er
inhabitants of the island. As might be expected, there were constant
disturbances between these Spaniards and the adjacent Indians; and the
Spaniards took care to inform the governor that their adversaries, the
Indians of Xaragua, intended to rebel. Perhaps they did so intend. Ovando
resolved, after much consultation, to take a journey to Xaragua. It must
be said, in justice to Ovando, that this does not look as if he thought
the matter were a light one. Xaragua was seventy leagues from St. Domingo.
The governor set out well accompanied, with seventy horsemen and three
hundred foot soldiers.

HIS RECEPTION BY ANACAONA.

Anacaona, who had some suspicion of his intentions, summoned all her
feudatories around her "to do horour" to him, when she heard of his
coming. She went out to meet Ovando with a concourse of her subjects, and
with the same festivities of singing and dancing as in former days she had
adopted when she went to receive the Adelantado. Various pleasures and
amusements were provided for the strangers, and probably Anacaona thought
that she had succeeded in soothing and pleasing this severe looking
governor, as she had done the last. But the former followers of Roldan
were about the governor, telling him that there certainly was an
insurrection at hand, that if he did not look to it now, and suppress it
at once, the revolt would be far more difficult to quell when it did break
out. Thus they argued, using all those seemingly wise arguments of
wickedness which from time immemorial have originated and perpetuated
treachery. Ovando listened to these men; indeed he must have been much
inclined to believe them, or he would hardly have come all this way. He
was now convinced that an insurrection was intended.

PRETENDED TOURNAMENT; MASSACRE OF INDIAN CHIEFS.

With these thoughts in his mind, he ordered that, on a certain Sunday,
after dinner, all the cavalry should get to horse, on the pretext of a
tournament. The infantry, too, he caused to be ready for action. He
himself, a Tiberius in dissembling, went to play at quoits, and was
disturbed by his men coming to him and begging him to look on at their
sports. The poor Indian queen hurried with the utmost simplicity into the
snare prepared for her. She told the governor that her caciques, too,
would like to see this tournament, upon which, with demonstrations of
pleasure, he bade her come with all her caciques to his quarters, for he
wanted to talk to