Vasco Nuñez de Balboa

by Frederick A. Ober

INDEX

• Abebeiba, Indian cacique, [103], [104].
• Acla, port of, Darien, [247], [252];
  • scene of Balboa's arrest, [262], and execution, [269], [276].
• Aerial dwellings, [101], [107].
• Albitez, one of Balboa's men, [42].
• Antigua del Darien, [37];
  • description of, [206];
  • famine in, [223], [224];
  • under Balboa and Pedrarias, compared, [225].
• Arbolancha, Pedro, sent to King Ferdinand, [200], [207].
• Areito, or areyto, Indian chant, [56].
• Arguello, Hernan, condemned to death, [267];
  • executed, [277].
• Armor of Spaniards, [96].
• Atrato River, [100].
• Avila, Pedro Arias de, sails for Darien, [203];
  • arrives, [206];
  • meets Balboa, [208-211];
  • his jealousy, [212];
  • entertained by Balboa, [213-216];
  • demands an accounting, [217];
  • at open enmity with Balboa, [220-222];
  • plots his destruction, [226];
  • blunders and crimes of, [237];
  • gives Balboa his daughter in marriage, [244];
  • makes peace with Balboa, [247], and sends him to the Pacific, [248];
  • frenzied by tales of Balboa's perfidy, [256], and schemes for revenge, [257];
  • orders him back to Antigua, [260];
  • sends Pizarro to arrest him, [262];
  • visits him in prison, [263];
  • consoles with and then denounces him, [264];
  • places him in double irons, [266];
  • causes sentence of death to be proclaimed, [268], and allows no appeal, [273];
  • orders him beheaded, [277];
  • exults over and witnesses his death, [278].
  • [Avila may be pursued further in the "Lives" of Pizarro and De Soto (of this series), with whose careers he was intimately identified. He died at Leon, in Nicaragua, 1531, at the age of ninety. His eldest daughter, Maria, to whom Balboa was affianced, retired to a convent; the youngest, Isabel, married De Soto, whom she accompanied to Cuba, where she died.]
• Balboa, Vasco Nuñez de, advent of, [8], [9], [10], [11];
  • farm and major-domo of, [11-14];
  • packed in a cask, [15];
  • appearance of before Enciso, [17-22];
  • his friends, [23-26];
  • advises Enciso, [29], [30];
  • becomes prominent, [34];
  • conspires against Enciso, [38];
  • saves the colony, [47];
  • fine qualities of, [48];
  • in supreme command, [49];
  • captures Careta, [56-60];
  • rescues an Indian girl, [64], with whom he falls in love, [67-69];
  • discovers treasure, [70];
  • spies upon his mistress, [72];
  • sacks Ponca's capital, [78];
  • invades Comogre's province, [79], [80], where he finds gold, [83];
  • first hears of the Pacific, [85];
  • sends gold to King Ferdinand, [88];
  • despatches Valdivia to Spain for reinforcements, [89];
  • invades Dobaybe province, [98], [99];
  • discovers tree-dwellers, [101];
  • in aerial dwellings, [107];
  • tortures Indians, [121];
  • sends Colmenares to Tichiri, [130-140];
  • retreats to forest to avoid dissensions, [143];
  • entreated to return to
• Antigua, [144-146];
  • in disfavor with the King, [150];
  • commissioned captain-general, [152];
  • sends commissioners to Spain, [155];
  • his intrepidity, [157];
  • projects great expedition, [159];
  • sets out for Austral Ocean, [162];
  • treats with Chief Ponca, [163];
  • in Quaraqua's country, [165];
  • massacres Indians, [168];
  • on verge of discovery, [170];
  • his first sight of the Pacific, [171];
  • on its shores, [174];
  • compared with Columbus, [175];
  • takes possession of Pacific, [179], [180], and embarks on, [182-184];
  • discovers pearls, [189];
  • success with Indians, [196];
  • returns from expedition, [197];
  • popularity of, [198];
  • sovereign's opinion of, [201];
  • superseded by Pedrarias, [203], whom he receives at Antigua, [208-212];
  • his courtesy to Doña Isabel, [211], [212];
  • angers Pedrarias, [216], who demands an accounting, [217];
  • seeks Dobaybe, [227], and fails, [229];
  • appointed adelantado by the king, [230], [231];
  • ordered confined in a cage, [233];
  • protests to Bishop Quevedo, [240];
  • engages to marry the governor's daughter, [242], [246];
  • character of, [245];
  • builds brigantines, [248],
  • [249], and sails them on Pacific, [250];
  • freed from Pedrarias, [251];
  • accused by Garabito, [253];
  • suffers for his crimes, [256];
  • flouts astrologer's prophecy, [259];
  • returns to Acla, [261], where he is arrested, [262];
  • imprisoned, [263];
  • visited in prison by Pedrarias, [263], whom he defies and denounces, [265];
  • his career reviewed, [269], [270];
  • scenes at his execution, [272-275];
  • beheaded, [276].
• Balsa, river in Darien, [249].
• Barbacoa, Indian structure, [54], [101].
• Bastidas, Rodrigo de, explorer, [1-7].
• Becerra, Francisco, lost in Zenu, [237].
• Biru (Peru) described to Pizarro, [236].
• Bobadilla, Francisco de, [3-7].
• Bobadilla, Doña Isabel de, [205];
  • entertained by Balboa, [212-216], whom she befriends, [243];
  • mourns Balboa's death, [278].
• Bohio, or Indian hut, [53].
• Bonouvama, friendly Indian, [195].
• Brigantines, building the, [248-250].
• Cacica, the fair, Balboa's prisoner, [69];
• • entertains spies, [116];
  • betrays her people [119];
  • sought by
  • Garabito, [252];
  • seals Balboa's fate, [257];
  • witnesses his execution, [278].
• Caciques of Darien, the, chap, v.;
  • dead, [71].
• Caicedo, Juan de, [154], [200].
• Calaboose, from Spanish calabozo, [141].
• Caribs of Urabá, [52].
• Carillo, Captain Luis, [227];
  • death of, [228].
• Carita, Cacique, [50], [56];
  • capture of, [57];
  • speech of, [65];
  • bestows daughter upon Balboa, [66], and becomes his ally, [78].
• Cartagena, harbor of, [26], [28].
• Chiapes, native chief, [176-178], [181], [182], [188].
• Chicha, fermented beverage, [108].
• Colmenares, Diego de, rescues colonists, [39];
  • and Nicuesa, [40-42];
  • assists Balboa, [81], and invades Dobaybe with him, [98];
  • advises Balboa, [127];
  • captures Tichiri, [131];
  • kills chiefs, [132];
  • builds a fortress, [139];
  • sent to Spain by Balboa, [154], [155], [200].
• Colombinos, followers of Columbus, [4].
• Columbus, Christopher, allusion to, [1], [3], [4], [8], [10].
• Columbus, Don Diego, governor of Santo Domingo, [10], [11].
• Columbus, appeal to, by Balboa, [88].
• Comogre, Cacique, [78], [79];
  • sons of, [81], [84-86];
  • baptized, [87];
  • death of, [194].
• Companon, Francisco, [261].
• Corral, companion of Balboa, [42];
  • in irons, [144].
• Cortés, Hernando, never at Darien, [176].
• Cosa, Juan de la, pilot, [1], [4], [7].
• Coyba, province of, [50];
  • invasion of, [52].
• Darien, Caciques of, chap. v;
• • gulf of, [33];
  • Indians of, [53-56];
  • river, [100].
• Dobaybe, the golden, [92], [93];
  • expedition to, 95 et seq.;
  • second expedition to, [226-229].
• Dragons of Dobaybe, [227], [228].
• Enciso, Martin Fernandez De, Ojeda's partner, [11];
• • encounters Balboa, [19];
  • by whom he is outwitted, [20-22];
  • arrives at Cartagena, [26];
  • parleys with Indians, [30], [31];
  • sends Balboa and Pizarro to fight them, [32];
  • loses a vessel, [33];
  • unable to restrain his men, [35], who depose him, electing Balboa and Zamudio to fill his place, [39];
  • expelled and sent to Spain, [45].
• Encomiendas of Indians, [9].
• Escary, Juan de, with Balboa, [178].
• Espinosa, Gaspar de, lawyer, [205];
  • prosecutes Balboa, [221], and impoverishes him, [234];
  • finds indictment against, [267], which results in his execution, [268].
• Explorers, fate of, [270], [271].
• Famine in the colony, [223].
• Fonseca, Bishop, allusion to, [203].
• Garabito, Andres, [232];
• • turns against Balboa, [252], and plots his ruin, [253-257].
• Gold, in nets, [29], [237];
  • in abundance, [185];
  • by thousand pieces, [198];
  • object of all explorations, [202];
  • sent to the king, [214].
• Golden Castile, [202].
• Golden sepulchres, [29].
• Hurtado, Bartholomew, [113-115];
• • commands at Darien, [140].
• Indian sepulchres, [71-73].
• Indians of Darien, [53-56].
• Isabel, Doña. See Bobadilla, Doña Isabel de.
• Isla Rica (rich island), [250];
• • Balboa recreates in, [258].
• Keats, the poet, mistake of, respecting Balboa and Cortés, [175].
• Leoncico, Balboa's blood-hound, [16], [17], [24-26], [60-63];
• • great exploits of, [166], [167].
• Lianas, [58].
• Llamas, first description of, [186].
• Martin, Alonzo, first Spaniard on Pacific (at Darien), [178].
• Micer Codro, astrologer, predicts Balboa's end, [259].
• Morales, Gaspar, expedition of, [235];
• • attacked and defeated, [237].
• Muños, Hernan, condemned to die with Balboa, [267].
• Nicuesa, Don Diego de, [23], [38];
• • sufferings of, [40];
  • character of, [41];
  • barbarous treatment and fate of, [43-45].
• Niño, Pedro, [2].
• Nombre de Dios, port of, [41].
• Ocoa, Bay of, [2].
• Ojeda, Alonzo, [11], [23], [26-28];
• • settlement founded by, [33], [38], [40], [100].
• Olano, Lope de, [42].
• Ovando, the atrocious, [10], [27].
• Oviedo, Gonzalo Fernandez de, historian, [199];
  • intimately acquainted with Balboa and Pedrarias, [271].
• Ozama River, [3].
• Pacific Ocean, first information of, given to Balboa, [85], [86];
• • first sight
  • of, by Balboa, [170];
  • date of discovery, [174];
  • taken possession of, [179];
  • first brigantines on, at Darien, [249].
• Pasamonte, Miguel de, [152], [153].
• Pearl Islands, the, [187], [236].
• Pearls, discovery of, [184], [185];
  • by the basketful, [236].
• Pedrarias. See Avila, Pedro Arias de.
• Perez, Alonzo de la Rua, [140], [141], [143], [144].
• Peru, first mention of, to Spaniards, [86];
  • rumors regarding, [186].
• Pizarro, Francisco, with Ojeda, [11], [28], [178];
  • leads an expedition, [235];
  • hears of Peru, [236];
  • sent to arrest Balboa, [262], whom he places in irons, [263];
  • commands guard at his execution, [273];
  • loyal to the tyrant, [275].
• Poisoned arrows, [32], [52].
• Ponca, Indian chief, [56], [76], [78], [162];
  • tortured and killed, [189].
• Puertocarrero, Pedro, [8].
• Quaraqua, Cacique, [115], [167], [177].
• Quevedo, Bishop, [204];
• • guest of Balboa, [213];
  • absorbs his wealth, [221];
  • intercedes for him, [241], [242];
  • arranges marriage with daughter of Pedrarias, [243];
  • returns to Spain, [275].
• Quintana, Don Manuel J., author of Balboa's biography, [158].
• Rio Negro, or Black River, [100].
• Salvatierra, town of, [12].
• San Miguel, bay of, [181].
• San Sebastian, settlement of, [33];
• • removal of colony to Darien, [47].
• Sea of the South, or Pacific, [180].
• Techoan, Cacique, [188].
• Te Deum Laudamus, chanted, [173].
• Terra Firma, [2], [5], [23].
• Tichiri, Indian settlement, [119];
• • captured, [131].
• Toledo, swords of, [96], [98].
• Tom-tom, African drum, [56].
• Tubanamá, Cacique, [86], [191];
  • the gold of, [193];
  • defeats Spaniards, [238].
• Tuira, Indian deity, [53].
• Tumaco, Indian cacique, 184 et seq., [188].
• Tutibara, Indian chief, [235].
• Urabá, Gulf of, [23], [33], [92], [99].
• Valderrabano, Andres de, notary, [180];
• • condemned to death, [267].
• Valdivia, regidor, sent to Spain, [88], [89];
  • lost at sea, [90];
  • his unhappy fate, [94].
• Vara, Andres de, chaplain, [172].
• Vela, Cape de la, [23].
• Weapons of the Spaniards, [95], [96].
• Xeres de Los Caballeros, Balboa's birthplace, [8].
• Zamudio, alcalde, [39];
• • mistreats Nicuesa, [44];
  • sent to Spain, [46];
  • Balboa's friend at court, [150], [156].
• Zemaco, Cacique, [35], [93];
  • defeats Spaniards, [114].
• Zenu, province of, [237].

THE END

FOOTNOTES:

[1] This was the hurricane predicted by Columbus, as narrated in his Life by the author of this biography, and it occurred in 1502. For the further adventures of La Cosa, see the Life of Amerigo Vespucci, in this series.

[2] Calaboose, from Spanish Calabózo, a dungeon or prison.

[3] Don Manuel Josef Quintana, Vidas de Españoles Célebres.

[4] By a curious lapsus in Keat's otherwise perfect poem, On First Looking into Chapman's Homer, Cortés, conqueror of Mexico, is substituted for Balboa, discoverer of the Pacific—

"Then felt I like some watcher of the skies,

When a new planet swims into his ken,

Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes

He star'd at the Pacific—and all his men

Look'd at each other with a wild surmise—

Silent, upon a peak in Darien."

Cortés was never at Darien, nor nearer to it than Honduras, or Santo Domingo.