Tumaco was touched by the kindness shown to his son, and three days later he appeared; he brought no present at first, but in obedience to his orders, his attendants gave six hundred and fourteen pesos of gold and two hundred and forty selected pearls and a quantity of smaller ones.  These pearls excited the unending admiration of the Spaniards, though they are not of the finest quality, because the natives cook the shells before extracting them, in order to do so more easily, and that the flesh of the oyster may be more palatable.  This viand is very much esteemed and is reserved for the caciques, who prize it more than they do the pearls themselves; at least this is the report of a certain Biscayan, Arbolazzo, one of Vasco Nunez’s companions, who was afterwards sent to our sovereign with pearl oysters.  One must believe eye-witnesses.[7]

[Note 7:  Arbolazzo’s mission was successful in completely appeasing King Ferdinand’s vexation and obtaining from him Balboa’s nomination as Adelantado, and other privileges and favours for the participators in the discoveries.]

Observing that the Spaniards attached great value to pearls, Tumaco ordered some of his men to prepare to dive for some.  They obeyed, and four days later came back bringing four pounds of pearls.  This caused the liveliest satisfaction, and everybody embraced with effusion.  Balboa was delighted with the presents he had received, and Tumaco was satisfied to have cemented the alliance.  The mouths of the Spaniards fairly watered with satisfaction as they talked about this great wealth.

The cacique Chiapes, who had accompanied them and was present during these events, was also well satisfied, chiefly because it was under his leadership the Spaniards had undertaken such a profitable enterprise, and also because he had been enabled to show his more powerful neighbour, who perhaps was not agreeable to him, what valiant friends he possessed.  He thought the Spanish alliance would be very useful to him, for all these naked savages cherish an inveterate hatred of each other and are consumed with ambition.

Vasco Nunez flattered himself that he had learned many secrets concerning the wealth of the country from Tumaco, but declared that he would, for the moment, keep them exclusively to himself, for they were the cacique’s gift to him.  According to the report of the Spaniards, Tumaco and Chiapes said there was an island much larger than the others in the gulf, governed by a single cacique.  Whenever the sea was calm, this cacique attacked their territories with an imposing fleet of canoes, and carried off everything he found.  This island is about twenty miles distant from the shore, and from the hilltops of the continent its coasts were visible.  It is said that shells as big as fans are found on its shores, from which pearls, sometimes the size of a bean or an olive, are taken.  Cleopatra would have been proud to own such.  Although this island