Chapter XI: Part 11

In the month of December of the same year, 1499, _Vicente, Yanez Pinzon_, one of the three brave men of that family who aided Columbus in his first voyage, but who had since remained in Spain, owing to the difference that arose between his brother and the admiral, embarked with two of his nephews, sons of Martin Alonzo, in an armament consisting of four caravels, from the port of Palos, the cradle of American discovery. Carried by a storm south of the equator, they were perplexed with the new aspect of the heavens, and it was not till the 28th of January, 1500, that they were consoled by the sight of land. The headland they saw, now known as cape St. Augustin, the most prominent point of Brazil, they named Santa Maria de la Consolacion. They found the natives warlike and inhospitable, treating with haughty contempt the hawks' bills and trinkets which were exhibited to them; and Pinzon and his weary messmates were fain to pursue their voyages, amid occasional conflicts whenever they landed, along the shores that stretched to the north. He discovered the mouth of the vast river of the Amazons, visited a number of fresh and verdant islands lying within it, and thence passing the gulf of Paria, made his way directly to Hispaniola. From there, sailing to the Bahamas, he encountered a violent storm, and sustained so much damage that he returned to Spain.

Scarcely had Pinzon sailed from Palos, when he was followed by his townsman _Diego de Lepe_. Of his voyage, however, but little is known, except that he doubled cape St. Augustin, and enjoyed for ten years the reputation of having extended his discoveries farther south than any other voyager.

In October following, soon after the return of Ojeda, a wealthy notary of Seville, by name _Rodrigo de Bastides_, desirous of speculating in the new El Dorado, engaged the services of the veteran pilot and companion of Ojeda, Juan de la Cosa, and set out with two caravels in quest of gold and pearls. They continued the discoveries along Terra Firma, from cape de la Vela, where Ojeda had stopped, to the port afterwards called Nombre de Dios; they treated the natives kindly, and acquired rich cargoes; but unfortunately their vessels were cast away on the coast of Hispaniola, and the crews were forced to travel on foot to the city of St. Domingo, provided only with a small store of trinkets and other articles of Indian traffic, with which to buy provisions on the road. The moment Bastides made his appearance, he was seized as an illicit trader by the governor Bobadilla, the oppressor and superseder of Columbus, and sent for trial to Spain. He was there acquitted, and his voyage was so lucrative, that he had considerable profit after all his misfortunes.

The reports of these successive adventures were not heard by Ojeda, who had continued to linger about the bishop of Fonseca, without reanimating his bold spirit. He found numbers ready to listen to his wonderful stories, and embark in his wild expeditions; he found others who desired to increase their wealth, by aiding him with the means to renew them. The king made him governor of the province of Coquibacoa, which he had discovered; and in 1502 he again set sail, with four vessels well fitted out. Arriving at his new government, he selected a bay which he named Santa Cruz, but which is supposed to be that now called Bahia Honda, as the site of a settlement, and commenced at once the erection of a fortress. Before long, however, dissensions broke out between him and some of his principal companions, which ended in his being seized by the latter, accused as a defaulter to the crown of Spain, and thrown into irons. The whole community then set sail with their former chief for St. Domingo. They arrived at the island of Hispaniola, and while at anchor within a stone's throw of the land, Ojeda, confident of his strength and skill as a swimmer, let himself quietly down the side of the ship during the night, and tried to gain the shore. His arms were free, but his feet were shackled, and the weight of the irons threatened to sink him. He was obliged to call for help; a boat was sent from the ship; and the unfortunate governor, half drowned, was restored to captivity. He was tried at San Domingo and condemned, but appealing to the sovereign, was afterwards acquitted. The long litigation, however, exhausted his fortune, and he again found himself a ruined man.

If ruined, however, he was yet in the vigour of his years, and his spirit was undaunted. He still yearned for the gold of Terra Firma. All he wanted was money to fit out an armament. In this difficulty he was aided by an old and tried friend. Juan de la Cosa, the hardy pilot of Columbus, and the companion of Ojeda in his first voyage, and subsequently of Rodrigo de Bastides, had remained in Hispaniola, and contrived to fill his purse in subsequent cruises among the islands. The friends united together, and applied to the crown of Spain for a grant of territory and command on Terra Firma. A similar application was made about the same time by Diego de Nicuesa, an accomplished courtier of noble birth.--

"Nature, education, and habit, seemed to have combined to form
Nicuesa as a complete rival of Ojeda. Like him he was small of
stature, but remarkable for symmetry and compactness of form,
and for bodily strength and activity; like him he was master at
all kinds of weapons, and skilled, not merely in feats of
agility, but in those graceful and chivalrous exercises, which
the Spanish cavaliers of those days had inherited from the
Moors; being noted for his vigour and address in the jousts or
tilting matches after the Moresco fashion. Ojeda himself could
not surpass him in feats of horsemanship, and particular
mention is made of a favourite mare, which he could make caper
and carricol in strict cadence to the sound of a viol; beside
all this, he was versed in the legendary ballads or romances of
his country, and was renowned as a capital performer on the
guitar! Such were the qualifications of this candidate for a
command in the wilderness, as enumerated by the reverend Bishop
Las Casas. It is probable, however, that he had given evidence
of qualities more adapted to the desired post; having already
been out to Hispaniola in the military train of the late
Governor Ovando."

King Ferdinand found some difficulty in deciding between the claims of candidates whose merits were so singularly balanced; he ultimately divided that part of the continent lying along the isthmus, and extending from cape de la Vela to cape Gracias a Dios, into two provinces, separated by the bay of Uraba, which is at the head of the gulf of Darien. Of these provinces, the eastern was assigned to Ojeda, the western to Nicuesa.

The armaments of the rival governors met in the port of St. Domingo. It was not long before cause of collision arose between two men, both possessed of such swelling spirits. They quarrelled about the boundaries of their governments, and the province of Darien was boldly claimed by each.--

"Their disputes on these points ran so high, that the whole
place resounded with them. In talking, however, Nicuesa had the
advantage; having been brought up in the court, he was more
polished and ceremonious, had greater self-command, and
probably perplexed his rival governor in argument. Ojeda was no
great casuist, but he was an excellent swordsman, and always
ready to fight his way through any question of right or dignity
which he could not clearly argue with the tongue; so he
proposed to settle the dispute by single combat. Nicuesa,
though equally brave, was more a man of the world, and saw the
folly of such arbitrament. Secretly smiling at the heat of his
antagonist, he proposed as a preliminary to the duel, and to
furnish something worth fighting for, that each should deposit
five thousand castillanos, to be the prize of the victor. This,
as he foresaw, was a temporary check upon the fiery valour of
his rival, who did not possess a pistole in his treasury; but
probably was too proud to confess it."

How long the poverty of Ojeda could have kept down his fiery spirit, we may doubt. Fortunately he had in his companion, the brave Juan de la Cosa, a friend who could control him, as well as follow and support him. Juan reconciled, at least for a time, the quarrel of the rival governors, and it was agreed that the river Darien should be the boundary of their provinces. Things being thus arranged, Ojeda was anxious to set sail; he still, however, wanted pecuniary assistance to complete his equipment; though careless of money himself, he seems to have had a facility in commanding the purses of his neighbours; and on this occasion he found, in a quarter, where perhaps he could scarce have expected it, both personal and pecuniary aid. There lived at San Domingo, the bachelor _Martin Fernandez de Enciso,_ a shrewd lawyer, who had contrived to accumulate a considerable fortune by the litigation which already flourished in the New World. He was dazzled by the visions of unbounded wealth, he was promised the lofty office and title of Alcalde Mayor, and in an evil hour the worthy bachelor united in the enterprise of Ojeda, in search of fame and fortune. It was determined that he should stay at St. Domingo till he could collect a larger store of provisions and more men; and then follow his partner, who set sail without delay. The armament of Nicuesa still remained in port; for that gallant cavalier, notwithstanding his challenge to his rival, had exhausted all the money he could raise; he was even threatened with a prison; and it was not till some time after his rival had sailed, that he was enabled by unexpected assistance to embark.

In the month of November 1509, Ojeda reached the harbour of Cartagena, in his new province. In addition to Juan de la Cosa, he had as a companion _Francisco Pizarro_, who afterwards conquered Peru. The former, knowing from previous voyages the savage character of the natives, advised Ojeda not to stop there, but to proceed to the bay of Uraba. Such advice was useless to a proud warrior, who despised a naked and a savage foe. Having failed to keep his commander from danger, the faithful Juan could only stand by to aid him. Ojeda, who was a good Catholic, thought that he performed a pious duty in reducing the savages to the dominion of the king and the knowledge of the true faith. He carried as a protecting relic a small painting of the Holy Virgin; he summoned the Indians in the name of the Pope, and he assured them in the most solemn terms that they were the lawful subjects of the sovereigns of Castile.

"On landing, he advanced towards the savages, and ordered the
friars to read aloud a certain formula, which had recently been
digested by profound jurists and divines in Spain. It began in
stately form. 'I, Alonzo de Ojeda, servant of the most high and
mighty sovereigns of Castile and Leon, conquerors of barbarous
nations, their messenger and captain, do notify unto you, and
make you know, in the best way I can, that God our Lord, one
and eternal, created the heaven and the earth, and one man and
one woman, from whom you and we, and all the people of the
earth proceeded, and are descendants, as well as all those who
shall come hereafter.' The formula then went on to declare the
fundamental principles of the Catholic Faith; the supreme power
given to St. Peter over the world and all the human race, and
exercised by his representative the pope; the donation made by
a late pope of all this part of the world and all its
inhabitants, to the Catholic sovereigns of Castile; and the
ready obedience which had already been paid by many of its
lands and islands and people to the agents and representatives
of those sovereigns. It called upon those savages present,
therefore, to do the same, to acknowledge the truth of the
Christian doctrines, the supremacy of the pope, and the
sovereignty of the Catholic King, but, in case of refusal, it
denounced upon them all the horrors of war, the desolation of
their dwelling, the seizure of their property, and the slavery
of their wives and children. Such was the extraordinary
document, which, from this time forward, was read by the
Spanish discoverers to the wondering savages of any newly-found
country, as a prelude to sanctify the violence about to be
inflicted on them."

The pious manifesto was uttered in vain to the warlike savages: they brandished their weapons, and Ojeda, after a short prayer to the Virgin, had to discard the parchment, brace up his armour, and charge the foe at the head of his followers. He was not long in defeating his naked enemies, who fled into the forests. Juan de la Cosa again tried his influence with his commander, and urged him to desist from pursuit. It was in vain. Ojeda, with Juan faithfully at his side, rushed madly on through the mazes of unknown woods. The Indians rallied and waylaid the imprudent Spaniards. It was in vain that Ojeda inspired them with fresh courage by the example of his undaunted prowess. Numbers prevailed; the weapons of the savages were steeped in a deadly poison; and one after one the invaders were left dead. Among those who fell was the brave Juan de la Cosa; and a Spaniard, who was near him when he died, was the only surviver of seventy that had followed Ojeda in his rash and headlong inroad.

For days those who remained at the ships waited the arrival of their companions. They searched the woods and shouted along the shore, but they could hear no signal from them. What was their surprise one day, at catching in a thicket of mangrove trees, a glimpse of a man in Spanish attire. They entered, and found the unfortunate Ojeda; he lay on the matted roots of the trees; he was speechless, wan, and wasted; but his hand still grasped his sword. They restored him with wine and a warm fire; he recounted the story of his rash expedition; of his struggles among rocks and forests to reach the shore; and he bitterly reproached himself with the death of his faithful companion. While the crowd of Spaniards were yet on the beach administering to the recovery of their commander, they beheld steering into the harbour, a squadron of ships, which they soon recognised as that of Nicuesa. Ojeda recollected at once his quarrel; his valiant spirit was quelled by the hardships he had suffered; he feared to meet his rival; and he directed his followers to leave him concealed in the woods until the disposition of Nicuesa should be known.--

"As the squadron entered the harbour, the boats sallied forth
to meet it. The first inquiry of Nicuesa was concerning Ojeda.
The followers of the latter replied, mournfully, that their
commander had gone on a warlike expedition into the country,
but days had elapsed without his return, so that they feared
some misfortune had befallen him. They entreated Nicuesa,
therefore, to give his word, as a cavalier, that should Ojeda
really be in distress, he would not take advantage of his
misfortunes to revenge himself for their late disputes.

"Nicuesa, who was a gentleman of noble and generous spirit,
blushed with indignation at such a request. 'Seek your
commander instantly,' said he; 'bring him to me if he be alive;
and I pledge myself not merely to forget the past, but to aid
him as if he were a brother.'

"When they met, Nicuesa received his late foe with open arms.
'It is not,' said he, 'for Hidalgos, like men of vulgar souls,
to remember past differences when they behold one another in
distress. Henceforth, let all that has occurred between us be
forgotten. Command me as a brother. Myself and my men are at
your orders, to follow you wherever you please, until the
deaths of Juan de la Cosa and his comrades are revenged.'

"The spirits of Ojeda were once more lifted up by this gallant
and generous offer. The two governors, no longer rivals, landed
four hundred of their men and several horses, and set off with
all speed for the fatal village. They approached it in the
night, and, dividing their forces into two parties, gave orders
that not an Indian should be taken alive."

Dreadful indeed was the carnage, and fierce the vengeance the two commanders wreaked upon the natives. Having sacked the village, they left it a smoking ruin, and returned in triumph to their ships. The spoil, which was great, was divided among the followers of each governor, and they now parted with many expressions of friendship, Nicuesa proceeding westward to his province.

Ojeda did not long continue at a spot so fatal. He proceeded along the coast, and at length selected a height on the east side, at the entrance of the gulf of Darien, as the place for his town, which he named St. Sebastian. He immediately erected a fortress to defend himself against the natives, and considering this as his permanent seat of government, despatched a ship to Hispaniola, with a letter to the bachelor Enciso, requesting him to join the colony with the provisions and men he had collected. In the meanwhile, those who remained soon exhausted the stores they had, and were reduced to great want. They were fortunately relieved by the arrival of a vessel commanded by _Bernardo de_ _Talavera_, a reckless adventurer, who being threatened with imprisonment by his creditors in St. Domingo, had persuaded a set of men, as reckless as himself, to seize by force a vessel, lying off shore loaded with provisions, and join the new colony. While the supply brought by Talavera lasted, Ojeda was able to pacify his murmuring companions, and to persuade them peacefully to await the arrival of Enciso. When this however was exhausted, and famine threatened them, they became outrageous in their clamours, and Ojeda was compelled, as the only means of appeasing them, to agree to go himself to St. Domingo for aid, leaving those who stayed under the command of Francisco Pizarro, as his lieutenant. Talavera, already tired of the hardships he had encountered, was willing enough to return, and set sail with the commander in his vessel. The ill luck which had attended Ojeda during this expedition still continued. The vessel was cast on the island of Cuba, and completely wrecked; and the unhappy Spaniards had no choice but to perish on the beach, or to traverse the wide morasses that spread along the coast, until they reached some place where they could obtain aid. These morasses, as they proceeded, became deeper and deeper, the water sometimes reaching to their girdles; and when they slept, they had to creep up among the twisted roots of the mangrove trees, which grew in clusters in the waters. Of all the party, Ojeda alone kept up his spirit undaunted. He cheered his companions; he shared his food among them; whenever he stopped to repose in the mangrove trees, he took out his treasured picture of the Virgin, which he had carefully preserved through all his troubles, and placing it before him, commended himself to the Holy Mother; and by persuading his companions to join him, he renewed their patience and courage. It was on one of these occasions that he made a vow to erect a chapel and leave his relic in the first Indian town to which he came. At length, after incredible sufferings, they reached a village; the natives gathered round the poor wanderers, and gazed at them with wonder; they treated them with humanity, and after restoring them to health and strength, aided and accompanied them till they reached the point of land nearest Jamaica. At that spot they procured canoes, arrived at a settlement of their countrymen, and thence returned to St. Domingo.

Ojeda was too pious a Catholic to forget the vow he had made in his distress, though it must have sorely grieved him to part with the relic to which he attributed his safety in so many perils. At the village, however, where he had been so kindly succoured, he faithfully performed it.

"He built a little hermitage or oratory in the village, and
furnished it with an altar, above which he placed the picture.
He then summoned the benevolent cacique, and explained to him,
as well as his limited knowledge of the language, or the aid of
interpreters would permit, the main points of the Catholic
faith, and especially the history of the Virgin, whom he
represented as the mother of the Deity that reigned in the
skies, and the great advocate for mortal man.

"The worthy cacique listened to him with mute attention, and
though he might not clearly comprehend the doctrine, yet he
conceived a profound veneration for the picture. The sentiment
was shared by his subjects. They kept the little oratory always
swept clean, and decorated it with cotton hangings, laboured by
their own hands, and with various votive offerings. They
composed couplets or areytos in honour of the Virgin, which
they sang to the accompaniment of rude musical instruments,
dancing to the sound under the groves which surrounded the
hermitage.

"A further anecdote concerning this relique may not be
unacceptable. The venerable Las Casas, who records these facts,
informs us that he arrived at the village of Cuebas some time
after the departure of Ojeda. He found the oratory preserved
with the most religious care, as a sacred place, and the
picture of the Virgin regarded with fond adoration. The poor
Indians crowded to attend mass, which he performed at the
altar; they listened attentively to his paternal instructions,
and at his request brought their children to be baptized. The
good Las Casas having heard much of this famous relique of
Ojeda, was desirous of obtaining possession of it, and offered
to give the cacique in exchange, an image of the Virgin which
he had brought with him. The chieftain made an evasive answer,
and seemed much troubled in mind. The next morning he did not
make his appearance.

"Las Casas went to the oratory to perform mass, but found the
altar stripped of its precious relique. On inquiring, he learnt
that in the night the cacique had fled to the woods, bearing
off with him his beloved picture of the Virgin. It was in vain
that Las Casas sent messengers after him, assuring him that he
should not be deprived of the relique, but, on the contrary,
that the image should likewise be presented to him. The cacique
refused to venture from the fastnesses of the forest, nor did
he return to his village and replace the picture in the
oratory, until after the departure of the Spaniards."

The fate of Ojeda was that of a ruined man. He lingered for some time at San Domingo, but he no longer appeared there as the governor of a province. He was a needy wanderer. His health was broken down by wounds and hardships, and he died at last so poor that he did not leave money enough to pay for his interment; and so broken in spirit, that he entreated with his last breath, that his body might be buried at the portal of the Monastery of St. Francisco, in humble expiation of his past pride, "so that every one who entered might tread upon his grave."

When the gallant and generous minded Nicuesa left Ojeda, he sailed to the west to encounter perils still greater than his rival endured. His squadron arrived safely on the coast of Veragua. He there embarked himself in a small caravel belonging to it, that he might the better explore the inlets and places along the shore, committing the charge of the other vessels to his lieutenant Lope de Olano. One night, shortly after making this arrangement, a violent storm came on, and when day dawned, Nicuesa was left without one of the squadron in sight. Taking refuge in a river, his caravel was wrecked, and the unfortunate commander was left on the desert shore with the crew of the vessel, and nothing remaining to them but the boat, which was accidentally cast on the beach. Day after day they hoped for the arrival of their companions, until they began to suspect that the lieutenant had determined to profit by the absence of Nicuesa, assume his power, and leave him to perish. They wandered along shore, in the direction, as they supposed, of the place where they had been separated from the squadron. They crossed the rivers and sailed to the islands near the coast in their boat. At length, to complete their misfortunes, at one of the latter, four of the party deserted, took with them the boat, and left their commander and the rest of the party, without food, assistance, or means to regain the land. In this sad situation they remained for weeks; many of them died, and those who lived envied, instead of mourning over, their fate. At length one of the brigantines of the squadron appeared; it had been sent by Lope de Olano, who had been found by the four mariners in the boat; and Nicuesa and the survivers were conveyed to their companions, who had made a settlement at the mouth of the river Belen. Finding that spot unhealthy, Nicuesa broke up the settlement, and established the remnant of his once large colony, now reduced to a hundred emaciated wretches, at "El Nombre de Dios." "Here let us stop," exclaimed the weary commander to his companions, "in the name of God (en el nombre de Dios,)"--whence the port derived its name.

While the two governors were thus struggling to establish their colonies, the bachelor Enciso, whom we have mentioned as having enlisted with Ojeda, set out from St. Domingo to join that adventurer with the men and provisions he had collected. Among his recruits was _Vasco Nunez de Balboa_, another name destined to become famous on these seas. The bachelor had hardly reached Terra Firma before he fell in with Francisco Pizarro, and the small remains of the colony left by Ojeda at St. Sebastian. He heard the story of their misfortunes and the departure of their commander, but nothing daunted, the worthy gentleman of the robe assumed the courageous bearing of a knight errant, and determined to pursue the adventures on which he had embarked. Having heard of a great sepulchre not far in the interior, where the natives were said to be buried with all their ornaments of gold, he determined at once to pounce on so valuable a mine. He held it no sacrilege to plunder the graves of pagans and infidels, and he took care to secure the law on his side, by causing to be read and interpreted to all the caciques, a declaration, informing them of the nature of the Deity, the supremacy of the pope, and the undoubted validity of his grant of their country to the Catholic sovereigns.

"The caciques listened to the whole very attentively, and
without interruption, according to the laws of Indian courtesy.
They then replied, that, as to the assertion that there was but
one God, the sovereign of heaven and earth, it seemed to them
good, and that such must be the case; but as to the doctrine
that the pope was regent of the world in place of God, and
that he had made a grant of their country to the Spanish king,
they observed that the pope must have been drunk to give away
what was not his, and the king must have been somewhat mad to
ask at his hands what belonged to others. They added, that they
were lords of those lands, and needed no other sovereign, and
if this king should come to take possession, they would cut off
his head and put it on a pole; that being their mode of dealing
with their enemies.--As an illustration of this custom, they
pointed out to Enciso the very uncomfortable spectacle of a row
of grisly heads impaled in the neighbourhood."

On hearing this answer, the bachelor at once discarded the legal, and assumed the warlike character. He charged the Indians, and routed them with ease. He forthwith plundered the sepulchres, but whether he obtained the expected booty is not recorded. After this exploit, the worthy bachelor set about establishing the provincial government as Alcalde Mayor of Ojeda. St. Sebastian being in ruins, and the scene of so many misfortunes, was speedily deserted, and by the advice of Vasco Nunez he seized on the village of Darien, drove out the inhabitants, collected at it great quantities of food and golden ornaments, and established his capital under the sounding title of Santa Maria de la Antigua del Darien.

It so happened that this new town was on the western shore of the river Darien, and consequently within the province of Nicuesa, not of Ojeda. Some discontented or ambitious persons in the colony took advantage of this, and attacked the alcalde in his own way, with legal weapons, questioning his right to rule. Among these Vasco Nunez and one Zamudio were the leaders, and aspired to the bachelor's post. It was however at last determined to seek for the rightful head of the colony, Nicuesa; and bring him to the new capital. That woe-worn commander accepted with delight the unexpected proffer; foolishly however he assumed at once the haughty airs of a governor, and before he had seen his new colony, spoke of the punishment he would inflict on the disturbers of its harmony. The inhabitants of Darien heard of this language, and repented of their hasty measure. Placing Vasco Nunez at their head, they awaited the arrival of Nicuesa on the beach, and when they saw his vessel enter the bay, refused him permission to land. It was in vain that the unfortunate cavalier entreated, promised, and explained. Even Vasco Nunez, who was of a generous spirit, supplicated for his reception as a private individual, without effect. The determination of the populace was made up; and sad to tell, Nicuesa was driven to sea in his crazy bark, and never heard of more.

The bachelor Enciso now again claimed his right to command the colony. The people, however, were all on the side of Vasco Nunez; he had become a great favourite, from his frank and fearless character, and his winning affability; in fact, he was peculiarly calculated to manage the fiery and the factious, yet generous and susceptible nature of his countrymen, and in addition to this he was in the vigour of his age, tall, well formed and hardy. After a fruitless struggle, Enciso left the colony, and Vasco Nunez, well aware of the appeal he would make to the Spanish government, sent at the same time Zamudio to represent and defend him before the same tribunal. Vasco Nunez at once exerted himself to prove his capacity as governor. His first expedition was against Careta, the neighbouring cacique of Coyba, for the purpose of obtaining supplies. By a stratagem he made captives of the cacique, his wives, and children, and many of his people. He discovered also their store of provisions, and returned with his booty and his captives to Darien.

"When the unfortunate cacique beheld his family in chains, and
in the hands of strangers, his heart was wrung with despair;
'What have I done to thee,' said he to Vasco Nunez, 'that thou
shouldst treat me thus cruelly? None of thy people ever came to
my land that were not fed, and sheltered, and treated with
loving kindness. When thou camest to my dwelling, did I meet
thee with a javelin in my hand? Did I not set meat and drink
before thee, and welcome thee as a brother? Set me free
therefore, with my family and people, and we will remain thy
friends. We will supply thee with provisions, and reveal to
thee the riches of the land. Dost thou doubt my faith? Behold
my daughter, I give her to thee as a pledge of friendship. Take
her for thy wife, and be assured of the fidelity of her family
and her people!'

"Vasco Nunez felt the force of these words, and knew the
importance of forming a strong alliance among the natives. The
captive maid, also, as she stood trembling and dejected before
him, found great favour in his eyes, for she was young and
beautiful. He granted, therefore, the prayer of the cacique,
and accepted his daughter, engaging, moreover, to aid the
father against his enemies, on condition of his furnishing
provisions to the colony.

"Careta remained three days at Darien, during which time, he
was treated with the utmost kindness. Vasco Nunez took him on
board of his ships and showed him every part of them. He
displayed before him also the war horses, with their armour and
rich caparisons, and astonished him with the thunder of
artillery. Lest he should be too much daunted by these warlike
spectacles, he caused the musicians to perform a harmonious
concert on their instruments, at which the cacique was lost in
admiration. Thus having impressed him with a wonderful idea of
the power and endowments of his new allies, he loaded him with
presents and permitted him to depart.

"Careta returned joyfully to his territories, and his daughter
remained with Vasco Nunez, willingly for his sake giving up her
family and native home. They were never married, but she
considered herself his wife, as she really was, according to
the usages of her own country, and he treated her with
fondness, allowing her gradually to acquire great influence
over him. To his affection for this damsel, his ultimate ruin
is, in some measure, to be ascribed."

Vasco Nunez did not neglect the favourable occasion these circumstances offered, of extending his power among the neighbouring Indians. Those who were hostile he attacked; those who were friendly he conciliated. From all he obtained supplies of provisions and gold, to support and enrich his colony. It was in one of his excursions to a friendly chief, the cacique of Comagre, that he obtained the information which gave greater scope to his adventurous spirit, and enabled him to place himself in the same degree with Pizarro and Cortez among the discoverers who succeeded the great admiral. The cacique had made a present or tribute of a large quantity of gold, and the followers of Vasco Nunez quarrelled as they were dividing among them their respective shares in the presence of the Indian chief.

"The high minded savage was disgusted at this sordid brawl
among beings whom he had regarded with such reverence. In the
first impulse of his disdain he struck the scale with his fist,
and scattered the glittering gold about the porch. Before the
Spaniards could recover from their astonishment at this sudden
act, he thus addressed them: 'Why should you quarrel for such a
trifle? If this gold is indeed so precious in your eyes, that
for it alone you abandon your homes, invade the peaceful lands
of others, and expose yourselves to such sufferings and perils,
I will tell you of a region where you may gratify your wishes
to the utmost.--Behold those lofty mountains,' continued he,
pointing to the south; 'beyond these lies a mighty sea, which
may be discerned from their summit. It is navigated by people
who have vessels almost as large as yours, and furnished, like
them, with sails and oars. All the streams which flow down the
southern side of those mountains into that sea abound in gold;
and the kings who reign upon its borders eat and drink out of
golden vessels. Gold, in fact, is as plentiful and common among
those people of the south as iron is among you Spaniards.'

"Struck with this intelligence, Vasco Nunez inquired eagerly as
to the means of penetrating to this sea and to the opulent
regions on its shores. 'The task,' replied the prince, 'is
difficult and dangerous. You must pass through the territories
of many powerful caciques, who will oppose you with hosts of
warriors. Some parts of the mountains are infested by fierce
and cruel cannibals, a wandering lawless race: but, above all,
you will have to encounter the great cacique Tubanama, whose
territories are at the distance of six days journey, and more
rich in gold than any other province; this cacique will be sure
to come forth against you with a mighty force. To accomplish
your enterprise, therefore, will require at least a thousand
men armed like those who follow you."

The effect of this intelligence, on the enterprising spirit of Vasco Nunez, may be well imagined. The Pacific ocean and its golden realms seemed to be at his feet. He beheld within his power an enterprise which would at once elevate him from a wandering and desperate man, to a rank among the great captains and discoverers of the earth. He lost no time in making every preparation to realize the splendid vision. With this object he sent for aid to Don Diego Columbus, who then governed at St. Domingo; and in the mean time endeavoured to strengthen himself with the surrounding tribes of natives, and to quiet the spirit of insubordination which would occasionally break out at Darien. At length, on the 1st of September, 1513, he set out with one hundred and ninety Spaniards, and a number of Indians. At Coyba he left half his company with the cacique Careta, to await his return, and with the residue, on the sixth of the month, struck off towards the mountains. By some of the Indian tribes he was kindly received, by others hostile intentions were displayed. These were soon overcome by the use of fire arms and blood hounds, which terrified the natives and put them at once to flight. On the evening of the 25th of September, the party, now reduced to sixty-seven Spaniards, arrived at the foot of the last mountain, from whose top they were told they would command the long sought prospect. Vasco Nunez obtained fresh Indian guides, and ordered his men to retire early to repose, that they might be ready to set off at the cool and fresh hour of daybreak, so as to reach the summit of the mountain before the noontide heat.

"The day had scarcely dawned, when Vasco Nunez and his
followers set forth from the Indian village and began to climb
the height. It was a severe and rugged toil for men so wayworn,
but they were filled with new ardour at the idea of the
triumphant scene that was so soon to repay them for all their
hardships.

"About ten o'clock in the morning they emerged from the thick
forests through which they had hitherto struggled, and arrived
at a lofty and airy region of the mountain. The bald summit
alone remained to be ascended, and their guides pointed to a
moderate eminence from which they said the southern sea was
visible.

"Upon this Vasco Nunez commanded his followers to halt, and
that no man should stir from his place. Then, with a
palpitating heart, he ascended alone the bare mountain-top. On
reaching the summit the long-desired prospect burst upon his
view. It was as if a new world were unfolded to him, separated
from all hitherto known by this mighty barrier of mountains.
Below him extended a vast chaos of rock and forest, and green
savannahs and wandering streams, while at a distance the waters
of the promised ocean glittered in the morning sun.

"At this glorious prospect Vasco Nunez sank upon his knees, and
poured out thanks to God for being the first European to whom
it was given to make that great discovery. He then called his
people to ascend: 'Behold, my friends,' said he, '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 that he will guide and aid us to conquer the sea
and land which we have discovered, and in 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.'

"The Spaniards answered this speech by embracing Vasco Nunez,
and promising to follow him to death. Among them was a priest,
named Andres de Vara, who lifted up his voice and chanted _Te
Deum laudamus_--the usual anthem of Spanish discoverers. The
people, kneeling down, joined in the strain with pious
enthusiasm and tears of joy; and never did a more sincere
oblation rise to the Deity from a sanctified altar than from
that wild mountain summit. It was indeed one of the most
sublime discoveries that had yet been made in the New World,
and must have opened a boundless field of conjecture to the
wondering Spaniards. The imagination delights to picture forth
the splendid confusion of their thoughts. Was this the great
Indian Ocean, studded with precious islands, abounding in gold,
in gems, and spices, and bordered by the gorgeous cities and
wealthy marts of the East? Or was it some lonely sea, locked up
in the embraces of savage uncultivated continents, and never
traversed by a bark, excepting the light pirogue of the Indian?
The latter could hardly be the case, for the natives had told
the Spaniards of golden realms, and populous and powerful and
luxurious nations upon its shores. Perhaps it might be bordered
by various people, civilized in fact, but differing from Europe
in their civilization; who might have peculiar laws and customs
and arts and sciences; who might form, as it were, a world of
their own, intercommuning by this mighty sea, and carrying on
commerce between their own islands and continents; but who
might exist in total ignorance and independence of the other
hemisphere.

"Such may naturally have been the ideas suggested by the sight
of this unknown ocean. It was the prevalent belief of the
Spaniards, however, that they were the first Christians who had
made the discovery. Vasco Nunez, therefore, called upon all
present to witness that he took possession of that sea, its
islands, and surrounding lands, in the name of the sovereigns
of Castile, and the notary of the expedition made a testimonial
of the same, to which all present, to the number of sixty-seven
men, signed their names. He then caused a fair and tall tree to
be cut down and wrought into a cross, which was elevated on the
spot from whence he had at first beheld the sea. A mound of
stones was likewise piled up to serve as a monument, and the
names of the Castilian sovereigns were carved on the
neighbouring trees. The Indians beheld all these ceremonials
and rejoicings in silent wonder, and, while they aided to erect
the cross and pile up the mound of stones, marvelled
exceedingly at the meaning of these monuments, little thinking
that they marked the subjugation of their land."

From the summit of the mountain Vasco Nunez cheerfully pursued his journey to the coast; when he tasted the water and found it salt, he felt assured that he had indeed discovered an ocean; he again returned thanks to God, and drawing his dagger from his girdle, marked three trees with crosses in honour of the Trinity and in token of possession.

He remained on the shore of the Pacific ocean till the 3d of November. In the interval, he conciliated by his good management the kind feelings of the natives; he visited some of the neighbouring islands; he was shown the valuable pearl fisheries; and was loaded when he left there with pearls and gold. On his return he had several hostile rencounters with the natives, and reached Darien on the 19th of January, 1514.

"Thus ended one of the most remarkable expeditions of the early
discoverers. The intrepidity of Vasco Nunez in penetrating,
with a handful of men, far into the interior of a wild and
mountainous country, peopled by warlike tribes; his skill in
managing his band of rough adventurers, stimulating their
valour, enforcing their obedience, and attaching their
affections, show him to have possessed great qualities as a
general. We are told that he was always foremost in peril, and
the last to quit the field. He shared the toils and dangers of
the meanest of his followers, treating them with frank
affability; watching, fighting, fasting and labouring with
them; visiting and consoling such as were sick or infirm, and
dividing all his gains with fairness and liberality. He was
chargeable at times with acts of bloodshed and injustice, but
it is probable that these were often called for as measures of
safety and precaution; he certainly offended less against
humanity than most of the early discoverers; and the unbounded
amity and confidence reposed in him by the natives, when they
became intimately acquainted with his character, speak strongly
in favour of his kind treatment of them.

"The character of Vasco Nunez had, in fact, risen with his
circumstances, and now assumed a nobleness and grandeur from
the discovery he had made, and the important charge it had
devolved upon him. He no longer felt himself a mere soldier of
fortune, at the head of a band of adventurers, but a great
commander conducting an immortal enterprise. 'Behold,' says old
Peter Martyr, 'Vasco Nunez de Balboa, at once transformed from
a rash royster to a politic and discreet captain:' and thus it
is that men are often made by their fortunes; that is to say,
their latent qualities are brought out, and shaped and
strengthened by events, and by the necessity of every exertion
to cope with the greatness of their destiny."

While Vasco Nunez was thus exulting in his successful expedition, fortune was preparing for him a sad reverse. The bachelor Enciso had arrived in Spain, and notwithstanding the statements of Zamudio, had made an unfavourable impression in regard to Vasco Nunez. The result was, that a new governor of Darien was appointed, in the person of Pedro Arias Davila, commonly called Pedrarias, a brave warrior, but little fitted to command in a colony such as that to which he was sent. A number of young Spanish nobles and gentlemen determined to accompany him, having heard wild stories of the wealth and adventures which the new world offered. Pedrarias was also attended by his heroic wife, Dona Isabella de Bobadilla, and by the bishop Quevedo, a just and benevolent priest. Scarcely had the new expedition left the shores of Spain, when news arrived there of the splendid discoveries of Vasco Nunez, and the king repented that he had so hastily superseded him.

In the month of June, the squadron of Pedrarias anchored before Darien. When the hardy veterans of the colony heard that their beloved commander was to be thus removed, they were loud in their murmurs, and eagerly desired to resist the newly arrived governor. Not so Vasco Nunez; he bowed at once to the mandates of the king, and acknowledged the authority of Pedrarias. This frank and honourable conduct was ill repaid by the new chief; he took advantage of the unsuspecting confidence of Vasco Nunez, and directed him to be prosecuted for usurpation and tyrannical abuse of power. Fortunately, the bishop was opposed to the conduct of the governor, and even his wife ventured to express her respect and sympathy for the discoverer. This alone saved him from being sent in irons to Spain. In the mean time, the gallant Spanish cavaliers sunk beneath the fatal climate, to which they were unaccustomed, and the affairs of the colony became distracted. Pedrarias, to engage them, fitted out an expedition for the Pacific, but it ended in disappointment and disaster, and had little result but to change some of the friendly Indian tribes into implacable enemies.

While things were in this state, despatches arrived from Spain. In a letter addressed to Vasco Nunez, the king expressed his high sense of his merits and services, and constituted him adelantado of the South Sea, though subordinate to the general command of Pedrarias. That governor, still envious of the renown of his rival, refused to confer on him the powers belonging to his new office, and all that Vasco Nunez could obtain was the recognition of the title. Still further to thwart the honourable plans of the discoverer, he determined to explore, under his own auspices, the pearl fisheries and islands discovered by Vasco Nunez on the Pacific, and for this purpose fitted out an expedition under the command of his own relative Morales; he sent with him, however, Francisco Pizarro, who had accompanied Vasco Nunez on his first expedition. These explorers were kindly received by the caciques, who willingly gave them pearls for hatchets, beads, and hawks' bills, which they valued much more. An incident occurred on their visit to Isla Rica, which, connected with the future history of Pizarro, was singularly interesting.

"Finding that pearls were so precious in the eyes of the
Spaniards, the cacique took Morales and Pizarro to the summit
of a wooden tower, commanding an unbounded prospect. 'Behold
before you,' said he, 'the infinite sea, which extends even
beyond the sun-beams. As to these islands which lie to the
right and left, they are all subject to my sway. They possess
but little gold, but the deep places of the sea around them are
full of pearls. Continue to be my friends, and you shall have
as many as you desire; for I value your friendship more than
pearls, and, as far as in me lies, will never forfeit it.'

"He then pointed to the main land, where it stretched away
towards the east, mountain beyond mountain, until the summit of
the last faded in the distance, and was scarcely seen above the
watery horizon. In that direction, he said, there lay a vast
country of inexhaustible riches, inhabited by a mighty nation.
He went on to repeat the vague but wonderful rumours which the
Spaniards had frequently heard about the great kingdom of Peru.
Pizarro listened greedily to his words, and while his eye
followed the finger of the cacique, as it ranged along the line
of shadowy coast, his daring mind kindled with the thought of
seeking this golden empire beyond the waters."

On their way back through the mountains, the Spaniards were attacked by the savages with great ferocity; and when they reached Darien their party was greatly diminished, though the spoil they brought with them was great.

In the mean time, the disagreement between Pedrarias and Vasco Nunez continued, to the great regret of the bishop Quevedo, and the mortification of Dona Isabella. At length a plan was suggested by the former which had the fortunate effect of producing a reconciliation. It was agreed that Vasco Nunez should marry the daughter of the governor, then in Spain, and he was accordingly betrothed at once. Pedrarias now looked upon the exploits of his rival as those of one of his own family, and no longer thwarted him. He cheerfully aided him in a new expedition which was planned for transporting timber across the isthmus, building brigantines on the Pacific, and exploring the country farther to the south. When Vasco Nunez found himself floating in large vessels, on the waves of the vast ocean he had discovered, he felt an honourable pride, and a thousand visions of discoveries yet to be made crowded on his fancy. Alas! they were not destined to be realized. A person who had a private pique against him, insinuated himself into the confidence of Pedrarias; declared that Vasco Nunez had schemes of boundless ambition; that he would soon throw off his connexion with the governor, and above all, that such was his devotion to the Indian damsel, the daughter of Careta, that he would never wed her to whom he was betrothed. All the ancient enmity of Pedrarias was renewed; he determined at once to put an end to the rivalry of Vasco Nunez; by fair promises he induced him unsuspectingly to return; and as soon as he arrived within his power had him arrested and tried for treason. His condemnation was to be expected, but deep was the emotion and surprise among the colonists when they learned that it was to be followed by the immediate death of the unfortunate soldier. No entreaties, however, could induce the governor to relent. He had his victim now in his power and he determined he should not escape.