With this license in his pocket, Ojeda had now to find the means of turning it to account. He had a high reputation for courage and conduct; but he was destitute of wealth. This element, however, was supplied by some merchants of Seville, who had so much faith in him that they believed he would soon find the means of enriching them as well as himself. With their assistance he was soon enabled to equip a squadron of four vessels, with which he set sail from St. Mary’s, near Cadiz. He had on board several seamen who had accompanied Columbus to _Paria_, for which coast Ojeda shaped his course. But the man on whom he chiefly relied was Juan de la Cosa, who had sailed with Columbus on his second voyage, and who was one of the ablest mariners of the day. Ojeda had likewise with him Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine merchant, then established at Seville, whose fame arose, not from any part which he took in this expedition, but from his published narratives and from his subsequent voyages to another part of the South American continent. Ojeda and his companions, who sailed from St. Mary’s on the 20th of May 1499, were guided by the charts which the admiral had sent home. Touching at the _Canaries_, they followed the route of Columbus, and at the end of twenty-four days reached the New World, about two hundred leagues further south than the point where the admiral had landed, being somewhat near _Surinam_. Thence Ojeda coasted northwards, passing the mouths of many rivers, more especially the _Orinoco_. The first natives they beheld were at _Trinidad_, the people of which are described in the letters of Vespucci.[C] After touching at several points of _Trinidad_ and of the Gulf of _Paria_, Ojeda passed through the _Boca del Drago_, and then steered his course to the westward along the coast of _Paria_, until he arrived at _Cumana_ or the Gulf of Pearls. Thence he stood for the opposite island of _Margarita_, which had been discovered by Columbus. This island and others adjacent were now explored; after which Ojeda returned to the mainland. At _Maracapana_ he careened his vessels and built a small brigantine. The natives were friendly, and brought him abundance of provisions, in return for which they besought Ojeda to assist them in an expedition against the inhabitants of an island, who were wont to carry off their people to be eaten.