While these things were happening on the banks of this river, an officer named Raia, whom Vasco Nunez and Colmenares had left in charge of the camp at Rio Negro in the territory of the cacique Abenamacheios, driven either by hunger or fatality ventured to explore the neighbourhood with nine of his companions.  He went to the neighbouring village belonging to the cacique Abraibes, and there Raia and two of his companions were massacred by that chief, the others succeeding in escaping.  Some few days later Abraibes, sympathising with his relative and neighbour Abenamacheios, who had been driven from his house and had had his arm cut off by one of our foot-soldiers, gave the latter refuge in his house, after which he sought out Abibaiba, the cacique who lived in a tree.  The latter, having been driven from his abode, also avoided attack by the Spaniards and wandered in the most inaccessible regions of the mountains and forests.

Abraibes spoke in the following words to Abibaiba:  “What is this that is happening, O unfortunate Abibaiba?  What race is this that allows us, unfortunates that we are, no peace?  And for how long shall we endure their cruelty?  Is it not better to die than to submit to such abuse as you have endured from them?  And not only you, but our neighbours Abenamacheios, Zemaco, Careca, Poncha, and all the other caciques our friends?  They carry off our wives and sons into captivity before our very eyes, and they seize everything we possess as though it were their booty.  Shall we endure this?  Me they have not yet attacked, but the experience of others is enough for me, and I know that the hour of my ruin is not far distant.  Let us then unite our forces and try to struggle against those who have maltreated Abenamacheios and driven him from his house, and when these first are killed the others will fear to attack us, or if they do so, it will be with diminished numbers, and in any case it will be more endurable for us.”  After exchanging their views, Abibaiba and Abraibes came to an understanding and decided upon a day for beginning their campaign.  But events were not favourable to them.  It so happened by chance that, on the night previous to the day fixed for the attack, thirty of the soldiers who had crossed the sierra against the cannibals were sent back to relieve the garrison left at Rio Negro, in case of attack, and also because the Spaniards were suspicious.  The caciques rushed into the village at daybreak with five hundred of their warriors armed in native fashion and shouting wildly.  They were ignorant of the reinforcements that had arrived during the night.  The soldiers advanced to meet them, using their shields to protect themselves; and first shooting arrows and javelins and afterwards using their native swords, they fell upon their enemies.  These native people, finding themselves engaged with more adversaries than they had imagined, were easily routed; the majority were killed like sheep in a panic.  The chiefs escaped.  All those who were captured were sent as slaves to Darien, where they were put to work in the fields.