52 Uifcoveries of the Spaniards^ from- the Death of Book L 
feives about the Country. The Indians obferving their 
Carelefnefs, fell upon them unexpcftedly, and they fo 
lilrprifed endeavoured to retire to fome Place of Safety, 
but ftill met with their Enemies, who, they being divided 
into feveral Detachments, attacked, woimded, and killed 
them with Flights of poifoned Arrows. Hojeda^ with 
fome of his Companions maintained the Fight, often 
kneeling, the better to cover himfelf with his Target i 
but when he faw moft of his Men killed, trufting to his 
Aflivity, he rufhcd through the thickeft of the Indians^ 
and, running as if he had flown, got into the thickeft Part 
of the Woods, direfting his Courfe the beft he could 
towards the Sea, where his Ships were. John de la Cofa 
got into a Floufe that had no Thatch on it, where he 
defended himfelf at the Door till his Men being flain, 
and himfelf fo wounded with the poifoned Arrows that 
he could no longer ftand, looking about he faw one that 
ftill fought courageoufly, to whom he faid. That fince 
it had pleafed God to preferve him he fhould go imme- 
diately and tell Hojeda all that had happened, and Hojeda 
and he were the only two that efcaped. Seventy Spa- 
niards being flaughtered. 
Things being in this Situation, very lucky for the 
Spaniards^ Nicuejfa with his Ships appeared, and he, 
landing, was informed of what had befallen his Rival 
through his own Rafhnefs ; upon which he defired he 
might be fought for, and brought to him •, and as foon 
as he faw him he faid. That infuch a Cafe they ought to 
forget their Difputes, and only remember they were 
Gentlemen mdi Spaniards, offering at the fame time to 
land his Men, and affift him in revenging the Death of 
John de la Cofa. They did accordingly land 400 Men, 
which proved alone more than fufficient to beat the 
Indians, to take and burn their Town, and to put them 
in poffeffion of avaftNumberof Slaves, and of a Booty 
worth Seven thoufand Pieces of Gold to each of them. 
After this Vicffory they agreed to part, and that each 
ftiould purfue that Plan of Difcovery and Planting di- 
refted by his Commiffion ; which they accordingly did 
with what Fortune we fhall hereafter fliew. 
6. As for Alo 7 tfo Hojeda, as foon as he underftood that 
it was the Defign of Nicuejfa to fteer for Veragua, he 
crouded all the Sail he could, for the River of Darien ; 
but having loft his old Pilot, upon whofe Experience he 
chiefly depended, he miffed the River, and at laft refolved 
to fix a Settlement on the Eaftern Promontory of theGulph 
of Uraba which he accordingly did, and called his new 
Town St. Sebaftian which he did the rather, becaufe 
as that Saint is faid to have been martyred by the Arrows 
of the Infidels, he thought him a fit Patron to defend 
him againft the poifoned Arrows of the Indians. 
He was hardly fixed there before he found all the In- 
habitants of the Country to be a Race of barbarous Sa- 
vages, from whom he had nothing to exped, but all the 
Mifchief they could do him ; in this Situation he thought 
fit to detachCaptain Encif 0 with one of his Ships to Hi- 
fpaniola, with Orders to bring him as great a Reinforce- 
ment of Men as he could poffibly obtain, and during 
his Abfcnce he intrenched himfelf as well as he could, 
the better to fecure his People •, but Provifions growing 
very foon fo lovv^, that they were not in a Condition to 
fubfift, he found himfelf under a Neceffity of making 
fome Excurfions into the Country to obtain a Supply ; 
which Expedient, however, failed him, and he had the 
Misfortune likewife to lofe many of his Men by the 
Arrow's of the Indians, which were poifoned with the 
Juice of a' certain ftinking Root, that grew by the Sea- 
fide. By thefe Difafters his new Colony w^as quickly 
reduced into a moft wretched Condition, ftarved if they 
remained within their Works, and fure of meeting with 
Death if they ventured out of them •, in this fad State, and 
when they abfolutely defpaired, they faw with an Amaze- 
ment a Ship enter the Port. 
It proved to be no better than a Pirate, commanded by 
one Bernard de lalavera, who, flying from Juftice, took 
Shelter here, in a Place to him unknown. Alonzo 
Hojeda did not think it neceffary to inquire very nicely 
into the Man’s Character, but very readily bought his 
Ship’s Cargo, and treated the Captain fo well that he 
willingly entered into his Service. However ferviceable 
this R.elief might be, it was but of fliort Continuance j 
fo that, all their Provifions eaten up, the Savages more 
troublefome than before, and no Succour coming from 
Hifpaniola, they were once more at theirWits-end . After 
various Schemes formed to no Piirpofe, it w^as at laft re- 
folved that he ftiould go himfelf to Santo Domingo, in 
order to procure Supplies j and accordingly, leaving 
Francis Pizaro to command the Colony, he imbarked 
on board Palaver ad % VelTel, and put to Sea. The Voyage 
w^as very unfortunate from the Beginning j for Hojeda 
ufing too much Severity towards the Crew, and beha- 
ving very haughtily to Captain Palaver a, he not only 
deprived him of all Command, but very fairly clapped 
him in Irons, A Storm however arifing, the Crew who, 
though they thought him a bad Officer, yet knew him to 
be a good Seaman, fet him at Liberty j and it was 
chiefly by his Skill they were enabled to fave their Lives, 
by running the Ship aftiore on the Iftand of Cuba. 
It was but a very ftiort Paffage from thence to Hifpa- 
niola, huiPalavera durft not go there*, and therefore he 
prevailed upon Hojeda to venture a Voyage of one hun- 
dred Leagues to Ja 77 iaica in a Canoe, and he was lucky 
enough to perlorm it. Fie had, by his Commiffion, fome 
Pretenfions on this Iftand ; and having heard that' the 
Admiral had fent over thither Don Juan de Efquibely 
with the Title of Governor, he threatened to cut off his 
Head if ever he fell into his Hands *, but now he was 
forced to fue to him for Favour, and was very kindly 
ufed. After a fliort Stay at Jamaica, the Governor, at 
his own Requeft, fent him over to Santo Domingo ; 
where he learned that Captain Encif 0 was failed for St. 
SebaJiiaji, but found his own Credit fo low that he could 
fcarcc raife wherewithal to buy him Bread *, and in a ftiort 
Time after he aftually died of Want, though he de- 
ferved a better Fate, being one of the braveft Men that 
ever failed from Spain to the Indies. Palavera had ftill 
worfe Luck ; for, flaying too long 2.tjamaica, the Ad- 
miral caufed him to be apprehended, tried, and hanged 
for a Pirate. 
In the mean time. Captain Pizaro quitted St. Seba- 
fiian, and, with a very few Men, and with much Diffi- 
culty efcaped to Carthagena, where, very luckily for 
him, Captain Encifo was juft arrived with two Ships, and 
a confiderable Reinforcement ; he took Pizaro on board ; 
and they returned all together to St. Sebajiian, where they 
had the Misfortune to be ftiipwrecked ; and, getting aftiore 
with much difficulty, they found the Place reduced toAfties 
by the Savages. They reftored it as well as they could, 
and got affiore what they were able of Provifions, and 
other Neceffaries, out of their ftranded Veffels *, but 
were foon reduced to the utmoft Extremities both by 
War and Famine ; Hunger frequently forcing them out, 
and the Savages conftantly driving them back again with 
the Lofs of fome of their Number, which they could 
very ill fpare, being but One hundred and eighty Men 
at firft. Such were the Miferies to which thefe Men ex- 
pofed themfelves in Search of Riches. 
7. We muft, before we can proceed, give the Reader 
fome Account of a very extraordinary Perfon who was 
engaged in this Expedition, and who, by his Dexterity and 
Prefence of Mind, delivered his Companions, in fome 
meafiire, out of the Dangers they were in. The Name 
of this Gentleman was Vafquez Nugnez or Nunez de 
Balboa : He was a Perfon of good F'amily, great Parts, 
liberal Education, of a fine Prefence, and in the flower 
of his Age, being then about Thirty-five. He had for- 
merly failed with Baftidas upon Difeoveries, and had 
afterw'ards obtained a very good Settlement in Hifpaniola, 
but, having committed fome Exceffes there, was in 
danger of being put to Death. In thefe unfortunate 
Circumftances he procured himfelf to be put on board 
Captain Encifo" s Ship in a Bread-cafk, and, after having 
remained there fome Days, he ventured at laft to 
make his Appearance, when the Ship was an hundred 
Leagues at Sea. The Captain, who had been charged 
not to carry any Offenders out of the Iftand, was ex- 
tremely vexed at this Adventure, and threatened to fet 
him on Shore in the firft Defart Iftand he cam.e to ; but 
the principal Perfons on board interceeding for him, the 
Captain was at laft pacified, and granted him his Pro- 
tedion y 
