ast syllable accented, which
means the kingdom of the plain.

This plain is one of the most notable and marvellous things in the
world, for it stretches eighty leagues from the sea on the south to
that on the north. Its width is five leagues, attaining to eight
and ten, and it has very high mountains on both sides.

2. More than thirty thousand rivers, and brooks water it among which
there are twelve as large as the Ebro, the Duero, and the
Guadalquivir. And all the rivers that flow from the western
mountain, which number twenty or twenty-five thousand, are very rich
in gold. On that mountain (or mountains) lies the province of
Cibao, from which the mines of Cibao are named, whence comes that
famous gold, superior in carat, which is held in great esteem here.
3. The king, and lord of this realm was called Guarionex. He had such
great lords as his vassals, that one alone of them mustered sixteen
thousand warriors to serve Guarionex; and I knew some of them. This
king Guarionex was very obedient, virtuous and, by nature, peaceful
and devoted to the king of Castile. And in certain years, every
householder amongst his people gave by his orders, a bell full of
gold; and afterwards, because they could not fill it, they cut it in
two and gave that half full; because the Indians had little or no
ability to collect, or dig the gold from the mines.
4. This prince offered to serve the King of Castile, by having as much
land cultivated as would extend from Isabella, which was the first
habitation of the Christians to the town of San Domingo, which is a
good fifty leagues, in order that gold should not be asked of him;
because he said, and with truth, that his vassals knew not how to
collect it. I know he was able to do the cultivation he proposed to
undertake, most gladly; and it would have rendered the King more
than three million crowns yearly, and, owing to this cultivation,
there would have been at the present time in this island fifty towns
as large as Seville.
5. The payment they awarded to this great and good king and lord, was
to dishonour him; a captain, a bad Christian violating his wife.
Although he might have bided his time to assemble his people and
revenge himself, he determined to depart alone, and to hide himself