girls, they covered no part of their bodies,
but wore their hair loose upon their shoulders and a narrow ribbon
tied around the forehead. Their face, breast, and hands, and the
entire body was quite naked, and of a somewhat brunette tint. All were
beautiful, so that one might think he beheld those splendid naiads or
nymphs of the fountains, so much celebrated by the ancients. Holding
branches of palms in their hands, they danced to an accompaniment of
songs, and bending the knee, they offered them to the Adelantado.
Entering the chieftain's house, the Spaniards refreshed themselves at
a banquet prepared with all the magnificence of native usage. When
night came, each, according to his rank, was escorted by servants
of the cacique to houses where those hanging beds I have already
described were assigned to them, and there they rested.

Next day they were conducted to a building which served as a theatre,
where they witnessed dances and listened to songs, after which two
numerous troops of armed men suddenly appeared upon a large open
space, the king having thought to please and interest the Spaniards by
having them exercised, just as in Spain Trojan games (that is to say,
tourneys) are celebrated. The two armies advanced and engaged in
as animated a combat as though they were fighting to defend their
property, their homes, their children or their lives. With such vigour
did they contest, in the presence of their chieftain, that within the
short space of an hour four soldiers were killed and a number were
wounded; and it was only at the instance of the Spaniards that the
cacique gave the signal for them to lay down their arms and cease
fighting. After having advised the cacique to henceforth plant more
cotton along the river banks, in order that he might more easily pay
the tribute imposed on each household, the Adelantado left on the
third day for Isabella to visit the invalids, and to see the ships in
construction. About three hundred of his men had fallen victims to
divers maladies, and he was therefore much concerned and hardly knew
what course to adopt, for everything was lacking, not only for caring
for the sick, but also for the necessities of life; since no ship had
arrived from Spain to put an end to his uncertainty, he ordered
the invalids to be distributed in the several blockhouses built in
different provinces. These citadels, existing in a straight line from
Isabella to Santo Domingo, that is to say, from no