WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 305 



anchor there. In its districts it has many islands, with fine large 

 pearl beds, from which they have gathered, and still gather, many 

 fine large ones. 



898. Starting the district of the Circuit Court at Darien, which 

 is 200 leagues E. of Panama : the whole country in this quarter is 

 occupied by hostile Indians. It is true that at the mouth of the Rio 

 del Darien the city of Nuestra Senora del Antigua was established. 

 It was from there that Commander Vasco Nuiiez de Balboa set out 

 when he conquered rich provinces and discovered the Pacific. He 

 was so valiant a gentleman that for his deeds he deserved great 

 rewards and honors ; but his father-in-law Pedro Arias de Avila had 

 him unjustly beheaded, in a village called Ada, at the entrance to 

 the Gulf of Uraba. This has now been abandoned, for it was not 

 right that a place should remain standing where such an injustice 

 had been committed as to take the life of a gentleman who, besides 

 his many other merits and his conquest of so many tribes, was the 

 first who through his valor and his invincible spirit, discovered the 

 Pacific and left his fame immortal, as is said in his praise by Dr. 

 Solorzano in his "De Jure Indiarum," book I, chapter 5, Nos. 27-28, 

 on folio 53. 



899. The Cathedral of Panama was originally in the city of Nuestra 

 Senora del Antigua ; it was, and is, one of the most ancient in the 

 Indies. When the city of Antigua was abandoned, they moved and 

 transferred the church to Panama. Between Darien and Panama, 

 at 40 leagues from the latter city, a settlement had been established, 

 with some sawmills and cattle ranches, at a point called Del Vallano ; 

 but in the year 161 1, when Don Francisco de Valverde was President 

 of that Circuit Court, the 30 soldiers of their garrison having been 

 withdrawn, the hostile Indians descended on them several times and 

 massacred the Spaniards and slaves who were living on these ranches 

 and farms, so that it was all completely abandoned, and is today, 

 up to the city of Chepo, which is 12 leagues from Panama. And 

 although the Supreme Council of the Indies by unanimous resolution 

 in the year 1621 made provision and issued orders that this garrison 

 should be renewed and restored, the President and Sergeant Major 

 then in office unjustly countermanded the orders and would not let 

 Capt. Jeronimo Ferron Barragan carry them out, the highly suitable 

 person whom the Council had sent for that purpose ; hence this piece 

 of land which is the best in all the province, is abandoned and at 

 the mercy of hostile Indians, as has been stated. 



900. Twelve leagues before Panama is Chepo, an Indian settlement 

 existing ever since the discovery of the country; these have lost 



