ch. 7. that were visited, only a hundred and thirty B. XIV. Indians were found, including the Indian slaves that had been imported. The treatment of the negroes seems to have been almost injudiciously lenient. It appears that they had a holiday of four months.* In 1542, one of His Majesty's 1542. chaplains, who had traversed the Island of Hispaniola, informs the Council of the Indies that, according to his belief, there were from twentyfive to thirty thousand negroes in that island, and the number of the masters was twelve hundred.† In 1550, a letter addressed to the Emperor in 1550. council informs His Majesty that, "there is scarcely a single native left in the island," and that, of * "Este mes de Febrero segun lo mandado por Vuestra Magestad visité las estancias de esta Ciudad para ver como indios í negros eran dotrinados í tratados. Resulta lo que dixe que no haviendo Clérigos no havia dotrina. Parecen pocos Indios. En 20 estancias (que trae la visita original adjunta á esta Carta en 8 foj.) del termino de la Ciudad se quentan 130 entre hombres í mugeres asi naturales libres como de otras partes esclavos (entre quienes entran los que llaman Guanajos), porque solemos embiarlos á minas destinando para hacer estancias í haciendas los negros que trabajan como quatro Indios. Los negros son en manera de mas calidad que los Indios. Por lo comun se les da de comer bien. (La comida era Cacabi, boniatos í carne). Les dan su huelga de 4 Ch. 7. B. XIV. those Indians who had been brought to the island as slaves, the greater part had fled into the depths of the country, as "the companionship of the Spaniards is abhorred by them." Those that had remained in the town had been educated, and were ladinos. The good intentions of His Majesty with regard to the Indians could not, therefore, take effect. Meanwhile, the negroes were being gradually imported into the New World. In 1536. 1536 a monopoly was granted for the introduction of four thousand negroes (one third to be women) in four years.† A monopoly In July, 1542, a monopoly was granted for the importation importation into the Indies of twenty-three thou for the of 23,000 negroes. 1542. "Por ello pagarán en la feria de octubre inmediata (esta de Valladolid, 1536) 26000 ducados. * " Á los Prelados de Santo, i venderlos al precio que puedan, Domingo San Francisco í Merced siendo la hembras. En estos de esta Ciudad se dieron las 4 años á ninguno se dará licencia casas para que entendieran en de pasar esclavos, salbo si se enseñar á los Indios la doctrina í hace merced alguna para descunuestra lengua. Aceptaron con brimiento ó Conquista nueva de gran boluntad. Pero advertimos 100 esclavos í á algun Conquisque en esta isla no hai casi nin- tador í poblador de llebar cada 2 guno de los naturales. De los esclavos. de afuera esclavos ahora libres, los mas se han hido tierra adentro porque les es aborrecible la compañía de Espanoles. Los que en esta Ciudad han quedado son mui ladinos í saben bien la lengua. Algunos hai en hatos de vacas mui lejos. Así que no habrá efecto alguno lo mandado." -Española; al EMPERADOR en el Consejo, LICENCIADO GRAJEDA, HURTADO; Santo Domingo, 30 de Diciembre, de 1550. Coleccion de Muñoz, MS., tom. 85. + Dáseles facultad de llebar "Parece no haber tenido efecto porque Alonso Caballero í Gaspar de Torres vecinos de Sevilla proponen lo mismo, refiriéndose á lo que se havia tratado con Rodrigo de Dueñas, con fecha 2 Noviembre, 1536, proponen sobre los 26000 ducados prestar á Su Magestad otros 14000 í hai otra minuta de asiento con estos."-Minuta de Asiento de SU MAGESTAD con á indias 4000 esclavos en 4 años | ENRIQUE EINGUER (probably |