22 BULLETIN 14 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



of Samana Peninsula and of the northern slope of the Cordillera 

 Setentrional occupied the northern sections of Magua Province under 

 the leadership of the cacique Mayobanex. On the south, the Province 

 of Magua was bounded by the Cordillera Central. The Cibao Valley, 

 especially the Vega Keal, was the most densely populated region of 

 aboriginal Haiti. It is still the most prosperous district. The deep, 

 black, loamy soil receives ample rainfall and the valley is still adapted 

 to intensive agriculture now as it was in the time of Guarionex. On 

 the north coast the Province of Magua extended as far west probably 

 as Puerta Plata, while it was broader south of the mountains, where 

 it reached as far westward as the towns of La Vega and Santiago. 



Xaragua Province was bordered on the east and rather indefinitely 

 on the north by the Province of Maguana. It formed the south- 

 western Province of the island. It lay for the most part on the inner 

 side of the Gulf of Xaragua, now known as the Gulf of Gonaive, on 

 which Port of Prince is located. The Province included the sur- 

 rounding mountains as well as the dry flat land, where irrigation was 

 developed on an extensive scale. Cotton was produced in compara- 

 tively large quantity, considering the relatively unclothed condition 

 of the natives. Xaragua was considered the richest and the best- 

 developed native Province of the island. Its cacique at the time of 

 the discovery was Behechio, who, with his sister Anacaona, offered 

 to pay the tribute exacted by the Spanish in produce instead of gold. 

 Anacaona was the widow of the cacique Caonabo, of the Province of 

 Maguana. After the death of Behechio his sister, Anacaona, in- 

 herited the right to govern the Province of Xaragua. At one occa- 

 sion when the Lord Lieutenant (Adelantado) Bartholomew, the 

 brother of Columbus, visited the town of Behechio and Anacaona 

 these rulers presented Bartholomew with 14 carved wooden seats, 60 

 earthenware vessels, and 4 rolls of woven cotton. Another name 

 sometimes given to Xaragua is Guaccairima. This term is appar- 

 ently a broad one and included all of the southwest coast and a large 

 portion of the southern coast as well. Gonave Island, situated a 

 few miles from the west coast, was noted for the excellence of its 

 native wood carving, and the islanders carried on a trade with 

 villages of the mainland near by. 



The fifth great native Province, that of Higuey, offers difficulty 

 in the defining of its boundaries. It probably included all of south- 

 eastern Haiti south of the Cordillera Central and east of San Do- 

 mingo Bay. 



In the De Orbe Novo of Peter Martyr an entirely different classifi- 

 cation of native Provinces is given from that of other Spanish 

 chroniclers. Martyr names the eastern Province of Higuey with 

 the term Caizimu, which, according to his description, extends from 



