Hispaniola possesses four rivers, each flowing from mountain sources and dividing the island into four almost equal parts.  One of these streams, the Iunna, flows east.  Another, the Attibunicus, west; the third, the Naiba, south, and the fourth, the Iaccha, north.  We have already related that Morales proposes a new division, by which the island would be divided into five districts.  We shall give to each of these little states its ancient name and shall enumerate whatever is worthy of note in each of them.

The most eastern district of the island belongs to the province of Caizcimu, and is thus called because cimu means in their language the front or beginning of anything.  Next come the provinces of Huhabo and Cahibo; the fourth is Bainoa, and the extreme western part belongs to the province of Guaccaiarima; but that of Bainoa is larger than the three preceding ones.  Caizcimu extends from the point of the island as far as the river Hozama, which flows by Santo Domingo, the capital.  Its northern border is marked by precipitous mountains,[4] which on account of their steepness especially bear the name of Haiti.  The province of Huhabo lies between the mountains of Haiti and the Iacaga River.  The third province Cahibo, includes all the country lying between the Cubaho and the Dahazio rivers as far as the mouth of Iaccha, one of the rivers dividing the islands into four equal parts.  This province extends to the Cibao Mountains, where much gold is found.  In these mountains rises the River Demahus.  The province also extends to the sources of the Naiba River, the third of the four streams and the one which flows south, towards the other bank of the Santo Domingo River.

[Note 4:  Now called Sierra de Monte Cristo, of which the loftiest peak, Toma Diego Campo, is 1220 metres high.]

Bainoa begins at the frontier of Cahibo, and extends as far as the island of Cahini, almost touching the north coast of Hispaniola at the place where the colony was once founded.  The remainder of the island along the west coast forms the province of Guaccaiarima, thus called because it is the extremity of the island.  The word Iarima means a flea.  Guaccaiarima means, therefore, the flea of the island; Gua being the article in their language.  There are very few of their names, particularly those of kings which do not begin with this article gua., such as Guarionex and Guaccanarillus; and the same applies to many names of places.

The districts or cantons of Caizcimu are Higuey, Guanama, Reyre, Xagua, Aramana, Arabo, Hazoa, Macorix, Caicoa, Guiagua, Baguanimabo, and the rugged mountains of Haiti.  Let us remark in this connection that there are no aspirates pronounced in Hispaniola, as amongst the Latin peoples.  In the first place, in all their words the aspirate produces the effect of a consonant, and is more prolonged than the consonant f, amongst us.  Nor is it pronounced by