This first tentative expedition made landfall at the Gulf of Nicoya, but did not establish a Spanish presence; they were met by a great number of native canoes carrying warriors, with more warriors amassed on the shore making a great display of force. Seeing that there would be fierce opposition, the ships turned back to Panama. The Spanish managed to capture three or four natives, who were taken back with them to learn Spanish and be used as interpreters. Departure of Andrés Niño and Gil González Dávila The Spanish Crown issued a license to explore the Pacific coast to Gil González Dávila and Andrés Niño in Zaragoza in October 1518; they set out from Spain in September 1519. Although the Crown had issued them permission to use Balboa's two ships still anchored on the Pacific coast of Panama, Pedrarias Dávila opposed their taking possession, arguing that they were not Balboa's exclusive property. González Dávila and Niño therefore built their own ships on the Pearl Islands. On 21 January 1522, with the approval of Pedrarias Dávila, who was governor of Castilla de Oro (modern Panama), they travelled northwest across Costa Rica and the Isthmus of Rivas into southwestern Nicaragua. The expedition advanced slowly westwards, only reaching southeastern Costa Rica in October or November 1522. Due to damage sustained by their ships, and spoiled water, they decided to split up. Andrés Niño repaired the ships and scouted the coast, while Gil González penetrated inland with 100 Spaniards and 400 native auxiliaries. They met up at the Gulf of Nicoya, where Juan de Castañeda and Hernán Ponce de León had made landfall, at what is now the port of Caldera, in Costa Rica. Here they noticed that the natives had cultural traits more in common with the inhabitants of the Yucatán Peninsula. By this time, González was weakened by sickness, and wished to continue by sea, but his men demanded he continue the march with them. They used one of the ships to cross to the western shore of the Gulf of Nicoya, where they were received enthusiastically by the natives. He pushed on overland, with 100 Spaniards and 4 horses. Exploration of the Pacific coast While Gil González Dávila marched overland with his troops, Andrés Niño left two of his ships behind and sailed onwards with the remaining two. On 27 February 1523, Niño put to shore at El Realejo, where Captain