Chapter IV

_Discovery of the Pacific Ocean.--Plans of Columbus.--Avarice
of the Spaniards.--Balboa.--Weighing the gold.--The
young Indian’s speech.--Indian mode of fighting.--Balboa
ascends the mountain.--First view of the Pacific._

Columbus had first seen land in the New World on the 12th of October, 1492. Six years after he surveyed the coast of the American continent by Paria and Cumana. Territory was the grand object with the noble mind of Columbus; he wished to colonize this great country by the settling of Europeans, and thus introduce Christianity and civilization among the Red Men. But the adventurers that followed him sought gold as their only object, and employed the sword as the only means of converting the natives.

The Spaniards who first landed on the continent, saw before them a magnificent country, vast forests, mighty rivers, long ranges of mountains--a dominion wide enough for the widest ambition of conquest, or the richest enjoyment of life; but no treasure. Still their avarice was kept in a perpetual fever by the Indian stories of gold in profusion farther to the west, and their fancy was excited by tales of a sea beyond, which they said stretched to the extremities of the globe.

The first European who set his eye on the Pacific Ocean, was Vasco Thenez De Balboa. His family was of the order of Spanish gentry. He was a man of great enterprise, personal strength, and of a daring courage. He had been disappointed in his expectations of obtaining wealth at Hayti, where he had settled, and an expedition sailing to Darien, he accompanied it. A colony was already established on the eastern side of the isthmus of Darien; but the savages in the vicinity had been found so warlike, that the settlers did not venture to explore the interior.

Indian rumors of the golden country continued to inflame the Spaniards. They heard of one king Dabaibe, who was said to be living in a city filled with treasure, and who worshipped an idol of solid gold. Balboa put himself at the head of his countrymen, and marched to conquer the rich city. But they had first to conquer the surrounding caciques, who would not permit the Spaniards to pass through their territories. At length, Balboa formed an alliance with Comogre, a mountain chieftain, who had three thousand warriors.

The son of Comogre brought a present to the Spanish troops of sixty slaves and four thousand pieces of gold. In distributing the gold, some difficulty occurred, as is usually the case where people are all selfish; the quarrel grew furious, and swords were drawn. The young Indian looked on, first with astonishment, then with scorn. Advancing to the scales in which they were weighing the gold, he threw them on the ground, exclaiming--“Is it for this trifle that you Spaniards quarrel? If you care for gold, go seek it where it grows. I can show you a land where you may gather it by handfuls.”

This speech brought all the Spaniards around him, and he proceeded to detail his knowledge. “A cacique, very rich in gold,” said he, “lives to the south, six suns off.” He pointed in that direction. “There,” said he, “you will find the sea. But there you will find ships as large as your own, with sails and oars. The men of these lands are so rich, that their common eating and drinking vessels are of gold.” This was to the Spaniards their first knowledge of Peru.

Balboa determined to search for this rich country. He collected a hundred and ninety Spanish soldiers, a thousand friendly Indians, and some bloodhounds, and began his march into the wilderness. The Indian tribes were instantly roused. The Spaniards had scarcely reached the foot of the Sierra, when they found the warriors, headed by their caciques, drawn up in a little army.

The Indians, like the ancient Greeks, first defied the enemy, by loud reproaches and expressions of scorn. They then commenced the engagement. Torecha, their king, stood forth in the front of his people, clothed in a regal mantle, and gave the word of attack. The Indians rushed on with shouts; but the Spanish crossbows and muskets were terrible weapons to their naked courage. The Indians were met by a shower of arrows and balls, which threw them into confusion. They were terrified, also, at the noise of the guns. They thought the Spaniards fought with thunder and lightning. Still, the Indians did not fly till their heroic king and six hundred of their warriors were left dead on the spot. Over their bleeding bodies, Balboa marched to the plunder of their city.

Balboa, with his army, now commenced the ascent of the mountains. It took them twenty days. After toiling through forests, and climbing mountains that seemed inaccessible, his Indian guide pointed out to him, among the misty summits of the hills that lay before him, the one from which the Pacific was visible. Balboa determined to have the glory of looking upon it first. He commanded his troops to halt at the foot of the hill. He ascended alone, with his sword drawn, and having reached the summit, cast his eyes around. The Pacific Ocean was spread out before him!

Balboa had invaded the Indian country in search of gold, and murdered the natives to obtain it; but at that time such conduct was not considered very wicked. The Indians were looked upon with horror, because they were savages, and Balboa believed himself a good Christian because he was a Catholic. He fell on his knees, and, weeping, offered his thanksgiving to Heaven, for the bounty that had suffered him to see this glorious sight. He doubtless thought God was well pleased with him.

His troops had watched his ascent of the mountain, with the eagerness of men who felt their fates bound up in his success. When they saw his gestures of delight and wonder, followed by his falling on his knees and prayer, they became incapable of all restraint. They rushed up the hill like wild deer. But when they saw the matchless prospect around them, they, too, shared the spirit of their leader; they fell on their knees and offered up their thanksgiving to God. Yet at the same time they doubtless contemplated plundering and destroying the Indians. They had not learned to do to others as they would have others do to them.

Lion Hunting.

Most people are more disposed to run away from lions than to run after them, unless indeed they are safely locked up in cages. But only think of going to hunt lions in the wilderness! Yet such things are done in Africa, where lions are frequently met with.

In the southern part of that country is a tribe of negroes called the Bechuana. The men of this tribe are accustomed to carry a long staff with a bunch of ostrich feathers tied at one end, which is used to shade themselves from the sun. It is in fact a kind of parasol, but whether it is designed to save their complexion, I cannot say. It seems, at any rate, that the ladies do not use it. But beside serving as a parasol, this feathered staff has another and important use. As I have said, these people sometimes go in pursuit of the lion, and when a party of hunters meet one, they go near to him, and as he springs on one of them, the hunter quickly plants the handle of the staff in the ground and retreats. The fierce lion leaps upon the staff and rends the ostrich feathers in pieces. While he is thus engaged, the other hunters come suddenly upon him from behind, and despatch him with their daggers.

* * * * *

“Isn’t your hat sleepy?” inquired a little urchin of a man with a shocking bad one on. “No; why?” inquired the gentleman. “Why, because it looks as if it was a long time since it had a _nap_.”

Merry’s Life and Adventures.