In the year 1513, Vasco Nunnes de Valboa, or Balboa, hearing of the South Seas, determined to go thither; and being a man of courage, though strongly dissuaded by several of his company, he marched on the enterprize with 290 men.  Leaving Darien on the first of September, and taking some Indians along with him as guides, he marched directly across the isthmus, sometimes without opposition, and having at other times to fight his way.  In a certain place called Careca, he found some negroes with curled hair, who were captives among the Indians.  At length, on the 25th of the same month of September, being the festival of St Michael, he came in sight of the South Sea:  He there embarked in a canoe, much against the will of Chiapes, the cacique of that part of the coast, who endeavoured to persuade him that the navigation was very dangerous; but he persisted in his design, that he might be the first who had navigated this new discovered sea, and came back in safety.  He returned thence to Darien, bringing with him a good store of gold, silver, and pearls, which he had taken during the march; and for this good service, he was much honoured and favoured by King Ferdinand.

In February 1513, Alphonsus de Albuquerque went from Goa towards the Straits of Mecca with twenty ships, and arriving at the city of Aden, battered it with his cannon, and passing the Straits entered the Red Sea, and wintered at the island of Camaran.  This was the first Portuguese captain who gave an account of the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, which are of great importance in regard to trade.

In May 1514, Pedro Arias de Avila was sent out from St Lucar, as governor of Castilia del Oro, or the Golden Castile, for so the Spaniards named the countries of Darien, Carthagena, and Uraba.  He carried with him fifteen hundred men and seven ships; and Vasco Nunnes de Balboa, who discovered the South Seas, was sent out at the same time as admiral of the coasts of that newly discovered sea.  In the beginning of the year 1515, de Avila sent Gaspar Morales with 150 men to the Gulf of St Michael, to discover the islands of Tararequi[27], Chiapes, and Tumaccus.  A cacique, the friend of Balboa, gave him many canoes, or boats made of one tree, with which they passed to the Isle of Pearls, where they were at first resisted; but Chiapes and Tumaccus pacified the cacique of that island, who submitted himself, and received baptism, taking the name of the governor, Pedro Arias, and presented Morales with a basket of pearls weighing 110 pounds, some of which were as large as hazel nuts, weighing 20, 25, 26, and even 31 carats, each of four grains; and one of these pearls was sold for 1200 ducats.  In March 1515, de Avila sent Gonsalva de Badajos, with 80 soldiers, to discover new lands, who went to Nombre de Dios, where he was joined by Lewis de Mercado with a reinforcement of 50 men.  They resolved to proceed to the south, as the richest country; and taking some Indians as guides, they found