t
it. Even now some of the Spaniards treat the natives very ill. More
than all, the tribute which is now raised (three maez [mace] for each
Indian) is excessive, in our opinion, considering what we saw from the
beginning among them and our intercourse with them, and our knowledge
of their labors, and of the tools with which they cultivate the ground,
and their great difficulty in supporting themselves--for they even
live a part of the year on roots; and the common people can scarcely
obtain a robe with which to clothe themselves. Whence it happens that,
at the time of collecting the tribute, some of them demolish their
houses--which at the least would be worth as much as the tribute
itself, if they should be sold--and go into hiding, in order not to
pay the tribute. They say that afterward they will return to build,
with the labor of a month or two, another house. From others it is
necessary to demand the tribute with arquebuses and other weapons, and
men, in order to make them give it; and most of them it is necessary
to imprison to make them provide the tribute. Therefore most of the
owners of encomiendas maintain stocks, in which they keep as prisoners
the chiefs or _timaguas_ [freemen] who do not supply the amount of
the tribute from their slaves when they themselves cannot obtain it
from the latter. Thus, considering all this and other inconveniences,
that, in order not to go into greater details, I do not set down,
it was the opinion of the majority of the fathers, that--even if the
whole affair were justified, and the Indians maintained in peace,
justice, and religious instruction--for the present, and until the
Indians have other opportunities, and other and better tools to
cultivate the land, and until the land is more fertile, all that
is taken from each Indian, in general, above the value of one maez,
in food and raiment, is cruelty, and oppresses them too heavily.

Your Lordship should consider that in Nueva Espana, the Indians at
first gave nothing but food (then worth a great deal) and service. And
all times are not alike, for now they can give little, but in course
of time, the earth growing more fertile, they can give more; so that
what is collected of all this that the Indians now, in strict justice,
do not owe, and that which until now has been raised, has been unjustly
raised, on account of the evil way in which these Indians have been
conquered, and because his Majesty's orders regarding them have no