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The consequences of this great victory, and the capture of Caunabo put the affairs of the Christians into such good order, that although there were then only 630 Spaniards in the island, many of whom were sick, and others women and children; yet in the space of a year, which the admiral employed in traversing the island without being again constrained to use the sword, he reduced it to entire obedience, and brought the people to engage for the payment of a tribute every three months to their Catholic majesties.
Sometime afterwards, the admiral sent Caunabo and other Indians into Spain; but the ship in which they were was cast away in a storm, and all on board were lost.
After this great victory, the admiral ranged for nine or ten months about the island, punishing such as he found most active in the revolt. For some time he met with considerable opposition from the brothers of Caunabo; but finding themselves unable to resist, they and Guarionex, being the most powerful caciques in the island, submitted at length to the admiral.
The fame of this bell had spread over the island, and Caunabo had often expressed his desire of begging it from the admiral. Ojeda took advantage of this fondness of the Indians for polished metals, and went on horseback into the country of Caunabo, accompanied only by nine mounted Spaniards, under pretence of carrying him a valuable present from the admiral.
Doubtless this arrangement would have proved effectual to ensure a respectable revenue, as after the capture of Caunabo, the country became so peaceable, that for the future a single Christian went safely all over the island, and the Indians would even carry the Spaniards about on their shoulders.
That Peter Gutierrez, and Roderick de Escovedo, killed one of the Spaniards, named Jacome; after which they went off with their women and goods to the district of a cacique named Caunabo, the lord of the mines, who killed them all. That soon afterwards Caunabo came with a great number of men to the fort, in which there were then only James de Arana, and five others.
Aguado arrived at Isabella about the month of October, when the admiral was absent in the province of Maguana, prosecuting the war against the brothers of Caunabo.
Caunabo was at that period the most powerful of all the native caciques, his province of Maguana being very populous. As it appeared somewhat difficult to reduce this chief by force, the admiral employed Alonzo de Ojeda to attempt making him a prisoner by stratagem.
When the admiral happened to come into the room where he was kept, Caunabo never shewed him any respect, but always did so to Ojeda; and being asked his reason for this, he said the admiral durst not go as Ojeda had done, to seize him in his own dominions.
On Tuesday the 1st of April, intelligence was brought by a messenger from fort St Thomas, that all the Indians of that country had withdrawn from the neighbourhood, and that a cacique named Caunabo was making preparations to attack the fort.
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