o Peru was easier than from Nicaragua.

Embarking therefore with about three hundred men, they made sail for
Panama, and on their arrival at that place they learnt that the
president had already disembarked with all his treasure and attendants.
They now believed that every thing was favourable to their intentions,
and that by good fortune their desired prey had fallen into their hands.
Waiting therefore till night, they entered the port as quietly as
possible, believing that the president was still in Panama, and that
they might easily execute their enterprize without danger or resistance.
Their intelligence however was exceedingly defective, and their hopes
ill founded; for the president had left Panama with all his people three
days before, having previously sent off all his treasure to Nombre de
Dios, to which place he was likewise gone. In fact, by this diligence,
the president avoided the impending danger, without having the slightest
suspicion that any such might befal. Immediately on landing, the
brothers were informed that the president had already left the place; on
which they went to the house of Martin Ruiz de Marchena, treasurer of
the province, where they took possession of the money in the royal
coffers, amounting to 400,000 pesos in base silver, which had been left
there by the president in consequence of not having sufficient means of
transporting it to Nombre de Dios along with the rest. After this they
dragged Marchena, Juan de Larez, and some other respectable inhabitants
to the public square, threatening to hang them all unless they gave
immediate notice where the arms and money belonging to the province were
deposited. But all their threats were unable to force any discovery, and
they carried on board their ships all the treasure and other valuable
plunder they had procured.

Believing that the farther success of their enterprize depended on the
diligence they should exert in reaching Nombre de Dios to surprize the
president, before he might have time to embark or prepare for his
defence, they determined to proceed to that place without delay. For
this purpose, it was arranged that Ferdinand de Contreras should march
to Nombre de Dios with the greater part of the troops, while Juan de
Bermejo was to take post with an hundred men on a height near Panama, to
protect the rear of Ferdinand, to prevent pursuit, to be in readiness to
receive the valuable booty they expected, and to intercept such of the