s presence, and sentenced the lords to be hanged. And so terrified were
the Indians by this example that they never durst in future elevate their
thoughts to independence.

It was now deliberated to send new deputies to Spain to acquaint the King
with the state of the colony, and on the road to touch at Espanola to
entreat for necessary aid in case Valdivia might have perished on the
voyage, which event had no doubt taken place. It is said that Balboa
required this commission for himself, either ambitious of gaining favor
at court or apprehensive that the colony at Darien might inflict upon him
punishment due to usurpation; but his companions would not consent to his
quitting them, alleging that, in losing him, they should feel deserted
and without a guide or governor; he only was respected, and followed
willingly by the soldiers; and he only was feared by the Indians. They
suspected that, if they permitted of his departure, he would never
return to share those labors and troubles which were from time to time
accumulating upon them, as had already happened with others. They elected
Juan de Caicedo, the inspector, who had belonged to the armament of
Nicuesa, and Rodrigo Enriquez de Colmenares, both men of weight and
expert in negotiation and held in general esteem. They believed that
these would execute their charge satisfactorily, and that both would
return, because Caicedo would leave his wife behind him; and Colmenares
had realized much property, and a farm in the Darien, pledges of
confidence in and adhesion to the country. It being thus impossible
for Balboa to proceed to Spain, in protection of his own interests
he manoeuvred for gaining at least the good graces of the treasurer,
Pasamonte; and probably it was on this occasion that he sent him the rich
present of slaves, pieces of gold, and other valuable articles, of which
the licentiate Zuazo speaks in his letter to the Senor de Chieves. At the
same time the new procurators took with them the fifth which belonged to
the King, together with a donative made him by the colony; and, happier
than their predecessors, they left the Darien in the end of October, and
reached Spain the end of May in the year following.

Soon after this departure, a slight disturbance happened, which, though
at first it threatened to destroy the authority of Vasco Nunez, served in
fact to strengthen it. Under pretence that Bartolome Hurtado abused the
particular favor of the Governor, Alonz