All things being provided for the maintenance of the colony, and the rules and regulations by which it was to be governed being settled, it pleased GOD to send so much rain that the river swelled and opened the mouth sufficiently to float the ships over the bar.  Wherefore the admiral resolved to depart for Hispaniola without delay, that he might forward supplies for this place.  Taking advantage of a calm that the sea might not beat upon the month of the river, we went out with three of the ships, the boats towing a-head.  Yet though they were lightened as much as possible, every one of the keels rubbed on the sand which was fortunately loose and moving; and we then took in with all expedition every thing that was unloaded for making the ships draw less water.  While we lay upon the open coast, about a league from the mouth of the river, it pleased GOD miraculously to induce the admiral to send his boat on shore for water, which proved the cause of preventing the loss of our people who had been left at Belem.  For when Quibio saw that the ships had withdrawn, and could therefore give no aid to the people who were left, he assaulted the Christian colony at the very time when our boat went ashore.  The approach of the Indians was not perceived, on account of the thickness of the wood, and when they came within ten paces of the houses they set up a great shout, and fell upon our people suddenly and violently, throwing their javelins at all whom they espied, and even at the houses, which being only covered with palm-tree leaves, were easily stuck through, and several of our men were wounded within them.  In the first surprize, four or five of our people were wounded before they could put themselves into a posture of defence; but the lieutenant being a man of great resolution; went out against the Indians with a spear, with seven or eight followers, and attacked the Indians so violently, that he soon made them retire to the adjoining wood.  Thence they returned skirmishing with our people, advancing to throw their javelins and then retiring, as the Spaniards do in the sport called juego de cannas; but after having experienced the sharp edges of our swords, and being furiously assailed by a dog belonging to the Christians, they at length fled, having killed one Christian, and wounded seven, among whom was the lieutenant, who was wounded in the breast.

From the foregoing danger two Christians took care to preserve themselves; which I shall relate, to show the comicalness of the one who was an Italian of Lombardy, and the gravity of the other who was a Spaniard.  When the Lombard was running away to hide himself, James Mendez called him to turn back; let me alone you devil, said Sebastian, for I am going to secure my person.  The Spaniard was Captain James Tristan, whom the admiral had sent in the boat, who never went out of it with his men though the affray was close beside the river; and being blamed for not assisting the Christians, he excused himself by saying that