Yesterday, I came back from Madrid; I was in a hotel named “NH Balboa”, in the street Nuñez de Balboa. The, I thought I should like to tell you thes story of the Spanish Conqueror, Vasco Núñez de Balboa.
In 1513, he was the first European man, who arrived to the named “Mar del Sur” (Sea of the South). This fact changed the Geography and the History.
When Vasco and his sailors arrived to the coast, the low tide was bad aspect to the beach; so, they waited for going down when the tide was high.
At the end, the tide was high and Vasco went down and walking in the water, and with his armor and the helmet, he took a banner with the right hand and a sword in his left hand, he said the following: “Vivan los muy altos e poderosos reyes Don Fernando e Doña Juana, en cuyo nombre e por la Corona real de Castilla, tomo e aprehendo la posesion real e corporal e actualmente destas mares e tierras, e costas, e puertos, e islas australes” (Long live the very high and mighty kings Don Fernando and Doña Juana, in whose name and by the Royal Crown of Castile, take and apprehend the real and corporal possession and currently these seas and lands, and coasts, and ports, and southern islands).
"Vasco Nuñez de Balboa", by Zagarbal, at flickr.com
They were 26 men (included Nuñez de Balboa and Pizarro –who discovered the country Perú--. They tested the water and confirmed that it was salty. Their names were wrotten by the notary Andrés de Valderrábano. Balboa took several saber to the waves and went to burn crosses on trees –it was made by all the men, while the priest sang the song “Te Deum Laudamus”.
So it was how the September-29-1513, the first European man had the first contact with a very big sea, that later was named “Pacific Ocean”. This one was the second important discovery –after the discovery of the American continent. It was a result of a coincidental and a great effort, of course. It made Balboa the get a very great fame.
Balboa was born in Jerez de los Caballeros (Badajoz, Southwest of Madrid),in 1475, but his parents were from León. His parents were the Lords of the Castle of Balboa.
Nuñez de Balboa had much value and it showed when he enlisted in 1501, in the expedition of Rodrigo de Bastidas, who runs the coasts of Panama and Colombia. When you finish this adventure, rest and profits of the expedition, the Spanish land purchase.
Later, Vasco hid in a barrel of a boat of the expedition of Martín Fernandez de Enciso. Vasco hid in a barrel of a ship of the expedition. This sailed from Santo Domingo to aid Alonso de Ojeda and his 70 men, threatened by the poisoned arrows of warlike Indians in San Sebastián de Urabá., Colombian Caribbean garrison. Soon the stowaway to be discovered and the punishment of being marooned on a desert island was saved by the knowledge that proved to be the coast.
Which along with his charisma, quickly made him popular among the members of the crew.
Balboa met to Francisco Pizarro, that in this moment was only a brave solder, who had taken charge of San Sebastian de Urabá, after the departure of Ojeda to Santo Domingo.
Balboa arrested to Enciso, the Mayor, and assumed the Municipality, beside Martin Samudio.
Balboa also became to the Governor of Vergara, substituting Diego Nicuesa, which appeared in the port of Vergara and was rejected by its people and put on a ship adrift at sea.
At the end, Balboa was sentenced to death and beheaded, along with several of his men. Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo was a witness of the executions of Balboa, in 1519.
This is a summary of the life of Vasco Nunez de Balboa.
Till soon, kind regards,
Luis.
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