they fight when they are individually moved to do so because of some grievance,not on the orders of captains or kings. Women in Indian society were treated so well as to startle the Spaniards.Las Casas describes sex relations: Marriage laws are non-existent men and women alike choose their mates and leave them as they please,without offense,jealousy or anger.They multiply in great abundance; pregnant women work to the last minute and give birth almost painlessly;up the next day,they bathe in the river and are as clean and healthy as before giving birth.If they tire of their men,they give themselves abortions with herbs that force stillbirths,covering their shameful parts with leaves or cotton cloth;although on the whole,Indian men and women look upon total nakedness with as much casualness as we look upon a man's head or at his hands. The Indians,Las Casas says,have no religion,at least no temples.They live in large communal bell-shaped buildings,housing up to 600 people at one time...made of very strong wood and roofed with palm leaves....They prize bird feathers of various colors,beads made of fishbones,and green and white stones with which they adorn their ears and lips,but they put no value on gold and other precious things.They lack all manner of commerce,neither buying nor selling,and rely xely on their natural environment for maintenance.They are extremely generou with their possessions and by the same token covet the possessions of then;friends and expect the same degree of liberality.… e In Book Two of his History of the Indies,Las easas(who at first urged replacing Indians by black slaves,thinking they were stronger and would survive,but later relented when he saw the effects on blacks)tells about the treatment of the Indians by the Spaniards.It is a unique account and deserves to be quoted at length: Endless testimonies...prove the mil andpacific temperament of the natives....But our work was to exasperate,ravage,kil,mangle and destroy;small wonder,then,if they tried to kill one of us now and then...The admiral,it is true,was blind as those who came after him,and he was soanxious to please the King that he committed irreparable crimes against the Indians.... Las Casas tells how the Spaniards "grew more conceited every day"and after a while refused to walk any dissance.They "rode the backs of Indians if they were in a hurry"or were carried on hammocks by Indians running in relays."In this case they also had Indians carry large leaves to shade them from the sun and others to fan them with goose wings." Total control led to total cruelty.The Spaniards "thought nothing of knifing Indians by tens and twenties and of cutting slices off them to test the sharpness of their blades." Las Casas tells how "two of these so-called Christians met two Indian boys one day,each carrying a parrot;they took the parrots and for fun beheaded the boys." The Indians'attempts to defend themselves failed.And when they ran off into the hills they were found and killed.So,Las Casas reports,"they suffered and died in the mines and other labors in desperate silence.knowing not a soul in the world to whom they could turn for help."He describes their work in the mines: ..mountains are stripped from top to bottom and bottom to top a thousand times;they dig,split rocks,move stones,and carry dirt on then:backs to wash it in the rivers,while those who wash gold stay in the water all the time with their backs bent so constantly itthey fight when they are individually moved to do so because of some grievance, not on the orders of captains or kings. Women in Indian society were treated so well as to startle the Spaniards. Las Casas describes sex relations: Marriage laws are non-existent men and women alike choose their mates and leave them as they please, without offense, jealousy or anger. They multiply in great abundance; pregnant women work to the last minute and give birth almost painlessly; up the next day, they bathe in the river and are as clean and healthy as before giving birth. If they tire of their men, they give themselves abortions with herbs that force stillbirths, covering their shameful parts with leaves or cotton cloth; although on the whole, Indian men and women look upon total nakedness with as much casualness as we look upon a man's head or at his hands. The Indians, Las Casas says, have no religion, at least no temples. They live in large communal bell-shaped buildings, housing up to 600 people at one time ... made of very strong wood and roofed with palm leaves.... They prize bird feathers of various colors, beads made of fishbones, and green and white stones with which they adorn their ears and lips, but they put no value on gold and other precious things. They lack all manner of commerce, neither buying nor selling, and rely exclusively on their natural environment for maintenance. They are extremely generous with their possessions and by the same token covet the possessions of then; friends and expect the same degree of liberality. ... In Book Two of his History of the Indies, Las Casas (who at first urged replacing Indians by black slaves, thinking they were stronger and would survive, but later relented when he saw the effects on blacks) tells about the treatment of the Indians by the Spaniards. It is a unique account and deserves to be quoted at length: Endless testimonies . .. prove the mild and pacific temperament of the natives.... But our work was to exasperate, ravage, kill, mangle and destroy; small wonder, then, if they tried to kill one of us now and then.... The admiral, it is true, was blind as those who came after him, and he was so anxious to please the King that he committed irreparable crimes against the Indians.... Las Casas tells how the Spaniards "grew more conceited every day" and after a while refused to walk any distance. They "rode the backs of Indians if they were in a hurry" or were carried on hammocks by Indians running in relays. "In this case they also had Indians carry large leaves to shade them from the sun and others to fan them with goose wings." Total control led to total cruelty. The Spaniards "thought nothing of knifing Indians by tens and twenties and of cutting slices off them to test the sharpness of their blades." Las Casas tells how "two of these so-called Christians met two Indian boys one day, each carrying a parrot; they took the parrots and for fun beheaded the boys." The Indians' attempts to defend themselves failed. And when they ran off into the hills they were found and killed. So, Las Casas reports, "they suffered and died in the mines and other labors in desperate silence, knowing not a soul in the world to whom they could turn for help." He describes their work in the mines: ... mountains are stripped from top to bottom and bottom to top a thousand times; they dig, split rocks, move stones, and carry dirt on then: backs to wash it in the rivers, while those who wash gold stay in the water all the time with their backs bent so constantly it No Profit Use Only