_The Sighting of the Pacific_
With his wild crew Balboa sailed from Santa Maria up the coast to Coyba,
where he left half his men to guard the brigantine and canoes, and
started out, after offering up fervent prayers to God to grant him
success in his mission. Through a country which might have caused dismay
to the boldest of adventurers, struggling through pathless bush which
seemed almost impenetrable, over steep rocks with the sun blazing down
upon them, encumbered with their heavy armour, and with supplies for
only two days, they pushed their way, until they reached a forsaken
Indian village, where almost overcome by their exertions they were
compelled to rest for a time. Many of the band had fallen sick, and
after recovering somewhat, were compelled to return to the boats. Fresh
guides had to be procured who knew the country through which they were
now to pass, and on the twentieth of September, 1513, they started off
again through a country covered with a dense growth of forest, streams
and water-courses often barring their path.
So slow was their progress that it took four days to go ten leagues.
Hunger and thirst consumed them, but they kept on, until they arrived in
the province of a warlike cacique who contested their progress. But when
the Indians found their companions falling around them, shot down by the
fire-arms of the invaders, they were terrified. Guns were new to them;
in their ignorance they looked upon them as strange demons who threw out
fire and thunder, and when the dogs were loosened on them they turned
and fled. Many were overtaken and torn to pieces by the half-famished
hounds, others were cut down by the sword, till over six hundred lay
dead upon the field.
The conquerors marched into the village and gathered their spoil, gold
and jewels, rested themselves from fatigue and tended
[Illustration: POTTERY FROM THE GRAVES IN CHIRIQUE.]
their wounded. The village lay at the foot of a high mountain, and on
the following morning, conducted by guides selected from among the
prisoners, Balboa leaving his wounded behind him, started the ascent,
with his remaining followers. When they had nearly reached the summit
the leader gave orders to his men to halt, and forbade any man to stir.
Then all alone he climbed and reached the topmost peak, from whence he
was able to discern the ocean he had passed through such trials to
behold. Often during the long and tedious journey doubts must have
passed through his mind regarding the existence of the sea now lying in
front of him, but all the strange tales and rumours which for years had
been whispered amongst mariners were, after all, true, and he was the
first European to know it! This bold adventurer, accustomed to bloodshed
and wild disaster, knelt down and gave thanks to God for having
privileged him to make this great discovery. Then, calling his men to
ascend and share his vision, he addressed them. “Behold, my friends,
that glorious sight which we have so much desired. Let us give thanks to
God that He has granted us this great honour and advantage. Let us pray
to Him to guide us and aid us to conquer the sea and land which we have
discovered, and which Christian has never entered to preach the holy
doctrine of the evangelists. As to yourselves, be, as you have hitherto
been, faithful and true to me, and, by the favour of Christ, you will
become the richest Spaniards that have ever come to the Indies. You will
render the greatest services to your King that ever vassal rendered to
his lord, and you will have the eternal glory and advantage of all that
is here discovered, conquered, and converted to our Holy Catholic
Faith.”
This perfervid utterance, the incongruity of which strikes us to-day as
almost blasphemous, aroused enthusiasm in his followers, who swore to
stand by their intrepid leader and follow him to the death in pursuit of
their new prospects. They all knelt down, and led by de Vara the priest,
who accompanied them, lustily chanted the “_Te Deum_.” Speculation ran
high as to the possibilities that lay before them, but they were all
convinced that they were at length on the right road to become
possessors of the riches of the Indies. Summoning the notary of the
expedition, Balboa called all present to witness that he took possession
of all the sea, its islands and surrounding hills, in the name of the
Sovereigns of Castile, and had a deed prepared to that effect, which
those of his followers who were present signed. The curious ceremonies
of piety and plunder were not completed until a tree had been cut down,
formed into a cross, and erected on the spot from which Balboa had first
viewed the ocean, the names of Ferdinand and Isabella being roughly
carved on the trees surrounding the spot. The band then made their way
down the hillside, and after massacring another tribe of hostile
Indians, and forcing into their service fresh guides, they came to the
domain of the warlike cacique, named Choapes, who, after a short
resistance, was induced by the arguments of fire-arms and bloodhounds to
submit. It is recorded that Balboa, doubtless softened by his religious
exercises on the mountain, enjoined his followers to refrain from
needless slaughter.
Meanwhile, Balboa sent out scouting parties to discover the best route
to the coast, and when the successful one returned, they related how
they had reached the ocean and found canoes, into one of which Alonzo
Martin had stepped, calling on his companions to bear witness that he
was the first European to embark on the newly discovered sea.
Balboa and his men went forward, and on coming to the border of a great
bay gave it the name of San Miguel. As the tide was far out, they waited
under the shade of the trees until it should flow in. When it did Balboa
arose, and, taking a banner on which were painted the arms of Castile
and Leon, he, with his sword drawn, waded into the water until it was
above his knees, and in a loud voice took possession, in the names of
Don Ferdinand and Donna Isabella, of all the seas and lands and coasts
and ports and islands of the South, kingdoms and provinces, and, in
fact, everything he could think of naming.
[Illustration: THE PACIFIC, FROM A PEAK IN DARIEN.]
The exaggerated accounts which reached Spain of the wealth and riches of
the new colony, of the gold which was to be found lying on the surface
of the ground or taken from the rivers in nets, inspired Ferdinand with
such enthusiastic pride in his new possessions that he christened them
“Golden Castile.” Santa Maria was honoured by being made the capital
city, and a bishop was appointed and sent out with all the necessary
equipment of friars and other ecclesiastical paraphernalia.
A new Governor was sent out in the person of Don Pedrarias Davilla, with
a magnificently furnished expedition to fittingly equip the new capital
with all the pomp and pageantry so dear to the Spanish heart. Many
youthful caballeros of high descent but low in funds were allured by the
prospects of the new land, and flocked to join the expedition in such
numbers that only the most favoured and influential could obtain a
passage.
Hardly had this magnificent fleet set sail when news arrived of Balboa’s
latest discovery, and the revulsion of feeling in his favour would have
prevented the King giving such high powers to Pedrarias had the tidings
only reached him in time. On the arrival of the new Governor at Santa
Maria he was met by Balboa, who had returned from the Pacific shores,
with every courtesy, and entertained in the palm-thatched habitation
which served the latter as a palace.
Pedrarias contrived to hide behind a mask of friendship his real
intentions regarding the new province, and through dissimulation gained
as complete a knowledge as possible of all things pertaining to the
country and the discoveries of Balboa, who, off his guard, was anxious
enough to put the new Governor in possession of all the information he
had gathered. But no sooner did Pedrarias feel that he had no more to
learn from the pioneer of the Isthmian route than his attitude
completely changed, and he ordered a judicial inquiry into the previous
conduct of Balboa. The result of the trial was the acquittal of the
accused, much to the chagrin of the new Governor, who from the first
seems to have been determined to get rid at all costs of the man who, he
felt, overshadowed and threatened his prospects in the colony.
Later news which came from the court of Spain, announced Balboa’s
promotion to be Governor of the South Seas and the Province of Panama,
and Pedrarias, fearful lest Balboa’s influence and popularity should
again place him in the ascendancy, and in order to keep a hold over him
and join their interests, proposed an alliance between his daughter and
the Adelantado; the marriage settlements were drawn up, but before the
young lady could arrive from Spain events happened which prevented the
union.
The interest of Balboa having been secured to him, Pedrarias was now
willing and anxious that further discoveries should be added to the
already formidable list, and that more treasure should flow into the
insatiable coffers of Spain, and to this end he permitted and assisted
Balboa to fit out a new expedition to make further discoveries in the
South Seas.
Acla, established and built by Balboa as a settlement near Careta,
[Illustration: HUTS NEAR THE ANCIENT CITY OF PANAMA.]
was now fixed upon as the port best adapted as a starting-point for this
expedition, one of the boldest and most considerable yet attempted by
the Spaniards in Terra Firma. The plan was to carry from this port all
necessary materials for the building of four brigantines upon the
Pacific shore. The transporting of stores and materials over a country
which, when traversed previously by Balboa, unencumbered with
superfluous baggage, had presented serious enough difficulties, was a
task of almost overwhelming magnitude; yet these hardy Spaniards under
the leadership of the intrepid Balboa accomplished it. They were
assisted by the more friendly Indians and negroes, but many lives were
lost ere the first two brigantines were successfully launched on the
River Balsas, which flows into the Pacific.
Their first cruise was to the Pearl Islands, and but for contrary winds,
the discovery of Peru might have been added to the list of Balboa’s
achievements, but he was anxious to complete the building of the other
two brigantines which he had provided material for, and returned to
proceed with the work. Whilst busy upon it, he heard rumours that a new
Governor was expected to arrive from Spain, to displace Pedrarias, and
apprehensive lest a new ruler should be opposed to the schemes he had in
hand, he sent a trusted messenger back to Acla, to watch events and
report, but was very unfortunate in selecting Garabito, upon whose
loyalty he relied, but who ultimately betrayed him.
On his arrival at Acla, Garabito, learning that Pedrarias was still in
command at Santa Maria, was indiscreet enough to arouse the suspicions
of the colonists, who arrested him, and sent all his papers and letters
to the Governor, whilst, under threats of punishment, they obtained from
him a confession of the secret of his mission.
The antipathy and distrust of Pedrarias were deepened by the slanders he
was only too willing to believe, and he ordered the absent Adelantado
back to Acla, ostensibly to talk over the new expedition, but really to
stand his trial. Balboa, on his arrival, was cast into prison, where he
was visited by Pedrarias, who, with characteristic dissimulation, avowed
friendship, and said that the proceedings which he had instigated were
merely formal and necessary to clear Balboa’s character of the slanders
and charges which had been brought against it.
The charge made was that of treasonable conspiracy to cast off all
allegiance to the Crown, under a determination to sail, operate, and
trade in the South Seas entirely for private benefit. The evidence
rested largely on the testimony of the traitorous Garabito, and
eavesdroppers, who stated that they had overheard Balboa and his
officers planning to sail on their own account and ignore the authority
of the Governor. In vain Balboa indignantly pointed out the flimsiness
of the accusation, maintaining that, were there the slightest truth in
the charges made, it was very unlikely he would have returned and put
himself in the power of the Governor, when he could easily have sailed
away in the ships he now had on the Pacific and found a land or island
to supply him and his men with safe subsistence, far away from the
chances of interference from the power it was alleged he was anxious to
cast off.
The trial dragged along for many days, and the verdict of guilty was
accompanied by a recommendation to mercy, on account of the prisoner’s
great services, while the hope was expressed that permission would be
granted to him to appeal to a higher tribunal in Spain.
Pedrarias, glad of the opportunity of clearing from his path a man of
whom he was inordinately jealous, would listen to no entreaties from the
many advocates of the claims of the prisoner to consideration, and the
day following the verdict Balboa, with three of his principal officers,
preceded by the public crier, walked in chains to meet his fate at the
block erected in the Public Square; and for days afterwards his gory
head, stuck on the end of a pole, met the gaze of the sorrowing
inhabitants of the town of Acla.
Pedrarias soon found out the futility of attempting to maintain a
prosperous colony at Santa Maria, for the implacable hostility of the
Indians and the depredations in his ranks by sickness, combined with the
disappointment of his expectations of finding the treasure he sought,
drove him to shift his headquarters to a more advantageous spot.
Having got rid of the Governor of Panama, in the person of Balboa, he
proceeded to establish himself within that territory, and fixing a site
upon the bay in which are situated the Pearl Islands, he there founded a
city to which he gave the name of Panama, and thither he transferred the
seat of government, so that it became the capital of Terra Firma.
[Illustration]