Balboa's First Expedition

Every expedition that was made had to be approved by the endless underlings of the King. In the year of 1500 in June Rodrigo de Bastidas was granted a license to explore the coast of South American mainland, called the Venezuela. I immediately signed on the expedition as an escudero. During Bastidas' expedition we were allowed to explore wherever we desired as long as there  was not another explorer was there. We had to make sure that a quinto of what was traded with the natives was sent to the King. We set sail to the New World in early 1501. There were around fifty men including Bastidas partner, Juan de la Cosa, there were also a couple of women on the nao. We arrived in the New World on an island but Bastidas felt it held little fortune, so we quickly set sail once again.