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down with fervicc. Several of them were perfons of quahty or gen- 

 tlemen, and after they had repofed a day amongft us they grew per- 

 fe(5Hy contented. 



The reafon of their being in thcfe countries is as follows. Pedra 

 Arias de Avila, who had the government of Tierra Firma, fent a cap- 

 tain named Francifco Hernandez to make conquefts in the province of 

 Nicaragua and Leon. This he did, reducing the natives to obedience, 

 and eftablifhing a colony there. When Hernandez found himfelf ad- 

 vantageoufly fettled, he determined to throw off his dependency upon 

 Pedro Arias, to which I believe he was incited by the bachelor Moreno, 

 and the reafon of it to the beft of my judgment was this. Arias had 

 beheaded V. N. de Balboa, who married his daughter Donna Ifabella 

 Arias de Penofa. This atrocious ftretch of power he committed 

 moft unwarrantably, and it was on this occafion that the bachelor 

 Moreno had been fent hither by the royal court of audience. The 

 bachelor meeting with Hernandez, advifed him to renounce his con- 

 nexion with Pedro Arias, who had conduced himfelf fo badly, and to 

 eftablifh a diftincSl government in that province, immediately under his 

 Majefty ; and Hernandez taking his counfel, fent this party to make 

 their way to the north coaft, thereby to open a communication with 

 the mother country. 



All this being explained to Sandoval, was by him communicated 

 to Cortes, in expedlation of his fupporting the views of Hernandez, by 

 Captain Luis Marin, whom I attended upon this occafion. Our whole 

 party confifted of ten foldiers, and a mofl defperate journey it was«. 

 the Indians were hoftile and attacked us with large heavy lances, wound- 

 ing two of our foldiers. The rivers which we croffed were fwollen and 

 rapid, and fo frequent, that in one day we pafled three of them ; one 

 river named Xagua, ten leagues from Triumpho de la Cruz, detained 

 us for two days, and the inlets and lagoons were infefled by alligators. 

 By the fide of the river Xagua we found the (keletons of feven horfesi 

 they had belonged to De Oli's troops, and died from eating poifonous 



herbs.. 



