eldest son of Comogre,
a youth of more sagacity and intelligence than his brothers; he one day
presented to Vasco Nunez and to Colmenares, whom, from their manner and
appearance, he recognized as chiefs of the party, sixty slaves, and four
thousand pieces of gold of different weight. They immediately melted the
gold, and, having separated a fifth for the King, began to divide it
among themselves; this division begat a dispute that gave occasion to
threats and violence, which being observed by the Indian, he suddenly
overthrew the scales in which they were weighing the precious metal,
exclaiming: "Why quarrel for such a trifle? If such is your thirst for
gold that for its sake you forsake your own country and come to trouble
those of strangers, I will show you a province where you may gather by
the handful the object of your desire; but to succeed, you ought to be
more numerous than you are, as you will have to contend with powerful
kings, who will vigorously defend their dominions. You will first find a
cacique who is very rich in gold, who resides at the distance of six suns
from hence; soon you will behold the sea, which lies to that part,"
and he pointed toward the south; "there you will meet with people who
navigate in barks with sails and oars, not much less than your own, and
who are so rich that they eat and drink from vessels made of the metal
which ye so much covet."

These celebrated words, preserved in all the records of the times, and
repeated by all historians, were the first indications the Spaniards
had of Peru. They were much excited on hearing them, and endeavored
to extract from the youth further information of the country he had
mentioned; he insisted on the necessity of having at least a thousand
men, to give them a chance of success in its subjugation, offered to
serve them himself as their guide, to aid them with his father's men, and
to put his life in pledge for the veracity of his words.

Balboa was transported by the prospect of glory and fortune which opened
before him; he believed himself already at the gates of the East Indies,
which was the desired object of the government and the discoverers of
that period; he resolved to return in the first place to the Darien to
raise the spirits of his companions with these brilliant hopes, and
to make all possible preparations for realizing them. He remained,
nevertheless, yet a few days with the caciques; and so strict was the
friendship he had contr