of the
Veragua for which he was looking. Lopez de Olano, a Catalonian, who
was in command of one of the largest of the vessels, learned from the
natives while he followed in the track of Nicuesa that his commander
had left the Gulf of Veragua to the east. He therefore promptly turned
about and sailed to meet the commander of another brigantine which had
likewise got out of its course during the night. This brigantine was
commanded by Pedro de Umbria. Rejoicing at thus meeting, the two
captains consulted as to what they should do, trying to imagine what
course Nicuesa could have taken. On reflection they thought that he
(Nicuesa), being chief commander of the expedition, must have had
different indications concerning the exact location of Veragua than
they, who were simple volunteers, and only sought to rejoin their
leader. They laid their course towards Veragua, and at a distance of
sixteen miles found a river, discovered by Columbus and called by him
Los Lagartos, because a number of these animals, called in Spanish
_lagartos_, in Latin _lacertos_[1] were found there. These creatures
are as dangerous to men and to other animals as are the crocodiles of
the Nile. At that place they met their companions who had anchored
their large vessels after receiving the leader's orders to proceed.
Much disturbed by the possible consequences of Nicuesa's blunder, the
ships' captains consulted together and decided to adopt the opinion of
the captains of the brigantines which had coasted along very near to
the shores of Veragua; they therefore sailed for that port. Veragua is
a local name given to a river which has rich gold deposits; and from
the river, the name extends to the entire region. The large vessels
anchored at the mouth of the river and landed all the provisions by
means of the ships' boats. Lopez de Olano was chosen governor in place
of Nicuesa who was thought to be lost.

[Note 1: Lizards, by which are doubtless meant alligators.]

Acting upon the advice of Lopez and other officers, the ships rendered
useless by age were abandoned to be destroyed by the waves; this
decision was likewise adopted to encourage serious projects of
colonisation by cutting off all hope of escape. With the more solid
timbers and with beams cut from the trees, which in that neighbourhood
sometimes attain an extraordinary height and size, the Spaniards built
a new caravel to provide for unforeseen wants.

When the captain of one of the brigant