Page:Narrative of the Proceedings of Pedrarias Davila (Haklyut, 34).djvu/87

Rh died. After his death the Bishop Diego Alvarez Osorio remained as governor, who died a short time after he had assumed the government, leaving it in the hands of the licentiate Castañeda, who had been alcalde mayor. This man did such things that, on hearing that Rodrigo de Contreras, the son-in-law of Pedrarias, was coming out as governor, he went off to Peru with all his family. Rodrigo de Contreras governed until the present time; but he has lately arrived at this court under arrest, and has been ordered to return, that a residencia may be made. He did no good thing worthy of record in that land, but persecuted honourable and married men.

In all these provinces, from Nicaragua to Darien, there is not half an hour between day and night during the year; and the summer lasts from the beginning of December to the beginning of May. During this time the winds blow from the north and north-east; it does not rain, or become colder than in winter, and the people are healthy, and it is a marvel if any are taken ill. The winter begins in the early part of May, and lasts till the end of November; and in September and August it rains more than in the other months. It is hot, and there is thunder and lightning. In this season people fall sick. During all the season the wind blows from the S.S.E., until some shower causes it to change. On this coast of Panama, as far as the gulf of San Miguel, streams of fresh water enter the sea at every quarter or half league.

In all the rivers which enter the sea, there are a great quantity of those serpents which we call lizards. In the rivers they do people harm; but on the land they are very torpid, though they are ready to resist and defend themselves, yet they cannot run fast. When I was in the province of Guanate with thirty men, we surrounded one of these serpents in a place where it could not swim, wishing to kill