by the indigenous town of Jalteba, and León in the centre of the native province of Imabite. There are no direct accounts of the expedition that founded these first Spanish towns; such accounts would have taken the form of letters sent to Pedrarias Dávila in Panama, where they were lost. It is known that the natives put up some resistance, but not how many battles were fought, nor where, nor who led indigenous resistance against the Spanish. Hernández is likely to have followed Gil González Dávila's route from the Gulf of Nicoya to the territory of the Nicarao. The expedition carried parts for a small brigantine, which the Spanish assembled on the shores of Lake Nicaragua. The brigantine explored the lake, and found that it did indeed flow out to the Caribbean via a river, but that the river was too rocky to be navigable, with several waterfalls blocking progress. Nonetheless, the explorers were able to confirm the river's course, and that the land was heavily populated by indigenous groups, and that the terrain was forested. The party sent by Hernández continued overland for 80 leagues (approximately ) before turning back. Hernández divided his forces into three groups; one division remained under his direct command, one placed under the command of Hernando de Soto, and the other under the command of Francisco de la Puente. By 1 May 1524, Hernández had advanced as far west as Tezoatega (now known as El Viejo, in the department of Chinandega). Around this time, the natives of the Cordillera de los Maribios mountains, about 5 leagues from León (about ), killed a large number of indigenous men and women, dressed themselves in their skins and met the Spanish in battle, but were routed. By the beginning of August, Hernández was in the vicinity of León, passing through the native provinces of Imabite and Diriondo. It is likely that León was not actually founded until after this, but before April 1525, when Hernández sent a letter to Pedrarias Dávila, having already founded León and Granada. Undocumented indigenous resistance is supported by Spanish records showing that as early as 1524, prisoners of war were being shipped to Panama as slaves. Dispute with Honduras, 1524–1525 While establishing a Spanish presence in Nicaragua, Hernández de Córdoba received news of a new Spanish presence to the north. Gil González Dávila had arrived in the Olancho Valley (within the modern