[XI-5] Paris was an Indian province and gulf twelve leagues from Natá. Oviedo authorizes us to write, Pariza or Parita. The large square peninsula which forms the western bound to the gulf of Panamá, is sometimes called by modern writers Parita, and the gulf which cuts into the peninsula Gulfo de Parita. See Humboldt's Atlas of New Spain. Ribero gives G. de Paris, Vaz Dourado, G∴ de Paris naca and b∴ de Paris naqua; De Laet, Golfo de Parita, as well as the city Parita, south of which is Iubraua, and north, Escoria.
[XI-6] Town and province, beside being the name of the first prominent point west of Panamá. Colon and Ribero have it, p de Chame; Vaz Dourado writes it the same once, and again, p∴ de Cane; Colom gives P de Chane; De Laet, and others after him, Chame, with Otoque east of it.
[XI-7] 'Donde despues Pedrarias pobló un pueblo de cristianos que se dice Acla, y antes que hobiese esta batalla tenia otro nombre, porque Acla en la lengua de aquella tierra quiere decir huesos de hombres ó canillas de hombres.' Andagoya, Relacion, in Navarrete, Col. de Viages, iii. 397. See also Carta de Alonso de la Puente y Diego Marquez, in Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., ii. 538-49; Robert FitzRoy, in London Geog. Soc., Jour., xxiii. 179, gives us a fair specimen of historical writing by an intelligent gentleman, who knows nothing of what he is saying when he describes 'Acla, or Agla,' as settled 'in 1514, a few miles inland from that port or bay now famed in history and romance, called by Patterson Caledonian Harbour.' Acla was on the coast, three or four leagues north of Caledonian Bay, as we find in Purchas, His Pilgrimes, iv. 883, 'right against the Iland of Pinos, whereof at this present there is no more memory than that there was the death of that famous Captaine, whose name will last eternally, the President Basco Nunnez of Balnoa, and of his company.' Fernando Colon, 1527, calls the town ocara; Diego de Ribero, acra; Vaz Dourado, 1571, Munich Atlas, No. x., axca, and on No. xi., azca; De Laet, Colom, and others, Acla.
[XI-8] Relacion hecha por Gaspar de Espinosa, alcalde mayor de Castilla del Oro, dada á Pedrarias de Avila, lugar teniente general de aquellas provincias, de todo lo que le sucedió en la entrada que hizo en ellas, de órden de Pedrarias, in Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., ii. 467-522. The licentiate begins his verbose narrative with a flourish of trumpets before the king and queen, in a lengthy saying of Quintilian, and an apology, saying that had he sufficient time he would give the particulars of his raid. The document is signed, El Licenciado Espinosa; Gerónimo Valenzuela; Pablo Mexia; Pedro de Gamez; Bartolomé Hurtado, capitan; Gabriel de Roxas; Por su mandado, Martin Salcedo. The editors of the collection in which the paper appears complain of its errors in regard to places, which they have endeavored to rectify whenever possible. The truth of its incidents they of course could not dispute.
[XI-9] Probably the Rio Chepo, or Bayano.
[XI-10] The licentiate's narrative here becomes as confused as his sense of justice. The names of towns, provinces, and chiefs are now brought together and then scattered as if flung at random from the hand, making it in no wise difficult to imagine either that the licentiate never made the journey, or that he did not write the relation. There is no doubt, however, on either of these points. There is this to say; language was not then what it is now, and there were men who knew how best to use it even in those days.
[XI-11] Named by Espinosa, Puerto de las Agujas.
[XI-12] Colon and Ribero both write ya de Cebaco; Mercator places a town on the mainland opposite, Sebaco; Ogilby, I. de S. Maria; De Laet, Isles del Zebaco; Colom and Jefferys, Zebaco; Kiepert, I. Cebaco, and near it I. del Gobernador.
[XI-13] If Coiba was meant we find connected the ancient name of Gatos, ya gatos, y de gatos, etc. Then the name changes, and we have by Vaz Dourado I∴ de quofõque; Mercator, Quicare; Dampier, Keys of Quicara or Quibo; I. de Laet gives, Cobaya, Quicaro, and La Montuosa; Colom, Coyba, Quicaro, and Lamatuosa; Jefferys, Coyba, Quicaro, and opposite Coiba, Pt. Bianco, and west Coco, and Honda. Herrera calls the island Cobayos.
[XI-14] Not so called at the time, however. According to Herrera the native name was Chira. The gulf was first known to civilization as San Lúcar, and San Lázaro; before this, even, we have by Colon, G. de S. Vicenite. Vaz Dourado gives Sao llucar; Mercator, in 1574, places in the interior the town Nicoia, and on the eastern shore of the gulf the town Pari. Ogilby gives on the Golfo de Salinas, as well as on the land, perhaps town and province, Nicoya, and a little to the west, Paro. Dampier gives G. of Nicoya, and the town of nicoya. De Laet locates the town of Nicoya, east of which is Paro. West-Indische Spieghel, G. Goca; and Jefferys, Nicova, and near it emptying into the gulf, R. Dispensa, R. Taminsco, R. de Costarica, R. de las Canas, and R. Solano.