Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/332

 whereof is strong poison, and if it touch the blood of a man, he dieth immediately: but if a man doe drinke of it, it is a soueraigne remedie against poison, so seruing both for life and death.

Here also they doe coine peeces of gold, which they call Drachmas, brought into the land as they say by the Romanes: which seemeth to haue some resemblance of truth: because that from that place forward there is no coined gold: but that which is thus coined doth run currant in the buying of marchandise and other things.

In the yeere 1508. one Alfonso de Hoieda with the fauour of Don Fernando purposed to goe vnto Terra firma to conquer the prouince of Darien.

He went forth at his owne charges, and discouered The Firme land, where it is called Vraba, which he named Castilia del Oro, that is Golden Castilia, bicause of the gold which they found among the sand along the coast: And they were the first Spanyards that did this.

Alfonso de Hoieda went first from the Island of Hispaniola and the citie of San Domingo with fower ships and three hundred soldiers, leauing behinde him the bachiler Ancisco, who afterwards compiled a booke of these discoueries. And after him there went also one ship with victuals, munition, and 150. Spanyards. He went on land at Carthagena: but there the people of the countrey tooke, slewe and eate 70. of his soldiers, whereupon he grew very weake.

In this yeere 1508. one Diego de Niquesa prepared seuen ships in the port of Beata to goe vnto Veragua, and carried in them almost 800. men. When he came to Carthagena he found there Alfonso de Hoieda sore spoiled with his former losse: but then they both ioined together, and went on land and auenged themselues of the people. And in this voiage Diego de Niqueso went and discouered the coast called Nombre de Dios, and went vnto the sound of Darien, and called it Puerto de Misas, which is vpon the riuer of Pito. When they were come vnto Veragua, he went on shore with his armie, his souldiers being out of hope to returne to Hispaniola. Alfonso de Hoieda began a fortresse in Caribana against the Caribes; which was the first towne that the