CHAPTER I. GIL GONÇALEZ DAVILA DISCOVERS NICARAGUA FRANCISCO HERNANDEZ SENT BY PEDRARIAS TO SETTLE THERE-HE FOUNDS LEON AND GRANADA ---DRIVES OUT GIL GONÇALEZ HERNANDEZ BEHEADED BY PEDRARIAS-DEATH OF PEDRARIAS. CHAPTER I. GIL GONÇALEZ DAVILA DISCOVERS NICARAGUA FRANCISCO HERNANDEZ SENT BY PEDRARIAS TO NICA I. ICARAGUA was the battle-field of so many B. XIII. pretensions; it illustrates so completely the Ch. 1. vices and errors of the Spanish Government, and of the Spanish adventurers; its history is so much interwoven with that of Guatemala, Honduras, and even of New Spain;-that some attempt must be made to bring before the reader, however briefly, the principal events connected with its discovery and colonization. New World between the and the For this purpose we must revert to the famous Division of Bull of Pope Alexander the Sixth, which divided between the Portuguese and Castillian monarchs Spaniards the World about to be discovered, laying down Portuan imaginary line to the west of the Azores as the boundary. Now, the peculiar delusion which at this early period haunted the monarchs of Spain and their statesmen was, that the most desirable enterprize which maritime daring could accomplish for their nation, would be, by going westwards, to arrive at the Spice Islands. They would then rival or guese. 1493. Ch. 1. 68 Division of the New World. B. XIII. eclipse the Portuguese, without in the least violating the contract made between the two countries under the Pope's auspices.* The land of Kublai GASPAR CONTARINI, one of the narrative which Cortes had given of his Honduras journey to the Emperor, respecting a possible route to the Pacific by the Golfo Dulce. The whole account which CONTARINI gives of the discoveries in the Indies is wonderfully accurate, and his testimony with regard to the beauty of the workmanship of the golden vases, the mirrors, and the ornaments of feathers, which had come from Mexico, is worth recording, for a the admirable ambassadors of 1840. The above passage shows the effect that was produced in the Court of Spain by that part of sima al re di Tenochtitlan (l'antico nome della città di Messico), di dove con molte guerre, e molte lusinghe false si è fatto signore. Questa città è meravigliosa e di grandezza e di sito e di artifizj, salsa, il quale circonda circa dugento miglia, e da un capo si congiunge con un altro lago d'acqua dolce; non è però molto profondo, e l'acqua cresce e cala ogni giorno due volte come fa qui a Venezia. Dalla terra alla città sono alcune strade fondate nel lago. Li abitanti sono idolatri, come tutti gli altri di quei paesi, mangiano uomini, ma non Expeditions to the Spice Islands. 69 Khan was not more attractive to Columbus than B. XIII. westward the Spice the Spice Islands to the Spanish Sovereigns. Ch. I. Often, neglecting the immense advantages which Search lay at their feet in the magnificent countries their after a subjects had already discovered, they put in jeo- route to pardy their fairest possessions to pursue this fatal Islands. phantom. For fatal it preeminently was; and any one minutely versed in the early records of the New World knows, when he sees the word Spice Islands, that something very disastrous is about to be narrated. Niño pro poses an to the Spice The discovery of Nicaragua follows closely upon the death of Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, and was intimately connected with that lamentable proceeding. Andres Niño, a bold pilot who was Andres well acquainted with the coast of Darien, and had been employed there, proceeded to the Court expedition of Spain. He proposed an expedition to the Islands." Spice Islands, which met with royal approval, and with that of the Bishop of Burgos. At the Gil head of the expedition was placed Gil Gonçalez Davila Davila, the Contador of Hispaniola, attached to the household of the Bishop of of it. Burgos. These explorers were to make use of the Gonçalez formerly appointed tutti, solo mangiano li inimici | rano poi lavori di penne di che prendono in battaglia. Sacri- uccelli, miracolosi. Certamente ficano eziandio uomini alli loro non ho veduto in altre parti idoli. Sono poi industriosi in alcun ricamo, ne altro lavoro lavorare; e io ho veduto alcuni tanto sottile, come sono alcuni vasi d'oro, ed altri venuti di di questi di penne, li quali là, bellissimi e molto ben lavo- hanno un' altra vaghezza, perocrati. Nè hanno ferro, ma ado- chè paiono di diversi colori, prano alcune pietre in luogo di secondo che hanno la luce, come ferro. Ho veduto eziandio vediamo farsi nel collo d'un specchi fatti di pietra. Lavo- colombo."-Ut supra, pp. 52-3. commander |