▁of ▁His p ani ola ▁rapidly ▁reduced ▁that ▁population , ▁leading ▁the ▁Governor ▁of ▁His p ani ola ▁to ▁comp lain ▁to ▁the ▁Spanish ▁crown . ▁In ▁ 1 5 0 9 ▁Ferdinand ▁II ▁of ▁Arag on ▁ordered ▁that ▁Indians ▁be ▁imported ▁from ▁nearby ▁islands ▁to ▁make ▁up ▁the ▁population ▁losses ▁in ▁His p ani ola , ▁and ▁the ▁Spanish ▁began ▁capt uring ▁Luc ay ans ▁in ▁the ▁Bah am as ▁for ▁use ▁as ▁labor ers ▁in ▁His p ani ola . ▁At ▁first ▁the ▁Luc ay ans ▁sold ▁for ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁four ▁gold ▁pes os ▁in ▁His p ani ola , ▁but ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁realized ▁that ▁the ▁Luc ay ans ▁were ▁pract iced ▁at ▁div ing ▁for ▁con ches , ▁the ▁price ▁rose ▁to ▁ 1 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 5 0 ▁gold ▁pes os ▁and ▁the ▁Luc ay ans ▁were ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁Is le ▁of ▁Cub agua ▁as ▁p ear l ▁divers . ▁Within ▁two ▁years ▁the ▁southern ▁Bah am as ▁were ▁largely ▁dep op ulated . ▁The ▁Spanish ▁may ▁have ▁carried ▁away ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Luc ay ans ▁by ▁ 1 5 1 3 . ▁Carl ▁O . ▁S auer ▁described ▁P once ▁de ▁León ' s ▁ 1 5 1 3 ▁expedition ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁" dis cover ed " ▁Florida ▁as ▁simply ▁" an ▁extension ▁of ▁slave ▁hunting ▁beyond ▁the ▁empty ▁islands ." ▁When ▁the ▁Spanish ▁decided ▁to ▁ev acu ate ▁the ▁remaining ▁Luc ay ans ▁to