In despair at these disasters Enciso was at a loss what to do, or where
to go, when Balboa advised him to continue his course along the coast in
Pizarro's little vessel.

He stated that he had once before been on an expedition in this same
gulf, and on the western side he well remembered an Indian village, on
the banks of a river, called by the natives Darien.

Enciso pleased with Balboa's advice, resolved to take possession of this
village, and to drive out all the Indians.

Arrived at the river, he landed his men, and, without giving the
unfortunate people of the village any notice, he attacked them, killed
several, drove the rest out, and robbed them of all their possessions.

He then made the village the chief place of his new government, and
called it Santa Maria del Darien. Balboa assisted in this work of
cruelty and injustice.

The Spaniards had not been long here when they became tired with Enciso,
and they refused to obey him, and sent him off in a ship to Spain. Upon
his departure, Balboa took the command.

In one of his expeditions into the interior parts of the country in
search of gold, he first heard of a sea to the west, as yet unknown to
Europeans.

He had received a large quantity of gold from an Indian cazique, or
chief, and was weighing it into shares for the purpose of dividing it