“Last year, (1540,) I met in the city of Santo Domingo the pilot Pedro Cora, who was one of those who had accompanied Estete in his trip to Voto, and had seen both the country and the dubious lake. He told me that he had come from New Castile, under the government of Francisco Pizarro, and that he had met at the port of Nombre de Dios some old friends whom he had known in the province of Nicaragua, and who had built a felouque and brigantine on the shores of the great lake of Nicaragua, called _Cocibolca_ in the language of the country. With them was a man named Diego Machuca, with whom I have been well acquainted, and who had been commandant of the country of the Cazique Tenderi, and of the country around the lake of Masaya. After having spent some thousands of dollars in building and arming these vessels at their own expense, they embarked with the intention of exploring these lakes thoroughly, or of perishing in the attempt. Captain Diego Machuca advanced by land, at the head of two hundred men, taking the same course with the boats, which were accompanied by some canoes. They, in course of time, arrived at the spot where the waters of these lakes appeared to flow into the North Sea. As they knew not where they were, they followed the sea coast in an eastern direction, and finally arrived at the port of Nombre de Dios, where this pilot met them. He conversed, ate, and drank often with those who had thus passed out of these lakes into the sea. He also told me that Doctor Robles held these men as prisoners, because he himself wished to found a colony at the outlet of these lakes, and thus profit by the labor of another, as is the custom with these men of letters, for the use that they make of their wisdom is rather to rob than to render justice; and this was true of this man more than of others, for he was not only a _licenciado_, or _bachelor_, but a _doctor_, the highest grade of science, and has therefore shown himself the greatest tyrant! For this reason, his employment has been taken away from him. Besides, if he had undertaken to found a colony at this outlet, he would have met there Captain Machuca, who would not have consented to have thus lost his time, money, and trouble; the old soldier would have proved himself too sharp for the wise lawyer. I asked the pilot, at what point on the coast these lakes emptied into the ocean, but he replied that he was not at liberty to tell. I believe that he wished to conceal it from me himself, and that it was on this business he was going to Spain, on behalf of those who made the discovery. I believe this place to be about one hundred leagues west of Nombre de Dios,[15] and if I obtain any new information on this matter, I will put it in the concluding chapters of this book. ----- Footnote 15: This estimate was very accurate; the actual distance is but about two hundred and fifty miles in a right line.