Panama. But the man was seized for having come in at night like a spy, and because the governor had ordered that any one who arrived was to be sent to Darien. Soon afterwards the governor, with the officials, arrived at Acla; and when Valderrabano came in, he sent his letters to the governor. The officials began to accuse Vasco Nuñez, and advised that he should be sent for and made prisoner; so the governor wrote him a letter, ordering him to come and disprove the things of which he was accused.[1] Vasco Nuñez presently arrived, and was put into a house at Acla as his prison, with guards over him.[2] Pedrarias, considering him as his son-in-law, would not act in the matter, but entrusted the case to the licentiate Espinosa, who was Alcalde Mayor. This official drew up the process, and sentenced Vasco Nuñez, Valderrabano, Botello who was the man that had been sent into Acla at night, and Arguello,
- ↑ Francisco Garavita, the former friend of Vasco Nuñez, appears to have poisoned the mind of Pedrarias against his intended son-in-law, by telling that irritable old man that there was an intention to throw off his authority, and to sail away with the vessels on independent discovery. Las Casas says that Garavita's motive for this treason to his friend was that both loved the beautiful daughter of the cacique Careta. This induced the truculent and suspicious old governor to come to Acla with his officials, and there he heard the story of the eaves-dropping sentry. He then wrote a letter to Vasco Nuñez, requesting him to return to Acla, to confer with him on business, intending to get him into his power, and find some excuse for putting him out of the way.
- ↑ A Venetian astrologer, named Codro, had once told Vasco Nuñez that in the year in which he should see a certain star in a certain part of the heavens, he would run great risk of his life. One evening, just before he received the summons from Pedrarias, he saw the fatal star in the quarter indicated by the astrologer, and laughed at his prediction, for the great discoverer deemed himself to be on the high road to fortune, with four ships and three hundred men ready to navigate the South Sea. Vasco Nuñez, quite unsuspicious of any treachery, set out at once to obey the summons of Pedrarias, and was arrested on the road by his old companion in arms—Francisco Pizarro. The great discoverer exclaimed, "What is this, Francisco? You were not wont to come out in this fashion to receive me." He was put into confinement, and the licentiate
