Introduction

Vasco Núñez de Balboa is most famous for being the first European to see the Pacific Ocean. He led quite the fascinating life and his journeys and exploits are quite the captivating tale. Good exploration in the new world in the 15th and 16th century was a slow process. In 1493 on his second voyage to the Caribbean, Columbus brought with him Rodrigo de Bastidas,. A well-to-do notary from Tiana, Spain, which is near Seville. Bastidas apparently got the exploration bug because he applied for and received royal permission to explore the emerging new world. It's important to know that you could not just go exploring without permission from Spanish