Cuba, Old and New | Page 4

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."
But the Spaniards came and encountered the resistance of Hatuey and
his followers. The invaders were victorious, and Hatuey was captured

and burned alive. Las Casas relates that while the poor wretch was in
the midst of the flames, tied to a stake, "a certain Franciscan Friar of
great Piety and Virtue, took upon him to speak to him of God and our
Religion, and to explain to him some Articles of Catholic Faith, of
which he had never heard a word before, promising him Eternal Life if
he would believe and threatening him with Eternal Torment if he
continued obstinate in his Infidelity. Hatuey reflecting on the matter, as
much as the Place and Condition in which he was would permit, asked
the Friar that instructed him, whether the Gate of Heaven was open to
Spaniards; and being answered that such of them as were good men
might hope for entrance there: the Cacique, without any farther
deliberation, told him that he had no mind to go to heaven for fear of
meeting with such cruel and wicked Company as they were; but he
would much rather choose to go to Hell where he might be delivered
from the troublesome sight of such kind of People." And so died the
Cacique Hatuey. Four hundred years later, the Cuban Government
named a gunboat Hatuey, in his honor.
The Velasquez expedition, in the following year, founded Baracoa,
now a small city on the northern coast near the eastern extremity of the
island. It is a spot of exceeding scenic charm. It was established as the
capital city, but it held that honor for a few years only. In 1514 and
1515, settlements were established at what is now Santiago, at Sancti
Spiritus, Trinidad, and