ines, Pedro de Umbria, reached
Veragua, a catastrophe befell. Being a man of irritable disposition,
he resolved to separate from his companions and seek a region where he
might establish himself independently. He selected twelve sailors and
departed in the largest ship's boat belonging to one of the greater
vessels. The tide rolls in on that coast with as dreadful roarings as
those which are described as prevailing at Scylla in Sicily, dashing
themselves against the rocks projecting into the sea, from which they
are thrown back with great violence, causing an agitation which the
Spaniards call _resacca_.[2] Umbria's boat was caught in a whirlpool
like a mountain torrent which, despite his efforts, dashed him into
the sea and sunk his barque before the eyes of his companions. Only
one Spaniard, who was a skilful swimmer, succeeded in saving himself
by clutching a rock which rose slightly above the waters, and there
held out against the raging tempest. The next day when the sea had
abated and the tide had left the reef dry, he rejoined his companions,
and the eleven others perished. The other Spaniards did not venture to
take to their barques but landed direct from the brigantines.

[Note 2: Meaning the undertow of surf.]

After a stop of a few days they ascended the river, and found some
native villages, called in the language of the country _mumu_. They
set to work to construct a fort on the bank, and as the country round
about seemed sterile, they sowed, as in Europe, a valley of which the
soil seemed apt for cultivation. While these things were happening in
Veragua, one of the Spaniards, who was stationed on a high rock which
served as a lookout, casting his eyes to the west, cried "A sail! a
sail!" As the ship approached it was seen to be a barque under full
sail. The newcomers were joyfully welcomed. The boat turned out to be
a barque belonging to the caravel of Nicuesa, which could only carry
five persons; but as a matter of fact there were only three men on
board. These men had stolen the barque because Nicuesa had refused to
believe them when they assured him that he had passed beyond Veragua,
leaving that place behind him to the east. Seeing that Nicuesa and his
men were perishing of hunger, they resolved to try their fortunes in
that barque, and to attempt to discover Veragua by themselves, and
they had succeeded. They described Nicuesa as wandering aimlessly,
after having lost his caravel in a storm, and that