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tinued their march. Though their guide had told them it was but six days' journey across the isthmus, yet when they had been twenty-five days in forcing their way through the woods, many of them were ready to sink under the fatigues they had undergone, and all began to be impatient to reach the period of their sufferings: at length the Indians assured them that from the top of the next mountain they could discover the ocean which was the object of their wishes.

282. When they had, with infinite toil, ascended the greater part of that steep ascent, Balboa commanded his men to halt, and he alone advanced to the summit, that he might be the first to behold a spectacle which he had so long been in quest of. As soon as he beheld the South Sea stretching in endless prospect below him, he fell on his knees, and lifting up his eyes to Heaven, returned thanks to God, who had conducted him to a discovery so beneficial to his country, and so honorable to himself. His followers, observing his transports, rushed forward to join in his wonder, exultation, and gratitude.

283. They descended with alacrity to the shore, and Balboa advancing up to his middle in the waves, with his buckler and sword, took possession of that ocean in the name of the king his master, and vowed to defend it against all his enemies. That part of the great Pacific or Southern ocean which Balboa first discovered, still retains the name of the gulf of St. Michael, which he gave it: it is situated to the east of Pa

nama.

284. From several of the petty princes, who governed in districts adjacent to that gulf, Balboa levied provisions and gold, by force of arms. Others supplied him voluntarily. To these acceptable presents some of the caziques added some valuable pearls; and he learned from them that pearl oysters abounded in the ocean he had discovered. The people on the coast of the South Sea concurred in informing him that there was a mighty and wealthy kingdom situated eastwardly, the inhabitants of which made use of tame animals to carry their burdens. They drew upon the sand the figure of the lamas, or sheep which the Peruvians had taught to perform such services as they described.

285. Balboa led his followers back by a different route, that he might acquire a better knowledge of the isthmus. This route he found no less dangerous and difficult than that which he had already taken; but, elated with success, he surmounted every difficulty, and returned to Santa Maria in safety.

236. In this expedition, none of Balboa's officers distin

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guished themselves more than Francis Pizarro, in opening a communication with those countries, in which he afterwards acted such an illustrious part. The first care of Balboa was to send information to Spain of the discovery he had made, and to demand a reinforcement of a thousand men to attempt the conquest of that opulent country, concerning which he had received such inviting intelligence from the Indian natives.

287. The first account of the discovery of the New World did not excite greater sensations of joy than that of a passage being at last discovered to the great Southern ocean; through which a passage to the East Indies, by a line westward of the line of demarcation drawn by the pope, seemed almost certain. Ferdinand now expected to come in for a share of the vast wealth that flowed into Portugal; his eagerness to obtain it made him willing to make greater efforts than Balboa required. But his jealous disposition, and the fatal antipathy of Fonseca, now bishop of Burgos, to every man of merit, who distin guished himself in the New World, were conspicuous.

288. Notwithstanding the merit and recent services of Balboa, Ferdinand was so ungenerous as to overlook them, and appointed Pedrarias Davila governor of Darien. He gave him the command of fifteen large vessels, and twelve hundred soldiers; these were fitted out with a liberality, at the public expense, which Ferdinand had never displayed in any former armament, destined for the New World: and such was the ardor of the Spanish gentlemen to embark for a country where, as fame reported, they had only to cast their nets into the sea and draw out gold, that fifteen hundred persons accompanied Pedrarias; many more would have engaged in the expedition, had they been permitted.

289. Pedrarias arrived at the gulf of Darien without any remarkable accident, and immediately sent some of his principal officers on shore to inform Balboa of his arrival, with the king's commission to be governor of the colony. Balboa received them with dignity. The fame of his discoveries had drawn so many adventurers from the islands, that he could muster four hundred and fifty men; with these hardy veterans, who murmured at the injustice of the king in superseding their governor, Balboa was able to have defeated the forces Pedrarias brought with him; but he submitted with implicit obedience to the commands of his sovereign, and received Pedrarias with all the deference due to his character.

290. The moderation of Balboa, to which Pedrarias owed the peaceable possession of his government, did not screen him

from the envy his merit had excited in the breast of the new governor. Pedrarias ordered a judicial inquiry to be made into his conduct, and imposed a considerable fine upon him for certain irregularities he had committed. Balboa felt this mortification sensibly, in a place where he had held the chief command. Pedrarias could not conceal his jealousy of his superior merit, which gave rise to dissensions extremely prejudicial to the colony.

291. Balboa seeing, with concern, that the governor, by his ill-judged proceedings, retarded the execution of his favorite scheme, sent strong remonstrances to Spain against the impru dent government of Pedrarias, who had alienated the friendship of the natives from the Spaniards, by permitting his troops to plunder and oppress them at pleasure. Pedrarias, on the other hand, accused him of having deceived the king by magnifying his own exploits, and the opulence and value of the country.

292. Ferdinand was now sensible he had acted imprudently in superseding the most active and enterprising officer in the New World; and to make Balboa some compensation, he appointed him Adelantado, or lieutenant-governor, of the countries upon the South Sea, with very extensive privileges and authority. At the same time he enjoined Pedrarias to support him in all his enterprises, and to consult with him in any measures he wished to pursue. But Ferdinand's power was not sufficient to eradicate the enmity which Pedrarias felt for Balboa.

293. The interposition and exhortations of the bishop of Darien, produced a short-lived reconciliation; and Pedrarias agreed to give his daughter in marriage to Balboa. The first effect of their concord was, that Balboa was permitted to make several excursions into the country. These were conducted with such prudence as added to his reputation. Many adventurers resorted to him, and with the support of Pedrarias, he began to prepare for his expedition to the South Sea.

294. After surmounting many obstacles, he finished four small brigantines. In these, with three hundred chosen men, a force superior to that with which Pizarro afterwards undertook the same expedition, he was ready to sail towards Peru, when he received an unexpected message from Pedrarias. He dreaded the prosperity of a man whom he had grossly injured, and whom he envied and feared; and so violently did the passions of hatred, fear, and jealousy operate upon his mind, that, in order to gratify his vengeance, he scrupled not to oppose the

orders of his sovereign, and defeat an undertaking of the utmost importance to his country.

295. Under false, but plausible pretexts, he desired Balboa to put off his voyage for a short time, and to repair to Aela, in order that he might have an interview with him. Balboa, conscious of no crime, instantly obeyed the summons; but no sooner had he arrived, than he was instantly arrested, by order of Pedrarias, whose impatience to satiate his revenge, did not suffer him long to languish in confinement. Judges were immediately appointed to proceed on his trial. Disloyalty to the king, and an intention to revolt against the governor, were the crimes he was accused of: sentence of death was pronounced; and, notwithstanding the judges who passed it, seconded by the principal inhabitants of the colony, interceded warmly for his pardon, Pedrarias was inexorable: and to the sorrow and astonishment of the whole colony, they beheld the public execution of a man, whom they universally esteemed more capable than any that had command in America, of forming and executing great designs.

296. After the death of Balboa, several officers who had served under Pedarias entered into an association to undertake a voyage of discovery. They persuaded Francis Hernandez Cordova, a wealthy planter in Cuba, and a man of distinguished courage, to join with them in the enterprise.

297. Velasquez, governor of Cuba, approved of the design, and assisted in carrying it on; he and Cordova advanced money for purchasing three small vessels, and furnished them with every thing necessary, either for traffic or war. One hundred and ten men embarked on board of them, and sailed from Cuba, on the eighth of February, 1517. They stood directly west, relying on the opinion of Columbus, who uniformly maintained, that a westerly course would lead to the most important discoveries.

298. On the twenty-first day after their departure from Cuba, they saw land; which proved to be Cape Catoche, the eastern point of that large peninsula, projecting from the continent, which still retains its original name of Yucatan.

299. As they approached the shore, five canoes came off, filled with people decently clad in cotton garments; an astonishing spectacle to the Spaniards, who had been accustomed to see nothing but naked savages, in all their former excursions. The natives, though amazed at the Europeans, invited them to visit their habitations, with the appearance of great cordiality. They landed accordingly; and as they advanced into the coun

try, they were surprised at the sight of large houses built with stone. Notwithstanding their improvements in the arts of civilized life, above their countrymen, the Spaniards found them also more artful and warlike: for, though the cazique received Cordova with many tokens of friendship, he had placed a large body of his countrymen in ambush behind a thicket, who, upon a signal given by him, rushed out and attacked the Spaniards with great boldness, and in some degree of martial order.

300. At the first flight of their arrows, fifteen of the Spaniards were wounded. But the Indians were struck with such terror, by the sudden explosion of their fire-arms, and so in: timidated by them and by the cross-bows, and other weapons of their enemies, that they fled precipitately; and Cordova was willing to leave a country where he had met with such a fierce reception, carrying off two prisoners, together with the ornaments of a small temple, which he plundered in his retreat.

301, He continued to pursue a westerly course, keeping the coast in view, and on the sixteenth day arrived at Campeachy. There the natives received them with more hospitality. They proceeded further along the coast, and discovered the mouth of a river at Pontonchan, some leagues beyond Campeachy. Cordova landed all his troops to protect the sailors, who were employed in filling their casks with water. The natives, nevertheless, rushed down upon them with such fury, and in such numbers, that forty-seven of the Spaniards were killed upon the spot, and but one man among them escaped unhurt. Their commander, though wounded in twelve different places, directed the retreat with prudence, equal to the courage with which he had led them to the engagement, and with much difficulty they regained their ships.

302. Nothing remained now but to hasten back to Cuba with their shattered forces. They suffered extremely for want of water, especially the wounded and sickly, who were exposed to the heat of the torrid zone. Some of them died, and Cordova, their commander, expired soon after they landed.

303. Notwithstanding the unfortunate issue of this expedi tion, they had now discovered an extensive territory not far from Cuba: the circumstances related by the adventurers with exaggeration natural to men desirous to spread the merit of their own exploits, were sufficient to raise romantic hopes and expectations. Great numbers offered to engage in a new expedition. Velasquez, eager to distinguish himself by some brilliant undertaking that might entitle him to claim the govern

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