which were as large as hazel nuts, weighing
20, 25, 26, and even 31 carats, each of four grains; and one of these
pearls was sold for 1200 ducats. In March 1515, de Avila sent Gonsalva de
Badajos, with 80 soldiers, to discover new lands, who went to Nombre de
Dios, where he was joined by Lewis de Mercado with a reinforcement of 50
men. They resolved to proceed to the south, as the richest country; and
taking some Indians as guides, they found some slaves along the coast
marked with the irons used by the Portuguese. They marched a considerable
way through the country with much difficulty, but made a considerable
booty in gold, and took forty serviceable slaves. But a cacique, named
Pariza, attacked them and slew or took most of the party. After this the
governor sent out his son, John Arias de Avila, to be revenged and to
explore the country. This party went westwards to Cape de Guerra, in
little more than 6 deg. N. and thence to Punta de Borica, and to Cape Blanco,
in 8 deg. 30' N. having, as they affirm, discovered 250 leagues; and besides
this they founded the city of Panama.

In the month of May 1515, Alphonsus de Albuquerque, the Portuguese
viceroy of India, sent Fernando Gomes de Limos from Ormus, as ambassador
to the Xec or Shah Ismael, king of Persia; and it is said they travelled
300 leagues through a country as pleasant as France. This Xec, or Shah
Ismael, went much a-hunting, and was fond of trout fishing, which are
abundant in the rivers of his kingdom. The women of Persia are the most
beautiful in the world; insomuch that Alexander the Great used to call
them the _golden-eyed women_. In this year died the viceroy Alphonsus de
Albuquerque, who was succeeded by Lopez Suares.

In 1516, Fernando Perez de Andrada was commanded by the king of Portugal
to pass to the great kingdom of China and likewise to Bengala, with a
dispatch to John Coelo, who was the first Portuguese who drank of the
waters of the Ganges. In April 1517, Andrada took in a loading of pepper
at Cochin, as the principal merchandize for sale in China, for which
country he sailed with eight ships, four Portuguese and four Malayans. On
his arrival in China, finding he could not be allowed to land without an
embassy, he dispatched Thomas Perez, with instructions for that purpose,
from the city of Canton, where they came to anchor. The embassy travelled
400 leagues by land to the city of Pekin, where the king resided; for
China is the largest kingdom