two great armies of men of war, which the king for his pastime had caused
to be prepared, as the Spaniards use the play with reeds, which they call
Juga de Canias. As the armies drew near together, they assailed the one
the other as fiercely as if mortal enemies with their banners spread
should fight for their goods, their lands, their lives, their liberty,
their country, their wives and their children, so that within the moment
of an hour, four men were slain, and many wounded. The battle also would
have continued longer, if the king had not, at the request of our men,
caused them to cease."


OVANDO VISITS XARAGUA.

At this time, in the year 1503, some of Roldan's former partizans were
settled in the province of Xaragua, and were a great trouble to the
colony. Herrera says, in a quiet sarcastic way, "they lived in the
discipline they had learnt from Roldan;" and the governing powers of
Xaragua found them "intolerable." He also adds that Anacaona's people were
in policy, in language, and in other things superior to all the other
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.