make conquests in the
provinces of Nicaragua and Leon, which he subdued and colonized.
Hernandez, finding that everything went on so successfully, and thinking
himself sufficiently far removed from Pedro Arias de Avila, to do what
he liked, listened to evil counsellors, and came to some secret
understanding with the bachelor Moreno, above mentioned, who had been
despatched, by the royal court of audience at St. Domingo, to Terra
Firma, to make inquiries into the death of Balboa, whom Arias de Avila
had most unjustly beheaded, after giving him his daughter in marriage.
This Moreno hinted to Hernandez, that it would not amount to treachery
if he strove to gain for himself the government of the countries he
should subdue, which would be the more easily obtained, since Pedro
Arias had acted so wickedly against Balboa, who had had the best claim
to be appointed adelantado of these countries, and indeed the first of
the two who memorialised his majesty to that effect. Francisco Hernandez
lent a willing ear to this advice, and began by despatching his chief
officer Pedro de Garro to the northern provinces, in search of some
harbour where he might found a colony, and send his majesty thence an
account of the countries he had subdued and colonized; and he doubted
not but that his endeavours would be crowned with success, since the
provinces of which he should petition to be the governor lay so far
distant from Terra Firma.

Respecting these matters, Sandoval and Garro had several secret
conferences with each other, which terminated in the former writing on
the subject to Cortes, at Truxillo, to induce him to confer on Hernandez
the government of Nicaragua. For this purpose he despatched five of our
men, and an equal number of Garro's troops, along the coast, to
Truxillo, in order to convey his letters to Cortes. These men took with
them twenty of Garro's Indians, in order to assist them in crossing the
rivers. Their march, however, was attended with very little success, for
they could neither pass the river Pichin nor the river Balama, both of
which were greatly swollen, so that they returned to Naco, after a
fortnight's absence. Sandoval was excessively annoyed at this
circumstance, and spoke in very severe terms to the person who had the
command of this small detachment. He then ordered captain Luis Marin,
with ten of us, and five of Garro's men, immediately to set out for
Truxillo, and to march thither in a direct line throug