in the 
Chap. nl. 
would perhaps have entered into no Head but his own, 
confidering the Circumftances the Colony was then iii : 
He was, indeed^ a Perfon every way fit for undertaking 
vafl things ; for he had a deep Cunnings, fluck at nothing, 
and had a Courage fuperior to every kind of Danger, fo 
that nothing could fright him from his Purpofe, or put 
him out of any Road which he thought likely to at- 
tain it. 
3. It was not long before fuch an Oppottunity offered 
as he expefted, and he made the Ufe of it which it 
might be fuppofed a Perfon of his Abilities would make 
in a Matter that fo nearly concerned him. At this time 
many Indians reforted to Darien^ to fee whether the 
niards were going away, or what they defigned ; and, to 
Cover their Intention, carried Indian Wheat and other Pro- 
vifions to exchange for Beads, Knives, 2tnd. other Spanijh 
Baubles •, and, to perfuade them to be gone, faid there was 
niuch Gold, and plenty of all Eatables, in the Province 
of Coyba^ which was thirty Leagues from thence. Nunez 
de Balboa fent Francis Pizarro, with fix Men, to difco- 
ver the Country ; who, having travelled three Leagues 
up the River, was attacked by four hundred Indians^ un- 
der the Command of the Cazique Zemaco^ and hard 
preffed : But they doling, ripped up the Bellies of one 
hundred of them with their Swords, and wounded many 
more, whereupon the reft fled. 
The Spaniards then returned to Darien in a bad Plight, 
leaving one Francis Hernandez behind them, lying on the 
Ground; at which Nunez ytdis io much offended, that 
he commanded Pizarro to go back, with fome Men, 
for him, as he did, and brought him to the Colony : 
Balboa thinking it a Difcredit to leave any one behind 
him alive. Nunez then marched himfelf, with one hun- 
dred Men, and advanced fome Leagues towards the Pro- 
vince of Coyba ; the Cazique of which was Careta : But, 
meeting the hidians by the Way, he foon returned to his 
Colony, and fent two Brigantines for the Spaniards that 
had been left at Nomhre de Dios. 
As they were failing along the Coaft, when they came 
to a Port belonging to the Cazique of Coybuy two Spa- 
niards ftark naked, painted red, came out to meet them : 
They, and one more, had a Year and an half before made 
their Efcape out of Nicuejfa'’ 5 Ship, when he was in queft 
of the Province of Veragua, to avoid the Punifhment 
due to fome Crime they had committed, and put them- 
felves into the Hands of this Cazique Careta, who al- 
ways treated them very well ; but, not agreeing among 
themfelves, though in Captivity, they one Day drew their 
Swords, and one of them, whofe Name was John Alonfo, 
wounded the other dangeroufly, whereupon the Cazique 
made him a Commander in the War he had againft fome 
of his Enemies, looking upon him as the braver Man, 
and did nothing without his Advice. Thefe two Men 
were very acceptable to thofe in the Brigantines, and gave 
an Account that the Country abounded fo much in Gold, 
that if Nunez would invade it, they fhould be all rich. 
Hereupon it was agreed that one of them fhould go and 
acquaint Nunez of the State of the Country, and the 
other fhould ftay to be ferviceable, as Occafion fliould 
offer. When the Brigantines returned to Darien, Nunez 
was well pleafed with the Intelligence they brought of the 
great Wealth, and at having Fnterpreters to deal with the 
Natives ; and, being thoroughly informed of the Nature 
of that Country, fent back the Brigantines to bring away 
from Nombre de Dios thofe they could not fetch off' at 
firft. 
In the mean time he provided one hundred and thirty of 
the ableft Men, with Arms, Provifions, and other Necef- 
faries they were to carry ; and, as foon as the Brigantines 
arrived, he fet out to {tth Careta at his Dwelling, which was 
thirty Leagues off. The Cazique hearing of it, waited 
for him in his Houfe, where Nunez aflced him for Pro- 
vifions for his Men, and to carry to Darien. Careta 
anfwered, that when any Chriftians had paffed that Way, 
he freely gave them Part of his Provifions ; but. that at 
prefent he had none, being at War with a neighbouring 
Cazique, whofe Name was Ponca, for which Reafon his 
People had not fov/ed, and were then in great Want. 
Having received this Anfwer, Nunez, by the Advice of 
VoL. IL Nuaib, ,78. 
od of Dar 1 EN. 
John Alonfo, pretended to go back the fame Way he 
came ; and Careta thinking himfelf very fafe, Nunez re- 
turned at Midnight^ and attacked the Town in three 
Places, killing and wounding many^ and taking the 
CaziquCj his two Wives and Children, and feveral others ; 
all of whom he fent aWay to Darien, loading the Bri- 
gantines with Provifions. At Darien, Careta intreated 
Nunez not to keep him in Captivity, promifing to do all 
that was in his Power to furnifti the Chriftians with Pro- 
vifions, and to be his Friend : As a Pledge of which 
he would give him one of his Daughters, who was very 
beautiful; and, that his People might have leifure to 
till and fow the Ground, he fhould affift him againft 
his Enemy Ponca. Nunez accepted of the Offer; and 
took his Daughter, whom he kept as his Miftrefs, though 
Careta thought he had taken her for his Wife ; but he 
always loved and ufed her kindly, which highly pleafed 
the Indians. 
4. This Indian Cazique, Careta, not only kept his 
Word, but treated Nunez, and eighty Men who accom- 
panied him, fo well, that they willingly agreed to affift 
him in his Wars ; v/hich, when the other Cazique, whofe 
Name was Ponca, heard, he fled to the Mountains ; and 
the Spaniards, entering his Country, found fome Pro- 
vifions there, and a confiderable quantity of Gold. It 
was not loi)g before Careta informed his Guefts, that he 
had another Neighbour more powerful, and of a better 
Difpofition, than ; whofe Name, as well as that of 
his Country, was Comagre ; that he had feveral Wives, 
and a great many Children, and lived in greater Splen- 
dor than any other Cazique. He likewife told them that 
this Indian Prince had a great Inclination to be acquainted 
with the Spaniards-, and, as his Dominions were larger 
and more fruitful than his own, Careta advifed them to 
go thither, and offered to accompany them, as he did ; 
and the Spaniards found every thing agreeable to the 
Account he had given them. 
For the Palace of Comagre was a large wooden Build- 
ing, one hundred and fifty Yards in Length, and eighty 
in Breadth; furrounded with a good ftone Wall, and 
well furniflied within, after the Manner of thofe People. 
They likewife found there good ftore of Provifions : They 
had feveral Sorts of Drinks of feveral Colours, not much 
inferior, either in Strength or Flavour, toWine. The Re- 
ception they met with, was equally kind and hofpitable 5 
Comagre and his Sons taking all the Pains imaginable to 
make them welcome and eafy, and difcovering in their 
Converfation a Knowledge and Politenefs much fuperior 
to any of the Indians they had hitherto met with : They 
made them Prefents alfo of Gold and Pearls, to a very 
confiderable Value ; fo that they had no Reafon to repent 
of their Journey, or diftruft Careta, who had brought 
them thither; and who feemed to be likewife highly 
pleafed with the courteous Entertainment that his Friend 
had given them, hoping it would make the Spaniards 
ftill more willing to oblige him. 
Nunez and his Men being thus joyfully received and 
entertained, Comagre‘% eldeft Son, v/ho was a difcreet 
Youth, being defirous to oblige his Guefts, caufed feveral 
pieces of Gold, valuable both for their Workmanfhip 
and Finenefs, weighing about four thoufand Pieces of 
Eight, and feventy Slaves, to be brought, all which he 
gave to Nunez and Colmenares. They immediately fet 
apart a fifth of the Gold for the King, dividing the reft 
among themfelves ; about which- fome quarrelled, ftrug- 
gling and making a Noife for the beft and fineft of thofePieces. 
Comagre"^ eldeft Son, who was prefent, ran to the 
Scales, and, ftriking them with his double Fift, threw all 
the Gold upon the Ground ; faying, “ That Chriftians 
“ need not fall out about fuch a Trifle; but, if they were 
“ fo fond of it as to difturb peaceable Nations, and 
“ leave their own Native Country for the fake of it, he 
“ would fliew them a Province where they might have as 
“ much as their Hearts could wilh, but that there muft 
“ be a greater Number of them, becaufe they were to en- 
“ counter a Monarch who defended his Dominions with 
“ much Bravery: That they firft would meet with a Ca- 
“ zique, who had a Vaft Quantity of what they looked 
upon as Wealth, who v/as fix Suns, that is, fix Days Jour- 
N n ' 
