On the report of the exploring parties, four names were given to as many divisions of the island.  Junna was the most western, Attibunia the most eastern, Jachen the northern and Naiba the southern.  Columbus himself, seeing the fortifications of the city well begun, undertook, in March, an exploration, of the island, with a force of five hundred men.

It was in the course of this exploration that one of the natives brought in a gold-bearing stone which weighed an ounce.  He was satisfied with a little bell in exchange.  He was surprised at the wonder expressed by the Spaniards, and showing a stone as large as a pomegranate, he said that he had nuggets of gold as large as this at his home.  Other Indians brought in gold-bearing stones which weighed more than an ounce.  At their homes, also, but not in sight, alas, was a block of gold as large as an infant’s head.

Columbus himself thought it best to take as many men as he could into the mountain region.  He left the new city under the care of his brother, Diego, and with all the force of healthy men which he could muster, making a little army of nearly five hundred men, he marched away from the sickly seaboard into the interior.  The simple natives were astonished by the display of cavalry and other men in armor.  After a few days of a delightful march, in the beauty of spring in that country, he entered upon the long sought Cibao.  He relinquished his first idea of founding another city here, but did build a fortress called St. Thomas, in joking reference to Cedo and others, who had asserted that these regions produced no gold.  While building this fortress, as it was proudly called, he sent a young cavalier named Luxan for further exploration.

Luxan returned with stories even greater than they had heard of before, but with no gold, “because he had no orders to do so.”  He had found ripe grapes.  And at last they had found a region called Cipangi, cipan signifying stone.  This name recalled the memory of Cipango, or Japan.  With tidings as encouraging as this, Columbus returned to his city.  He appointed his brother and Pedro Margarita governors of the city, and left with three ships for the further exploration of Cuba, which he had left only partly examined in his first voyage.  He believed that it was the mainland of Asia.  And as has been said, such was his belief till he died, and that of his countrymen.  Cuba was not known to be an island for many years afterwards.  He was now again in the career which pleased him, and for which he was fitted.  He was always ill at ease in administering a colony, or ruling the men who were engaged in it.  He was happy and contented when he was discovering.  He had been eager to follow the southern coast of Cuba, as he had followed the north in his first voyage.  And now he had his opportunity.  Having commissioned his brother Diego and Margarita and appointed also a council of four other gentlemen, he sailed to explore new coasts, on the twenty-fourth of April.