PARLEY DESCRIBES THE TREES, PLANTS, AND FLOWERS OF THE NEW WORLD.
When once the way had been pointed out, it was easy for other navigators
to follow, and accordingly many Spaniards undertook voyages of further
discovery.
Among others, Yanez Pinzon, one of the brave companions of Columbus,
undertook a voyage to the new world in 1499.
This navigator suffered much from storms, and having sailed southward,
he crossed the equator and lost sight of the polar star.
The sailors were exceedingly alarmed at this circumstance, as the polar
star was relied upon by them as one of their surest guides; not knowing
the shape of the earth, they thought that some prominence hid this star
from their view.
The first land that Pinzon discovered, after crossing the line, was Cape
St. Augustine, in eight degrees south latitude, the most projecting part
of the extensive country of Brazil.
As the fierceness of the natives made it unsafe to land on this coast,
he continued his voyage to the north-west, and fell in with the mighty
river Amazon, which is nearly under the equinoctial line.
The mouth of this river is more than thirty leagues in breadth, and its
waters enter more than forty leagues into the ocean without losing its
freshness.
He now recrossed the line, and coming again in sight of the polar star,
he pursued his course along the coast, passed the mouth of the Oronoko,
and entered the Gulph of Paria, after which he returned to Spain.
Ojeda also undertook a voyage expressly to found a settlement; but as
the character of the Spaniards was now well known to the inhabitants of
these parts, they determined to oppose their landing, and being a
numerous and warlike people, Ojeda nearly lost his life in the attempt.
Many of his companions were slain; the survivors, however, succeeding in
making good their retreat on board the ships.
Shortly afterwards he landed on the eastern side of the Gulph of Darien,
and built a fortress which they called San Sebastian.
Ojeda had with him in this expedition Francisco Pizarro, about whom I
shall have to tell you something more presently.
About the same time another Spaniard, of the name of Nicuessa, formed a
settlement on that part of the coast, and built a fortress there, which
he called Nombre de Dios, not very distant from the harbour of
Portobello.
Thus, by degrees, the whole coast of America, on the side of the
Atlantic, was discovered and explored.
But the Spaniards did not know that in the part where they were, it was
only a narrow neck of land (which you know is called an Isthmus) that
separated them from another vast ocean; and this, when they discovered
the ocean on the other side, was called the Isthmus of Darien.
I will now give you a short account of the discovery of this ocean.
Nothing having been heard of Ojeda and his new colony of San Sebastian,
another expedition, commanded by Enciso, set sail in search of them.
Among the ship's company was a man, by name Vasco Ninez de Balboa, who,
although of a rich family, had, by his bad habits, not only become very
poor, but also very much in debt.
To avoid being thrown into prison for the debts that he owed, he
contrived to get on board Enciso's ship, concealed in a cask, which was
taken on board the vessel as a cask of provisions.
When the ship was far from St. Domingo, Balboa came out from his cask to
the astonishment of all on board.
Enciso at first was angry at the way he had escaped from the punishment
which his bad conduct had deserved; yet, as he thought that he might be
of service to him, he pardoned him.
The settlement of St. Sebastian, however, had been broken up, the
Spaniards having suffered much from the repeated attacks of the natives,
who would no longer patiently submit to their unjust treatment.
Soon after Enciso arrived at Carthagena he was joined by Pizarro, with
the wretched remains of the colony; he determined nevertheless, to
continue his voyage to the settlement.
Upon his arrival there he found Pizarro's account was too true, for
where St. Sebastian had stood, nothing was to be seen but a heap of
ruins.
Here misfortune followed misfortune, his own ship was wrecked and then
he was attacked by the natives.
In despair at these disasters Enciso was at a loss what to do, or where
to go, when Balboa advised him to continue his course along the coast in
Pizarro's little vessel.
He stated that he had once before been on an expedition in this same
gulf, and on the western side he well remembered an Indian village, on
the banks of a river, called by the natives Darien.
Enciso pleased with Balboa's advice, resolved to take possession of this
village, and to drive out all the Indians.
Arrived at the river, he landed his men, and, without giving the
unfortunate people of the village any notice, he attacked them, killed
several, drove the rest out, and robbed them of all their possessions.
He then made the village the chief place of his new government, and
called it Santa Maria del Darien. Balboa assisted in this work of
cruelty and injustice.
The Spaniards had not been long here when they became tired with Enciso,
and they refused to obey him, and sent him off in a ship to Spain. Upon
his departure, Balboa took the command.
In one of his expeditions into the interior parts of the country in
search of gold, he first heard of a sea to the west, as yet unknown to
Europeans.
He had received a large quantity of gold from an Indian cazique, or
chief, and was weighing it into shares for the purpose of dividing it
among his men when a quarrel arose as to the exactness of the weight.
One of the sons of the Indian cazique was present, and he felt so
disgusted at the sordid behaviour of the Spaniards that he struck the
scales with his fist and scattered the glittering gold about the place.
[Illustration]
Before the Spaniards could recover from their astonishment at this
sudden act, he said to them, "why should you quarrel for such a trifle?
If you really esteem gold to be so precious as to abandon your homes,
and come and seize the lands and dwellings of others for the sake of it,
I can tell you of a land not far distant where you may find it in
plenty."
"Beyond those lofty mountains," he continued, pointing to the south,
"lies a mighty sea, all the streams that flow into which down the
southern side of those mountains, abound in gold, and all the utensils
the people have, are made of gold."
Balboa was struck with this account of the young Indian, and eagerly
inquired the best way of penetrating to this sea, and this land of gold.
The young Indian warned him of the dangers he would meet with from the
fierce race of Indians inhabiting these mountains, who were cannibals,
or eaters of human flesh, but Balboa was not to be deterred by accounts
of difficulties and dangers.
He was, besides, desirous of getting possession of the gold, and of
obtaining, by the merits of the discovery, the pardon of the King of
Spain, for taking from Enciso the command of the settlement.
He resolved, therefore, to penetrate to this sea, and immediately began
to make preparations for the journey.
He first sent to Hispaniola for an additional number of soldiers, to
assist him in the perilous adventure, but instead of receiving these,
the only news that reached him by the return of his messengers was, that
he would most probably have the command of Darien taken from him, and be
punished for assisting to dispossess Enciso.
This news made him determine no longer to delay his departure. All the
men he could muster for the expedition amounted only to one hundred and
ninety; but these were hardy and resolute, and much attached to him. He
armed them with swords and targets; cross-bows and arquebusses; besides
this little band, Balboa took with him a few of the Indians of Darien
whom he had won by kindness, to serve him.
On the 1st of September, 1513, Balboa set out from Darien, first to the
residence of the Indian cazique, from whose son he first heard of the
sea.
From this chief he obtained the assistance of guides and some warriors,
and with this force he prepared to penetrate the wilderness before him.
It was on the 6th of September that he began his march for the mountains
which separated him from the great Pacific Ocean, he set out with a
resolution to endure patiently all the miseries, and to combat boldly
all the difficulties that he might meet with, and he contrived to rouse
the same determination in his followers.
Their journey was through a broken rocky country covered with forest
trees and underwood, so thick and close as to be quite matted together
and every here and there deep foaming streams, some of which they were
forced to cross on rafts.
So wearisome was the journey, that in four days they had not advanced
more than ten leagues, and they began to suffer much from hunger.
They had now arrived in the province of a warlike tribe of Indians who,
instead of flying and hiding themselves, came forth to the attack. They
set upon the Spaniards with furious yells, thinking to overpower them at
once. They were armed with bows and arrows, and clubs made of palm-wood
almost as hard as iron. But the first shock of the report from the
fire-arms of the Spaniards struck them with terror. They took to flight,
but were closely pursued by the Spaniards with their blood-hounds. The
Cazique and six hundred of his people were left dead upon the field of
battle.
After the battle the Spaniards entered the adjoining village, which was
at the foot of the last mountain that remained to be climbed; this
village they robbed of every thing valuable. There was much gold and
many jewels.
Balboa shared the booty among his band of followers. But this victory
was not gained without some loss on the side of the Spaniards.
Balboa found that several of his men had been wounded by the arrows of
the Indians, and many also, overcome with fatigue, had fallen sick,
these he was obliged to leave in the village, while he ascended the
mountain.
At the cool and fresh hour of day-break he assembled his scanty band,
and began to climb the height, wishing to reach the top before the heat
of noon.
About ten o'clock they came out from the thick forest through which they
had been struggling ever since day-break: the change from the closeness
of the woods to the pleasant breeze from the mountain, was delightful.
But they were still further encouraged. "From that spot" exclaimed one
of the Indian guides, pointing to the height above them "may be seen the
great sea of which you are in search."
When Balboa heard this, he commanded his men to halt, and forbade any
one to stir from his place. He was resolved to be the first European who
should look upon that sea, which he had been the first to discover.
Accordingly he ascended the mountain height alone, and when he reached
the summit he beheld the wide sea glittering in the morning sun.
Balboa called to his little troop to ascend the height and look upon the
glorious prospect; and they joined him without delay.
"Behold, my friends," said he, "the reward of all our toils, a sight
upon which the eye of Spaniard never rested before."
He now took possession of the sea-coast and the surrounding country in
the name of the king of Spain.
He then had a tree cut down, and made into the form of a cross, and
planted it on the spot from which he had first beheld the sea. He also
made a mound by heaping up large stones upon which he carved the names
of the king of Spain.
The Indians saw all this done, and while they helped to pile the stones
and set up the cross, they little thought that they were assisting to
deprive themselves of their homes and their country.
You remember the noble reproof of Canute in the "History of England," to
his flatterers, when they assured him that even the waves of the sea
would obey him: but this arrogant and weak minded Spaniard waded into
the waves of the great Pacific Ocean, up to his knees, and absurdly took
possession of it in the name of the Spanish monarch.
[Illustration]
Balboa was some time employed in fighting with the Indian tribes that
inhabited the sea-coast, and in hunting them with blood-hounds.
He soon made these helpless people submit. From them he got some
further accounts of the rich country which the Indian prince had
mentioned, and which proved afterwards to be Peru.
He now quitted the shores of the Pacific Ocean on his return across the
mountains of Darien. His route homewards was different from that which
he had before pursued, and the sufferings of his troops much greater.
Often they could find no water, the heat having dried up the pools and
brooks. Many died from thirst, and those who survived, although loaded
with gold, were exhausted for want of food; for the poor Indians brought
gold and jewels, instead of food, as peace offerings to the Spaniards.
At length, after much slaughter of the Indians that dwelt in the
mountains, and burning of the villages, Balboa and his troops arrived at
Darien; having robbed the Indians of all the gold and silver they could
find. The Spaniards at Darien received with great delight and praise the
news of his success and discovery--a discovery gained at the expense of
much unnecessary cruelty and injustice.
He now despatched a ship to Spain, with the news of his discovery, and
by it he sent part of the gold he had carried off from the different
Indian tribes.
A few days before this ship reached Spain a new governor had been sent
out, by name Padrarias Davila, to take Balboa's place, and with orders
to punish Balboa for his conduct to Enciso.
But when he arrived at Darien, and saw how much the discoverer of the
Pacific was beloved by all the Spaniards of the settlement he hesitated
through fear, and finally resolved to defer the execution of the orders
which he had brought with him.
Davila permitted Balboa to depart from Darien for the purpose of
building brigantines with a view to navigate and explore the Pacific
Ocean. Three years had elapsed since he discovered this ocean, and with
joy he now prepared to build the ships which were to be the first
belonging to Europeans to sail upon it.
Balboa having overcome all his difficulties, had the satisfaction of
seeing two brigantines finished and floating on a river which they
called the Balsas.
As soon as they had been made ready for sea, he embarked with some of
his followers, and sailing down the river, was the first to launch into
the ocean that he had been the first to discover. But his death was now
about to put a stop to his further discoveries.
The new governor, Davila, who was a bad and cruel man, and envious of
Balboa, on account of the discoveries he had made, had long resolved to
put him to death.
The time having, as he thought, arrived, which was favourable for his
villanous design, he sent for Balboa to return, and on his arrival he
had him seized by one of his early friends and followers, Franciso
Pizarro, and then, after throwing him into prison, he ordered him to be
put to death by having his head cut off.
This unjust sentence was executed, and Balboa, after a mock trial, was
publicly beheaded, in the 48th year of his age.