fore the Christians were under the necessity of dividing
themselves into small parties of eight or ten in each liberty or district.
This gave the Indians hopes that, by surprizing them all at one and the
same time, they might have it in their power to extirpate the whole and
suffer none to escape. But having no other way of counting time or
ordering any thing else which requires counting, except by means of their
fingers, they resolved that every one should be ready to destroy the
Christians at the next full moon. Guarionex having thus concerted with his
caciques, one of the chiefest among them being desirous to acquire
reputation, and looking upon the enterprise as a very easy matter, fell on
before the time appointed, not being astronomer sufficient to know the
exact time of full moon. After a severe conflict, he was forced to fly for
assistance and protection to Guarionex, who put him to death as he
deserved, for having thus laid open the conspiracy and put the Christians
on their guard.

The rebels were not a little mortified at this miscarriage of the Indian
plot, for it was reported that it had been concerted with their privacy
and consent, and they had therefore waited to see whether Guarionex might
bring affairs to such a pass, that by joining with him they might be able
to destroy the lieutenant. But perceiving that it failed of success, they
considered themselves insecure in the province where they then were, and
therefore went away to Xaragua, still proclaiming themselves the
protectors of the Indians, whereas they were thieves in their actions and
inclinations, having no regard to God or the opinion of the world, but
following their own inordinate appetites. Every one stole or took away
what he could, and their leader Roldan more than any of the rest,
commanding every cacique to entertain him that could; and though he
forbade the Indians from paying any tribute to the lieutenant, he exacted
much more from them under pretence of acting as their defender, insomuch
that from one cacique only, named Monicaotex, he received every three
months a calabash full of pure gold, containing three marks or a pound and
a half, and to make sure of him he detained his son and nephew as hostages.
He who reads this must not wonder that we reduce the marks of gold to the
measure of a calabash, which is here done to shew that the Indians dealt
in all these cases by measure, as they never had any weights.

The Christians being th