On September 1, 1513, Balboa set of from Antigua with a force of 190 hand picked men, including Francisco Pizarro, and about 1,000 natives and a pack of dogs. in search of this sea. They set off by sea, landing in the country ruled by the cacique, Careta. Leaving his brigantines and canoes there, they set out on the 6th of September, from the north coast of Panama, on their march to the Pacific. The trip went overland through the very dense rainforests. On the way, he made friends with Ponca, and obtained some gold, and information on the best routes to take. Ponca, also gave him some good guided. The next Cacique he encountered was Porque. Porque was the ruler of the village of Quarequá, and the enemy of Ponca. he offered some resistance, but the Spaniards muskets, dogs and Indian allies quickly defeated the 1,000 warriors that Porque commanded. The chieftain and 600 of his warriors were killed and the rest taken as prisoners. The found much gold on the bodies of the dead Indians and took all the prisoners had. This all took place on the 24th of September. At this point, all of Ponca's guides were sent home, and the prisoners were pressed into service.
The next day, they continued their march. They soon came upon a mountain, that the guides told him, he would be able to see the ocean that he was searching for, from its summit. The next day, at 10:00 AM, he climbed to the top, alone. From there, he could see the South Sea, which made him the first European to see it. He then fell on his knees to thank God. He then signaled his men to come up. His men than rushed up the mountain, and they all prayed and thanked God. Balboa, in the prescribed form, took possession of the sea itself, and lands that lay in it, or whose shores it washed, for the crown of Castile. A notary recorded the event, and wrote down the names of all the Spaniards present.
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