s called Caribana,
because it is from this country that the insular Caribs derive their
origin, and have hence kept the name.[4] Hojeda's first care was to
provide protection, and to this end he built a village defended by a
fort. Having learned from his prisoners that there was a town twelve
miles in the interior, called Tirufi, celebrated for its gold mines,
he made preparations for its capture. The inhabitants of Tirufi were
ready to defend their rights, and Hojeda was repulsed with loss and
disgrace; these natives likewise used poisoned arrows in fighting.
Driven by want, he attacked another village some days later, and was
wounded by an arrow in the hip; some of his companions affirm that he
was shot by a native whose wife he had taken prisoner. The husband
approached and negotiated amicably with Hojeda for the ransom of
his wife, promising to deliver, on a fixed day, the amount of gold
demanded of him. On the day agreed upon he returned, armed with
arrows and javelins but without the gold. He was accompanied by eight
companions, all of whom were ready to die to avenge the injury done to
the inhabitants of Carthagena and also the people of the village. This
native was killed by Hojeda's soldiers, and could no longer enjoy the
caresses of his beloved wife; but Hojeda, under the influence of the
poison, saw his strength ebbing daily away.

[Note 4: The place of origin of the Caribs is disputed, some
authorities tracing them to Guiana, others to Venezuela, others to the
Antilles, etc.]

At this juncture arrived the other commander, Nicuesa, to whom the
province of Veragua, lying west of Uraba, had been assigned as a
residence. He had sailed with his troops from the port of Carthagena
the day after Hojeda's departure, with Veragua for his destination,
and entered the gulf called by the natives Coiba, of whom the cacique
was named Caeta. The people thereabouts speak an entirely different
language from those of Carthagena and Uraba. The dialects of even
neighbouring tribes are very dissimilar.[5] For instance, in
Hispaniola, a king is called _cacique_, whereas in the province of
Coiba he is called _chebi_, and elsewhere _tiba_; a noble is called in
Hispaniola _taino_, in Coiba _saccus_, and in other parts _jura_.

[Note 5: _La Bibliotheque Americaine_ of Leclerc contains a list
of the different works on American languages. Consult also Ludwig,
_The Literature of American Aboriginal Languages_.]

Nicuesa proceeded fr