MAKING CHICHI.
"Chichiis the juice of the sugar-cane, and is a favorite beverage in this region; of course we consented, and he immediately picked up hismachete(hatchet) and went out. In a little while he returned with an armful of sugar-cane, which he proceeded to pass through the rollers, after first bruising the canes with a mallet to make the work of crushing easier. Our Panama friend took one end of the machine, and got himself into quite a perspiration before the job was finished; I fancyhe did not relish it, but our entertainer did not seem to mind it in the least. The machine was a rude construction, and not to be compared with the polished rollers that are to be found in sugar-manufactories on a large scale, but it was entirely adequate to the wants of our sable host.
BRIDGE AT OLD PANAMA.
"We drank thechichi, which was most refreshing, and then were shown through what is left of the city. Here and there we found portions of paved streets, and it was only by following the lines of the streets that we were able to get around at all. Then there were two or three groves with very little undergrowth, which are thought to have been public squares; evidently they were not paved, but macadamized, and trodden so hard that the undergrowth has obtained no hold, though the trees have not been so easily restrained. Our guide showed us a bridgeover a stream in the southern part of the city; it is called thePunta de Embarcadero, and is said to have been the point where boats came to discharge or receive their cargoes, and the stream it crosses is about thirty feet wide. It is full only at high tide, and is more an arm of the sea than a flowing river. The bridge is of hewn stone, and was constructed with a single arch.
"When we had finished our wanderings among the ruins we went back to the hut, drank some morechichi, then mounted our horses, and returned to modern Panama by the way we went. We were thoroughly tired, but we voted unanimously that the day was well spent."
The excursion to Old Panama naturally roused the curiosity of the youths to know something of Morgan the buccaneer, and his exploits. The readers of this narrative may have a similar interest in the events of two hundred years ago, and we will briefly give them.
The rumors of the abundance of gold in the New World, which reached Spain after the discovery of America by Columbus, led to the conquest and settlement of the islands of the West Indies, and also of the mainland for a considerable distance north and south of the Isthmus. Within the fifty years following the first voyage of Columbus many colonies were planted, forts were built, soldiers were brought out in great numbers, and many ships laden with treasure were sent home from the New World. The stories grew with each repetition, and in a little while it was currently believed that there was sufficient gold in the cities of Mexico, Peru, and the other countries of South and Central America to enrich the entire population of Europe.
SLAUGHTER OF PRIESTS BY BUCCANEERS.
The Spanish conquerors were relentlessly cruel, and subjected the rulers and people of the conquered countries to all manner of tortures, in order to obtain their gold. The rumors of the vast treasures of the New World passed beyond Spain and reached England and France. Piracy was fashionable in those times, and it was not long after the Spanish treasure-ships began to traverse the ocean that the waters of the Caribbean Sea were thronged with piratical craft. Their crews were known as buccaneers, freebooters, pirates, or sea-robbers, and one name is as good as another. We will follow the example of the old historians and call them buccaneers, out of respect for their descendants, who dislike the word "pirate."
PIRATES' RENDEZVOUS.
They had plenty of hiding-places among the islands and along the coast of the mainland, and their numbers increased so rapidly that they formed colonies, tilled the soil, and in many cases established something like local government, though it was not always very orderly. In some of their colonies the more peaceably inclined buccaneers lived on shore, raised crops, hunted for wild cattle or other game, and not infrequently they brought their families from the Old World or found wives among the natives. The rest of the community roved the seas in search of plunder, returning occasionally to the colony to refit their vessels, and deliver their proper share to the settlers on land, from whom provisions wereobtained.
Sometimes prisoners were brought to the colonies and kept as slaves, but this was not the general practice, as it was not altogether safe; an escaping slave might reveal the rendezvous of the buccaneers, and, in spite of the greatest vigilance, escape was possible. Consequently, it was the custom to release prisoners on payment of a heavy ransom, or to sell them to be carried into slavery, where they could do no harm totheir captors. If they could not be disposed of in either of these ways, or made useful in some manner, they were generally put to death. Sometimes a chief released his prisoners unconditionally, and without obtaining anything for them, but such action was not favorably received by his followers, as they considered it a loss of property and an indication of weakness totally inappropriate to his proper character. Human life was held at little value in those days, not only by freebooters, but by kings and princes in all parts of the world.
After all, there was little difference between the buccaneers, or pirates, and the people against whom their exploits were directed. Cortez, Balboa, Pizarro, and other leaders in the Spanish conquest of the New World were simply the heads of legitimate marauding expeditions, directed against the inhabitants of the countries they invaded. Thebuccaneers endeavored to rob these legalized marauders; they stole what had been already stolen, and their thievery was directed against thieves. They adopted the same practices of torture and cruelties that had been used to extort gold from the rulers and people of the conquered countries; the buccaneers felt that the condemnation of their practices was unjust, and their sensibilities were wounded when they saw that the conquerors of the New World were sustained and honored by their king, whose treasury was enriched by their plunderings.
BUCCANEERS EMBARKING ON AN EXPEDITION.
Sometimes there was a period of war between Spain and England, and then the king of the latter country would give commission to a well-known buccaneer, and exalt him to the dignity of a privateer. He was to fit out an expedition at his own expense, enlist his own men, and do pretty much as he pleased; in return for the royal protection he was to give a certain part of his gains into the king's treasury; though quite often this condition was not exacted, since the destruction of the enemy's commerce was considered a sufficient compensation for his commission. This was the character of Morgan's enterprise against Panama.
Morgan had obtained an excellent reputation as a buccaneer; he had captured several cities, murdered many people, often under circumstances of great cruelty, and had been almost universally successful in his expeditions. Priests, women, and children were indiscriminately slaughtered along with his other prisoners, when they could not find a market as slaves; and the stories of his barbarities would fill a volume. At one time he had two thousand men and a fleet of thirty-seven ships under his command. His piracies were directed against the Spaniards; the English looked upon his performances with a kindly eye; and when he organized his expedition which ended with the capture of Panama the governor of Jamaica ordered an English ship of thirty-six guns to assist him, and gave him authority to act in English interest. There was a French ship in the harbor of Jamaica, also carrying thirty-six guns, which Morgan desired; and he soon found reason enough, to his mind, for her capture.
A short time before, this French ship had stopped an English vessel at sea and taken provisions from her without paying for them. Morgan made this a pretext for seizing her; accordingly, he invited her officers on board the English ship and there made them prisoners. Then he seized their craft, but, unfortunately for his plans, she blew up a few hours afterwards and was totally destroyed. It was not known how the accident occurred, but Morgan said it was caused by the French prisoners, who set the ship on fire.
MORGAN'S RECEPTION AT CHAGRES.
The fleet sailed away a week after this incident and proceeded to capture Maracaibo, Saint Catherine's, and one or two other places, before proceeding to Panama. From Saint Catherine's Morgan sent four ships to capture the fort at the mouth of the Chagres River; the expedition was successful, and when Morgan arrived and saw the English flag flying over the fort he fired all his cannon in honor of the victory. When he landed he was carried into the fort on the shoulders of his fellows amid many demonstrations of delight.
An old nursery song has it that "Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief." Substitute "Morgan" for "Taffy" and the description is exact, as the hero of this story was born in Wales. Many of his followers were from that country or from other parts of the British Isles, and his second, who captured the fort at Chagres, was Captain Brodely, an officer of English birth.
Morgan repaired the fort, gave it a garrison of five hundred men, left a hundred and fifty to take care of the ships, and with twelve hundred men started across the Isthmus for Panama. They ascended the Chagres River in boats as far as they could go, and then marched overland through theforest. All the boats but one were sent back; a guard remained with this single boat, with orders never to leave it for a moment.
The journey to Panama was a terrible one, and showed the power of the commander over his men. They had expected to find plenty of provisions in the country, and consequently did not burden themselves with any on their departure from Chagres. At the first landing-place they found the people had fled, leaving nothing behind them, and this was the case at nearly every other point. For three entire days the men were without food, and many of them wanted to turn back; partly by persuasion and partly by threats Morgan kept them together, though they were so much reduced that they were forced to eat some leather sacks found at an abandoned plantation on the way.
MORGAN'S MEN DINING ON LEATHER.
The manner of preparing this food is interesting, but it is to be hopednone of our readers will ever be obliged to put it in practice. Some of the men devoured the leather raw, cutting it into small pieces, and swallowing it with water. Others, more fastidious, cut it into strips, moistened it with water, and then rubbed it between two stones until it was flexible. Then they scraped off the hair with their knives and broiled the strips over the fire. When the leather was thoroughly done it was cut into small pieces and washed down with water. After thisfrugal meal the men fasted two days, till they reached a plantation where they found a storehouse full of corn. All order and discipline were lost until the fellows had eaten all they wanted and loaded themselves with as much as they could carry. When they were assembled again they cheered their commander, and shouted "To Panama!"
DEATH OF THE INDIAN CHIEF.
Their plenty did not last long, as they soon encountered a small force of Indians who had been sent out to intercept them. The men threw away their loads of corn and prepared to fight. The battle was a short one, as the Indians were overpowered by the superior weapons of the buccaneers, though the latter lost several of their number. The chief of the Indians fought bravely, and thrust a spear through one of hisassailants before they succeeded in conquering him.
They were starving again, but as they came near Panama they found a herd of cattle, which supplied excellent material for food. Here Morgan ordered a halt till the men were fed, and their strength was restored; the camp was full of joy at the prospect of a speedy termination of their sufferings, and on the next morning the attack was ordered; the invaders had seen the city from the "Hill of the Buccaneers," and werenow in front of it.
MOVING THROUGH THE FOREST.
Morgan captured some Indians, and forced them to act as guides, under the penalty, often exacted in war, of being shot if they gave false information. Morgan had ordered the march to be taken directly to the city, but his guides told him the road was lined with artillery, and the whole Spanish force was concentrated there. Satisfied that the information was correct, he turned into the forest, and endeavored to move to the right without being discovered. The Spanish commander found out what the buccaneers were doing; he could not move his artillery, but he marched his soldiers, and drew them up on the open plain in front of the position for which his assailants were aiming.
CAPTURE OF OLD PANAMA BY MORGAN. (Fac-simile of an old print.)
When the invaders came in view of the plain they found three thousand soldiers ready to meet them, while their own number was little over a thousand. They were disheartened with the prospect, but Morgan told them it would be certain death in the wilderness to turn back, while a well-fought battle would give them the city with all its riches. Thus doubly induced, they determined to fight; the battle was begun by the buccaneers, and, certainly to the surprise of the Spaniards, it resulted in the dispersal of the defenders, and the possession of the city by Morgan and his followers, within three hours after firing the first shot.
The buccaneers plundered the churches and the houses of the merchants, and they tortured many of the priests, and other inhabitants, to compel them to tell where their treasures were concealed. In anticipation of disaster, much of the treasure of the churches, and also of the wealthiest merchants, had been sent on board a ship which sailed for Spain a few hours after the surrender of the city. It might have been captured with ease, but a party which Morgan had sent to intercept any departing vessel did not do their duty, and so the richest of all the prizes slipped through their hands.
Morgan and his party remained in Panama for three weeks, and then returned to Chagres. Before leaving they burned the city, and carried away six hundred prisoners, and one hundred and seventy-five beasts of burden laden with plunder. The division of the spoils was made at Chagres; it amounted to only two hundred dollars apiece, very much to the disappointment of the men. Morgan was openly accused of keeping very much more than belonged to him; the accusations became so serious as to threaten open revolt; and Morgan secretly embarked for Jamaica, and sailed away, with two ships besides his own.
He reached Jamaica in safety, and as the war between England and Spain was then over, his occupation as a legal freebooter was at an end. Hisservices were promptly recognized by the British government, and he was appointed a marine commissary, and knighted by King Charles II. It is to be hoped that he led a less disreputable life as Sir Henry Morgan than when he was simply known as Morgan the buccaneer.
THE LUCKY ARROW.
A curious incident is narrated by Morgan's biographer in the account ofthe capture of Chagres. The fort was surrounded by a palisade which the assailants repeatedly tried to set on fire, but each time failed. Just as they were about to give up the attack and retire, an arrow from the fort passed completely through the body of one of their number and protruded from his breast. The man was mad with pain; he seized the arrow and pulled it through, then wrapped it with cotton, rammed it into his gun, and fired it back again at the fort. The powder ignited the cotton, and this in turn set fire to the leaves with which the fort was thatched. The Spaniards were so busy in beating back their assailants that they did not discover the fire until too late to stop it. The flames spread to a barrel of powder, which blew a great hole in the side of the fort, and made an entrance for the buccaneers; meantime they took advantage of the confusion to open the palisade, and soon had the fortin their possession.
BAY OF PANAMA, FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN RAMPART.
Our friends spent another day in Panama, devoting part of the time to arrangements for their departure, and the rest to strolling around the city, and taking a short sail on the bay. They visited the island where the Pacific Mail Steamship Company has its coaling-station, and its wharves for receiving and discharging freight, and saw the docks where ships needing repairs can be accommodated. Fred made the following notesconcerning the steamship connections from Panama:
"There are two American lines of steamers running northward to California, and to Mexican and Central American ports, and there are English, French, German, Chilian, and Peruvian lines reaching to all the ports of the west coast of South America. The most important of all these lines are the Pacific Mail (American), running northward, and the Pacific Steam Navigation Company (English), running to the south. When the Isthmus route was the favorite way of travel between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States there were sometimes two or three American lines between Panama and California, but at present there is only one.
"There was formerly a line between Panama and Australia, but it was discontinued long ago, and a line from here to the Sandwich Islands, Japan, and China has been talked of, but never established. When the Panama Canal is completed it is probable that the business of this port will be greatly increased, and the number of daily arrivals and departures will far exceed those of the most active times of the 'rush' for California."
Dr. Bronson and the youths left the hotel about two o'clock in the afternoon, and proceeded to the dock whence the tender was to carry them to their steamer. The ships of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company run in connection with the Royal Mail Line from England to Aspinwall; the arrival of the English steamer at Aspinwall had been announced by telegraph, and the train with the passengers and mails was due in Panama about half-past two. While they were seated on the tender, and engaged in studying the beautiful panorama of the bay, the whistle of the locomotive was heard, and soon the train rolled into the station, and its burden was transferred to the boat. The passage to the steamer was quickly made, and by four o'clock the great craft was on her southerly course.
COAST SCENE BELOW PANAMA.
As our friends leaned over the rail, Dr. Bronson gave the youths some reminiscences of the old days of California travel.
"On the voyage from New York to Aspinwall," said he, "passengers became pretty well acquainted with each other; and it generally happened that there were some practical jokers among them, who indulged in tricks for creating amusement. One of the standing jokes of the departure from Panama was, to create alarm among those who were making the voyage for the first time, by spreading a report that they had embarked on the wrong steamer, and were being carried to Callao."
"How could they do that?" Fred inquired.
"By looking at the map, you will see that the Bay of Panama is enclosed between the mainland and the Peninsula of Azuero, the latter extending to the southward about seventy-five miles; consequently a steamer going to California must proceed in that direction, until she can turn the point of the peninsula. Most of the novices were not aware of this; the rumor was started, and, if incredulous, they were told to look at the compass and be convinced. The compass corroborated the assertion of the jokers, and many a traveller was seriously disturbed in mind until the joke was explained."
"He was probably more careful in his study of geography after that experience," Frank remarked.
"Sometimes," continued the Doctor, "the California steamers sailed at the same time as the ships of the English line for South America, and occasionally there was an international race as long as their courses were nearly the same. The routes diverge very soon, so that the races were brief, but, with a large number of passengers on board of each steamer, there would be great excitement while the competition lasted, and much money was wagered on the result. On one occasion, owing to the carelessness of somebody, one steamer ran into another, but no serious damage was done; at another time a steamer hugged the shore too closely in order to shorten her running distance and get an advantage over her rival. These accidents called attention to the racing, and the managers of the different companies issued a very stringent order against any more trials of speed. I have not heard of a repetition of these affairs for a good many years, and there is rarely any opportunity for rivalry, if we may judge by the time-tables of the various lines running from Panama. When steamers are to leave on the same day there is generally an hour or two between their departures, and the later one does not attempt to over-haul her predecessor."
CAVE NEAR LIMON RIVER.
As the great ship moved steadily through the blue water of the Bay of Panama our young friends regarded with close attention the beautiful panorama that passed before their eyes. The land was on both sides of their course, the peninsula on the right, and the mainland of South America on the left; the horizon to the eastward was filled with the chain of the Cordilleras, which increase in height farther to the south, and form the lofty line of the Andes. One of the passengers who was familiar with the coast indicated to our friends the Gulf of San Blas, and other indentations which have come into prominence during the discussions about an inter-oceanic canal, and a good deal of geographical knowledge was imbibed in the first few hours of thevoyage.
The Bay of Panama is about one hundred and ten miles long, and its width at the mouth is a little more than that distance. The course of the steamer carried her away from the peninsula, and before they had been long under way the latter was only dimly visible. It vanished with the sun, and by the following morning was far behind them. The placid waters of the Pacific Ocean filled the horizon, south, north, and west, but the mountains on the east were in full view. Smoke issuing from some of these mountains showed that they were volcanic, and the youths readily understood that they were approaching the region of eruptions and earthquakes.
VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA.
Guayaquil, in Ecuador, was the first stopping-place of the steamer, four days from Panama. Frank suggested that it was a good time to refresh their memories, or add to their knowledge, of the history of this part of the world; Fred agreed with him, and thought they would do well to begin with Vasco Nunez de Balboa, the discoverer of the Pacific Ocean. The Doctor gave his approval, and the principal part of the second day at sea was devoted to that enterprising explorer. While Frank read from Balboa's biography, Fred took notes of the most important parts of thestory, which were as follows:
"Vasco Nunez de Balboa was a Spanish nobleman, who dissipated his fortune, and ran away from home to avoid imprisonment for debt. He was born in 1475, and sailed for the New World soon after the return of Columbus from his fourth voyage.
"In 1510, Martin Fernandez De Enciso sailed for the colony of Carthagena, which had been established a few years earlier. He found in its harbor a brigantine which contained the remnants of a colony established farther down the coast, but abandoned in consequence of the hostility of the natives and the difficulty of procuring food. The leader of this party was Francisco Pizarro, whose name is known to every reader of South American history, in connection with the conquest of Peru.
BALBOA CARRIED ON SHIPBOARD.
"After a short delay in Carthagena, Enciso sailed for St. Sebastian, accompanied by Pizarro's brigantine. An hour or two before the vessel was to leave port some men brought a cask on board, and it was lowered into the hold with the rest of the provisions. When the ship was fairly out at sea the end of the cask was pushed out, and, instead of edibles for the crew, there appeared the form and figure of a man!
BALBOA MAKES HIS APPEARANCE.
"The man was Balboa, who had been living in Carthagena. He had so loaded himself with debts in his new home that his creditors were about toarrest him and he was closely watched to prevent his running away. He determined to sail with Enciso, and caused himself to be headed up in a cask and carried on board in the manner described."
Frank and Fred had a hearty laugh over this part of the story. One of them asked the Doctor if this mode of travel was in fashion at the present time.
"Not often," was the reply, "but it is sometimes practised by those who wish to do exactly like Balboa, escape from their creditors. I have known of a man being carried on board a steamer at New York in a large trunk, which was ostensibly the baggage of his wife, and there have been instances of criminals escaping from prison by being shut up in boxes and carried out as merchandise.
"In the days of slavery the friends of freedom used to assist slaves to escape from bondage in a variety of ways. One of the favorite modes for a fugitive to cross the line from south to north was to be shut up in a box and sent as a freight or express package. I once knew a negro in Philadelphia who was sent in this way from Richmond to the Quaker City; he was about thirty hours on the way, and almost dead from suffocation when his prison was opened. Though his conveyance was conspicuously labelled, 'This side up with care!' he was twice left standing on his head for two or three hours. His name was Henry Brown; in memory of his adventures, and to distinguish him from other Henry Browns, he was ever afterwards known as Henry Box Brown.
"And now let us return to Balboa," said the Doctor. The hint was sufficient, and the narrative was resumed.
"Enciso was angry at the deception practised by Balboa in securing passage as a stowaway, but soon had reason to be glad he had such a bold adventurer on his ship. At first he threatened to leave Balboa on a desert island, but when the latter offered his services and promised to be a good soldier the leader relented. Expeditions like those of the Spaniards are not made up of the best materials of society, and events afterwards proved that Balboa was more than the average adventurer of the sixteenth century.
"On the way to St. Sebastian Enciso's ship ran upon the rocks and was lost, with all its cargo, only the crew escaping to the brigantine of Pizarro. Enciso did not know where to go; and while he was pondering upon the best course to pursue Balboa came before him and said he knew of an Indian village on the bank of a river called Darien; the country near the village was fertile, and the natives had plenty of gold.
VILLAGE ON A RIVER OF DARIEN.
"Enciso sailed for the village, which he captured with ease, and compelled the inhabitants to deliver up fifty thousand dollars' worth of gold ornaments. He established a colony there, and forbade any one to traffic with the natives for gold, under penalty of death. This arbitrary order was opposed by Balboa, who remembered the threat to leave him on a desert island; as the followers of Enciso were quite as covetous as their leader, the prohibition was easily made the basis of a revolt.
"Balboa managed matters so well that Enciso was forced to leave for Spain, while the former became governor, with absolute authority over all the colony. He immediately sent Pizarro to explore a neighboring province, but the expedition was unsuccessful; Pizarro was driven back by the Indians, who attacked him in great force. Balboa then headed an expedition in person, and while sailing along the coast he picked up two Spaniards in the dress of natives. They were deserters from another colony, and had been living with Careta, the chief of the province of Coyba; they had been kindly treated by this chief, but promptly offered to pilot Balboa to his village, which was said to contain great quantities of the precious metal desired by the Spaniards.
"Balboa accepted their offer and started for Careta's capital, accompanied by the deserters and one hundred and fifty soldiers. Careta received him kindly, and after a short stay Balboa pretended to leave. In the night he attacked the village and made prisoners of the chief, together with his family, and many of his people. Careta made peace with the Spaniards by giving up a large amount of gold, and offering the hand of his daughter in marriage to Balboa. The historians say she had muchinfluence over Balboa, and on one occasion saved his life.
BALBOA AND THE INDIAN PRINCESS.
"Balboa promised to help Careta against his enemies, and in compliance with his promise he took eighty men and went on an expedition against Ponca, who was an enemy of Careta, and, what was more to the point with Balboa, was said to have a great amount of treasure. Ponca was attacked and his village was burned, but the victors obtained very little gold. Then they went to the neighboring province of Comagre, whose chief was friendly with Careta, and received them kindly. The chief came out to meet the strangers and escort them to the village, where he gave them food and comfortable lodgings, and did everything he could to make their stay agreeable.
"The people at this village were the most advanced in civilization thatthe Spaniards had thus far found in America. The chief's palace was a frame building, four hundred and fifty feet long and two hundred and forty wide, and it was divided into numerous apartments for the chief and his family and officers. Underneath it there was a cellar for storing provisions, and in one part of the building was a mausoleum, where the bodies of the chief's ancestors were preserved. Balboa examined this mausoleum, and found that the bodies were first dried by fire, to prevent decay, and then wrapped in great quantities of cloths which were interwoven with threads of gold. Pearls and pieces of gold were fastened around the wrappings, and then the bundles were hung against the walls of the room.
"It did not take long for the Spanish avarice to show itself, and to meet it the eldest son of the chief brought four thousand ounces of gold, which was distributed among the men, after a fifth of the whole had been reserved for the crown. During the division a quarrel arose between two of the men, about the weight of two pieces of gold.
QUARREL FOR THE GOLD.
"They drew their swords and were about to fight, when the young chief seized the scales and dashed their contents to the ground.
"'Why do you quarrel about such trash as this?' said he. 'If you come here for gold, go beyond those mountains, where there is a great sea on which sail vessels like your own. The streams that flow into it are filled with gold; the people who live on its coast eat and drink from vessels of gold.'"
Balboa was present at this incident; he had not interfered in the quarrel, but when the chief spoke he became interested. He talked long and earnestly with the chief, who represented the dangers and difficulties of the way, but offered to show it to the adventurer, if he was determined to go there.
"Balboa returned to the colony at Darien to make preparations for an expedition to discover the great sea beyond the mountains, and obtain the gold of the people along its coast. He sent to Spain for the men he required for the journey, but after he had waited long and anxiously a ship arrived with news that his enemy Enciso had obtained a favorable hearing before the king, and was coming back to assume command, while Balboa was to be sent to Spain to answer a charge of treason.
"He determined to make a bold stroke, and called for volunteers to accompany him on the expedition, as he could not expect the men he had asked for from the king. One hundred and ninety men volunteered, and on the 1st of September, 1513, he sailed with a brigantine and ten canoes. He reached the dominions of his father-in-law, Careta, near the modern village of Careto, about twenty miles from the mouth of the Caledonia River, on the route taken by Lieutenant Strain.
MARCHING THROUGH THE FOREST.
"Here the inland march began. The men toiled over rocks and among the thick undergrowth, and suffered from sickness and hunger and from the opposition of the Indians. They could not find the young chief who had offered to guide them over the mountains, but they captured some of the Indians and forced them to show the way. At one village the chief called out his men to attack the strangers, but they were quickly dispersed by the guns of the Spaniards. The Indians had never heard the report of fire-arms, and were paralyzed at what they believed to be thunder and lightning in human hands.
"Beyond this village was a mountain, from whose top the guide assured Balboa the great ocean was visible. Halting a day for the benefit of his sick and wounded, he pushed on till he reached the foot of the mountain, and stood there with his faithful followers. There they rested until another morning; he ordered every man to be ready to move at daybreak and then he lay down to sleep. His example was followed by his men; they slept, but he did not, as his mind was too full of what the morrow mightdisclose to allow of slumber.
"At the first sign of day he roused his men, and prepared for the march. The sick and wounded were left in the camp, and with sixty-seven followers he pushed forward. It was nearly noon when they emerged from the forest, and stood at the foot of the stony peak from which the guide said the sea was visible. Here Balboa ordered his men to remain till hehad reached the summit; he wished that his eyes should be the first to look upon the great ocean, of whose existence he still had lingering doubts.
DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC.
"He reached the summit, and there, spread before him and filling the horizon, were the blue waters of the Pacific. Balboa gazed for several minutes, in the enthusiasm of his discovery, and then beckoned for his followers to join him.
"The men dashed forward, Pizarro among them, and soon were at the side of their chief. One of the party was a priest, and as they came to a halt he began to chantTe Deum Laudamus!The chant was taken up by the whole band of adventurers, and as soon as it was ended they proceeded to build a mound of stones on which they erected a cross, in honor of thediscovery.
"Balboa then descended the mountain to the shores of the Pacific, where he took possession of the waters in the name of his king. He attempted to explore the country, but travelled only a short distance along the coast; passing through many hardships, he returned to Darien, whence he despatched a ship to Spain, bearing the news of his discovery, and the royal share of the gold he had taken.
CUTTING TIMBER FOR THE SHIPS.
"Already a new governor had been appointed, and shortly after Balboa's messenger had sailed the governor arrived. Balboa was tried on the old charges, and acquitted, and he then started to carry out his intention of exploring the Pacific. Crossing the mountains, he built vessels on the banks of the Valsa River, visited the Pearl Islands in Panama Bay, and explored parts of the coast. It was reported that he intended to establish a colony on the Pacific Ocean, and set up in opposition to the newly appointed Governor of Darien—or, rather, independently of him.
DEATH OF BALBOA.
"The governor summoned Balboa to Darien to meet him in friendly consultation, and the latter went, in spite of the advice of his comrades, who suspected that official's intentions. The governor arrested him on a charge of treason, and went through the form of a trial, which resulted in Balboa's conviction and condemnation to death. When he was led forth to execution a crier preceded him, proclaiming him a traitor to the crown. 'It is false!' exclaimed Balboa with great indignation; 'I have sought to serve my king with truth and loyalty, and no such crime as treason has ever entered my mind.'
"Balboa was only forty-one years of age when he perished, the victim ofthe same jealousy and hatred which caused Columbus to be carried in chains to the prison where he died. There is no doubt that his career was marked by many acts of cruelty, but nothing in his history indicates other than the most devoted loyalty to his sovereign and to the country of his birth."
The study of the history of Balboa was followed by a careful inspection of the map of the Darien Isthmus, in the effort to determine the identity of the mountain from which the Pacific Ocean was first seen by the eyes of a European. The Doctor told the youths that the mountain had not been identified, but was thought to lie between the rivers which Strain attempted to follow in his explorations for a canal. All the peaks in this region are difficult of access, and few of them have been ascended by white men.
The steamer reached Guayaquil on the morning of the fourth day from Panama. Our friends secured a boat for themselves and their baggage, and went on shore immediately; it was their intention to spend a fortnight in Ecuador, and then take steamer again to Callao.
At the landing-place they were beset by beggars, pedlers, guides, and donkey-owners, all desirous of receiving tokens of remembrance in the shape of money, selling articles of use or uselessness, or otherwise rendering real or imaginary services. All were shaken off in a little while, with the exception of the most prepossessing of the guides, who was engaged to take them to the hotel and show them around the city.
A rickety carriage was obtained, but, as it showed signs of weakness, it was exchanged at the hotel for one of a more substantial character. The streets and the buildings that lined them greatly resembled those of Panama, and indicated that the builders of both were of the same nationality. The cathedral was visited, but there was nothing remarkable in its appearance, and a very brief examination sufficed.
Frank said the most interesting part of the city was the river which ran through it; it is called the Guayaquil, and also the Guayas; its name has been given to the city, which is really "Santiago di Guayaquil." All the provisions for the city are brought in canoes and onbalsasor rafts, and every morning the river is almost covered with these crafts. They were laden with all sorts of things produced in the country—bananas, plantains, pineapples, cocoanuts, guavas, melons, oranges, zapotes, mangoes, and kindred fruits that grow in the tropics, and there was also a goodly array of tropical vegetables. Poultry-dealers were numerous, and the fowls with which their cages were filled kept up a vigorous cackling; there were fish of many varieties, some of them quite new to our young friends, who regarded them with muchinterest. In their eagerness to get about the boatmen frequently ran their craft against those of their neighbors, but there was the utmost good-nature, with one or two exceptions. Probably the people find it does not pay to quarrel where the climate is so warm, and the effort of getting into a passion is too much for every-day life.