He took a large part of them for slaves, and reduced to obedience the
whole of the province of Macorix. Returning to Isabella, he sent back, on
the 24th of February, 1495, the four ships which Antonio de Torres had
brought out, chiefly laden with Indian slaves. It is rather remarkable
that the very ships which brought that admirable reply from Ferdinand and
Isabella to Columbus, begging him to seek some other way to Christianity
than through slavery, even for wild man-devouring Caribs, should come back
full of slaves taken from amongst the wild islanders of Hispaniola.


Caonabo, not daunted by the fate of Guatignana, still continued to molest
St. Thomas. The admiral accordingly sallied out with two hundred men
against this cacique. On the broad plains of the Vega Real the Spaniards
found an immense number of Indians collected together, amounting, it is
said, to one hundred thousand men. The admiral divided his forces into two
bands, giving the command of one to his brother Bartholomew, and leading
the other himself; and when the brothers made an attack upon the Indians
at the same time from different quarters, this numerous host was at once
and utterly put to flight. In speaking of such a defeat, the modern reader
must not be lavish of the words "cowardly," "pusillanimous," and the like,
until, at least, he has well considered what it is to expose naked bodies
to firearms, to the charge of steel-clad men on horseback, and to the
clinging ferocity of bloodhounds.


SLAUGHRTER OF NATIVES.

A "horrible carnage" ensued upon the flight of the Indians. Many of them,
less fortunate, perhaps, than those who were slain, being taken alive,
were condemned to slavery. Caonabo, however, who was besieging the