a pettifogger of the most pronounced type,
would have dealt harshly with him, but there was nothing to do after
all. Balboa could not be sent back, and besides, he was considered a
very valuable reenforcement on account of his known experience and
courage.

It was he who now came to the rescue of the wretched colonists at San
Sebastian by telling them that across the Gulf of Darien there was an
Indian tribe with many villages and much gold. Furthermore, these {20}
Indians, unfortunately for them, were not acquainted with the use of
poisoned arrows. Balboa urged them to go there. His suggestion was
received with cheers. The brigantines, and such other vessels as they
could construct quickly, were got ready and the whole party took
advantage of the favorable season to cross the Gulf of Darien to the
other side, to the present territory of Panama which has been so
prominent in the public eye of late. This was Nicuesa's domain, but
nobody considered that at the time.

They found the Indian villages which Balboa had mentioned, fought a
desperate battle with Cacique Cemaco, captured the place, and
discovered quantities of gold castellanos (upward of twenty-five
thousand dollars). They built a fort, and laid out a town called Maria
de la Antigua del Darien--the name being almost bigger than the town!
Balboa was in high favor by this time, and when Encisco got into
trouble by decreeing various oppressive regulations and vexatious
restrictions, attending to things in general with a high hand, they
calmly deposed him on the ground that he had no authority to act, since
they were on the territory of Nicuesa. To this logic, which was
irrefutable, poor Encisco could make no reply. Pending the arrival of
Nicuesa they elected Balboa and one Zamudio, a Biscayan, to take charge
of affairs.

The time passed in hunting and gathering treasure, not unprofitably
and, as they had plenty to eat, not unpleasantly.

V. The Desperate Straits of Nicuesa

Now let us return to Nicuesa. Making a landfall, Nicuesa, with a small
caravel, attended by the two {21} brigantines, coasted along the shore
seeking a favorable point for settlement. The large ships, by his
orders, kept well out to sea. During a storm, Nicuesa put out to sea
himself, imagining that the brigantines under the charge of Lope de
Olano, second in command would follow him. When morning broke and the
storm disappeared there were no signs of the ships or brigantines