Sejanus was ever written in
prouder language. I shall only report the events related in that
correspondence which are worthy of mention.

[Note 1: Two of Balboa's letters are published by Navarrete (tom,
iii.,) and may also be read in a French translation made by Gaffarel
and published in his work, _Vasco Nunez de Balboa_.]

Not only is Vasco Nunez reconciled to the Catholic King, who was
formerly vexed with him, but he now enjoys the highest favour. For the
King has loaded him and the majority of his men with privileges and
honours, and has rewarded their daring exploits.[2] May Your Holiness
lend an attentive ear to us and listen with serene brow and joyful
heart to our narration, for it is not a few hundreds or legions that
the Spanish nation has conquered and brought into subjection to your
sacred throne but, thanks to their various achievements and the
thousand dangers to which they expose themselves, myriads who have
been subdued.

[Note 2: Balboa had been named Adelantado of the South Sea, and of
the Panama and Coiba regions. Pedro Arias was also enjoined to counsel
with him concerning all measures of importance.]

Vasco Nunez ill endured inaction, for his is an ardent nature,
impatient of repose, and perhaps he feared that another might rob him
of the honour of the discovery, for it is believed that he had learned
of the appointment given to Pedro Arias.[3] It may well be that to
these two motives was added fear, knowing the King was vexed with his
conduct in the past. At all events he formed the plan to undertake,
with a handful of men, the conquest of the country for whose
subjection the son of the cacique of Comogra declared not less than
a thousand soldiers to be necessary. He summoned around him some
veterans of Darien and the majority of those who had come from
Hispaniola in the hope of finding gold, thus forming a small troop
of a hundred and ninety men, with whom he set out on the calends of
September of the past year, 1513.

[Note 3: This was the case; his friend Zamudio had notified Balboa
of the appointment of Pedro Arias.]

Desiring to accomplish as much of the journey as possible by sea,
he embarked on a brigantine and ten native barques dug out of tree
trunks, and first landed in the country of his ally Careca, cacique
of Coiba. Leaving his ships, he implored the divine blessing upon his
undertaking and marched directly towards the mountains. He traversed
the country subject to the cacique