attendants on the president as might escape in that direction from
Nombre de Dios. In the mean time, Pedro de Contreras was to remain on
board with a small number of men to protect the ships. All this was done
accordingly; but matters turned out in quite a different manner from
their expectations. Marchena got some information respecting their plan
of operations, and sent off two confidential intelligent negroes to give
notice to the president of what had occurred in Panama, and of the
ulterior designs of the Contreras. One of these negroes was directed to
travel the whole way by land, and the other to go by way of the small
river Chagre, which route had been taken by the president.

This river has its source in the mountains between Panama and Nombre de
Dios. Its course at first seems tending towards the Pacific Ocean; but
it suddenly makes a turn at a cataract, and after a farther run of
fourteen leagues it falls into the Atlantic; so that by means of a canal
only five leagues in length, from that river to the South Sea, a
navigation might be easily established between the two seas. It is true
that it would be necessary to cut this canal through mountains, and in a
country exceedingly uneven and full of rocks, so that the design has
hitherto appeared impracticable. Hence, in going from Panama to Nombre
de Dios by the river Chagre, it is necessary to travel by land in the
first place to that river below the fall, a distance of five leagues.
After descending to the mouth of the river, there still remains five or
six leagues to go by sea to Nombre de Dios. The messenger who was sent
by this road came up with the president before his arrival at Nombre de
Dios, and gave him an account of the events which had taken place at
Panama. Though much alarmed by this intelligence, he communicated it to
the provincial and the officers who accompanied him without appearing to
be under any apprehensions; but, on embarking on the North Sea, it fell
so dead a calm that they could make no progress, and he could not then
conceal his fears of the event. Still however preserving his presence of
mind, he sent off Hernan Nunnez de Segura by land to Nombre de Dios,
accompanied by some negroes who knew the country, with orders for all
the inhabitants of that place to take up arms for the protection of the
treasure which had been sent there. Segura had a most difficult and
fatiguing journey on foot, having several rivers to cross, some of them
by