^ ^he Diji'overks of 
• ney from thence, pdinting with his Finger tdwatds the 
“ South-Sea -, which he told them they Would fee as foon 
as they were paft certain Lands v and that there were 
other Nations had Veffeis little inferior to thofe of the 
‘‘ with Sails and Oars ; arid that, beyond that 
Sea, they would find immenfe ftore of Gold, out of 
“ which thofe People eat and drank.” And having un- 
derflood from the Spaniards that there Was great plenty 
of Iron in Spain, he fig'nified that there was more Gold 
in thofe Parts than Iron in Bifcay. 
This Was' the firft Intimation given of that large Couri- 
try and, becaufe the Youth Was acquainted with the 
great Extent of that Kingdom, and the Number of its 
Inhabitants, he added, that there ought to be one thou- 
fartd Chriftians, at leaft, to invade, it ; and he offered to 
go with theiu, to affift them with his Father’s Men. 
T his Difcourfe was interpreted by the two Spaniards who 
had fled from Nicuejfa, and lived with Car eta. Nunez 
and his Followers, having heard of all this Golden Coun- 
try, Were fo Overjoyed, that they thought they could 
never make hafte enough to difcoVer it. 
6 . After a fhort Stay in the Dominions of this Indian 
Prince, Nunez retired to his own Government 
of Santa Maria, in- order there to confider at his Leifure 
of the pTopCreft Means for making the Difcoverics, upon 
which himfelf and his People Were fo rtuiCh bent. A 
Very little before Valdvvia^zs, returned ^rom Hi fpaniola, and 
brought from thence, oh the Part of James Columbus, the 
ffrongeft Affurahces of Support, Which induced Balboa 
to fend, him over a fecond, time with the fame Views 
and the fame Inffrudliohs, but with frefii Proofs of the 
Services he had rendered to the CroWn, and frefli Pre- 
fents for thofe he thought might do him Kindneffes with 
the Minifters. But the Veffel that carried Valdivia, and 
fuch as attended him, was very unfortunate, being 
fhip-wrecked. in her Paffage on the Coaft of Jucatan ; 
the Men with great Difficulty got on Shore, which prov- 
ed a new Misfortune ; for it had been much better they 
had periffied at Sea, fince they were quickly furroimded 
and made Prifoners by the Natives ; Who, with all the 
cruel Circumftances imaginable, facrificed them to their 
Idols. 
Such was the End of Valdivia and his Companions, 
two only efcaping, one of whom was Aguilar, who was 
of fo great Ufe to Cortes, and with whofe Hiftory the 
Reader is already acquainted. The News greatly afflift- 
ed Balboa, infomuch that, to prevent the ill Confe- 
quences that might follow from it, he had fome Thoughts 
of going himfelf to Spain but the Colony would not 
fuffer him, looking upon his Prefence as abfolutely ne- 
•ceffary to their own Prefervation. He had very foon 
fufficient Reafons to believe that they had judged right; 
for, by the Difpatches he received frOm his Agent Zamu- 
ifii?, he Was informed that Encifo had inCenfed the Court 
againfl; him to fuch a Degree, that there was no paCi- 
fyi^S ^be Minifters, or perfuading them that he was not 
the very worft of Men, and one who had in the higheft 
Degree contemned and trampled upon the royal Authority. 
When Nunez de Balboa had confidered the Contents of 
thefe Letters, and the melancholy Situation he was in, 
he faw plainly that there was nothing could deliver him, 
or reftore his Charader m Spain, but making an im- 
mediate Ufe of the Informations he had received, by 
proceeding in, and perfeding his Difcoveries of, larger 
and richer Countries, than hitherto the Spaniards had 
-been acquainted with. This he very rightly judged 
would cover all paft Faults, and atone for every Irregu- 
larity he had committed ; and therefore, without com- 
municating to the Colony any of the Particulars contained 
in his Difpatches, he applied himfelf folely to perfuade 
them to fuch an Expedition, as the moft likely Means 
to make them all rich and happy ; and his Labours in 
this Refped proved fo effedual, that all Hands were 
immediately employed in making the neceffary Prepara- 
tions for going in fearch of thofe golden Regions ; and 
this, with a lull Confidence, that if once they could -be 
found, they might, without Difficulty, be fubdued. Such 
were his and their Defigns; let us now fee how they 
-Were executed,. 
the Spaniards Book I. 
y. Nunez de Balboa, having refolved to itiarch oVet 
to South-Seas, and proyicled all things for the Expe- 
dition, fet out from Barien about the Middle of Sepdefn- 
by Sea as far as the Territories of the 
Cazique Caret a, who received him in a very friendly Man- 
ner. He there left the Brigantine and Canoe, and ad- 
vanced towards the Mountains, arid the Country of POnca^ 
Caret a affigning fome of his Subjefts to attend him,' The 
Cazique Ponca, who had Spies abroad, being inforirTed 
that the Spaniards were coming up his Mountains, hid' 
himfelf Nunez lent Ibme of Caretols Indians to afflire- 
him, that he would do him no harm, biit Would be his'^ 
Friend ; and he thought fit to cortie to hint, carrying’ as' a 
Prefent the Value of one hundred and ten Pefos of Gold, 
which was all he had. 
Nunez received him with much Joy, that he' might 
have no Enemy behind. He gave liim abundance of 
Beads, Looking-glaffes, and HaWk’s-belis, a'nd that 
which the Indians moft valued, viz. fome Iron Axes, 
He demanded of him Guides, and Meri to Carry Burdens, 
whilft he went up the Hills, and advanced farther. The 
Cazique ^ granted all he defired, arid gave him Plenty 
of Provifions, and then the Spdniatds marched on into 
the Domiriioris of a great Lord, whofe Name Was‘^.«rr^ 
qua, whom he found ready tO oppofe him with a great 
Number of Men, armed with Bows and Arrows, arid a fort 
of Slings, with which they threw Pieces of VCood hardened 
in the Fire like Darts. They had alfO Macanas, made of 
Palm-tree Wood, as hard as Iron, which they ufed, like 
Clubs, with both Hands. In this rnanner the Indians' met 
the Spaniards, alking what they Would have, or What 
they came for I requiririg them, at the fame time, to 
proceed no farther. Obferving that they valued not what 
Was faid, their Lord came forward, cloathed in Cotton, 
with fome of the prime Meri ; all the reft ftark naked. 
They attacked the Spaniards with dreadful Cries and 
extraordinary Fury. Nunez, feeing fuch a Multitude, 
ordered his Soldiers to difcharge fome Crofs-bows and 
fome Firelocks, whereupon fome dropped down dead. 
The Indians, feeing the Fire, and hearing the Report, 
believing they had been Fiaffies’of Lightning, and that 
the Spaniards had Power to deftroy them, fled, to a Man, 
in fuch ConfternatiOn, that they thought the Spaniards 
were Devils. The Dogs were fet on them, whilft their 
Mafters cut off the Limbs of fome with their Swords, 
the Dogs tearing others in Pieces. The Cazique Was 
there killed, and about fix hundred more; fome were 
taken, and their Town plundered, vvhere the Conquerors 
found a confiderable Qiiantity of Gold. Among the 
Prifoners were a Brother of the Cazique, and fome others, 
cloathed like Women ,; Nunez, judging that they 
were guilty of Sodomy, fet the Dogs at them, and they 
were in a Moment tom to Pieces ; which Was all the 
Proof there was in this Cafe, though Gomera pofitively 
affirms it. 
Some Spaniards Were grown fickly with Hunger and 
Wearinefs, for which Reafon Nunez left them in ^a- 
requa^s Town, where he took freffi Guides, and Men to 
carry Burdens, to difmifs thofe that belonged to Careta ; 
thus proceeding to the Top of the Mountains, whence 
they faid -the other Sea might be feen. From PoncA% 
Lands to this Mountain’s Top was about fix Days Jour- 
ney ; but they fpent twenty-five, through the Uncooth- 
neis of Lands, and becaufe they were fcarce of Provifions, 
and had little Reft. At length they arrived, on the 25th 
of September, 1513, whence the Sea could be feen. 
Nunez, having notice given him, a little before 
they came to the Top, that they were very near, com- 
manded all to halt, went Up alone, and, feeing the South- 
Sea, on his Knees returned Thanks to Heaven for be- 
ing the firft that had feen it Having performed this, 
he called his Men, and repeated the fame ; they followed 
his Example, whilft the Indians flood amazed to fee them 
fo overjoyed. He then extolled the Intelligence given 
him by Comagre’^ Son, promifmg all his Men much 
Wealth and Happinefs ; and they believed him : For he 
was very much beloved, becaufe he made no Difference 
between himfelf ' and every Soldier. Befides, he was fa- 
miliar, and fhewed much Compaffion for the Sick and 
Wounded, 
i 
