But let us return to Caunaboa, who, if you remember, had been taken prisoner.

This cacique, when he found himself put in irons, gnashed his teeth like an African lion and fell to thinking, night and day, upon the means to recover his liberty.[7] He begged the Admiral, since the region of Cipangu was now under his authority, to send Spanish garrisons to protect the country against the attacks of neighbours who were his ancient enemies.  He said that it was reported to him that the country was ravaged, and the property of his subjects considered by his enemies as their lawful plunder.  As a matter of fact it was a trap he was preparing.  He hoped that his brother and other relatives in Cibao would, either by force or by trickery, capture as many Spaniards as would be required to pay his ransom.  Divining this plot, Columbus sent Hojeda, but with an escort of soldiers sufficient to overcome all resistance of the inhabitants of Cibao.  Hardly had the Spaniards entered that region when the brother of Caunaboa assembled about 5000 men, equipped in their fashion, that is to say, naked, armed with arrows without iron points, clubs, and spears.  He succeeded in surrounding the Spaniards, and held them besieged in a small house.  This chief showed himself under the circumstances to be a veritable soldier.  When he had approached within a distance of one stadium, he divided his men into five groups, stationing them in a circle, and assigning to each one his post, while he himself marched directly against the Spaniards.  When all his arrangements were completed, he ordered his soldiers to advance, shouting all together, so as to engage in a hand-to-hand combat.  He hoped that, by thus surrounding the Spaniards, none of them would escape.  But our men, persuaded that it was better to attack than to await their assault, fell upon the most numerous band they saw in the open country.  The ground was adapted for cavalry manoeuvres and the horsemen, opening their charge, rode down the enemy, who were easily put to flight.  Those who awaited the encounter were massacred; the others, overcome with fright, fled, abandoning their huts, and seeking refuge in the mountains and upon inaccessible rocks.  They begged for mercy, promising and swearing to observe all the conditions imposed upon them, if they were only permitted to live with their families.  The brother of the cacique was finally captured, and each of his men was sent to his own home.  After this victory that region was pacified.

[Note 7:  Las Casas (Hist, de las Indias, tom, i., p. 102) relates that Caunaboa never forgave Columbus for his treatment of him, while he had, on the contrary, great respect for Hojeda, the latter’s clever ruse, deftly executed, being precisely the kind of trickery he was able to appreciate and admire.]