of discipline, and gave infinite offence to the natives by their licentiousness.  The council to which the admiral had confided the government in his absence, reproved Margarite for allowing his troops to live in this disorderly manner, and endeavoured to prevail upon him to march about the island, as he had been directed by the admiral:  But he refused to submit to their authority; and being afraid of being punished for his misconduct, he and Friar Boyle, and some other malcontents of the same party, took the advantage of the ships which brought out Don Bartholomew Columbus, and returned with them to Spain.  On purpose to justify their own misconduct, and the desertion of their duty, these men represented at the court of Spain that the admiral had falsely represented the state of the West Indies, which they alleged did not produce any gold.

After the departure of their commander, the soldiers threw off all remains of subordination, and dispersed themselves in small parties about the island, to the great offence and oppression of the natives, whom they plundered at their pleasure.  While in this state of dispersion, Guatiguana, the cacique of a large town on the banks of the Great river, killed ten of the Christians who had taken up their quarters in his town, and sent privately to set fire to a house in which several of the sick soldiers were quartered.  Six more of the Spaniards were put to death by the Indians in other parts of the island; and the Christians became universally hated for their oppressive conduct to the natives.  Four of the principal caciques, named Guarionex, Caunabo, Behechico, and Higuanama, with all their allies and subjects, who were prodigiously numerous, entered into a confederacy to drive the Spaniards out of their country. Guacanagari alone, of all the native chiefs, who was cacique of the district named Marien, refused to join in this hostile confederacy, and remained friendly to the Spaniards, about an hundred of whom he hospitably entertained in his province, supplying their wants as well as he was able.  Some days after the return of the admiral to Isabella, this friendly chief waited on him, expressing much concern for his indisposition, and the troubles that existed between the Spaniards and the natives, declaring that he had taken no part in the disaffection of the other caciques, but had always remained steadfast in his friendship for the Spaniards, for which reason all the other chiefs were incensed against him, particularly those of the Royal Plain, and others who were in arms.  He even wept on calling to mind the massacre of the Spaniards in the Nativity, because he had not been able to defend them against his countrymen till the return of the admiral; and on learning that the admiral meant to take the field to reduce the insurgent caciques, Guacanagari offered to join him with all his subjects who were able to carry arms.