36 THE ABORIGINES OF PORTO RICO [eth. ann. 25 



brothers who figure conspicuously in the early history of the conquest 

 of the island. Their territory extended along the southern coast of the 

 island from the Coamo, or Yauco, river to the Jacaque, or Xacaque, 

 comprising approximately the land from the bay of Guanica to the 

 present village of J nana Diaz. It included not only the land along the 

 southern coast but also the mountainous area that bears on early maps 

 the names Guebana or Xacagua. Their province, following the gen- 

 eral law, bore the name of the ruler. 



When Ponce de Leon fii'st visited Porto Rico he landed in the terri- 

 tory of Aguebana the First, who received him hospitably, showing 

 him the country and the different rivers of the island. Ponce, follow- 

 ing an Indian custom above mentioned, exchanged names with Ague- 

 bana, the Spaniard giving the name Dofia Inez to tlie native's mother, 

 and Don Francisco to his father. Ponce also showed his esteem for 

 a brother of tlie cacique by giving him the name Luis de Anasco. 

 The mother of Aguebana was friendly to the whites and gave her son 

 good advice, which he dutifully followed, leading Oviedo to say that 

 had these two lived there would have been no trouble with the 

 Indians. When Ponce returned to the island in the following year he 

 found that his friend Aguel)ana the First had died and his brother had 

 inherited the office of cacique. But the character of this l)rother was 

 less peaceful. Possibly he ma}' have been exasperated by the wrongs 

 enforced upon him and for this reason resisted the encroachments of 

 the Spaniards on his island. 



In the division of natives Aguebana the Second was given to Chris- 

 topher Sotomayor, who came to Borinquen with Ponce on his second 

 visit and founded a Spanish colony near Guanica. This settlement 

 was situated in Aguebana's territory, but the colonists were soon 

 obliged to abandon it on account of mosquitoes and move to the 

 northwest coast, near where Aguada now stands. At first all went 

 well and Aguebana the Second exchanged names with Christopher 

 Sotomayor and the former's sister became the mistress, although the 

 cacique may have regarded her as the wife, of the Spaniard. 



No sooner had the settlement been made in the island than trouble 

 began with the Indians, and as time went on the conditions became 

 such that the latter rose against the Spaniards. Oviedo, who has 

 given tlie Spanish version of the causes which brought about the trou- 

 ble, blames the natives, and has recorded some of the worst acts of the 

 Indians leading up to it, but anyone can read between the lines that 

 the deeds of the cacique were retaliations for provocations which drove 

 him to hostility. 



Sotomayor was informed ))V his mistress that her lirother was hos- 

 tile and intended to kill him, burn his settlement, and diive his colo- 

 nists out of the island. Apparently not much faith was put in this 

 warning until it was learned, shortly afterward, that the Indians had 

 sent out invitations to a war dance. It was custouuir\- for the natives 



