Vasco Núñez de Balboa

Balboa setting his dogs upon Indian practitioners of male love; (1594); New York Public Library

Vasco Núñez de Balboa (c. 1475, born in Jerez de los Caballeros or in Badajoz, Extremadura, Castile, Spain –January 21, 1519, in Acla , near Darién, Panama) was a Spanish conquistador who founded the colony of Darién in Panama, the oldest still-existing European settlement in the mainland of the Americas. He was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean, which he named Mar del Sur, or South Sea. Vasco Núñez de Balboa, The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Vasco Núñez de Balboa, The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Homosexuality may refer to: A sexual orientation characterized by aesthetic attraction, romantic love, and sexual desire exclusively or almost exclusively for members of the same sex or gender identity. ... Events August 29 - Treaty of Picquigny ends a brief war between France and England. ... A former kingdom of Spain, Castile comprises the two regions of Old Castile in north-western Spain, and New Castile in the centre of the country. ... January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events March 4 - Hernán Cortés lands in Mexico. ... Darien is the name of several places in the United States of America: Darien, Connecticut Darien, Georgia Darien, Illinois - a suburb of Chicago Darien, New York Darien, Wisconsin Darien (town), Wisconsin Darién can also refer to places in Panama: Darién Province The town of Darién, founded by Vasco Núñez de... Conquistador (meaning Conqueror in the Spanish language) is the term used to refer to the soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas and Asia Pacific under Spanish rule between the 15th and 17th centuries. ... Santa María la Antigua del Darién (Darién) is a city in what is now Darién Province, Panama. ... The Vikings were the first Europeans to reach the Americas, starting but then abandoning a colonisation process. ... The Americas (sometimes referred to as America) is the area including the land mass located between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, generally divided into North America and South America. ...

Balboa sailed to Hispaniola in 1501 on an expedition under Rodrigo de Bastidas and Juan de la Cosa. During this voyage, they crossed the Gulf of Urabá (on the coast of present-day Colombia), and saw the Native American village of Darién in present-day Panama. In Hispaniola, Balboa settled down as a planter. However, he soon amassed a large amount of debt, and to escape from his creditors stowed away on a supply ship headed for San Sebastián on the Gulf of Uraiba, hidden in a cask with his beloved pet dog. The ship was commanded by Martín Fernández de Enciso. Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest island of the Antilles, lying east of Cuba. ... Events Alexander becomes King of Poland. ... Rodrigo de Bastidas (c. ... Juan de la Cosa (c. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, Amerindians, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest island of the Antilles, lying east of Cuba. ... Geography > Europe > Spain > Basque Country > Guipúzcoa San Sebastián with sailboats San Sebastián (Donostia in Basque) is the capital city of the province of Guipúzcoa, in the Spanish autonomous community of Basque Country. ...

While under way, they met Francisco Pizarro (the later conqueror of Peru), who led the colony in San Sebastián and told them almost all members of the colony had been massacred by the local people. Enciso nevertheless decided to go on to San Sebastián, but his ship was wrecked, the men being rescued by Pizarro but all supplies and livestock being lost. The colony was found in ashes. Balboa, by now accepted as a crew member of Enciso's, convinced them to try again in the area around Darién. Francisco Pizarro ( 1475–June 26, 1541) was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Inca Empire and founder of the city of Lima. ... Background By the 16th century, the Inca Empire had seen many years of strong leadership. ...

They subdued the local population, started a colony and built a village. Balboa made the colonists reject both Enciso's authority and that of Diego de Nicuesa, who was sent to Darién as governor after Enciso had sought redress with King Ferdinand. Balboa became de facto leader of the colony. Both the colony and Balboa himself thrived under his policies, making friends with surrounding peoples, and subduing and looting those who did not want to. He heard of a great sea on the other side of the mountains, and a land of great wealth Birú, this turned out to be Tahuantinsuyu (the Inca Empire) to the south of this sea. As he heard that the king wanted to send him back to be tried for his conduct towards Enciso and Nicuesa, he decided he had to move fast. Diego de Nicuesa was a Spanish conquistador and explorer. ... Ferdinand of Aragon can refer to two different kings of Aragon: Ferdinand I of Aragon, a. ... For other meanings of Inca, see Inca (disambiguation). ...

On September 1, 1513, he sailed to San Blas (a lucky choice, as it just happens to be the smallest point of the isthmus), and went south across the isthmus. As before he befriended the locals who were so inclined, and captured, tortured and looted those that remained hostile, thus gaining substantial treasure. Finally he reached a top from where he could see the Pacific Ocean on september 25th 1513. When the others had joined him a Te Deum was chanted, a cross erected, and the sea was christened Mar del Sur (South Sea). He pushed on to the edge of the ocean,in the gulf of San Miguel and Balboa claimed the ocean and all adjacent lands for Spain. September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... Events January 20 - Christian II becomes King of Denmark and Norway. ... Kuna Yala is an autonomous territory or comarca in Panama, inhabited by the Kuna indigenous people. ... Simplified diagram An isthmus is a narrow strip of land, bordered on two sides by water, and connects two larger land masses. ... Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. ...

On the road back they captured a Native American chief called Tubanama and got a huge ransom, but some members almost died of hunger because they had loaded treasure in preference to provisions. On January 18, 1514, Balboa was back in Darién. January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events March - Louis XII of France makes peace with Emperor Maximilian. ...

While Balboa was away, Pedro Arias de Ávila (generally known as Pedrarias) had been sent to Darién as a governor. Although this time Balboa did not oppose him openly, tension between them remained, Pedrarias being envious because Balboa was much more popular than himself. They established a relative peace when Balboa agreed to marry Avila's daughter, Dona Maria. The girl were in Spain, and her mother went after her. Meanwhile, Balboa embarked on a new, courageous expedition by building ships on the Pacific coast. The transport of the materials across the isthmus cost the lives of many native slaves. Balboa made one expedition with the ships, to the Pearl Islands in the Gulf of Panama. He tried to head south from there, but found the wind unfavorable. Pedrarias Davila (Pedro Arias de Avila) ( Segovia, Castille, c. ... Pearl Islands is a group of islands on the Pacific side of Panama, the most notable of which is Contadora Island known for its resorts. ...

Pedrarias was convinced that Balboa wanted to establish a government of his own on the west coast. In this time he was dismissed by the king of Spain, who sent another governor, Pedro de Lugo. Balboa went to Acla to see if this guvernor came and he was arested by Francisco Pizzaro, who found him in the jungle. Balboa was arrested and tried for treason. Balboa was convicted and sentenced to death due to pressure exerted by Pedrarias. Balboa was beheaded on January 21, 1519 in Acla, with another three companions. January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events March 4 - Hernán Cortés lands in Mexico. ...

References

• Original version (http://www.win.tue.nl/~engels/discovery/balboa.html) (copied with permission)