These paid no tribute to the superior caciques, but were obliged to till the ground when called upon, and to assist them in their wars; but of these four, Guacanagari, who was superior lord of that part of the island in which the town of Navidad had been built, continued always friendly to the Christians.  As soon therefore as he heard of the admirals return to Isabella, he went to wait upon him, and represented that he had not been any way aiding or advising with the others, as might appear from the great civility the Christians had always received in his country, where 100 men had always been well used and furnished with every thing of which they stood in need.  For which reason the other caciques had become his enemies, as Behechico had killed one of his women, and Caunabo had taken away another; wherefore he entreated the admiral to cause her to be restored, and to assist him in revenging his wrongs.  The admiral was disposed to believe that Guacanagari spoke truth, as he always wept whenever the discourse turned upon the slaughter of the Christians at the Nativity; and the admiral was the more inclined to take part with this cacique, as he considered that the discord among the Indian chiefs, would make it the more easy for him to reduce the country to subjection, and to punish the other Indians for their revolt, and for having killed so many of the Christians.

Having resolved to make war upon the refractory natives, he set out from Isabella on the 24th of March 1495, taking Guacanagari along with him; yet the enterprize seemed difficult, as the malcontent Indians had collected a force of above 100,000 men, whereas the admiral had only about 200 infantry, 20 horsemen, and about the same number of dogs [22].  Being well acquainted with the nature and qualities of the Indians, when he was two days march from Isabella, the admiral divided his small force, giving half to his brother the lieutenant, that he might attack the multitude which was scattered over the plain in two places at once, believing that the terror of the noise in two places would throw them into disorder, and put them to flight the sooner, as it actually proved in the event.  The battalions of foot fell upon the disordered multitude of the Indians, and broke them with the first discharge of their cross-bows and muskets; the cavalry and the dogs next fell upon them in the most furious manner that they might have no time to rally, and the faint-hearted natives fled on every side.  Our men pursued them, and made such havock, that in a short time, through GOD’S assistance, many of the enemies were slain, and others taken prisoners, among whom was Caunabo the principal cacique of the whole, with his wives and children, and one of his brothers.  Caunabo afterwards confessed that he had killed twenty of the Spaniards who had been left with Arana at the town of the Nativity on the first voyage, when the Indies were discovered; and that he had afterwards gone under colour of friendship