TO THE SAME CARDINAL LUDOVICO D'ARAGON
Upon his arrival at Hispaniola, the Admiral found an even greater
state of disorder than he had feared, for Roldan had taken advantage
of his absence to refuse obedience to his brother, Bartholomew
Columbus. Resolved not to submit to him who had formerly been his
master and had raised him in dignity, he had stirred up the multitude
in his own favour and had also vilified the Adelantado and had written
heinous accusations to the King against the brothers. The Admiral
likewise sent envoys to inform the sovereigns of the revolt, begging
them at the same time to send soldiers to put down the insurrection
and punish the guilty, according to their crimes. Roldan and his
accomplices preferred grave charges against the Admiral and the
Adelantado, who, according to them, were impious, unjust men, enemies
to the Spaniards, whose blood they had profusely shed. They were
accused of torturing, strangling, decapitating and, in divers other
ways, killing people on the most trifling pretexts. They were envious,
proud, and intolerable tyrants; therefore, people avoided them as they
would fly from wild beasts, or from the enemies of the Crown. It had
in fact been discovered that the sole thought of the brothers was to
usurp the government of the island. This had been proven by different
circumstances, but chiefly by the fact that they allowed none but
their own partisans to work the gold-mines.
In soliciting reinforcements from the sovereigns, sufficient to deal
with the rebels according to their merits, the Admiral explained that
those men who dared thus to accuse him were guilty of misdemeanours
and crimes; for they were debauchees, profligates, thieves, seducers,
ravishers, vagabonds. They respected nothing and were perjurers and
liars, already condemned by the tribunals, or fearful, owing to their
numerous crimes, to appear before them. They had formed a faction
amongst themselves, given over to violence and rapine; lazy,
gluttonous, caring only to sleep and to carouse. They spared nobody;
and having been brought to the island of Hispaniola originally to do
the work of miners or of camp servants, they now never moved a step
from their houses on foot, but insisted on being carried about the
island upon the shoulders of the unfortunate natives, as though they
were dignitaries of the State.[1] Not to lose practice in the shedding
of blood, and to exercise the strength of their arms, they invented a
game in which they drew their swords, and amused themselves in
cutting off the heads of innocent victims with one sole blow. Whoever
succeeded in more quickly landing the head of an unfortunate islander
on the ground with one stroke, was proclaimed the bravest, and as
such was honoured.[2] Such were the mutual accusations bandied about
between the Admiral and the partisans of Roldan, not to mention many
other imputations.
[Note 1: _Ab insularibus namque miseris pensiles per totam
insulam, tanquam ædiles curules, feruntur_.]
[Note 2: See Las Casas, _Brevissima Relacion_, English
translation, pub. by G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1909.]
Meanwhile the Admiral, desiring to put a stop to the dangerous attacks
of the Ciguana tribe which had revolted under the leadership of
Guarionex, sent his brother the Adelantado with ninety foot-soldiers
and some horsemen against them. It may be truthfully added that about
three thousand of the islanders who had suffered from the invasions of
the Ciguana tribe, who were their sworn enemies, joined forces with
the Spaniards. The Adelantado led his troops to the bank of a great
river which waters the plain between the sea and the two extremes of
the mountain chain of Ciguana, of which we have already spoken.
He surprised two of the enemy's spies who were concealed in the
underbrush, one of whom sprang into the sea, and, swimming across the
river at its mouth, succeeded in escaping to his own people. From the
one who was captured, it was learned that six thousand natives of
Ciguana were hidden in the forest beyond the river and were prepared
to attack the Spaniards when they crossed over. The Adelantado
therefore marched along the river bank seeking a ford. This he soon
found in the plain, and was preparing to cross the river when the
Ciguana warriors rushed out from the forest in compact battalions,
yelling in a most horrible manner. Their appearance is fearsome and
repulsive, and they march into battle daubed with paint, as did the
Thracians and Agathyrses. These natives indeed paint themselves from
the forehead to the knees, with black and scarlet colours which they
extract from certain fruits similar to pears, and which they carefully
cultivate in their gardens. Their hair is tormented into a thousand
strange forms, for it is long and black, and what nature refuses
they supply by art. They look like goblins emerged from the infernal
caverns. Advancing towards our men who were trying to cross the river,
they contested their passage with flights of arrows and by throwing
pointed sticks; and such was the multitude of projectiles that they
half darkened the light of the sun, and had not the Spaniards received
the blows on their shields the engagement would have ended badly for
them.
A number of men were wounded in this first encounter, but the
Adelantado succeeded in crossing the river and the enemy fled, the
Spaniards pursuing them, though they killed few, as the islanders are
good runners. As soon as they gained the protection of the woods, they
used their bows to repulse their pursuers, for they are accustomed to
woods, and run naked amongst underbrush, shrubs, and trees, like wild
boars, heedless of obstacles. The Spaniards, on the contrary, were
hindered amongst this undergrowth by their shields, their clothes,
their long lances, and their ignorance of the surroundings. After a
night passed uselessly in the woods the Adelantado, realising the next
morning that they could catch nobody, followed the counsel of those
islanders who are the immemorial enemies of the Ciguana tribe, and
under their guidance marched towards the mountains where the King
Maiobanexius lived at a place called Capronus. Twelve miles' march
brought them to the village of another cacique, which had been
abandoned by its terrified inhabitants, and there he established his
camp. Two natives were captured, from whom it was learned that King
Maiobanexius and ten caciques with eight thousand soldiers were
assembled at Capronus. During two days there were a few light
skirmishes between the parties, the Adelantado not wishing to do more
than reconnoitre the country. Scouts were sent out the following night
under the guidance of some islanders who knew the land. The people of
Ciguana caught sight of our men from the heights of their mountains,
and prepared to give battle, uttering war-cries as is their custom.
But they did not venture to quit their woods, because they thought the
Adelantado had his entire army with him. Twice on the following day,
when the Adelantado marched on with his men, the natives tested the
fortune of war; hurling themselves against the Spaniards with fury,
they wounded many before they could protect themselves with their
shields, but the latter, getting the better of them, pursued them,
cutting some in pieces, and taking a large number prisoners. Those who
escaped took refuge in the forests, from which they were careful not
to emerge.
The Adelantado selected one of the prisoners, and sending with him
one of his allies, he despatched them both to Maiobanexius with the
following message: "The Adelantado has not undertaken to make war upon
you and your people, O Maiobanexius, for he desires your friendship;
but he formally demands that Guarionex, who has taken refuge with
you and has drawn you into this conflict to the great damage of your
people, shall be delivered to him to be punished as he merits. He
counsels you, therefore, to give up this cacique; if you consent, the
Admiral will count you among his friends and protect and respect your
territory. If you refuse you will be made to repent, for your entire
country will be devastated with fire and sword, and all you possess
will be destroyed." Maiobanexius, upon hearing this message, replied:
"Everybody knows that Guarionex is a hero, adorned with all the
virtues, and therefore I have esteemed it right to assist and protect
him. As for you, you are violent and perfidious men, and seek to shed
the blood of innocent people: I will neither enter into relations with
you, nor form any alliance with so false a people."
When this answer was brought to the Adelantado, he burnt the
village where he had established his camp and several others in the
neighbourhood. He again sent envoys to Maiobanexius, to ask him to
name one of his trusty advisers to treat for peace. Maiobanexius
consented to send one of the most devoted of his counsellors,
accompanied by two other chiefs. The Adelantado earnestly conjured
them not to jeopardise the territory of Maiobanexius solely in the
interests of Guarionex. He advised Maiobanexius, if he did not wish to
be ruined himself and to be treated as an enemy, to give him up.
When his envoys returned, Maiobanexius called together his people and
explained the conditions. The people cried that Guarionex must be
surrendered, cursing and execrating the day he had come amongst them
to disturb their tranquillity. The cacique reminded them, however,
that Guarionex was a hero, and had rendered him services when he
fled to him for protection, for he had brought him royal presents.
Moreover, he had taught both the cacique himself and his wife to
sing and dance, a thing not to be held in mediocre consideration.
Maiobanexius was determined never to surrender the prince who had
appealed to his protection, and whom he had promised to defend. He was
prepared to risk the gravest perils with him rather than to merit the
reproach of having betrayed his guest. Despite the complaints of the
people, the cacique dissolved the assembly, and calling Guarionex to
him, he pledged himself for the second time to protect him and to
share his fortunes as long as he lived.
Maiobanexius resolved to give no further information to the
Adelantado: on the contrary he ordered his first messenger to station
himself with some faithful soldiers at a place on the road where the
Adelantado's envoys usually passed, and to kill any Spaniards who
appeared, without further discussion. The Adelantado had just sent
his messengers, and both these men, one of whom was a prisoner
from Ciguana and the other from amongst the native allies, were
decapitated. The Adelantado, escorted by only ten foot-soldiers and
four horsemen, followed his envoys and discovered their bodies lying
in the road, which so incensed him that he determined to no longer
spare Maiobanexius. He invaded the cacique's village of Capronus with
his army. The caciques fled in every direction, abandoning their
chief, who withdrew with his entire family into places of concealment
in the mountain districts. Some others of the Ciguana people sought to
capture Guarionex, since he was the occasion of the catastrophe; but
he succeeded in escaping and concealed himself almost alone amidst
the rocks and desert mountains. The soldiers of the Adelantado were
exhausted by this long war, which dragged on for three months; the
watches, the fatigues, and the scarcity of food. In response to their
request they were authorised to return to Concepcion, where they owned
handsome plantations of the native sort; and thither many withdrew.
Only thirty companions remained with the Adelantado, all of whom were
severely tried by these three months of fighting, during which they
had eaten nothing but cazabi, that is to say, bread made of roots,
and even they were not always ripe. They also procured some utias, or
rabbits, by hunting with their dogs, while their only drink had been
water, which was sometimes exquisitely fresh, but just as often muddy
and marshy. Moreover the character of the war obliged them to pass
most of the time in the open air and perpetual movement.
With his little troop the Adelantado determined to scour the mountains
to seek out the secret retreats where Maiobanexius and Guarionex had
concealed themselves. Some Spaniards, who had been driven by hunger
to hunt utias for want of something better, met two servants of
Maiobanexius, whom the cacique had sent into the villages of his
territory, and who were carrying back native bread. They forced
these men to betray the hiding-place of their chief, and under their
leadership, twelve soldiers who had stained their bodies like the
people of Ciguana succeeded by trickery in capturing Maiobanexius,
his wife, and his son, all of whom they brought to the Admiral at
Concepcion. A few days later hunger compelled Guarionex to emerge from
the cavern where he was concealed, and the islanders, out of fear of
the Admiral, betrayed him to the hunters. As soon as he learned his
whereabouts, the Admiral sent a body of foot-soldiers to take him,
just at the moment when he was about to quit the plain, and return to
the mountains. These men caught him and brought him back, after which
that region was pacified, and tranquillity restored.
A relative of Maiobanexius who was married to a cacique whose
territory had not yet been invaded, shared the former's misfortunes.
Everybody agreed in saying that she was the most beautiful of the
women nature had created in the island of Hispaniola. Her husband
loved her dearly, as she merited, and when she was captured by the
Spaniards he almost lost his reason, and wandered distractedly in
desert places, doubtful what course to pursue. Finally he presented
himself before the Admiral, promising that he and his people would
submit without conditions, if he would only restore him his wife.
His prayer was granted and at the same time several others of the
principal captives were likewise freed. This same cacique then
assembled five thousand natives who instead of weapons carried
agricultural implements, and went himself to labour and plant the
crops in one of the largest valleys in his territories. The Admiral
thanked him by means of presents, and the cacique came back rejoicing.
This news spread throughout Ciguana, and the other caciques began to
hope that they too might be treated with clemency, so they came in
person to promise they would in future obey the orders given them.
They asked that their chief and his family might be spared, and in
response to their petition, the wife and children were delivered to
them, but Maiobanexius was held a prisoner.
While the Admiral was thus engaged in administering the affairs of
Hispaniola, he was ignorant of the intrigues his adversaries were
carrying on against him at the Spanish Court.[3] Wearied by these
continuous quarrels, and above all annoyed at receiving but a small
quantity of gold and valuable products because of these dissensions
and revolts, the sovereigns, appointed another Governor,[4] who, after
a careful enquiry, should punish the guilty and send them back to
Spain, I do not precisely know what has come to light against either
the Admiral or his brother the Adelantado, or their enemies; but this
is certain, that the Admiral and his brother were seized, put in
irons, deprived of all their property, and brought to Spain; and of
this, Most Illustrious Prince, you are not ignorant. It is true that
the sovereigns, when they learned that the Columbus brothers had
arrived at Cadiz loaded with irons, promptly sent their secretaries to
order their release and that their children should be allowed to
visit them; nor did they conceal their disapproval of this rough
treatment.[5] It is claimed that the new Governor has sent to the
sovereigns some letters in the handwriting of the Admiral, but in
cipher, in which the latter summoned his brother the Adelantado, who
was at that time absent with his soldiers, to hasten back and repel
force with force, in case the Governor sought to use violence. The
Adelantado preceded his soldiers, and the Governor seized him and his
brother before their partisans could rejoin them. What will be the
outcome, time will show, for time is the supreme arbiter of events.
Fare you well.
[Note 3: One of the most inveterate of his enemies was Juan de
Fonseca, afterwards Bishop of Burgos, who was unfortunately in a
position to do Columbus serious harm.]
[Note 4: Francisco de Bobadilla, commander of Calatrava.]
[Note 5: The sovereigns made what amends they could for the
abusive execution of their orders by over-zealous agents; they sent
Columbus a present of two thousand ducats--not an insignificant sum at
the time--and wrote him a letter, full of affectionate expressions of
confidence; he was admitted to audience on December 17th.]