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A M E R ICA N H I STORY

D E B A L B O A

VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA

BY

F R ED ER I C ! A . O B ER

ILLUSTRATED

VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA

BY

F R ED ER I C ! A . O B ER

ILLUSTRATED

HARPER 5‘ BROTHERS PUBLISHERS

NEW YOR! AND LONDON

1 9 0 6

CONTE NTS

THE MA N -OF -THE -B ARREL

LEADER OF A FORLORN H OPEB ALBOA A SSERTS HI S SUPREMACYB ALBOA CAPTURE S A P R INCE S STHE CA C IQUE S OF DAR I ENF IRST T ID INGS OF THE PA C IF I CA SEARCH FOR THE GOLDEN TEM PLECON SPIRACY OF THE CAC IQUE SHOW THE CON SPIRACY W A S D EFEATEDD I SSEN S ION S IN THE COLONYB ALBOA STRENGTHEN S H I S A RM

THE QUE ST FOR THE A USTRAL OCEANON THE SHORE S OF THE P AC IF I CA R IVAL IN THE F I ELDP EDRAR IA S , THE SCOURGE OF D AR I ENI N THE D OMA IN OF THE DRAGON SA COMPACT W ITH THE ENEMYB U ILD ING THE B R IGANT I NE SI MPR I SONED AND IN CHA IN STHE EN D OF VA SCO N uN’Ez DE B ALBOA

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ILLUSTRATION S

VA SCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA F rontispiew

PANAMA , DAR I EN , AND THE SOUTH SEA F acing p .

BALBOA CARR I ED ON SH I PBOARDV ILLAGE ON R IVER OF DAR I ENBALBOA AND THE IND IAN PR INCE SSQ UARREL FOR THE GOLDD I SCOVERY OF THE PAC IF I CE ! ECUT ION OF BALBOA

S O U R C ES O F I N F O R M A T I O N

W h ile Vasco N unez de B alb oa m ay be reckonedamong the greatest Of the mino r explorers , ye t less hasbeen written of him , perhaps , than Of any o ther in hisclass except J uan P once de Leon . B oth names arefamiliar to every student of history , both are wellknown even to the casual reader ; but both have beenstrangely neglected b y the biographer .Th e only complete biography Of Balboa ! it was

declared by an autho rity several years ago) , is that OfD on Manuel J osé de Quintana , wh o , between the years1 80 7 and 1 83 4, published his Spanish P lutarch ,

”

or Vidas de Espar’

ioles Célebres . . This work is considered a classic , and its author !wh o was born in Madrid ,

1 7 7 2 , and died in 1 857 ) lived to see it receive highpraise , and some of its subj ects honored b y translationinto o ther languages than his own V ernacular . AnEnglish edition , Of B alboa and P izarro , from Quintana

’sCelebrated Spaniards , was published in London , 1 83 2 ,

as translated b y Mrs . Margaret Hodson , and dedicatedto Robert Southey , then England’s poet- laureate .

B ut there is much material elsewhere to be foundpertaining to Balboa , as well as to P izarro , and no lackof o riginal do cuments , such as letters that passed b etween Vasco N unez and the Spanish crown , in the years1 51 3 , 1 51 4 and 1 51 5. Mention is made of Balboa by allthe early Spanish writers , of course , such as Martyr,Herrera , and Oviedo , the last named having been personally acquainted with him , as well as with P edrarias ,P izarro , and all tho se who were concerned in the exploration and settlement of D arien , P anama , and Peru .

Though Oviedo ’s great wo rk , the H istoria N atural 31

General de las I ndias , remained in manuscript duringthree centuries , Quintana had free access to it and extracted much that was interesting and valuable .

PANAMA,DAR I EN

,AND THE SOUTH SEA

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V A S C O N U N EZ D E B A L B O A

in every respect successful,save in its end

ing . It included the entire length Of Terra

F irma !as the north coast Of South Americawas then called) , from the Gulf OfMaracaiboto the Isthmus Of Darien , whence , after profitab le bartering with the Indians , Bastidasset sail for Spain .

He had sought traffic only , and not conquest

,hence had been everywhere received

with open arms by the natives , who pouredout their treasures Of gold and pearls mostlavishly

, SO that he and all his comrades wereenriched . Only one other venture to thisregion

,that Of Pedro N ino , the year previous ,

had yielded such rich returns,and it was with

exultation that the members Of this expedition turned the prows Of their caravels homeward . When half-way across the CaribbeanSea , however , they discovered , to their greatalarm

,that their vessels were leaking in every

part,and upon investigation found the hulls

full Of holes , made by the destructive teredo ,or ship-worm

,the existence Of which they

had not suspected . The nearest land was theisland Of Santo Domingo

,then known as

Hispaniola,and , bearing up for it , they found

a harbor in the Bay of Ocoa . The caravelswere hardly kept afloat until this haven was

THE M A N -O F - THE - B A R R EL

reached , and foundered in port before theircargoes were landed . All the arms andamm unition aboard , as well as much of theprovisions , went down with the vessels ; butno lives were lost , and the most precious portion Of the cargoes was saved , to the lastpearl and nugget Of gold .

The governor Of Santo Domingo at thattime was Don Francisco de Bobadilla , who ,though but a year or so in Office , had alreadycommitted irreparable wrongs upon the natives Of the island . But a few months hadelapsed Since he had sent Christopher COlumbus and his brothers home to Spain inchains . Having sequestrated their effects

,

he was rapidly squandering his ill gottenwealth

,and actually living in the Old ad

m iral’s castle .

One hot midsummer day, as GovernorBobadilla was enjoying his siesta , or noonday nap , he was rudely awakened by oneOf his mounted scouts , who had ridden allnight and all morning

,coming in from the

westward . Pushing aside the sentinel onduty in the lower court , he sprang up thestone stairs with jangling spurs

,and , making

his way to the balcony overlooking theriver Ozama , where the governor

’s ham

VA S C O N U N EZ D E B A L B O A

mock was swung , he exclaimed : Your excellency, I have dire news to report . Itcalls for immediate action , too , hence myintrusion upon your privacy .

”

“Ha ! it must be pressing , indeed , replied the governor , testily , rubbing his eyesand at the same time rolling out of his hammock . Know you not

,sirrah , that I could

have you swung from the battlements— yea,

dashed to the pavement Of the court below ?

HO,it is Enrique ! Pardon me

,man

,I

thought it must be some varlet Of the ad

m iral’s scurvy gang . N O chances lose the

Colombz'

nos !partisans Of Columbus ! to invade my castle and seek to press home theirclaims , perchance their rusty blades ! Butproceed . What is it , Enrique ?

”

“Your excellency , three bands Of lawlessadventurers , under one Bastidas and thepilot Juan de la Cosa , are marching throughthe country , with intent , most probably , Ofattacking the capital . Each band is provided with a coffer filled with gold andpearls , which they are bestowing upon theIndians in exchange for provisions . Theyare committing nO ravage , being in the mainunarmed ; but I thought your excellencyshould be informed , and SO have come

, as

THE M A N -O F - THE- B A R R EL

you see,all the way from Azua , without

rest . ”

As a faithful retainer , Enrique , you havedone well

,and shall receive your reward .

They can do no harm , doubtless , since weare here in force ; but , laden with gold andpearls , say you ?

”

“Yes,your excellency , rioting in wealth ,

which they have Obtained in Terra Firma .

Not a man among them that has not greatstore .

“Ha ! They come most Opportunely , then ,for this island of Hispaniola is wellnighdrained of its riches , what with the ravagesOf Roldan’s men and the license permittedby Bartolomé Colon . Their wealth is

,with

out doubt , ill-gotten , and we must see whatcan be done with it . Trading without permission

,whether on Terra Firma or in the

isles , is a serious Offence .

”

“ But , excellency , the commander Of theexpedition is Rodrigo Bastidas

,a lawyer Of

note in Seville , and he claims to have had permission from the sovereigns . He comes notwith intent to trade in this island

, SO he says ,but , his vessels having foundered , he desiresonly assistance to proceed home to Spain .

”

“And he shall get it , forsooth ; but not of


the sort he may crave . A lawyer, say you ?

Well,since I have already incarcerated an

admiral , an adelantado , and the governor Ofthis very city Of Santo Domingo , it seemsnot reasonable that I shall be bearded by abachelor ! The dungeon awaits him , andthere is a place in my treasury for his storeOf gold and pearls , until it Shall be Shownthat the royal fifth is secure . GO now andcall the captain Of the guard . Tell it notin the town ; but I Shall have my soldiersready to arrest these marauders the moment they arrive .

The avaricious Bobadilla kept his word tothe letter, for when , the next night , his shipwrecked countrymen

’

arrived within sight Ofthe city, they were met by an armed forceand conducted , weak and famishing as theywere , to the prison-pen

,where they were

herded like cattle . The rank and file weresoon released , and allowed to wander at willabout the island , but Bastidas and La Cosawere kept immured for many months . InJune or July of the next year they wereplaced on board one Of the ships comprisingthe large fleet collected by the governor toaccompany him to Spain . Bobadilla embarked in another vessel , at the same time ,

6

THE M A N -O F -THE- B A R R EL

but lost his life in a hurricane , which sanknearly every ship in his fleet .

1

The vessel containing Bastidas and LaCosa survived the tempest , and they safelyarrived in Spain with the greater portion Of

their treasure . Both received high honorsat the hands Of their sovereign

,and returned

to the scenes Of their discoveries , on thecoast Of Terra Firma

,where the gallant pilot

was killed by a poisoned arrow . Bastidaswas appointed governor Of Santa Marta ,where , because he treated the Indians justlyand took their part against his ferociousfollowers , he was assassinated by some Of

his own men . His remains were taken toSantO Domingo , and in its cathedral is aChapel dedicated to the memory Of

“ theAdelantado Rodrigo de Bastidas , who , together with his wife and child , there sleepshis last

,in a tomb elaborately carved , as at

tested b y an inscription on the chapel wall .

While the adventures Of the hum ane Bastidas were suffi ciently interesting to attract

1This was the hurricane predicted by Co lumbus , asnarrated in his Life by the author of this biography ,

and it occurred in I 50 2 . F or the further adventures OfLa Cosa , see the Life ofAmerigo Vespucci , in this series .

7


attention at the time of their occurrence ,they might , possibly , have escaped the historian were it not for the fact that theywere Shared by a man whose subsequentfortunes were identified with one Of the greatest events in American history . This manwas Vasco Nunez de Balboa , who enlistedunder Bastidas at Seville , and accompaniedhim throughout the voyage , with its consequent disasters . He was then an Obscureindividual

,known only as a dependant Of

Don Pedro Puertocarrero ,the mighty lord

of Moguer . He was not a native Of Moguer

!that town near Palos so closely identifiedwith Columbus and the discovery of America) ,but came from ! eres de los Cab alleros,wherehis family was respected

,though poor and

untitled .

N O mention is made Of Balboa in the annals Of the voyage

,nor for years after the

disbanding Of the company at Santo DOmingo do we find anything respecting theman who possessed those transcendent qualities that later marked him as a born leaderOf men . He was probably one Of the un

fortunates let loose upon the island whenBastidas was imprisoned by Bobadilla . Atthat time he was about twenty-six years Of

8


of his opportunities . Thus the poor Indianswere worked beyond the limit Of endurance,and died by thousands ; thus the white mentook to Oppression as a matter Of course , andbecame as fiends in human shape

,with no

regard for morals , for humanity , or therights Of their fellow-men .

Yet,with all the Opportunities presumably

given Balboa for acquiring a fortune,we find

him,after several years in the island , deep

in debt and seeking to avoid his creditorsby flight . The first authentic notice Of thisformer companion Of Bastidas appears in areference to him , in general terms , In theyear 1 51 0 . At that time , four years afterthe death Of Christopher Columbus , his onlylegitimate son

,Don Diego

,was governor of

Santo Domingo and V iceroy Of the Indies .

He had succeeded to the incompetent Bobadilla and the atrocious Ovando

,who had

left the island in such terrible condition thatall his great energies were required to bringit under control .Besides seeking to renovate the impov

erished plantations and ameliorate the condition Of the Indians

,Don Diego also under

took the investigation Of Santo Domingo’sresources , and explorations in various regions

I O


Of the Caribbean . He was especially interested in the development Of Terra Firma ,and encouraged expedi tions thither, amongthem being the venture Of Alonso de Oj eda ,who

,on one Of his voyages , was accompa

nied by Francisco Pizarro , then unknown , butdestined to become the conqueror Of Peru .

On his third voyage to Terra Firma , Oj edaleft behind him in SantO Domingo one Martin Fernandez de Enciso

,who was to follow

after with a vessel freighted with suppliesand reinforcements for a colony he hadfounded on the coast Of Darien . It was onthe occasion of Enciso ’s sailing that thereference

,already alluded to , was made to

Balboa and the class to which he then b elonged :

‘

delinquent debtors who sought toevade their Obligations by flight . Information having reached Don Diego , the admiral , that certain reckless men Of this classmeditated waylaying Enciso

’s Ship when

she called at some Of the out-ports for finalsupplies , he issued a proclamation commanding them to desist from their purpose ,and also sent an armed caravel with the vessel to escort her clear Of the coast .

Vasco Nufi ez de Balboa was then residingon a farm

,which he nominally owned,near

I I

V A S C O N U N EZ DE BA L B O A

the sea-coast town Of Salvatierra,at which

place Enciso was to' call for provisions . In

deed , some Of the provisions were to comefrom Balboa’s farm , and his own Indianswere engaged in transporting them to thesea-shore . Late one afternoon , it is said ,as Balboa and his mayordomo , or chief man ,were walking on the sands near the mouthOf the river that flowed through his farm ,

they saw Enciso ’s vessel and her escort standing into the bay . The sun was then not farabove the western hills

,beyond which tow

ered the cloud -capped mountains Of the interior

,where lay the rugged region known

as the Goldstone Country . The craft hadscarcely furled their sails and dropped theiranchors ere a puff Of smoke Shot out fromthe larger vessel

,followed bv the report Of

a cannon .

“Ha ! that means haste !” exclaimed Balboa . Bachelor Enciso is desirous that wesend our supplies at once

, SO that he maylade ton ight and sail to-morrow with themorning breeze .

”

“Well , master , said the mayordomo , sofar as our own provisions go , we are readyfor him . These barrels on the beach , withwhat the Indians are now bearing hither on

1 2

THE M A N -O F - THE- B A R R EL

the road ,make up our contribution to the

cargo .

”

“Yes,Miguel , answered Balboa , as thou

sayest , we are ready . But , notwithstand

ing,there is one more contribution I fain

would make to Bachelor Enciso ’s complement Of soldi ers , as well as add to hi s cargo .

Dost understand me,Miguel mio

“ I have heard , master , that thou artpressed for funds Of late

,and threatened

with imprisonment provided money be notforthcoming for thy c reditors .

”

That is it . And dost know,Miguel ,

whence I may get that money— or,what is

the same to me ~now,how I may evade pay

ment for a while ?”“ As to the dinero , master—

’sooth,I know

not where to find it ; for if I did ,certain thou

shouldst have it As to evading the payment , there is but one way Open ,

and that“ Lies yonder , added Balboa

,then con

tinued ,bitterly : Yet it is not open

,after

all,for how can I get aboard the vessel ?

Don Diego— and may the devil get his soulin keeping , say I l— Don Diego has sent thecaravel to prevent the escape Of poor menlike me who would redeem themselves ina far country . He would keep us here , it

I 3

V A S C O N U NEZ D E B A L B O A

seems,to rot in misery , rather than afford

us a chance to get gold for the payment Ofour debts .

“Don Diego is a fool !” exclaimed themayordomo .

“Yea , and SO is the BachelorEnciso . Faith ,

if we cannot outwit themboth

,thou mayst cut Off my head and stick

it on a pole ! When canst thou be ready ,my master ?”

In an hour , Miguel . But what will itavafl ?

”

Say no more , ,

my master , but go to therancho , and return to the beach within anhour or two . It were better if after dark ;but not too late for getting aboard the ship .

”

“Oh no , not too late for boarding the

Ship ,” rejoined Balboa , derisively .

“ It hathever been that , Of late . But

,what is thy

scheme,Miguel ?”

“Let not that concern thee

,master . GO

thou , and remember these proverbs :‘When

the iron is hot,then is the time to strike ’;

and ‘When the fool has made up his mind ,the market is over !’

Balboa laughed lightly as he hastened awayto the rancho

,whence he returned , two or

three hours later , accompanied by an Indianporter with a full suit Of armor on his back,

1 4


and another with a large basket containingarticles Of wearing apparel .Miguel was standing by a large cask

,one

end Of which was open . Directing the Indians to deposit their burdens on the sandbeside the cask, he sent them back to therancho

,thus leaving himself and Balboa

alone . Not far away,though but dimly vis

ible in the starlit night,a number Of Indians

were rolling casks Of provisions into a smallboat from the ship .

“They will be ready for this in about anhour

,said the mayordomo , SO I fain must

.

pack it quickly What thinkst thou Of thyquarters

,master mine ?”

What ? I S that thy scheme m to send meaboard packed like pork in a cask ? Never

,

Miguel ! The stigma would cling to me forever !”

“Not SO closely , perhaps , as thy credi tors.

my master . But choose thou ,and quickly ,

for time is no laggard . Meanwhile thou ’rt

making up thy mind,I’ll pack this armor

and clothing in the lower end Of the cask .

See , now ,I shall secure it with braces , SO the

armor may not rattle ; and Observe thou thatthere are holes

,which I have bored in the

Sides , to give thee air . Now,when quite

a I 5

v’

A SC O N UNEZ D E’

J BA’

LEOA

ready , get therein , and I will head thee up ,my master .

But , M iguel suppose the cask were toturn Over . With the Weight of my armorupon me , I should be suffocated ,

methinks .

Nay,master , turned over thou shalt not

be , for I shall give instructions to the crewto keep the top -end uppermost .

’

But they may not Observe them ,groan

ed Balboa , as he clambered into‘

t he caskand settled himself In position .

They will,master ; trust me , said

!

th e

faithful Miguel . “ In the.

lading, they.mayroll thee about a bit , to be sure . S till , itwill be better than to be

‘

Squeezed by thycreditors.

”

V “Well,

-

as thou’

sayest ,‘

Miguel . In I go ,perchance to a living tomb . A thousandducats for thee , Miguel , if the venture

‘

provesuccessful .

“Ha ! But when do I get it , master ?-“When I am lord Of Terra Firma ! But

Stay,Migue l There is Leo

'

ncico . I Cannot ,must not , leave him behind .

“Truly thou sayest , replied the mayor

dome ;“ but for the hound I have already

‘

provided . He goes aboard with SalvadorGon2alez , who , also ,

'

will have an eye on1 6

THE M A N -O F -THE - B A R R EL

this cask,to open it at the proper time ,

which cannot be till to-morrow , know thou .

”

Ah,well ! get me aboard ; and caution the

men to handle me carefully . A dios , Miguel ,good friend . May the Lord reward thee .

”

Enciso’s vessel was laden by midnight ,

and before dawn of the next morning waswell in the offing , from the shore appearinga mere speck upon the horizon . The bachelor was now in high feather

,for he had

,as

he thought,completely outwitted the schem

ing debtors of the island ,who intended

boarding his vessel , and had dismissed thearmed caravel with a message to Don Diegoto this effect . What

,then

,was his astonish

ment , about mid-forenoon of the first dayout , to be confronted by a mailed apparition ,in the person of the most notorious debtorthat Santo Domingo had known — VascoNunez de Balboa !Clad in full armor

,with his good Toledo

blade in one hand and the famous hound,

Leoncico , by his Side , the soldier-coloniststrode aft to the quarter - deck where Enciso was standing . He had been releasedfrom his cramped quarters in the cask byhis neighbor Gonzalez

,guided by Leoncico ,

who picked out his master’s place of im1 7

V A S C O N U N EZ ' D E B A L BOA

prisonment from among the freightage inthe vessel’s bows

, and stood by solemnlyuntil he was freed .

“Dios mio!

” exclaimed Balboa,after the

head of the cask had been removed and

his own head took its place .

“That was anexperience I would not endure again for anempire ! Give me to eat

,friend Salvador ,

and something to drink,for of a truth I am

perishing of hunger and thirst . My limbs ,too

,are as stiff as a stake , so rub me down ,

amigo , and then help me on with my armor .”

LEADER OF A FORLORN HOPE

HEN the Bachelor Enciso beheldVascoNufi ez before him ,

even though thestowaway removed his plumed hat andbowed obsequiously almost to the deck

,he

was exceedingly disturbed . As he gazed,

open-mouthed,upon the handsome counte

nance of Balboa,wreathed as it was with a

most provoking smile,which seemed to say

,

“ Aha ! I have outwitted you at last ,” his

choler rose,so that at first he could not find

words for his wrath .

Finally it was voiced,and he poured forth

,

upon the still smiling vagabond in armorbefore him

,a torrent

'

Of words which,since

they were not chosen with a V iew to beingreproduced for posterity to peruse

,will not

be repeated herewith . Suffice it that , whenat last his rage and his vocabulary wereseemingly exhausted , he was somewhat mol

I 9


lified by Balboa’s Single remark : Well,

Senor Bachelor , after all , the island ,it

seemeth,has lost a bad citizen , while you

have gained a good soldier . Yea,two good

soldiers,for here behold my hound Leoncico ,

who will do more than one man s work,I

ween .

”

“ Scoundrel !” sputtered the lawyer , whatbad citizen— and

,faith

,you are one— ever

became a good soldier ? I have a mind

yea ,a mind almost made up for that— to

leave you on the reefs of Roncador , thereto subsist on such as the sea may yield .

And your impudence,moreover

,to force

yourself upon my company,when , as you

cannot truthfully deny , you owe me , myself

,two hundred ducats !N or do I deny it

,

” answered Balboa,

with a winning smile . And the fact thatI do not— and

,moreover

,seek you out— and

,

as you say,force myself upon your company

— would not ‘that imply that my motivesare most honorable ?

'

Why should I seek toally with one to whom I am indeed in debtbut for a desire to liquidate that Obligation ?

You yourself know,Bachelor

,that there are

now no Opportunities in Hispaniola : nonefor the planter

,even -which I am not ; and

20

L EA D ER O F A F O R L O R N H O PE

scarce any for the soldier— which I am .

Take me with you , then , and but give meopportunity . From the first spoils I winof the heathen

,you Shall recoup yourself

the two hundred ducats , and I Shall not restuntil all my creditors have likewise be enrepaid in full . ”

“ I do not know , remarked Enciso dub iously .

“ I remember the proverb,

‘Whenthe devil says his prayers , he wants to cheatyou .

’ I never knew you , Vasco Nunez deBalboa

,to be over-anxious to discharge your

debts . Still, since you are here , and if , b efore these men assembled , you will pledgeyour fealty

,promising support and obedience

to my commands,I will allow you to re

main .

I thank your excellency ; and let mequote another proverb

,which I verily b e

lieve in,

‘

Quien busca,hallo— He who seeks ,

finds !’ I have sought , I Shall seek yet more ,and— I shall find ! ”

With these words,Balboa bowed low to

the lawyer-captain,turned on his heel

,and

walked forward to rejoin his friends . En

ciso looked after him ,noting his stalwart ,

muscular figure,his independent poise , and

Shook his head . He had , indeed , gained a

2 1

V A S C O N U NEZ D E B A L BO A

sturdy recruit,but one of such lofty and in

trepid spirit that he might not be contentwith

'

a position in the ranks , and , perchance ,might some time aspire to command . Lawyer that he was , he was provoked to thinkt hat he had , in a sense , compounded withfelony

,and allowed a man to join his com

panywho was under the ban of the law .

But,like the lawyer that he was , he shrugged

his shoulders and hoped all would turn outfor the best . Balboa had his permission tostay

,and even if he had not given it

,he could

not get rid of the impudent rascal withoutthrowing him overboard .

Balboa joined his friends in the prow ofthe ! ship

,and

,with something of a swagger

,

told of his reception by Enciso,whom he

complimented for his good sense in securinga good recruit , even though it had goneagainst his prejudices to do so . SalvadorGonzalez and a few other soldier - settlers,who had enlisted for the voyage and a yearthereafter Of service on land , then informedBalboa Of the nature of the expedition inwhich he had engaged . They had turnedthe empty cask bottom up , and , gatheredaround Balboa’s erstwhile domicile of thenight before , regaled themselves upon viands

2 2


meseems we cannot do worse on the cont inent than in Hispaniola . Well it is thatI preserved my good Sword all these yearsthat I have played the planter in that island ,for now I see my way to carve a fortune withit in a new land where gold abounds . Here ,then , is to the success of our voyage ! Maywe find gold galore

,and caciques as rich as

was Caonabo when Don Cristobal Columbus came first to Hispaniola !”

He filled a calabash with wine , which hequaffed at a draught , and his companionslikewise drank most heartily to the toast heproposed .

How many are there in our company ?”

asked Balboa .

“One hundred and fifty men

,answered

Gonzalez,

“ plus yourself .“ Then there are one hundred and fifty

two,for Leoncico is as good as any soldier,

and Shall share on equal terms with all . ”

This Balboa said with such determinationthat it was easy to see his dog stood onlysecond to himself in his estimation .

“Ay , he is a fine brute

,

” assented Gonzalez .

“ I know him well . He is a son ofPonce de Leon’s dog

,B ecerrico

,who per

formed such feats in the island San Juan,

24

L EA D ER O F A F O R L O R N H O PE

and well worthy of his sire . And , inasmuchas B ecerrico received a soldier

’s full Share,

yielding his master more than two thousandpesos in gold

,as prize -money for those he

captured,I see not why Leoncico should not

be received among us on the same terms .

”

“You shall never regret it !” exclaimedBalboa

,eagerly

,

“ for on occasions h e canrender the service of a dozen men . He isa sentinel that never sleeps . By day andby night

,he is ever on the watch . And

,

mates,his instinct is most wonderful . He

can distinguish between a peaceful and awarlike Indian merely by his smell . Whenwe were hunting down the Indians of theCibao

,ten Christians escorted by this dog

were in greater security than twenty werewithout him . Seeing an Indian at a distance , I have loosed him , saying,

‘There heis

,seek him

,

’ and he hath so fine a scentthat not one ever escaped him . Havingovertaken an Indian

,he will take him by

the hand or sleeve or girdle,perchance he

have anything upon him , and lead him gently towards me , without biting or annoyinghim at all ; but should the savage resist , hewould tear him to pieces . Look at the scarsupon him

,

” added Balboa,proudly

,drawing

25

‘


the blood -hound towards him and pointingout the many places where he had beenwounded .

“Most of these wounds weremade by Indian arrows ; but here is wherea j avelin struck and tore him badly, andhere again where a spear glanced from hisribs that might else have penetrated to hisheart . Ah

,you are a great dog , aren

’t you ,

Leoncico The hound raised his massivehead and sent forth a roar that resoundedthrough the Ship . He was an ugly brute

,

even for a blood-hound,and few aboard ship

cared to handle him ; but with Balboa he waslike a kitten .

Pursuing a course southwesterly acrossthe Caribbean Sea

,Enciso

’s ship finally ar

rived at the harbor of Cartagena,where

,as

the Spaniards attempted to land,they were

set upon by a host of savages,who had been

roused to exasperation by Oj eda and wereburning for revenge . Balboa and the morefiery of the cavaliers were for attackingthem forthwith ; but Enciso was of a peaceable disposition and would not consent . Hewithdrew from the shore a little way

,and

parleyed with the Indians through an interpreter

,with the consequence that they de

sisted from their hostile demonstrations and26

L EA DER OF A F O R LOR N HO PE

soon engaged in friendly barter with theSpaniards . Though they had suffered severely at the hands of Oj eda , who had killedmany of their warriors , women ,

and children,

as well as burned their town to ashes , theseso -called savages forgot their wrongs andmingled freely with the countrymen Of thosewho had ravaged their territory .

Enciso took occasion to point out the advantages the Spaniards might always gainif they would treat these simple people fairlyinstead of with rank injustice , as was usuallythe case when the two races met . Balboa ,Gonzalez

,and their like

,who had been

schooled in the barbarous savagery of Bobadilla and Ovando , dissented from the bachelor’s opinion

,and declared he was altogether

too lenient with the Indians . Then andthere

,in fact , began the dissension among

the soldiers which resulted in Enciso’s overthrow . But of that anon .

As they were about to leave Cartagenaharbor , a sail was descried at a distance ,which proved to be a brigantine laden withsoldiers who had enlisted with Oj eda . Thiswas proven to the satisfaction of Enciso , andon coming to close quarters he hailed themand demanded why they had deserted their

27

VA SC O N U N EZ D E B A‘

L B O A

post . He was answered by the commanderof the ship , who was no less than the subsequently renowned Francisco Pizarro

,that

famine and savages had combined to drivethem away . Oj eda , said Pizarro , had departed two months before , in a pirate shipbound for Santo Domingo , leaving him incommand . He was to wait fifty days , andif at the end of that time no supplies orreinforcements came

,was at liberty to aban

don the settlement . The stipulated timepassed , and the survivors of the wretchedcolony embarked in

,two vessels . One of

these was swallowed by the sea,and the

terrified crew of the other vessel sought theharbor of Cartagena

,intending to sail direct

for Santo Domingo .

They had endured enough,all agreed

,

having lost more than a hundred comradesby drowning

,starvation

,and the Indians’

poisoned arrows . Even the indomitablePizarro was convinced that a return to thedeserted se ttlement was useless , for thesavages had burned their fort before theyleft the harbor , and everything would haveto be done over

‘

anew . But Enciso , asalcalde mayor by appointment of Oj eda ,was then ranking Officer of the little squad

28

L EA D ER O F A FO R L O R N H O PE

ron,and Pizarro was subject to his author

ity . He yielded to his superior as gracefullyas might have been expected in the circumstances ; but soon after it was noticed thathe and Balboa !having previously met inSanto Domingo , where they were at onetime boon companions

,in fact) had their

heads together , and it was surmised ,not

without reason , that a plot was hatching .

The Bachelor Enciso was not devoid oftact , however, and to divert the malcontents led them on an expedition inland , toravage the territory of the cacique Zenuand ravish the sepulchres of his ancestors ,which were said to b e filled with gold andgems . It was Balboa who related the storyof the golden sepulchres

,which he recalled

as having heard when he was on that verycoast with Bastidas .

“ And,moreover

,

” said he,I bethink me

of what was related respecting the gold ofthat region . It is said to abound in suchquantities that it may be picked up by thebasketful . In the season of rains

,which is

now , gold ,in great nuggets large as eggs , is

washed down by the torrents,and all the

natives do to collect it is to stretch netsacross the streams . Going to them in the

29


morning , as a fisherman would visit his netsin the sea , they find the precious metal insuch abundance that they bear it away by

,

the backload .

”

Thus discoursed the redoubtable VascoN ufi ez de Balboa to his commander , Enciso ;and though there were those on board shipwho

,knowing him of Old , declared that he

was prone to shoot with the long bow,

” or,

in other words , tell incredible yarns , thebachelor be lieved his story ,

every word,and

prepared to put it to the proof . As he,En

ciso , was a man of peace , m ore learned inthe law than versed in the practice of arms

,

he allowed Balboa to take charge of the ex

pedition, though he himself went along inan advisory capacity .

The remarkable abilities of the BachelorEnciso shone forth in a remarkable mannerat the outset

,for

,meeting with two caciques

in command of a large army of naked warriors he insisted upon expounding to themthe why and wherefore ” of the Spaniards .

having invaded their territory . He hadwith him the Old formula , drawn up by thelearned doctors of Spain ,

which recited that ,in virtue of the world having been given byGod to the pope , and by the latter the un

30

VA S CO N UN EZ D E B A L B O A

This ghastly spectacle did not daunt Enciso , however , who said to Balb oa andPizarro

,

“Well , I have given them the law ;now it only remains for you to give themwhat they can better understand ,

perhapsthat is , the sword and the lance .

”

The two dauntless fighters desired nothingbetter than the pretty fight that was promised with the caciques , and ,

with shouts totheir followers , led them against the foe .

The battle was Short , but, fierce . The twocaciques were forced to retreat , leaving manyof their men dead on the field ; but two ofthe Spaniards were wounded with poisonedarrows , and died in torments . The provincewas ravaged

,but no gold was found

,either

as ornaments in the sepulchres or nuggetsin nets stretched across the roaring torrents .

BALBOA ASSERTS H I S SUPREMACY

HE barren victory at Zenu did not serveto greatly strengthen the authority of

Enciso , and it required all his arts as asolicitor to induce Pizarro

’s disgusted soldiers to return to San Sebastian— as Ojeda

’s

settlement was called . It was situated onthe east side of an inlet from the Gulf ofDarien known as Uraba

,the currents of

which were so swift and strong as to forceEnciso

’s vessel upon a shoal , where she

went to pieces,with the result that nearly

all her p recious freight was lost , the menon board barely escaping with their lives .

They reached the shore nearly naked anddestitute

,only to find their fortress and for

mer dwellings in ashes,and the rapacious

savages lying in wait for them in the surrounding forest .

A party sent by Enciso to forage the‘

33


country was waylaid by Indians , who wounded several Spaniards with their poisoned arrows

,and compelled the command to retreat

to the shore . There a consultation was held,

at which all present were unanimous forabandoning a region where , in their ownwords

,Sea and land , the Skies and the in

habitants , all unite to repulse us . Butthey knew not whither to go , unless it wereback to Santo Domingo

,which , under the

circumstances,would not be likely to receive

them hospitably . At this juncture , the oneman of that company who had less to expectfrom a return to the island than from remaining away from it

,stepped forth and

,

by his words of encouragement , kindled inthe hearts of the despairing colonists newspirits and new hopes .

“ Now I remember,

” said Vasco Nufi ez deBalboa ,

“ that some years ago when passing by this coast on a voyage of discoverywith Rodrigo de Bastidas

,we entered this

very gulf and disembarked on its westernshore . There we found a large river

, and

saw on its opposite bank an Indian town,

the inhabitants of which do not poison theirarrows . The country adjacent

,moreover

,

W as open and fertile , so that , doubtless , we34

B A L BO A A S SER T S HI S SUP R EMACY

shall find there great store of maize andcassava , as well as a good site for a settlement .

”

This welcome information at once placedBalboa upon a pinnacle of prominence , andhe was urged to lead the starving band towards the promised land of abundance . Asmany as possible crowded into the remaining brigantine , and sailed across the gulf,where they found the river and the town ,just as Vasco Nufi ez had described them .

They landed at once and took possession ,

for the town was abandoned of its inhab itants , who had retreated to the forest . Theplace , however , was rendered untenable atthe moment by its brave cacique , namedZemaco , who , with five hundred warriors ,had intrenched himself on a near-b y hill,where he courageously awaited the invaders ,determined to give them battle With suchmen as Pizarro and Balboa in 11 18 command ,

and the latter already aspiring to leadership ,it was not possible for Enciso to restrain theardor of his men

,who would not heed his

desire to parley with the Indians , but immediately attacked them in their chosenstronghold .

The Indians fought for their homes , but

35


the Spaniards for their very lives , and withsuch desperation they battled that the issuewas not long in doubt . The cacique and hiswarriors were driven from the hill withslaughter

,and the victorious though fam

ishing Spaniards , unable to pursue and overtake them in their flight , remained in possession of the town , with its ample storesof provisions and its treasures . They foundin the huts , thrust beneath thatched roofsOf palm leaves

,many quaint ornaments of

gold , such as anklets and bracelets , nose andear rings , altogether to the value of tenthousand crowns . In the reeds and canesalong the river, also , were discovered manyprecious articles concealed there by theIndians in their flight , and the cacique , having been captured and put to the torture ,revealed the hiding-place of many more .

Thus suddenly raised from poverty toaffluence , with more than twelve thousandpieces of gold in their possession

,the Span

iards entertained hopes of acquiring yetgreater wealth , in a short time , by marauding expeditions . But their ardent expectations were suddenly dashed by Enciso , whonot only claimed the right to hold in hiskeeping all the gold

,in conformity to royal

36

B A L B O A A S S ER T S H I S S U P R EM A C Y

command,but imprudently prohibited all

traffic with the Indians On individual ao

count , under penalty Of death . As the

greater part of his command was composedOf men like Balboa , who had left their country ih the hope Of bettering their fortunesby barter with the natives Of this goldenregion

,dissatisfaction was wide-spread and

the murmurings loud as well as deep . Itwas instantly perceived that the bachelorwould prove a captiou

‘

s,miserly master

,

and the bolder spirits of the company re

solved upon resisting his authority .

All had agreed , meanwhile , that the I’

ndian village was well situated for a permanent settlement , and ,

after sending for theremainder of his company at San Sebastian

,

Enciso commenced to lay the foundationsOf a town which ,

in fulfilment Of a vow hehad made

,he called Antigua del Darien .

He was the founder Of the town of Antigua,

but was not to remain long in control Of it ,for

,having without sufficient force to back

him attempted to restrain the passions ofhis followers and deprive them Of theirliberties, he was soon to be swept awaywhen those pent-Up passions burst theirbounds.


The Spaniards of those days had a deepreverence for royal authority and fear oftheir king ; but when it was casually discovered that Enciso had unwittingly settledupon territory which had been granted toN icuesa,

and over which neither Oj eda norhimself had any jurisdiction

,he was prompt

ly deposed by the soldiers , who refused himfurther allegiance . He was beaten by hisown weapons— those of the law— which wereturned against him by his chief opponent ,Balboa

,who had never forgotten Enciso ’

s

threat to throw him into the sea,or land

him on a desert island , when he had firstmade his appearance on shipboard . Theline of demarcation be tween the territoriesgranted to Oj eda and N icuesa respectivelyran through the centre of the Gulf of Uraba

,

the eastern shores Of which pertained to theformer and the western to the latter .A S Antigua had been founded on the

western shore , it undoubtedly lay withinthe limits of N icuesa’s grant

,and hence the

unfortunate Enciso was without a legal legto stand on .

“This miser who would deprive us of our gold ,

” said Balboa,and

who covets for himself all the fruits of our

efforts , would use to our prejudice an author

38


there,Colmenares agreed to remain and

Share his arms and supplies with the colonists , provided they would receive N icuesaas their leader This proposition having

b een acceded to ! for the liberality Of Col

m enares had gained him universal favor) ,he and two others were deputed to go insearch Of the lost leader , who , with sevenvessels and five hundred men , had disap

peared ,months before

,and left no Sign by

which others could follow him . It wasknown that he had taken part with Oj edain an attack upon the Indians at Cartagena

,

after which he had set sail for his allottedterritory to the westward of Uraba . Sincethen nothing whatever had been heard fromN icuesa,

but the search of Colmenares disclosed the details of a terrible narrative Of

suffering and fatal disasters,almost without

a parallel in the annals of exploration . InShort , at the time Colmenares set out fromAntigua

,only Sixty men survived of the

five hundred who had sailed from Spainwith N icuesa ,

and but one brigantine wasleft of his fleet .

The unfortunate explorer was finally foundat a port on the north coast of the isthmusnamed Nombre de Dios

,where he and the

40


remnant of his band were existing in a stateof utter despondency

,unable to get away

,

and despairing of assistance from any quarter . This port had been discovered andnamed by N icuesa himself, who , on reaching it when worn by fatigue and exhaustedby hunger

,had exclaimed : “ En nombre de

Dios— in the name of God— let us rest here !”

There he and his companions gave up theirbattle against the elements and hostilesavages

,and in the apathy of despair await

ed the end . From this situation they wererescued by the coming of Colmenares

,who

snatched them‘

from the very jaws Of death .

This N icuesa had been a man of some distinction in Spain

,where he had held the

offi ce of royal carver,and had amassed quite

a fortune . He was just such a vivaciousand testy cavalier as Oj eda himself

,with

whom , b y - the -way,he came near fighting

a duel over their respective boundaries .His reckless and generous disposition wasmade manifest by the bountiful dinner heordered prepared from the stores brought byhis rescuer , at which he proudly exhibitedhis skill as a carver

,by slicing and disjoint

ing a fowl while held in the air on a fork .

His imprudence was shown by repeated

41

V A S CO N U NEZ DE B A L BO A

boasts that he would promptly chastise thosewho had ventured to question his authorityover Antigua

,and would take from them all

the gold of which,without his permission ,

they had possessed themselves . It belongedto the crown

,he said

,and to him , and those

who held it must disgorge,even to the last

centavo, which he would force them to doimmediately on his arrival . Colmenares andhis two companions were disgusted , andtheir apprehensions were further excited atthe story told them by one Lope de Olano ,who had formerly come to N icuesa’s relief,and had been imprisoned by him on a technical charge of desertion .

“Take warningby my treatment ,

” he said,privately

,to the

envoys .

“ I brought relief to N icuesa, andrescued him from certain death when starv

ing on a desert island ; but behold my recompense ! He repays me

,as you see

,with im

prisonment and with chains . And such ,

believe me , is the gratitude the people ofDarien may look for at his hands .

Colmenares continued loyal to his chief,

but his companion envoys , Corral and Albitez , were so impressed by the avariciousdisposition displayed by N icuesa, that theyhastened ahead of the brigantine in which

42


he embarked,and , arriving at Antigua b e

fore him,warned the inhabitants against

receiving the boastful ingrate into theirmidst . A blessed change we shall make

,

”

they said,

“ in summoning this Diego deN icuesa to take supreme command . Wehave called in King Stork with a vengeance

,

and he will not rest until he has devoured us .

What folly is it,being our own masters , and

in such free condition,to send for a tyrant

to rule over us !”

Their words , indeed , produced a turmoil ,and the two parties of Enciso and Balboa

,

though opposed to each other,quickly

united in opposition to the landing of N icuesa. When the man without a government arrived in the river Opposite Antigua

,

the people'

sallied forth as if to receive him,

but with loud cries and menaces warnedhim against disembarking, and ordered himback to Nombre de Dios . It was a desperate situation for N icuesa,

who felt,indeed

,

as if “ the heavens were falling on his head .

”

To be warned away from his own territorywas humiliating

,but to be sent back to the

isthmus meant death by starvation . Heentreated

,then

,to be allowed to land ,

though merely as an equal and companion ;43

V A S C O N UNEZ D E B A L B O A

failing in that , he begged the heartless Spaniards to take and imprison him ,

since , thoughhe should lose his liberty

,his life might be

saved thereby . But the factions were oh

durate,and when , in spite of Balboa

’s warning

, N icuesa persisted in landing , a band ofvagabonds pursued him along the shoreuntil

,by sheer fleetness of foot , he escaped

from them and plunged into the forest .

At sight of this once respected cavalier,who had lost a fortune in his expedition ,and was now reduced to the extremity offlight before a rabble crew , Balboa

’s heartmisgave him . He had been foremost inexciting the populace against N icuesa,

buthe had not expected such a tempest of disapproval as to threaten his life

,and strove

earnestly to allay it,though in vain . His

fellow alcalde Zamudio was the most demonstrative against the poor wretch

,fear

ing to lose his position should he be allowedto assume the government . One of his mostzealous supporters was a burly ruffian namedBenitez , who was SO vociferous that Balboa ,after repeatedly warning him to desist

,sud

denly set in motion the machinery Of thelaw

,and

,in his capacity of magistrate

,

ordered him to feceive one hundred lashes44

B A L B O A A S S ER T S H I S S U P R EM A CY

on the bare shoulders . This act of lawfulviolence cooled the emotions of the mobsomewhat

, and poor N icuesa was allowedto emerge from the forest and seek shelteron his brigantine . Here he received wordfrom Balboa that his only safety lay in keeping out of sight aboard the vessel ; but thenext morning, while his friend

’s attentionwas attracted in another direction ,

he waslured on shore by a deputation assuming tohave been sent to treat with him

,and hastily

cast into a small and unseaworthy vessel,

which was,set adrift upon the waters of the

gulf . Together'

with seventeen comrades,

who chose to accompany him on his perilousvoyage

, N icuesa was thrust into the miserable craft

,which

,with scant provisions and

little water,was sent forth to cross the Carib

bean Sea , and was never heard of again .

N icuesa was thus disposed of the firstweek in March

,1 51 1 . He was never to re

turn ; but a few years later his avengersexacted reparation for this barbarous deed

,

and Balboa lost his life partly in conse

quence . After ridding themselves of N icuesa

, the Antiguans resolved upon sendingEnciso after him

,and under form of the law

succeeded in doing so . He was,however,

45


better equipped for a voyage than his lamented predecessor , and in the caravel whichconveyed him to Santo Domingo and Spainwent also the alcalde Zamudio . He hadbeen prevailed upon by his partner to takethe voyage for the purpose of presentingtheir cause at court

,and thus

,at a single

coup,the wily Balboa removed an enemy

and a rival from the colony,and was left in

sole and absolute command .


bastian to Darien had been done in pursuance of his advice

,and the wisdom of this

act being apparent to everybody,he was

thereby raised above all others in the estimation Of his companions . He was notmade giddy by his elevation to supremepower

, but , on the contrary ,seemed sobered

by it,as though he realized his responsi

b ilities, and also wished to justify his comrades’ confidence in him . Having beeninvested with the command

,he became a

real leader and actual head of affairs , alwaysfirst in any toil and danger

,and shrinking

from no exposure,whether to the elements

or the weapons of the savages . While frankand affable in common discourse , and everaccessible to the meanest and most humblecolonist , yet he was a strict disciplinarianwith reference to his soldiers

,and insisted

upon being treated with the deference duehim as governor-general of the colony andcaptain of its forces . He fully recognizedthe necessity for collecting ample suppliesOf gold , to be forwarded to King Ferdinandof Spain

,in order to purchase exemption

from punishment for his expulsion of Euciso

,a royal Official ; but he deprived no man

of his portion in consequence . Balboa was

48

B A L B O A C A P T U R ES A P R I N C ES S

probably one of the most generous and highminded of the Spanish-American conquerors . While he sometimes treated the Indians with barbarity , and his exactions boreheavily upon them , yet he was never unfair

to his comrades when it came to a divisionof spo ils . He was known to have relin

quished his own share on more than oneoccasion

,in order that his followers might not

lose their reward for the toils and dangers ofan arduous campaign .

Having united the warring factions amongthe colonists

,and secured the unswerving

loyalty of his soldiers by offering them inhimself an exemplar Of soldierly qualities

,

Balboa turned his attention to establishingthe colony on a basis of thrift and security .

He built a stockaded fort,repaired the dilap

idated brigantines , ordered extensive fieldsto be cleared for planting with corn

,and

drilled his soldiers constantly . N O tidingscoming from the exiled N icuesa as the weekswent by

,Balboa despatched vessels for the

rescue Of whatever survivors might be discovered at Nombre de Dios and along theintervening coast

,thereby saving several

half-starved wretches from death . Amongothers thus rescued were two Spaniards who

49


had fled from the severities of N icuesa morethan a year before

,and found refuge with

the cacique of a province called Coyb a.

They were nearly naked,like the Indians

,

and their skins were painted , after the fashion in vogue among the savages ; but theycould still speak their native language

,and

thenceforth served Balboa as interpreters .

They had been kindly treated by Careta,

the cacique of Coyb a,who had freely given

them shelter,food , and clothing ; but their

fi rst thought , when they found themselvessafe at Darien

,was how they might betray

him and assist their countrymen to Obtainhis treasures . Shown into the presence ofCaptain Balboa , they eagerly offered to leadhim to Coyb a, where , they said , he wouldfind an immense booty in gold as well asvast quantities of provisions .

“And this cacique Careta,you say

,treated

you well ?” he asked .

“As well as he could,being a savage

,

answered one of the men .

“He is naughtbut an Indian

,half the time going naked

,

and with manners not of the best ; but suchas he had he freely gave us , and saved usboth from death by starvation , most likely .

”

“And yet,

” rejoined Balboa , with a curl

50

B A L B O A C A P T U RES A P R I N CES S

of his lip,ye would have me attack this

generous Chieftain ,lay his town in ashes , per

chance kill him and some of his subjects ?”

We have naught against him ,

” answeredthe man

,evasively ;

“ but,being possessed of

gold,of which he knows not the use , and of

provisions,which ye certainly need in this

settlement,it seemed to us our duty to ac

quaint you with these things .

”

“And that was well , exclaimed Balboa ,for of a truth we need both gold and suppliesfor our larder

,which is low

,even near to

being exhausted . As to gold— indeed,as you

say,the savage knows not its value

,while

to us it is the greatest and best thing in theworld . We are already under ban of theking , most probably , for hastening the departure of the Bachelor Enciso , and unlessI can persuade his majesty

,with a golden

argument , Of the justice of our doings,it

may go hard with me and with us all. SO

now , as I say , this news comes most opportunely , and peradventure it turn out to betrue , ye Shall not suffer for the imparting ofit . I will myself lead the way

,with you as

guides , and if we can accomplish our objectwithout bloodshed , much better will I besuited than if violence be done .

”

51

VA SCO I NUN EZ D E B A L B O A

‘

Balboa was h ighly elated by the tidingsof a golden

'

country not far distant , and ,selecting a ' hundred and thirty of his bestmen , embarked them in two brigantin

'

es forthe province of Coyb a . They were equippedwith the best weapons the colony could supply

,and also with utensils for opening roads

into the mountains , as well as with mer

chandise for traffic should it seem better to .

barter with the Indians than attack themOpenly .

The swamps,

and forests adjacent to thecolony were occupied by Indians of differenttribes , some mOre warlike than others , butnone of them so barbarous as the fierceCaribs of the eastern shore of the UrabaGulf, who ate their prisoners , gave no quarter in battle

,and made use of poisoned ar

rows. These terrible weapons , as already

remarked ,‘

were not used by the Indians ofthe western shore

,who were far less sangui

nary, though obstinate in battle and evenferocious . They spared the lives Of theircaptives , and , instead Of eating or sacrificing

them to their gods , branded them on theforehead , or knocked out a tooth , as a Signof servility

,and kept them as slaves . Each

tribe was governed by a cacique, or supreme

52


ing in the centre , the smoke from whichescaped through the roof of thatch . Therewas another class of dwellings

,either aerial

or aquatic,depending upon whether they

were built in trees,for safety from floods and

wild beasts,or above the placid surface of

some lake or gulf,and used as dwellings by

fishermen . These were known as barbacoas ;and it is worthy of note that we find thesame name applied to certain elevatedstructures of a similar sort used as corncribs by the Indians Of Florida in De Soto’stime . Both bohios and barbacoas were sub

j ect to removal or abandonment wheneverthe game of the neighborhood grew scarce

,

the soil unfruitful , or a pestilence decimatedthe tribe

,following the dictates of danger or

necessity .

During the greater part Of the year,in

that tropical climate,clothing was rarely

necessary for warmth,except at night

,and

the men and boys were nearly always naked,

though the caciques sometimes wore breechcloths , and cotton mantles over their shoulders as badges Of distinction . All males

,

and especially the warriors,painted their

bodies with ochreous earths,and stained

their skin with the juice of the annotto ,54


whi le they adorned their heads with plumesof feathers . Both sexes inserted tinted seashells in their ears and nostrils as “ ornaments

,

” and encircled their wrists and ankleswith bracelets of native gold . The women

,

after reaching the marriageable age,wore

cotton Skirts from waist to knee , and broadbands of gold beneath their breasts . Theirhair

,which was very coarse and black

,they

cut Off in front,even with their eyebrows ,

by means of sharp flints, but allowed thethi ck,

luxuriant tresses to fall over theirShoulders as far as the waist .

They were fine -looking people,especially

the young girls and chi ldren,for

,though

their complexion was brown,or copper

colored,their forms were models Of sym

metry,their countenances pleasing

,and their

dispositions sweet and amiable . Their defects !for they were by no means devoid ofthem) were such as might be expected toarise from their barbarous mode of life

,de

scended from ancestors who had never beeninstructed in morals or religion

,save in their

most brutish forms . They had,of course ,

no written language,nor even a hiero

glyphic system,to perpetuate their thoughts

or the traditions of their ancestors ; but they55


were experts in the chant and dance knownas the arei to , which they performed to therude music of drums made of hollowed logs

,

like the tambouye, or“ tom-tom

,

” of the Africans .

Free from the cares of civilization,their

occupations agricultural , with frequent forays into the forest for game and upon theriver and gulf for fish , they passed much oftheir time in idleness , except when pressedfor hunger or incited by passion to warupon their neighbors . They knew not

,as

has been said,the value of gold

,for they

were always willing to barter great nuggetsfor the veriest trifles and toys ; but Careta ,the cacique of Coyb a, may have been instructed in its worth by the two Spaniardswho had shared his hospitality

,for when

,

under their guidance , Balboa appeared inhis settlement and demanded his treasures

,

he declared he had none to supply . Neitherhad he any provisions

,he said , except such

as were necessary to carry his tribe Over tothe next planting season , for he had beenengaged in a disastrous war with Ponca

,a

powerful cacique who lived in the mountains

,and his people had been unable either

to sow or to reap .

56


Then one of the traitors took Balboa aside,

and saidCommander, believe him not . To my

certain knowledge , he hath an abundanthoard of provisions in barbacoas concealedin the forest

,and of gold , also , vast quanti

ties hidden in the reeds and thickets . Butit is best to dissemble , for behold , he is surrounded by two thousand warriors , and theywill fight

,as I know from having seen them

combat with the tribe of Ponca . Appearto believe him

,then

,and pretend to de

part for Antigua ; but in the night return ,

take him by surprise,burn the village , and

make the cacique prisoner , with all his family .

”

This advice seemed sound to Balboa , andhe acted on it promptly

,turning about that

afternoon and making as though departingfor Darien

,after a cordial leave-taking

,to

the cacique’s great delight . The unsus

pecting Chieftain watched the Spaniards outof Sight , heard their drums and bugles re

sounding through the forest farther andfarther away

,and

,convinced that they had

indeed left him in good faith ,retired to rest

without setting scouts on their trail or posting sentinels about his camp . But the

57

V A S CO N U N EZ D E B A L B O A

sagacious Balboa had no sooner placed aleague or so of forest between himself andthe unwary Careta than he ordered a halt .

The wood was dense and dark,for the trees

of the tropical forest are not only vast ofbulk

,but thickly held together by innum er

able vines and bush - ropes,called lianas

,

seemingly miles in length , and forming impenetrable bulwarks

,overtopped by canopies

of foliage,through which the sun even at

mid-day can hardly send a single ray .

Having with him , however , axes andmachetes for cutting his way through theforest

,the prudent Balboa had commanded

his men to Slash a broad path ahead of thecompany

,and thus , when they halted for

rest shortly afte r sunset , behind them layan Open

,easy trail leading directly back to

the cacique’s village . After posting sentriesroundabout the camp , Balboa ordered abountiful meal to be served his hungry men

,

one hundred of whom were allowed to sleepfor the space of two hours , after which thecommand was given to march .

Without bustle or confusion,the soldiers

formed in loose order and commenced theirretrograde march through the forest

,thanks

to the foresight of their commander,finding

58


the return far easier than the advance . Allwas silent as they approached the village

,

and,as stealthily as jaguars about to leap

on their prey,crept within bow-shot of the

dwellings . Balboa had passed the order forhis men to refrain from shedding blood

, un

less a fierce resistance were Offered,and

,

whatever happened , to capture the caciqueand his family alive . The royal dwellingwas conspicuous from its size and its position on a mound raised somewhat above thegeneral level Of the town

,and it was silently

surrounded by a picked company .

Suddenly the twang of a cross -bow stringbroke the stillness Of the night

,followed by

a sheet Of fire from an arquebuse ; for twoof the soldiers had spied some Indians moving through a thicket , and concluded thewhole village was alarmed . At once

,in ter

rible confusion,from the surrounded houses

outpoured swarms of startled savages , nakedand weaponless

,seeking security by flight

,

and with no intention of resisting the un

expected attack . Several Of them were cutdown by the swordsmen and halberdiers ,and a few were transfixed by arrows fromthe cross-bows ; but the greater number wereallowed to dart into outer darkness and es

59

V A S C O Nufi Ez -FD E B A L B O A

cape . Nearly all escaped,in fact

,except

the cacique’s numerous family,who

,sur

rounded by the soldiery,with naked swords

and lighted ‘ fusees in their hands,cowered

around their dwelling in affright .One alone attempted to escape , and would

have succeeded but for Leoncico , Balboa’s

faithful hound,who had effectively assisted

at “ rounding up ” the band , and was keeping a vigilant watch at his master’s side .

With a leap and a growl , Leoncico sprangover the heads of the group in front of himand disappeared in the darkness of thewood . Dios !” exclaimed Balboa , in alarm .

“ It was a woman— a maiden ! God grantShe may not resist him ! I never knewLeoncico to harm a woman , but he has tornmany a man to pieces . Gonzalez

,take you

command for the moment,while I follow the

hound to see that he does no harm to themaiden .

” Saying this,he plunged into the

wood,which grew close up to the cacique’s

dwelling,and with his sword and heavy

armor cut and beat down the vines thatstretched across the path his

.hound had

taken . Soon he was surrounded by silence,

as well as by darkness , for the Indians whohad fled to the forest lay quiet , like hares in

60

V A S CO N U NEZ DE B A L BOA

She continued gazing at the houndwith '

wide

staring eyes and parted lips , as though fascinated by that terrible apparition . She hadnever seen its like before , and could not buthave been bereft of sense and motion whenit had sprung upon her from the darknessof the forest , like a phantom of evil .Realizing that his errand had been ao

complished with the appearance of his master

,Le oncico rose with a growl

,and would

have returned to the village had not Balboahalted him . Lie down

,brute

,

” he cried ,

in a voice hoarse with rage . What doyou mean by pursuing a defenceless maiden ? Were there not warriors enough foryou to slay ?The hound cringed before him and whined

,

as though to exculpate himself ; but suddenly his

‘whole attitude changed . Springingerect , and thrusting his nose into the air ,while the hair on his neck bristled with rage

,

he uttered a low,deep growl . At the same

instant the whistle of an arrow came to Balboa’s ears and a missile struck him forciblybetween the shoulders . But for his armorhe might have been transfixed

,so forcefully

was the missile -weapon sent ; but , as it was,it fell in fragments to the ground .

62


Then there was the sound of a scuffle , ashriek of agony pierced the air

,followed by

the ravening Of Leoncico as he tore topieces the victim Of his rage . He hadsprung upon the savage who in the darkness had approached and sped the arrow athis master

,and

,bearing him to the ground ,

made short work of the poor wretch , whowas soon a mangled corpse . Stupefi ed asshe was by fear

,the maiden could not but

have felt the horror Of that terrible scene ,and sank senseless to the ground . War’sdread experiences had not SO seared theheart of Balboa that he could be insensibleto pity for his helpless captive

,and

,sheath

ing his sword,he gathered her in his arms .

Preceded by Leoncico ,he bore her tenderly

through the forest,shielding her from harm

in the darkness,and in due time joined his

command at the village .

THE CA C IQUES OF DA RI EN

S Vasco Nunez burst into the circle of

light shed by the flames of burningbohios

,the red glare from which lighted up

the steel-clad soldiers and their abj ect captives, he was greeted by glad exclamationsfrom the former and cries of distress fromthe latter . He strode through the lineswithout a word

,and

,making for the group

containing the cacique’s family , he soughtout an elderly female , whom he supposedto be the mother of the girl

,and delivered

his charge into her keeping . The cries ofdistress were instantly hushed as the happymother gathered the girl in her arms

,but

as the minutes went by without any SignsOf recovery from the maiden

,low moans

broke from the captives,and many of them

began to gash themselves and‘

tear theirhair .

64

THE C A C I Q U ES O F D A R I EN

The cacique had stood aloof,stoically re

fraining from uttering a sound ; bu t after awhile

,as his daughter did not return to

consciousness , he went to the side of Balboa ,and

,raising his manacled hands in the air ,

exclaimed :“What have I done to thee , O thou ter

rible stranger,that thou shouldst treat me

so cruelly ? None Of thy people ever cameto my land that were not fed and shelteredand treated with loving kindness . Whenthou camest to my dwelling , did I meetthee with a javelin in my hand ? Did I notset forth meat and drink , and welcome theeas a brother ? Set me free , therefore , withmy family and people

,and we may yet re

main as friends . We will supply thee with’

provisions and reveal to thee the riches Ofthi s land . But first restore to me mydaughter

,the light of my eyes

,the pearl of

my household,whom thou and that dread

beast of thine have driven to the borderland of death .

”

During this impassioned speech by theoutraged cacique

,Balboa remained gazing

first at the Chieftain ,then at his daughter

,

without uttering a word . The mother waschafing the wrists

,bathing the forehead ,65


and whispering tender words into the earsof the maiden

,but without eliciting a re

spouse . A most pathetic spectacle motherand daughter presented , despite the savagery of the parent

,her lack of clothing

,

and uncouth appearance,which but enhanced

by contrast the beauty of the maiden .

Balboa had thought her beautiful , in thebrief glimpses afforded in the moonlit forest

,

but now ,with her form and features wrought

upon radiantly by the flickering flames , hesaw that she was ravishingly lovely . Touched by her beauty , then , and rendered compassionate by her helplessness

,he allowed

his heart to go out to her, and so far as hisrough nature was susceptible to love

’

he feltthat sentiment for the cacique’s daughter .Distressed by the silence with which his appeal had been received

,the cacique added :

“ Dost thou doubt my faith ? Behold mydaughter . I give her to thee

,provided she

shall be restored , as a pledge of friendship .

Thou mayst take her for thy wife,and be

thus assured of the friendship of her familyand her people .

”

Balboa then awoke,as from a trance

,and

,

grasping Careta’s right hand,exclaimed :

“ I accept her, if she will but ratify thy66

THE C A C I Q U ES OF D A R I EN

Offer, and henceforth there shall be noenmity between us . Men ,

cast Off thechains from these people . Set them free ;and bugler

,order the recall

,peradventure

there be any in pursuit Of our former enemies

,now our friends .

”

With his own hands he removed themanacles from Careta’s wrists

,then

,noting

by the flickering of the maiden’s eyelidsthat She was recovering , he hastened to herside . As her eyes opened , they rested inastonishment first upon the mailed cavalier

,

standing erect in the firelight , clad in shiningarmor from throat to foot

,and with a smi le

upon his handsome features .

Then in the fulness of his manly powers,

with a face and figure that would havewrought havoc among the dames of hissovereign’s court

,had he been favored with

a presentation there , Vasco Nunez de Balboacarried this untutored maiden’s heart bystorm . She uttered a low cry , and ,

leapingfrom her mother’s lap

,darted into the

cacique’s dwelling,as if for the first time

realizing her lack of proper raiment anddesiring to conceal herself from the eyes ofher lover . At a word from the cacique ,whose will was law with all his family, the

67

V A S C O N U N EZ D E B A L B O A ”

mother went in after her and soon reap

peared ,. holding ‘her daughter by one hand .

During the b rief . time at her disposal , shehad found and arrayed herself in a flowingrobe o f cotton , embroidered in gold , andgathered at the waist by a golden girdle .

Th’is‘

she clutched nervously , as , with de

jected mien and downcast eyes , She stoodbefore the man in whose sight she had foundfavor above all other women .

The marriage ceremony was Simple a ndbrief, consisting In the cacique’s joining theright hands of these two so strangely broughttogether , and invoking his deity to bless theunion , which , at a later period , Balboa intended to have sanctioned by a priest .

Whether this intention was fulfilled , we willnot at this

‘

moment inquire . Balboa wasa man of many good resolves and promises ,most of which seem to have b een made onlyto

'

be broken . But , in the sight of God , whosees into the souls of men , and in the presence of more than one hundred witnesses

,

who looked ou-in vast astonishment as the

ceremony was performed,Vasco Nunez de

Balboa was “well and truly wedded” to the

cacique’s beautiful daughter . She , the simple child of nature , untaught by art , and

68


with no moral law to guide her , knew andcared for naught except that she loved thegallant cavalier and sought no further.Short and fierce had been the wooing of the

fair Cacica ,wild and weird the accessories

of her wedding , with the accompaniment ofburning dwellings and ' attendance of rudesoldiers in armor bearing flaming torches .

Brief and tempestuous was to be her life onearth thereafter . Balboa may have reckoued upon this alliance as attaching to hisservice one of the most powerful caciquesof Darien ; but by captivating the affectionsof the beautiful Cacica he had incurred thehatred and j ealousy Of certain young warriors

,who were to cause him trouble in the

near future . He had captured the wildbeauty of the wilderness

,but in so doing he

enmeshed himself in troubles Of far-reachingconsequence . They reached ,

indeed,across

the sea and ocean even to Spain,and in

their train brought retribution,none the

less certain because it was delayed for years .Love and diplomacy went hand -in-hand ,

so far as Balboa could perceive,and as few

men ever succeed in reconciling these two ,he affected to believe that he had achieveda victory of great moment . Returning to

69


Darien with his bride,he there entertained

his fri end and father-in-law with jousts andtourneys

,showed him the ships , and sur

prised him with the thunder of artillery .

Nothing delighted,as well as alarmed , the

old chieftain so much as the war-horses,

upon the back of one of which he was mounted

,only to be thrown heavily to the sands

and receive a rude awakening . He thenconceived an intense admiration for thebeings

,like his son-in- law

,who could mount

and control those wonderful animals , andnever tired of sounding their praises . Ashe had disclosed to Balboa the hiding-placesof his provisions and treasure

,and as the

latter had lost no time in transferring themto Darien

,he was instrumental in keeping

starvation from the colony until suppliesarrived from Spain or Santo Domingo

,and

also of enriching every man in the army .

Two brigantines had been laden with theprovisions and spoils obtained in Careta’sterritory , in the securing Of which the lovelyCacica was largely instrumental . She induced her father to reveal to her new masterthe treasure-vaults amid the sepulchres ofher ancestors ; but when she witnessed therapacity and brutality of the conquerors in

70


ravaging the graves and desecrating therevered remains

, She was grieved to theheart . Perhaps she then had a forebodingof the evils she was to bring upon her people

,

for she became pensive and sad,rarely smil

ing or singing during several days thereafter .Upon the warriors of the tribe the ravagehad a different effect , rendering them surlyand restive

,SO that the cacique was hardly

able to restrain them from making reprisals,

and avenging the indignities Offered theirancestors by shedding tlie blood Of theSpaniards .The attachment of these people to the

memory of their dead caciques and formerrulers is Shown by the fidelity of their wivesand servants

,who immolated themselves

upon their graves,in order that they might

continue to serve them in the next life asthey had done in this on earth . They fullybelieved

,says the Old chronicler , that

“ thesouls which omitted this act of duty eitherperished with their bodies or were dispersedin air . They consigned their dead to earth

,

though in some provinces,as soon as a chief

tain died he was seated on a stone,and

,a

fire being kindled around him,the corpse

was kept till all moisture was dried,and

7 1


nothing but skin and bones rem ained . Inthis state it was placed in a retired apartment dedicated to this use , or fastened toa wall

,adorned with plumes , j ewels , and

even robes,by the Side of the father or an

cestor immediately preceding . Thus,with

the corpse of the warrior, was his memorypreserved to his family, and if any of themperished in battle , the fame of his prowesswas consigned to posterity in the songs ofthe areitos.

”

Shortly after the return of the cacique tohis village

,Balboa missed his mistress one

day,and

,set ting scouts on her trail

,traced

her to the Indian cemetery . His emissarieshad strict orders to bring her to him at once

,

if they found her ; but they returned emptyhanded

,and when he rated them for dis

obedience one of the scouts replied : SenorComandante

,had you seen what we have

seen,you yourself would not have taken the

Cacica from her people . For she and theywere engaged in paying honors to the dead ,

whose tombs we have,in their opinion , dese

crated by robbing them of their j ewels . Allthe warriors of her father

,the cacique

,were

gathered around the cemetery , armed withweapons and painted as if for war . Sooth ,

72

THE C A C IQ U ES O F D ARI EN

they were fierce and warlike , and it neededbut a small provocation to kindle the flamesof their resentment into a blaze that mightsweep this colony into the sea. They hadgathered the bones of their deceased rulerstogether and reinterred them carefully , thosewho were dried like mumm

i

es by heat having been affixed against the walls whencethey were wrested by our soldiers . Whenwe arrived— and

,truly , we dared not enter

the place,but hovered unseen on the verge

of the forest— they were engaged in variousways . The women and younger folks weresinging and dancing their barbarous areito ,performing steps in unison to the beat of adrum made from a hollowed log with t heSkin of a jaguar stretched over one end of it .It was a strange , unearthly sound , and re

verberated through the forest like the rollof distant thunder . The warriors , in a circle apart and enclosing the whole

,were

drinking deeply of fermented liquors,pro

duced from the palm and the maize , whichever and anon they shared with the dancers .This they would do

,we were told

,until all

had drunken themselves into a frenzy, andthe dancers became exhausted from fatigueand drunkenness combined . Judge , then,

73

V A S CO N UNEZ DE B A L BO A

O Comandante , if we Should have been justified in attempting to bring away the ca

cique’s daughter

,thy mistress and spouse .

”

“And she was there,also ? Was my

Cacica there,performing in those horrid

ceremonies so barbarous and so vile ?“Truly was She ,

one of the foremost inladling out the liquor and entreating thewarriors to drink . But

, SO far as we couldObserve

,she did not herself partake thereof .

Nor did She allow ,nor was there offered her ,

any indignity ; but great respect seemed ac

corded her,as the daughter Of the Chief . ”

Balboa groaned in spirit,but his pride

forbade him making audible comment onthe strange proceedings of his bride . An

other day he waited , expectant of her coming ; but he did not remain idle meanwhile ,since , having little faith in the friendship ofthe cacique , he ordered out all his men-at ~

arms and prepared to receive the savageswith fire and sword

,provided they Should

rouse themselves to frenzy and attack thesettlement .

Nothing of a disturbing character occurred,

however, and when ,on the evening of that

day , Balboa sought his hut , worn down withfatigue and sorely perplexed in his mind ,

74

V A S C O N U NEZ D E B AL B O A

seeming confidence was restored between thesettlers and the Indians , who came and wentas formerly , bringing provisions from their

gardens , which they exchanged for knives ,beads , and toys from Spain . They gainedaccess to the settlement as simple traffi ckers

,

intent on adding to their store of trinketsand trifles ; but Balboa divined that they hadother incentives

,in fact

,and came as spies .

Still , he did not allow his suspicions to b ecome apparent to Careta

,with whom he had

formed an offensive and defensive alliancefor their mutual protection .

In the mountains resided a cacique al

ready mentioned named Ponca , a rival andadversary of Careta who wished the Spaniards to join with h im in an invasion of histerritory . There was no immediate necessity for the Spaniards to make war uponCacique Ponca

,as he had not offended them

in any particular, nor were they in need ofa further extension of territory

,Since the

valley they had occupied,situated between

the Sierras and the cordillera of the Andes ,was extremely fertile and capable of sustaining a great number of inhabitants . Itwas not only excellent for planting , withrich soil and abundant natural resources ,

7 6


which came early to perfection beneath theardent sun of the tropics , but abounded ingame

,while its rivers and the bordering gulf

teemed with fish in great variety.

But the Spaniards were less inclined to

agriculture than to war,and would rather

ravage their neighbors’ territory for goldthan extract from the fertile soil the products it so generously yielded to the cultivator . Had they been less covetous andrestless ,

less avaricious and rapacious , theymight have avoided contact with the ferocions tribes of the interior

,and perhaps have

prospered . There was , however , an unseenforce at work constantly against them whichthey could not successfully combat . Thiswas the climate ,

which mad e terrible inro adsupon the health and constitutions of theSpaniards , by the great heat and humidityof the air

,and the heavy

,almost incessant

rains , which came down at times as plunging torrents .

Nothing less than the most unquenchableardor and the most marvellous resolution , ,

says the hi storian, could support the Span

iards under so many discouragements andovercome so many difficulties . Perhaps itwas because they possessed this ardo r in an

7 7


excessive degree that they continually panted for fresh conquests and desired to comeinto conflict with the savages . Their greatincentive

,as already remarked , was the ac

quisition of gold ,and

,learning that Cacique

Ponca possessed the precious metal in abundance

,they were easily induced to join with

Careta in an attack upon him . Taking histroops by sea to the point nearest to Ponca’scapital

,Balboa marched rapidly upon the

village,whi ch

,finding it deserted

,he sacked

and burned . He obtained considerable booty,

to which his ally , Careta , laid no claim ,being

content with having humbled his adversaryand driven him still farther into the mountains , whence Ponca sent messengers im

ploring a cessation of hostilities .

Having “ pacified ” the country,Balboa

was for returning to Darien,but was per

suaded by Careta to diverge to his own province , where he was royally entertained bythe cacique . The latter had a neighbor

,one

Comogre , who was yet more powerful thanhimself , having about ten thousand Indiansunder him , three thousand of whom werewarriors . His province comprised an extensive plain and beautiful valleys

,Situated

at or near the foot of a very lofty mountain,

78


in the account of Careta’s ancestors) , so asto free them from corruption

,and after

wards wrapped in mantles richly wroughtand interwoven with pearls and j ewels ofgold , and with certain stones consideredprecious by the Indians . There they hungabout the hall

,suspended by cords of cot

ton,and were regarded not only with rever

ence,but apparently with religious devotion .

The Spaniards gazed upon them in amazement , not unmingled with a burning desireto despoil this hall of fame and secure forthemselves its wonderful treasures .

F I RST TID IN GS OF THE PA CIFI C

ACIQUE Comogre’s sons were young

men of whom any father , savage or

c1vilized , might have been proud , but especially distinguished for his intelligence and

Sagacity ! says the Spanish biographer ofBalboa , Senor Quintana) was his eldest son ,

who was also his father’s favorite . He tooknote of the glances exchanged b

'

y Balboaand his lieutenant

,Colmenares

,when they

were inspecting the pantheon ,and rightly

construed their meaning , which was , ofCourse , that they would give much for theprivilege of sacking the place and deprivingthe sacred dead of their rich ornaments .

He had been informed of what had takenplace in his neighbor Careta’s province

,and

knew that neither the opposition to theirrapacity of argument or force

,nor any con

sideration for religion or the dead , could8 1


restrain them were they to conceive the desire to ravish the sepulchres of his ancestors .

His father had three thousand warriors,

ferocious and reliable ; but , from what he hadbeen told by Cacique Careta , who had tastedtheir quality and tested their valor

,they

could not stand for an hour before the twohundred Spaniards then in his province .

The mailed men , Careta said , would scatterthem like chaff , and ,

with the fire from theirmuskets and cannon

,devour them as the

flames consumed the grass of the plains .

Then he conceived the idea of purchasingexemption from ravage by bribing the commanders

,in the hope that by so doing they

would refrain from desecrating the tombshe held in such regard . But he did notknow

,what he was later to learn

,that the

more the Spaniard obtained the greater grewhis appetite , and that by displaying thewealth of the land he was but hastening itsruin . Simple son of Comogre ! He had ,then

,much to learn .

After consulting with his father , who waselated that a son of his should possess suchsagacity and penetration , the young caciquesent for Balboa and Colmenares

,who met

him in the great square of the town .

“Great82

V A S CO N U N EZ D E B A L B O A

the melting-pot , greatly to the grief of theyoung cacique .

Having always the fear of his sovereignin mind and the potentiality of gold to buythe king s favor , Balboa first set aside a fifthpart for royalty ,

which was to be despatchedto Spain at the first opportunity Then heattempted to divide the remainder betweenhimself and companions ;

“ but this divisionbegat a dispute that gave rise to threats andviolence

,which

,being Observed by the high

minded Indian,he suddenly overthrew the

scales in which they were weighing the precious

”

metal , exclaiming :‘Why quarrel for

such a trifle ? If such is your thirst for goldthat for sake Of it you forsake your owncountry and come to trouble us in ours , Iwill Show you a province where you maygather it up by

.the handful -yea

,and carry

it Off by the backload !’

When , by a blow Of his fist , the spiritedsavage had overturned the scales and scattered the gold on the ground ,

the Spaniardsstanding by were greatly enraged ; but when

his speech was finally translated to themthey were exceedingly astonished , and desirous of learning more respecting that goldenprovince Ofwhich he told them .

84


This was the first information conveyedto the Spaniards of the Pacific Ocean andPeru

,and they were vastly excited over it

,

endeavoring to get the young man to furnishthem further d etails of the country intervening,

as well as of the great sea,its extent

and situation .

Go back to your settlement , continuedthe young cacique

,there to prepare for a

journey of many days . Select your stoutestand bravest soldiers , and provide them wellwith food and weapons . Then return to us

,

and we will furni sh you guides . My father’swarriors will go with you ; but of yourselves ,as I said , you Should be a thousand strongno less than that— for we Shall meet hostsof warriors , some of them cannibals

,who

eat the flesh of men , and all of them fiercefighters , such as those Of the cacique Tubanama , in whose province is gold beyond measure . Stay , I will send for one of my menwho was once a captive to Tub anama, andhe will te ll you the same .

”

The quick-witted cacique had seen distrust lurking in Balboa’s eyes

,and

,indeed

,

the Spanish commander conceived this mightbe but a scheme to get him out of Comogre

’s

country and into the mountains,where he

86

F I R S T T I D I N G S O F THE P A C I F I C

might be swallowed up in the wilderness andnever return to the colony

,which would be

attacked by the Indians and destroyed .

But the former captive of Tub anama, whowas questioned separately from the youngcacique , confirmed the latter

’s story inevery particular

,and verified his account

of gold which might be found in all thestreams

,as well as accumulated in the

cacique’s treasuries .

Then Balboa,says one who was near him

and saw the journal he wrote with his ownhand , was transported by the prospect ofglory and fortune which Opened before him .

He believed himself already at the gates ofthe East Indies ,

which was the desired oh

j ect of the government and the discoverersof that period . He resolved to return

,in

the first place,to Darien

,to raise the spirits

Of his companions t here with these brillianthopes

,and to make all possible preparations

for realizing them . He remained , nevertheless , yet a few days with the caciques , andso warm was the friendship he contractedwith them that they and their families werebaptized

,Careta taking in baptism the name

of Fernando , and Comogre that Of Carlos .

Balboa then returned to Darien,rich in the

87


spoils of Ponca , rich in the presents of hisfriends

,and still richer in the golden hopes

which the future Offered him .

Darien was in Sore straits when , elated withhis several victories

,Balboa marched into

the settlement at the head of his little army .

Notoriously improvident as they were , theSpaniards had planted , notwithstanding , alarge tract with maize , or Indian-corn , andwere looking forward to gathering a harvest

,

when down from the mountains swept atorrent

,accompanied by a tempest with

thunder and lightning,and in an hour their

fields were totally ruined . Starvation staredthem in the face

,but about this time the

regidor , Valdivia , who had been sent to SantoDomingo by Balboa

,with gold for Diego

Columbus , returned in a small vessel wellladen with provisions .

These stores were soon consumed , and

Valdivia returned to the island,bearing a

rich present for Don Diego and fifteen thousand crowns in gold for King Ferdinand .

This amount of gold , it was estimated , wasdue the sovereign as the royal fifth

,which

was exacted from all treasure obtained inAm erica . As there was frequent communication between Santo Domingo and Spain

,

88


and must in like manner destroy every onehe should capture

,as the small number of

his troops left him no alternative .

” Wemay probably take this message as evidence ,rather

,of Balboa’s Skill with the “ long bow ,

”

already alluded to , than of the slaughter hecommitted with more potent weapons , forhe certainly possessed a vivid imagination .

Valdivia,the regidor , sailed for the island

and Spain,but was never heard of more

,and

it is probable that his ship went down withall on board . With him , also , went thefifteen thousand pieces of gold , besides othersums

,sent by Balboa and his men to satisfy

their creditors in Santo Domingo . Truly ,

an evil genius pursued him,he was prone

to say , for , labor as he might , he could notmake head against his adverse fortune .

Greater opportunities were given him,per

haps , than to any man then living since thedays of Columbus

,and it cannot be truly

said that he did not improve them to theutmost ; but every great endeavor of hiscame to naught . He was ardent and generous, and he was sane , save where his passions were concerned . His command overmen was a marvel to all who knew him

,and

there was not a soldier in his command who

90

F I R S T T I D I N G S O F THE P A C I F I C

would hesitate to follow him anywhere . Henever told his men to go

,but always asked

them to come,for he was ever in the fore

front of battle,and the more desperate the

enterprise,the more anxious was he to take

part in it and assume the leadership .

Life in the settlement irked him greatly,says his Spanish biographer

,and although it

was essential to its peace and prosperitythat he Should stay in it a certain length oftime

,in order to place the town in a posture

of defence and encourage the waning spiritsof the settlers

,hi s active and enterprising

disposition would allow him no restfi Hehad desired to go in person to present hiscause to the court

,but his fellow-settlers

would not hear of it . They were alreadysadly distressed by their losses , through theinimical effects of the climate and the re

peated attacks of the Indians , and thereseemed to be no one but Balboa who couldhold them where they were . What theyhad really gained was very little

,since their

harvests were washed away by the floods ,and the gold they had acquired was useless ,without marts in which to purchase thethings they most required to sustain life .

In order to keep them from seizing a vessel

9 1


and departing for more attractive regions,

Balboa conceived the plan of invading thedominions of Dobayb e , which lay around thehead of the gulf, and contiguous to the cannibal country on its eastern boundary . Hewas obliged to await the return of Valdiviawith reinforcements

,if he would invade the

great and opulent region beyond the mountains , but meanwhile there came to him in

formation of a character that fanned to aflame the Slumbering desire to achieve agreat discovery . An Indian Was brought tohim one morning , who said he was the sub

j ect of a great cacique living in a goldenrealm of the interior about one hundredmiles from Darien . I ts capital was situatedon the bank of the very river that emptieditself

,by many mouths , into the Gulf of

Uraba . Its riches were prodigious , and itderived its name from a wondrous goddessof most ancient times

,who

,according to

Indian tradition,was the mother of the god

who had created the sun,the moon , and the

stars . She also controlled the elements , hesaid

,sending great storms , with thunder and

lightning,which destroyed the habitations

of those who did not worship her fervently,but rewarding those who did with abundant

92


perate enterprise that he had difliculty in retaining any able-bodied soldiers for the defence of the settlement . One hundred andseventy were finally selected

,and embark

ing them in two brigantines,under command

of himself and Colmenares,Balboa sailed up

the gulf to the mouth of the river drainingthe golden country .

While nothing more was ever heard of Balboa’s friend

,the regidor

,yet tidings indirectly

came to the Spaniards,in the course of

Cortes’s voyage to Yucatan,in the year 1 51 9 .

When his fleet was Off that coast,a rumor

reached him that two Spaniards were heldcaptive by a cacique of the interior . One ofthese was rescued

,and proved of inestimable

value to Cortés in the conquest of Mexico , asan interpreter . His name was Aguilar, andhe informed his rescuers that he and anotherwere the only survivors of the Shipwreck, allthe rest

,thirteen men and two women

,hav

ing been sacrificed,or killed by hard usage .

A SEARCH FOR THE GOLDEN TEM P LE

OTHING seemed impossible to the Spaniards of Balboa ’s time , nothing seemed

incredible , and thus it was that this smallband of soldiers set forth in full confi

dence that they could subdue any forcethey might encounter

,and trustfully accept

ing the wild story told them by the Indian .

They were the pick of the force at Darien ,

the hardiest and stoutest-hearted , and theywere

.armed with the best weapons known to

their age . These weapons , indeed , were notsuch as would satisfy a soldier of the presentday , for , besides pikes , swords , lances orhalberds

,and cross - bows

,they had as a

fire -arm only the rude arquebuse , or clumsymusket , which was a heavy burden to carryand rarely did effective execution . It wasso heavy as to demand a “ rest

,

” or support ,which was usually afforded by a pronged up

7 9s


right of iron,or a crotched stick ; and b e

sides being difficult to properly charge withpowder and ball , it required the musketeerto carry constantly a lighted match

,or fusee

,

with which to ignite the powder in the pan .

Most soldiers preferred the powerful crossbow

,with which the best Of them could

drive nails almost as far as they could seethem . But these weapons were not SO farsuperior to the b ows possessed by the Indiansthat they gave their owners grea t advantageand besides

,the savages were generally more

powerful of arm than the Spaniards , as wellas. equally expert with b ow and arrow . Thechosen weapon of the Spaniard was . thesword , and the cavalier who possessed a good“ Toledo ,

” with blade that could be bentdouble without breaking , and with an edgethat. nothing could turn

,considered himself

more than the equal of any warrior thatmight oppose him ,

whether armed with bow ,

spear , pike , or war-club .

The vast supe riority of the Spaniard s overthe savage s consisted in their armor , for

protected as most of them were , by helmet ,corsele t , gauntlets , cuishes for the thighs andgreaves for the legs— arrows, spears , andeve n war-clubs glanced harmlessly' from their

96


did little execution . The commander himself carried as his only weapon his invinciblesword

,the blade of which had been forged

at Toledo,and brought to an exquisite tem

per in the waters of the Tagus . For defencehe relied upon the armor in which he wasencased

,and the Saracenic shield

,or buckler ,

which hung from his Shoulders or was carried on his left arm

,the right wielding the

basket-hilted sword .

When Balboa reached the river,which

came down from the mountains far away,

he knew not which branch of it to take,

there were so many mouths,and all navi

gable,so far as he could see . Taking his stand

in the prow of the brigantine,he guided

his little fleet into the largest stream hecould find

,and then , sending Colmenares to

explore another branch,he proceeded on his

way to what he thought was Dob ayb e province . After threading his way through aperfect labyrinth of morasses

,and without

getting a glimpse of a single Indian,he at

last came to a deserted village . The hutswere empty

,containing neither inhabitants

or provisions ; but hanging from their rafterswere many jewelled weapons and golden or

naments, so that the Spaniards obtained

98

A S EA R C H FOR THE G O L DEN TEM P LE

booty from this silent village to the estimatedvalue of seven thousand castellanos . Thisthey stowed away in two large canoes

,which

had been picked up along the river-bank,

and then , discouraged at the gloomy outlook, Balboa gave the order to return to thegulf . On the way a violent storm assailedthese invaders of the country ruled byDob ayb e

’s deity

,sent

,the trembling Indians

said , in revenge for this affront Offered herby the unbelieving white men . The brigantine was in such danger of sinking thathalf her cargo was thrown overboard , tosave her

,while the two canoes laden with

the booty were overwhelmed by the watersof the gulf and went down with all on board .

Thus far the expedition had proved worsethan fruitless ; but Balboa was not the manto cry “ enough ” until every means had beenexhausted to gain what he was seeking.

The river he had entered,and which he had

the honor of discovering,was far greater

than he imagined,for it has its

'

source , saythe geographers

,nine or ten hundred miles

distant from the Gulf of Uraba , in the'

cor

dilleras of the Andes . The volum e of itswaters was such as to freshen the sea formany leagues from the shore It was named

99


by Balboa the St . John,but is now known

as the Darien and the Atrato Workinghis way into the branch of the river ascendedby Colmenares

,Balboa overtook his com

panion,and together they entered a tribu

tary of the main stream which,from the

color of its waters,they called the Rio Negro

,

or Black River . Its color was derived,they

ascertained,from the black mud of a sub

merged region through which it ran ,and

where they discovered the most wonderfulhabitations of any seen by the Spaniardssince Vespucci and Oj eda brought to lightthe lake-dwellers of Maracaibo

,in 1 499 .

As the brigantines were Slowly forcedagainst the current of the river

,now b e

neath the overhanging branches of hugetrees swarming with parrots

,and again cross

ing the placid surface of an eddied lake,the

excited soldiers caught occasional glimpsesof large animals ahead climbing the trunksof trees . At first they took them for monkeys

,and those of the band who had cross

bows got them ready to Shoot ; for the fleshof the monkey was held by them in greatrepute

,and their supply of meat was ex

hausted . Suddenly one of the soldiers ,who had climbed to the mast-head for bet

I OO


the habitations would cause them to b ecome turbid . The trees grew in or nearthe water , and the Indians kept canoes tiedto their trunks

,or to the lower ends of the

ladders,and thus could embark without

touching the earth . Their mode of life , infact

,was aerial and aquatic

,rather than ter

restrial, for they perched in the trees likebirds

,and sported in the water like fish

,

upon which latter they almost entirely subsisted . They rarely hunted the big gameof the forest

,and their chi ef reason for living

up in the trees was that it afforded themsecurity from wild beasts

,especially the

jaguars,which nightly roamed the woods in

search of prey.

Balboa was greatly diverted by these barbacoas up in the air and their agile inhab itants . He endeavored to capture some ofthe latter

,but they were too spry for him

and his clumsy companions in armor,for

,

before they succeeded in landing,every

member of the community was safely en

sconced aloft . After the frightened Indianshad scampered up the ladders they drewthem into the tree-tops also

,and , consider

ing themselves secure , began to pelt the

Spaniards with stones . This was more than102

A S EA R C H FOR THE G O LD EN TEM P L E

their leader could endure , and , shelteringhimself behind his buckler

,he advanced to

the tree in which,as he was told

,the cacique’s

hut was built , and demanded that he descend immedi ately. The only answer wasa shower of stones

,some of which struck his

Shield,and one of them , glancing, wounded

a companion . Becoming then enraged,Bal

boa ordered an arquebuse to be fired intothe tree

,and when the cacique

,whose name

was Ab eb eiba,heard the loud report and saw

the cloud of smoke ascending,as from a

volcano,he nearly fell from his lofty perch .

“Hold !” he cried,I will descend but

when his wives and family entreated himnot to do so

,he wavered

,and finally refused

to budge .

“What have I done to thee ?” he asked ofBalboa . In nothing have I offended t heeand thine ; now leaveme in peace .

”

The grim commander said nothing in reply,

but commanded his axemen to attack thetree .

“When the old scoundrel sees thechips fly

,

” he remarked,

“ perhaps he maychange his mind .

” Protected by the soldiers with their shields

,the axemen vigor

ously set their blades into the palm -tree ,and then the cacique seemed disposed to

1 03


capitulate . Down rattled the long ladder ,and it had scarcely struck the ground , erethe cacique was there beside it , shaking withfear and chattering like a parrot . Afterhim also came his wives and their children ,

in a long and rapidly descending procession,

and soon they were grouped around thepalm-tree

,which , by their swift compliance

with Balboa’s demand , they had saved fromdestruction .

“We want gold,said Balboa

,threaten

ingly.

“ If you have any up in that tree,

go back and get it at once.

”

The cacique replied : “ I have no gold inthe tree nor in any other place . I have nooccasion for gold ; but , great lord ,

if you willallow me to search in yonder Sierras

,I will

soon return with a vast quantity,for there

it exists and I know its hiding-place . Be

hold these wives Of mine and these Sons ;they will be hostages for me against my re

I t is well,answered Balboa . Go

,but

return within two days . Meanwhile , we willhold your family as hostages

,and enjoy the

provisions you have so bountifully suppliedagainst our coming

,as it seems .

The wily Ab eb e ib a departed for the Sierras,

1 04

CON SP I RA CY OF THE CA CIQUES

ALEDA waited three days for the re

turn of the cacique,with his brigantine ,

meanwhi le,moored in a bend of the stream

,

where the dense vegetation of the banks metin leafy arches overhead . Great trees

,their

roots in the earth of opposite banks,mingled

their verdant crowns together,and over their

trunks !as though formed by nature for thispurpose) climbed the natives of the regionwhen they wished to cross the stream . One

of these arboreal giants bent above Balboa’sbrigantine

,with its branches screening the

deck so effectually that the soldiers werenearly always in refreshing shade

,even with

the sun shining brightly at noonday.

The heat Of that region was intense , anda shade was ever grateful, so it was withfeelings of disgust that the sailors and soldiers heard Balboa

,one day

,give the order

1 06

C O N S P I R A C Y O F THE C A C I Q U ES

to proceed up the river They had becomeattached to the spo t containing the palmtrees and the dwellings in the air

,for the

habitations afforded them pleasant retreatswhen off duty

,and their occupants received

them with smiles and offers of good cheer .Balboa and his officers had taken possessionOf a group of huts consisting of the cacique’sand others

,nestled together in a clump of

palms hung with great bunches of nuts andflowers amid their leafy crowns . There theirhamm ocks were hung

,there they were

waited on by nut-brown boys and maidens,

who took them fruits and beverages,the

latter so often that soon the big earthen jarsat the roots of the trees were drained of theircontents .

It was when apprised of this fact thatBalboa decided he would proceed with theexploration . By all the saints !” he saidto Colmenares

,as the two reclined lazily in

their hammocks , watching the smoke-wreathsdrifting upward

, mingled with most appctizing odors from their breakfast simmeringin earthen vessels on the fires beneath thetrees .

“ By the saints,Rodrigo

,this is a

pleasurable life to lead !”“De veras— Of a truth

,answered C01

1 0 7


menares. But,my commander , have we

not other things than pleasure to conSider ?”

As thou sayest,Rodrigo

,we have . And

,

now the chicha is gone , the jars are empty,

and the temptation removed for the oldcacique to indulge in drunkenness — peradventure he ever return

,which I doubt

it seemeth to me we had best move on .

”

It was not Often that Balboa allowed himself to relax

,as he had done here

,especially

when in the enemies’ country,and his con

science smote him . Then he gathered himself together and gave the order which produced such discontent among his men . Hemet their sour looks blithely

,giving them no

heed,and they were too well trained to

oppose him,even for a moment . Such as

were by duty compelled,bent themselves

to the oars,while others cast off the moor

ings,and soon the brigantine was on its way

again up the stream . Just as it was slippingout from beneath the overhanging trees

,

there was a sudden commotion in the vinesand branches above the deck

,and through

the tangled mass of vegetation dropped anaked savage . He was evidently a warrior ,for in one hand he grasped a bow and bunch

1 08

V A S CO N UNEZ D E B A L B O A

prisoner ?” demanded Balboa , looking aroundfor an answer. “We have lost no man

,of

late . I misdoubt the story myself,and b e

lieve the Indian is lying .

”

“And I likewise,said Colmenares . But

let us find from him where the cacique isencamped . Where is Zemaco ?

” he askedthe warrior

,through the interpreter.

“At Dob ayb e ,” was the answer. He

guards the great temple and its goddess ofgold .

“Aha ! exclaimed Balboa . Then we willgo to him . But not with an embassy ; inforce will we go . How far is it to Dob ayb e ?Ask him

,interpreter ?”

“ Two days direct,by land ' but four days

by river,in the big canoe

,answered the

savage,showing his teeth with a snarl of

rage,like a jaguar glowering from a tree in

the forest .“That time he told the truth

,said Col

meh ares .So far maybe as he hath told anything

,

replied Balboa,enigmatically .

“My faith !but I’ve a mind to put him to the torture .

If it be but two days to Dob ayb e , then surely we can accomplish it ; but if much more ,we shall be obliged to return for provisions .

I I O

CO N S P I R A C Y O F THE C A C I Q U E S

Where is the armorer ? Here , man , placethis savage in irons !”

As the armorer approached,Balboa waved

his hand towards the Indian , who , probablydivining the fate in store for him should helinger

,sprang for the rail . At one bound

he reached the bulwark,at another he leaped

over it into the water of the river , wherehe sank like a stone before the astonishedwitnesses could make a move to preventhim . Instantly there was a commotionaboard the brigantine . A score of soldiershastened to the rail , and as many cross-bowswere made ready and levelled at the surfaceof the water. If the head of the savage hadappeared above it , surely it would have beenpierced by several bolts from the bows ; butit did not emerge . The impatient bowmenwaited long

,but in vain . The Indian was

seen nevermore,for he probably swam under

water to the thickets on the farther shore ,and , worming his way through the vines andundergrowth of the forest

,secured his safety

by flight .Maria Santisima !” exclaimed Balboa .

Why did I not run him through with mysword ? He was a spy— naught else was he ;and all that he told was a lie !”

8 I I I

V A S CO N UN EZ D E B A L BO A

Do‘

wncast and disgusted were the soldiersthen

,for they felt that they and their com

mander had been outwitted,and by a naked

savage .

“ If,then

,

” they reasoned amongthemselves

,

“we can b e so easily deceivedby an emissary of Zemaco ,

what cannot hedo to us when involved in the net he hasspread for our capture They were ignorant and superstitious . Having heard of thegoddess that reigned in the mountains

,and

having experienced her might,as shown in

the tempest she had,without doubt

,visited

upon them,they were prone to ascribe to

her the possession of supernatural powers ,and balked at the prospect of invading herterritory. If the truth were told

,Balboa

himself was not without a trace of that samesuperstition

,and he could understand the

feelings of his men,if he did not , indeed , sym

pathize with them . When , therefore , at theend of a week of fruitless quest

,wandering

in the forest and seeking in vain a conflictwith the fugitive Zemaco ,

he found himselfback at the point of departure on the RioNegro

,he for a time gave up the hunt and

abandoned his search for the golden goddessand temple .

The unsolved mystery of the idol and1 1 2

V A SCO N U N E Z DE B A L B O A

descended from his stronghold , and spreadhis warriors along the rivers , retaking thedeserted villages and collecting their inhabitants together .When Hurtado and his little band were

left alone in the wilderness, Zemaco perceivedan opportunity for revenge upon the Spaniards ; but he was cautious and had a wholesome fear of their weapons . He waited until Hurtado had detached more than halfhis total force

,for the purpose of taking

their prisoners to Darien , and then launchedhis bolts of war . Hurtado’s captives wereplaced in a large boat guarded by fifteen ortwenty Spaniards

,most of whom were ih

valided through wounds or sickness , andthus scarcely ten sound men remained b ehind in the Indian country . The boat descended the Rio Negro very slowly ,

for itwas heavily laden with its human freightage

,and late one afternoon

,when between

forest-covered banks that closely approachedand cast a gloom upon the waters

,it was

attacked by Zemaco and his warriors . Theywere in four canoes , and were armed withwar-clubs and lances . Shouting their warcries

,they surrounded the boat containing

the Spaniards , and with the assistance of1 1 4

C O N S P I R A C Y OF THE C A C I Q U E S

the prisoners massacred all save two . Thesetwo escaped by leaping into the river andclinging to the trunk of a great tree whichwas floating with the current . They hidthemselves in the branches , and, being overlooked by the Indians , finally reached theshore and returned to Hurtado with theirtidings of disaster . The commander was sodisheartened that he at once abandoned hispost on the Rio Negro and hastened toDarien with all speed . It is surprising thatZemaco did not attack him when on theway

,as he had an overwhelming force

,and

his recent victory had inspired him with confidence ; but as it afterwards was ascertained ,he was then in secret conference with thecaciques of all the provinces , four in numb er

, for the purpose of totally exterminatingthe Spaniards . Hurtado carried the tidingsof thi s conspiracy to Darien

,having received

intimation of it from a captive ; but the inhabitants considered his fears of an uprisinglargely imaginary

,incited by his recent dis

aster , and made no preparations for receiving the enemy if he should appear .At this time there comes into view oncemore the beautiful Cacica , who had been leftin Darien when Balboa went on his expedi

I I 5

' V A S CO N U N E Z D E B A L BOA

tion up the Atrato She had urged him totake her with him

,saying that her place

was by her lord and master’s side ; but hehad refused

,because , as he said , space on

board the brigantine was limited,and there

was room for soldiers only . He had givenhis house into her charge at parting , andwhen he returned she proudly showed himwhat she had done to improve its condition

,receiving his praises therefor with great

delight . But rumors soon reached Balboathat during his absence the Cacica had re

ceived under her roof a young warrior , whohad come and gone at night— as a spy mighthave done , said the sentinels who watchedoutside the walls of the town . These ru

mors were verified by reports from the spieswhom Balboa himself had left to watch theCacica while he was away . He ardentlyloved her— of that there could be no doubt ;but , as a Spaniard , he was naturally sus

picious.

These spies were certain that the visiting Indian was a warrior of Zemaco

’s band ,

and thought he might be a relative of theCacica

,or a former lover whom Balboa had

supplanted . They ,too

, sought to intercepthim ; but the wary Indian escaped them every

1 1 6

V A S CO N U N E Z D E B A L B O A

often ! At night , too , because they couldnot get within the town by daytime . Forthere were sentinels and spies

,my lord .

Did you not know there were spies ?” askedthe Cacica , archlv, her eyes dancing mischievously .

I— I knew there were spies , answeredBalboa

,hesitatingly. Then ,

suddenly assuming a stern and wrathful expression ,

hegrasped the girl’s wrists and looking straightinto her eyes , demanded : What did yourpeople tell you when they came to myhouse in the night - time ? Did they sayaught of the cacique Zemaco and of theconspiracy he is forming against me ? Tellme

,and truly , girl , for if thou liest thou

mayst lose thy life !”“ I will tell you , answered the Cacica

,

slowly . Not because you threaten me,but

for the love I bear you . My life is yours ,to take at any time . She returned hisgaze fearlessly , and in her eyes Balboa coulddetect no trace of deceit or alarm .

“ I am a cacique’s daughter,

” she continued , proudly ,

“ though in your eyes asavage and a slave . Your life and the livesof your friends are in my hands— until I tell

you ; then my life and the lives of my people1 1 8

CO N S P I R A C Y O F THE C A C I Q U E S

are at your mercy . Yet I will tell you , b ecause you are still my lord , and I have leftmy people to go with you and stay withinyour house .

“Know,then , that my brothers came to

warn me to fly with them and hide in themountains

,for the men of my race can no

longer endure the atrocities committed bythe invaders

,and are resolved to fall upon

them soon by sea and by land . In the townof Tichiri are collected one hundred canoesand five thousand warriors

,and the prep

arations are made for striking a blow thatShall destroy your power forever !

HOW THE CONSP IRACY W A S DEFEATED

HE story told by the Cacica bore the‘

stamp of truth,but Balboa was

,or pre

tended to be,unconvinced

,and induced her

to send for the brother who had revealed theplot

,that he might question him . As she

hesitated,he said

,Since he desired you to

go with him,you can say you are ready , and

he will return .

”

“Yes,he will return . But how will he be

received ?” she asked , dubiously .

“ I wouldnot have harm come to him

,for his warning

was from love of me,my lord .

”

“And for love of me I ask you to send forhim

,

” replied Balboa,evasively. He had

released the Cacica’s hands , and she hadfallen into a hammock

,where she lay list

lessly,with a look of distress in her eyes

and a great fear at her heart .She could not understand how one she

1 20


the bowstring with a stick until the Indian’seyes seemed about to burst from their sockets . Unable longer to endure the torture ,he cried

,in agony, Oh ,

release me , and Iwill indeed tell all ! Then he fainted , forhe was but a youth , and , though accountedas a warrior , was yet of slight physique anddelicate . Vasco N ufiez de Balboa , who wasstanding by , could not but have noted hisresemblance to the Cacica

,whom he had

often sworn he loved ; yet he made no effortto release him .

The unhappy youth related what he hadtold his sister , and the story was the samethat she had told , only there was somethingadded . Gasping for breath , and with temples throbbing from agonizing pain

,the hap

less boy said that Zemaco had long beforeplotted the death of Balboa

,and had for

this purpose posted his warriors in disguiseamong the Indian laborers in the fields .

They watched for weeks an opportunity totake the commander off his guard ; but ,though they valued not their lives -at all ,they were intimidated by the horse whichhe rode and the long lance he carried

,and

finally gave up the attempt upon his life .

This failure had determined Zemaco to formI 22

HOW THE CON S P I RACY W AS D E F EATE D

the conspiracy with the other caciques,and

to this scheme he was devoting all his energies.

As the boy proceeded with his relation,

and detailed the means by which the planagainst Balboa’s life had been frustrated

,it

flashed upon that worthy that his going tothe fields every day fully armed and mounted oh horseback was owing to the Cacica’spleadings . Otherwise he would have gonewithout armor

,in his doublet and hose

,and

on foot . Thus he would certainly havefallen a victim to the Indian ’s rage

,and

thus— it became evident even to his perverted sense— he owed his life to the sisterof that frail boy before him

,whom he had

allowed to be tortured . Then his heartmisgave him surely

,and

,awaking from the

trance into which his evil thoughts hadplunged him

,he exclaimed : Release that

youth . Cast off his bonds and bathe hisbrow where the cord hath wounded it . Hehath done nothing

,and I did not mind to

torture him to extremity ; only to elicit thetruth— and that we have done . So set himfree .

The magistrates murmured and protestedIt is not customary

,nor is it safe

,to set

1 23

V A S CO N U N E Z D E B A L BO A

free one who has been put to the torture,

lest,in revenge

,he hold murderous plans

against us . Let us now finish him,with the

sword or with the garrote , and done with it .

”

“Nay,nay !” exclaimed Balboa , excitedly .

I am governor , though you are , by mygrace

,the magistrates . I take this youth

under my protection,and woe be to them

who dare molest him !As your excellency commands , re

torted one of the magistrates .“ He cer

tainly hath claims upon you ,if what rumor

says may be believed : to wit , that his sisteris thyThat for thy insolence

,exclaimed Bal

boa,stopping the objectionable word with

a blow on the magistrate’s mouth .

“Let it

be known that this youth hath my protection

,and

,he added

,with an ominous

frown,let what may please you be said

about it— behind my back ; but not in frontof me !” With that he strode out of thedungeon , leading the wondering Indian bythe hand . And thus , bruised and disfigured ,

the trembling youth was taken to Balboa’shouse , and left there to be cared for by theIndian maiden .

It may seem to have been the refinement1 24


for what had occurred to him . In silentdignity he gathered up his bow and arrows

,

which had been left with the Cacica whenhe was thrust into the dungeon

,and without

one word of farewell stalked off into theforest .

Then the Cacica knew that she had incurred the hatred of her tribe , as well aslost the respect of her master , by revealingthe plot of Zemaco . She had done it forlove of Balboa , as she had assured him ; but

now that she realized her position , as anoutcast from her people , and, despised bythe brother who had risked his life to saveher own , she hated her master , and loathedhim . Thenceforth she lived only for re

venge ; but , with the cunning of a savage ,she concealed her real feelings from Balboa

,

and appeared to him only the dutiful slave .

She lived silent and apart , but ever nursinga scheme of vengeance which in due timecost Vasco Nunez de Balboa his life .

Through the treachery to her people ofthe Cacica , and the confession elicited bytorture from her unhappy brother

,Balboa

came into possession of all the facts regarding the purposed insurrection of the caciques .

He lost no time in acting upon this informa1 26

HOW THE CON S P I RAC Y W AS D E FEATED

tion , but promptly summoned his officersin council . His chief reliance was , as mayhave been divined already , the stout-heartedCohnenares , who had shared with him thedangers of several expeditions

,in all of

which he had borne himself with courageand resolution . While the magistrates wereuncertain what course should be pursued ,

some advising an imm ediate retreat from aplace so fraught with danger to themselves ,both from the savages and from the climate ,which was killing off the settlers by scores ,Colmenares alone gave his commander theadvice he liked . Balboa had settled in hisown mind what he should do , but he desired to be supported by a certain show ofauthority

,conferred by his coadjutors , in

order to have a loop- hole for escape in casethe adventure should prove disastrous .

I can conceive of no other course thanimmediate pursui t ,

” said the gallant Colm enares .

“ The redskins meditated takingus unawares and putting us to death , without a possible opportunity for escape . Hencethey must have determined upon attackingus both by sea and by land . In sooth

,the

great gathering of canoes at the town ofTichiri shows that . W hat , then ,

is theo 1 2 7

V A S C O N U N E Z D E B A L BO A

proper mode of attack for us to adopt buttheir own , only in the reverse ? That is , abody of our troops to proceed by water andanother by land , thus taking the savagesby flank and cutting off all chance of retreat .

So far as our ability goes to combat them,

you will of course agree W ith me that thereis no great risk . And this I say with dueregard for truth .

“W hich I have always found thee to ob

se rve , and also to weigh carefully the thingsthat make for success as well as defeat ,

”

replied Balboa . In short,Rodrigo

, thou’rt

a careful commander,and thy scheme was

the very one I myself should propose ; butthou shalt have the credit of it . Take ,then

,Rodrigo

,sixty of our men and em

bark them in canoes for Tichiri , while I ,with seventy

,will make a wide circuit by

land,and thus we will fall upon the savages

by front and by rear . Provision the boatsfor a few days only

,for we shall in all prob

ability find enough to eat by the way , andespecially when we shall have taken thetown and sacked it of what it contains .There are

,I understand

,five principal ca

ciques in the league , four besides the archscoundrel Zemaco ,

and,assembling as they

1 28

- V A S CO N U N E Z D E B A L B O A

But go back to your posts , my good men ,

all that can manage a cross-bow or an arquebuse

,and there keep vigilant watch

,for who

knows when , or in what'

manner,the foe

may appear ? Rodrigo and I will go forth,

the one by water and the other by land ;but there must perforce be a great gap offorest between us

,through which the sav

ages may come by stealth and fall upon thetown . So , I say , keep watch by night andby day ; and inasmuch as all are engaged ina common defence

,and all entitled to equal

shares in the spoils , even so shall it be .

”

Balboa was moved thus to deliver himself

,because of ten thousand pieces of gold

in the treasury,remaining undivided

,which

his enemies declared he intended to seizefor himself and send as a donative to theking . For this reason he said,

“We shallall share alike

,from commander down to

drummer-boy and trumpeter and no manshall be deprived of his portion .

”

Then he marched off at the head of hisarmored band of braves

,followed by the

acclaim of those he left behind to guardthe town . As for those who went with him :

being all of them gallant souls,and generous

to a fault,more disposed to fight for treasure

1 30

HOW THE CON S P I RA CY W AS D E F EATED

than to quarrel over its division afterwards,

they acquiesced without a murmur . Colm enares had already embarked his force ofsixty men , when Balboa set off and lost himself in the forest with his seventy, so thatthe settlement appeared quite deserted .

The canoes of Colmenares were paddledby stalwart Indians taken from Careta’stribe , who were ignorant of the intendeduprising, but could not , of course , be un

aware that the expedition was proceedingagainst some of their people with hostilepurpose . But they asked no questions , b eing reasonably certain that any such wouldbe answered only by blows , and exertedtheir strength to such good purpose thatby nightfall of the day in which they hadembarked the Spaniards reached the vicinity of Tichiri . It was probably at or neara place now indicated on the map as PuntaEscondida

,

” or Lost Point , and may havebeen thus named because of its vague andmisty appearance in ‘ the shades of eveningtime .

The shore seemed formless,and the forests

that came down to the water stretched awayblack and forbidding

,but the darkness was

pierced by num erous points of light , where1 3 1

V A S CO N U N E Z D E B A L BOA

blazed the Indian camp-fires, and the tamtam-tam ” of the drum s proclaimed an assemb lage for the purpose of war or conference . Colmenares waited till the drums hadceased their beating and the camp-fires had

been swallowed up by the darkness , thenthe canoes were guided stealthily to theshore and the soldiers landed . The landingcould not be made without some sound , suchas the clanging of armor against armor , orthe striking of sword or lance against a gunwale ; yet the savages were so confident thatno enemy was near that they were not disturb ed , and slumbered while the force formedon the beach .

Preceded by the dogs of war,a pack of

three having been brought by Colmenaresfor this very purpose , the Spaniards crepttowards the camp

,extending their line as

they approached and perceived its greatproportions . As the scent of the quarryreached their nostrils

,the dogs could no

longer be restrained , and leaped forwardwith deep-mouthed howls into the midst ofthe slumbering foe . Instantly arose shrieksof terror and pain as the beasts tore the inoffensive savages to pieces , and these werefollowed by wild tumult when the reports

13 2

D ISSENSIONS IN THE COLONY

HE savages surprised by Colmenares inTichiri were under a captain ,

or subchief

,whose name has not been preserved

,

but who received swift punishment at thehands of his own people for the crime of rebellion against Balboa . As soon as the Spanish commander had ascertained in whichdirection he was to look for the captain

,he

sent a small body of men in search of him .

One of his own followers handed Colmenaresthe bow and spear that he usually carried

,

and, having presented this to the mostsagacious of the hounds for his inspection

,

the brute sniffed the air an instant then setoff into the midst of the crowd . He and histwo companions had been dragged fromtheir victims while yet their blood-stainedjaws held ghastly shreds and fragments of

human flesh,and it was with his ferocious

1 34

D I S S E N S I O N S I N THE C O LO N Y

instincts roused to the highest pitch thatthe hound darted through the throng ofIndians and leaped upon the coweringchieftain .

He was expecting death,and had calmly

prepared himself to meet his fate ; but sucha terrible apparition as this he was unprepared for

,and as the hound’s fangs sank

into his quivering flesh he shrieked in agonyof pain and terror . It was with difficultythat the enraged animal was induced to re

lease his hold , and suffered repeated blowsfrom the mailed fists of his attendants b efore he would do so . Then the mangledsavage was conducted before Colmenares ,who had cleared a space in the centre of thecamp and there held an impromptu courtmartial upon the leaders of the insurrection .

The instigator of the rebellion ,Zemaco , had

escaped,but four of the sub-caciques , in

cluding the captain of the band , were captured ,

owing to the swift and secret movements of the Spaniards .

With Colmenares acting in the capacity ofjudge

,the proceedings of the “ court ” were

Confined to the identification of the victimsas leaders and men of influence among theIndians . Their guilt was assumed from the

13 5


positions they held , and as soon as theiridentity was established they were promptlysentenced : the captain to be shot to deathwith arrows by his own followers

,and the

caciques to be hanged . The sentence wascarried out at break of dawn next morning .

Scarcely had the sun gilded with his firstrays the topmost branches of the forest trees

,

before the caciques were led out to meettheir doom . A broad -based ceiba - tree

,or

silk-cotton , reared its huge bulk near thecentre of the clearing , and up its buttressedtrunk a pair of soldiers swarmed to its lowermost limb

,over which they swung ropes

made of.

grass,with nooses at their ends .

These nooses were then slipped over theheads of the caciques

,and soon they were

suspended in the air,gasping their lives

away,until they were naught but contorted

corpses,upon which their former subjects

gazed in speechless horror .The extent to which the Indians had been

terrorized by the Spaniards was more fullyshown by what followed when the captainwas brought to execution . He was placedwith his back against the ceiba - tree

,his

arms and legs tightly pinioned , and com

pelled to face his Slayers , who were archers1 36

V A S CO N U N E Z DE B A L BOA

put upon this poor savage more than weakhuman nature could endure .

In the midst of the hubbub that ensued ,there sounded the roll of a drum

,followed

by other noises,that proclaimed the ap

proach of an armed force from the directionof the hills . In fact

,Balboa and his men

,

who had been detained by the countless obstructions to a passage through a virginforest

,made their appearance shortly , and

soon the two commanders met and embraced .

Ha,Rodrigo

,exclaimed Balboa , glane

ing at the grewsome objects hanging fromthe limb of the ceiba-tree

,

“ but you haveforestalled me , son , and saved me trouble .

I had feared it might be necessary to swingup a savage or two , and it seems you havedone it with despatch . Sorry am I that wewere detained ; but such is the fortune ofthose who seek to penetrate these forests .All the day and the night we have struggledagainst nature’s impediments to our progress ,and on my soul Rodrigo

,we are worn down

and famishing .

That I can well believe,answered Col

menares . And we are not so fresh as wemight be , nor have we had aught to eat

1 38


since leaving the boats . But , if the campmaster has attended to his duty

,there should

be something , by this , awaiting us in shapeof a breakfast . Let us seek him and see .

”

“ A fine cavalgada !troop or herd! of capt ives you have , Rodrigo , and they shouldbe sufficiently impressed by the punishmentof their chiefs to behave well in the future .

”

Doubtless they will,

” replied Colmenares,

for it was a conspiracy of the caciques,and

not of the people at large . These are spiritless wretches

,most of them

,and of them

selves will be prone to keep the peace,I

trow .

Still,I think we will build a fort here in

this wood,for it is a fine site for one

,and

the country at large is productive . Goldmines there are

,too

,back in the hills

,and

while old Zemaco is at large there will beno peace for us . Santa Maria ! But I wishwe could find that golden temple and itsidol . Perchance we may ,

with a strongfortress here

,and a garrison in command

of a good man like thyself, Rodrigo .

”

Leaving Colmenares to erect a fortress ona commanding bluff overlooking the gulf ,and eighty soldiers to hold the Indians incheck, Balboa , with fi fty of his own men ,

I 39


returned to Darien in the canoes . He arrived none too soon , as it chanced , for , taking advantage of his absence , some seditiousfellows had stirred up a disturbance . Hehad left in command that Bartolomé Hurtado

,who had been driven from Zemaco

’s

country after the disastrous ending of theDob ayb e expedition . He was a favoritewith the governor

,but a man of no particu

lar force !as may appear from his having fledthe country he was left to defend) , andagainst him rose the most unquiet spiritsof the colony

,led by one Alonzo Perez de

la Rua .

Hurtado may have been arrogant whenhe found himself invested with sole authority in the settlement

,and as Alonzo Perez

was a cavalier of some distinction when inSpain

,he took offence at the upstart’s as

sumptions and refused to obey him . Notcontent with maligning Hurtado

,he pro

ceeded to declaim against Balboa himself,

denouncing him as a man of low birth whomcircum stance had invested with a brief authority , and who was , he said , a creature oftheir own creation .

“A soldier of fortune,

”

and “ absconding debtor who ought to becooling his heels in jail

,

” were some of the1 40


in command,and being supported in his

pretensions by a lawyer,one Bachelor

‘

Corral,

he demanded that Balboa should at oncedeliver up for division among the coloniststhe ten thousand pieces of gold then in thetreasury .

In the estimation of Vasco Nunez de Balboa , this hoard of gold was of small account ,as he expected and intended to add to itat least ten times that amount . Whateverhappened

,he was not willing to risk his

life in defence of it , and learning thatthe mutineers intended to throw him intoprison , provided they could secure his person , he hastily withdrew from the scene ofstrife , giving out that he was going huntingin the forest .

Friend Hurtado,he said to his lieuten

ant ,“ I foresee that when those Scoundrels .

get possession of that bone of contention ,

the ten thousand castellanos in our treasury,they will so abuse one another in the divisionof it that the sober-minded members of ourcommunity will be only too glad to recallme to restore order . Hence , let them haveit . I had hoped to send it to our lord theking— and in truth I yet shall do so ; butlet them first have the fingering of it . Mean

1 42

D I S S E N S I O N S I N THE CO LO N Y

while , friend Bartholomew ,we will go hunt

ing , you and I , for it is better , methinks , toslay the beasts of the forest

,which may aid

in sustaining us,than our own countrymen

— which we shall certainly have to do if weremain .

This was the purport of a conversation theshrewd Balboa held with Hurtado and hisimmediate followers

,and his wisdom and

foresight were soon clearly shown by themanner in whi ch his scheme worked itselfout . Alonzo Perez and his rabble seizedthe treasury

,whi ch he had left purposely

unguarded,and with great hilarity pro

ceeded to share among themselves theten thousand pieces of gold . The resultwas what the crafty Balboa had foreseen ,

for a furious dispute broke out at once ,and from words the mutineers came toblows .

There were still many adherents of Balboain the community

,but they had been awed

into silence by the rabble . When the latterbegan quarrelling among themselves , however

,and some of them even cried out , bold

ly , that their self-exiled governor had alwaysbeen fair in the apportionment of the spoils ,while Perez was extremely partial to him

1 43


self,the friends of Balboa ventured to pro

claim their own opinions .“Who won this gold ,

” they said , butour own Vasco Nunez by his enterprise andvalor ? Knowing him as we do , we say hewould have shared it with the brave anddeserving . !Probably meaning themselves !But these men have seized upon it by un

fair and factious means,and would squander

it upon their minions . Out upon them ,say

we ! Let us seize the ringleaders of this foulconspiracy and cast them into prison . Thenwe will send for our gallant governor andreinstate him in authority .

”

As most of the soldiers were absent withBalboa and Colmenares

,and the mutineers

were really in the minority,the temperate

members of the community easily accom

plished their purpose by seizing Perez ,Corral

,and other ringleaders and placing

them in irons . They were confined in thefortress

,where they had leisure to reflect

upon their intemperate behavior,while a

special committee of reputable citizens,ap

pointed amid loud acclamations,was sent in

search of the fugitive governor .As may be supposed , they did not havegreat difiiculty in finding him

,for he had

1 44


man was dry,and his tongue also

,so that

when he essayed to speak his voice entirelyfailed him

,and he looked helplessly at his

companions . Perceiving the condition ofthe delegates

,Balboa

,who had been watch

ing them narrowly from the corner of hiseye

,hastily leaped from his hammock and

exclaimed : Not a word,Don Pedro

,not a

word,until you and your friends have slaked

your thirst with draughts of our native wine .

Cruel it was of me to keep you standingthere

,while this desayflno !breakfast! was

being prepared,at which you must sit down

,

though it be so humble and poor of quality.

Nay,I insist

,

” he added , as the committeehesitated .

“ I know not your mission,cabal

leros ; but, certes , you are faint and hungry ,

perchance thirsty also,so sit down

,and

answer not . Hither , mozos , with the calabashes of chicha and wine . Give my com

pafi eros to drink ,without delay .

”

The delegates gratefully accepted the foodand drink so liberally proferred

,and when

they were refreshed the spokesman beganhis speech again : “Your excellency , we havecome to ask you to return . The government goes ill without you— in truth

,there is

no government at all . ”

1 46


Ha ? But what of Don Alonzo and theBachelor Corral

“ They are in the calaboose , your excelleney

,and in irons .”

“ So ? But how long will they remain , ifI return . And what of the gold ?”

“They will remain there at your excellency

’s pleasure ; and the gold shall be col

lected and returned to the treasury .

“Bueno— good , very good . But how long

,

think ye , gentlemen , will ye continue in thischastened frame of mind ? Not a month

,

not a week, before some low-born sons ofBelial will provoke an outbreak against theauthority of Vasco Nunez de Balboa

,and

declare he hath no authority to govern . IfI go , gentlemen , to Darien , then it mustbe under a pledge that ye all will unitedlystand bv me , and sustain me in every effortfor the public weal . What say ye ?

“We will , we will , your excellency. Onlyreturn !

BALBOA STRENGTHENS H I S ARM

ALBOA stretched himself in his hammock

,and looking at the delegates

through half-closed eyes,as though he would

resume his siesta,rejoined : “ Gentlemen , I

do not wish to return ! But here is DonBartolomé , who might be induced to actin my place . Let him go with you andassum e the reins of government .The delegates looked the confusion they

felt , but said nothing , though Hurtadohastily exclaimed,

“No,no ; I care not to

do so .

Neither care I,said Balboa . For

what do I get by returning ? Only the semblance of a shadow of authority . All thelabors , all the insults attending the office ;but never a gracias , sefi or — never a thankyou , sir , get I . But here— ah

,here I have

my liberty. I ask no man whether I shall1 48


nudged one another and chuckled inwardly .

He had good cause , in truth , to frown , forthe letter was from his friend at court

,

Zamudio,whom he had sent to Spain to

plead his cause . It informed him of theking’s indignation , kindled by the chargesagainst him lodged at court by the lawyerEnciso

,by whom he was accused of being an

intruder and usurper at Darien . He washeld responsible for all the disasters to thecolony

,and though in reality its founder

,

and pacificator of the savages , he was to beprosecuted on criminal charges

,and might

consider himself fortunate if he escaped withhis life .

Such was the tenor of the letter, and suchthe purport of the information the committee had received before they left thesettlement . This being so

,it behooved

Balboa to comport himself more in accordance with his changed position in the eyesof the committee , and after he had finishedreading the letter he said : “This is an important communication

,gentlemen

,and to

answer it properly I shall be compelled toreturn to Darien . If

,then

,it be your minds

still to support me,we will soon set forth .

But only on that understanding shall I go .

150

B A L B O A S T R E N G T H E N S H I S A R M

We shall support you , answered thespokesman .

“ But let it be understood ,however

,that our support is given only as

between you and other subjects of his majesty

,the king . Should there be conflict of

authority,as between you

,Vasco Nunez de

Balboa,and his majesty

,there will be no

question which direction we should take .

”

“ Nor would I , as a loyal subject of hismajesty , ask more of you , rejoined Balboa ,fervently . Soldiers , companions , we willdepart . Prepare for the march to town .

Mozos,bring hither the wine and the chicha .

Gentlemen , before we start let us drink to thehealth of his m ajesty . Long live the king !”

Then a wild scene ensued . Mingling prom iscuously

— cavaliers , soldiers of the ranks ,and civic functionaries the company alljoined in drinking the health of their sovereign. They seized the brimming calabashes ,and , lifting them to their lips , drank deeplyto the toast, Long live the king .

Now fill again !” shouted one of the delegates Here’s to the health of his majesty’smost loyal subject

,Vasco Nunez de Balboa .

May he live long as governor of Darien !Viva ! viva !

” shouted the excited soldiery.

Long life to our governor !”

I SI


And to his loyal supporters , these ourfriends

,added Balboa

,grimly smiling , and

waving his right hand towards the delegates .

“May they remain loyal— for the space ofa week

,and may they never have to choose

between his majesty and myself, his mostdevoted subject and servant !The wine was soon gone , to the dregs , and

with this as the parting toast the companybroke camp and set out for town

,where a

new surprise awaited Balboa , in the arrivalof two ships from Santo Domingo . Theywere laden with provisions and brought areinforcement of two hundred s oldiers andsettlers

,sent by the admiral

,Don Diego

Columbus . At the same time arrived,by

the hands of the fleet ’s captain,a commis

sion for Balboa as governor and captaingeneral . This had come from Miguel dePasamonte

,the royal treasurer of Hispaniola

,

a favorite of the king , sent out as a checkupon the ambition of Don Diego

,of whom

his majesty was extremely jealous .In this manner did fate seem to play at

cross-purposes with Vasco Nunez de Balboa,

sending him tidings by one messenger ofthe king’s disfavor

,and by another of his

esteem ; though , to tell the truth , Pasamonte152


No,no

,they all exclaimed . You shall

not leave us,Vasco Nunez . You are notalone our governor

,but our guide and

leader . You , only , are respected by thesoldiers

,feared by the savages , and we can

not do without you . Stay here with us youmust ; but we will send deputies to acquaintthe king with the condition of the colony ,

to entreat the necessary military aid , andto plead your cause as though it were yourself in person

,Vasco Nunez .

”

They proved their sincerity by electingtwo deputies

,one of them Juan de Caicedo ,

who had been inspector on the unfortunateN icuesa expedition

,and the other Rodrigo

de Colmenares,

“ both men of weight , expertin negotiation , and held in general esteem .

”

It was believed that they would satisfac

torily execute their commission ,and that

both would return , since Caicedo left a wifebehind him at Darien

,and Colmenares had

acquired much property,including a farm

which he tilled with Indian labor,when not

engaged in military operations . Balboa gladly relieved him from command of the fort atTichiri , and rejoiced that he could send onewho would so well represent his cause atcourt . By him he forwarded letters to the

1 54


king,containing most extravagant accounts

of the country’s riches , not forgetting tomention the famed temple of Dob ayb e , filledwith gold

,and the tales the Indians told re

specting the gathering of gold in nets . Heshowed this precious epistle to the colonists

,

and they were all so greatly impressed withit that

,one and all

,they contributed gold

to the extent of their hoardings,which

,

added to the amount sent by the government to the king

,represented a goodly sum .

Balboa’s commissioners left Darien delAntigua about the end of October, 1 51 2 ,

and arrived in Spain,after a long and tem

pestuous voyage , in the early part of 1 51 3 .

Had they been the only messengers fromthat isolated colony on the isthmus

,all

might have gone well with its governor ;but

,unfortunately for him , as we know ,

his

enemies had preceded them and spreadbroadcast the most pernicious tales respecting the doings of the gallant adventurer,Vasco Nunez de Balboa .

Leaving them for a time , while the fermentis working that eventuated in the downfallof Balboa

,let us continue in his company

until he has accomplished that great achievement due to his heroic efforts

,and with

I SS

V A S C O N U N E Z D E B A L BO A

which fame has inseparably linked his name— the discovery of the Pacific Ocean .

By the inform ation conveyed through hisfriend at court , Zamudio , he was assuredthat lawyer Enciso had obtained a judgmentagainst him in which he was condemned forcosts and damages to a large amount . Thiswas not all , for the king was very much incensed , and had issued a summons for himto repair to Spain without delay, there tostand trial on criminal charges respectingthe outrageous treatment of N icuesa, whichhad probably caused his death .

It will be admitted that Vasco Nunez wasthen in a terrible predicament , and thatthere seemed no way out of it save by adesperate venture , by which he might perhaps retrieve his fortunes

,win fame

,and re

cover the lost favor of the king . Fortunately for h im ,

the news conveyed by Zamudio ’sletter had been informal , and in advance oftidings direct from the throne

,so there was

still time for action . When the authorita

t ive'

summ ons should come , it would be toolate ; hence he could not await the reinforcements so anxiously expected from Spain

,

and must accomplish whatever he did b efore their arrival . Thus the intrepid Bal

1 56


by his toils , to discover the great South Sea ,and to ravish from him the wealth and glorywhich were almost within his grasp ? No

,

a thousand times no ! He had won the information at risk of his life ; he would realizethe profit of it , even at the risk of his life .

At least , no other man should avail of it , tocheat him of his dues . He did ,

indeed,still

want the thousand men who were necessaryto the proj ected expedition ; but his enterprise

,his experience , and his constancy im

pelled him to undertake it , even withoutthem . He would thus , by so signal a service

,blot out the original crime of his pri

mary usurpation , and if death should overtake him in the midst of his exertions , hewould die laboring for the prosperity andglory of his native land , and freed from thepersecutions which then threatened him .

” 1

As he would be obliged to absent himselffrom the colony for a long period

,he made

every effort to weld the various elementsinto a civic body that should work b armoniously and resist the disintegrating forcesfrom within as well as from without . Hisfirst step was to set free the ringleaders of

1 Don Manuel J osef Quintana , Vidas de Espafi olesCélebres .

158


the late insurrection , which done , and assured of their co -operation , he proceeded toselect his soldiers . There was no lack ofvolunteers when it became noised aboutthat Balboa was to set out on the grandexpedition to which all the others had beenin a sense merely preliminary , and he wasat greater trouble to rej ect than to acceptthose who offered for the service . Desiringnone but the most dauntless spirits

,he put

every man applying to the severest tests .

In the first place , they must be capable ofenduring fatigue and hunger ; in the second ,they must be unfl inchingly courageous , forthe route of march would lie through regionsoccupied by hostile Indians who were saidto be cannibals and gave no quarter .

“My men

,

” he said to them one day,when

haranguing them for the last time,assembled

on parade,

“ I shall not attempt to concealfrom you the perils of this enterprise . Intruth , they could not , in my opinion , begreater . And

,while I shall always lead , as

hitherto , asking no man to go where I wouldnot venture in advance

,yet you may not

have the great incentive that moves me .

So far as spoils and captives are concerned ,

ye shall share alike with me ; but there is au 1 59

VA‘

sc o N UNE Z D E BALBOA

greater motive than mere spoils . My am

b ition, as ye all have known for manymonths, is to achieve the discovery of thatgreat ocean said to lie beyond the mountains . That is— that shall b e— the obj ectof my endeavors , and to that the gettingof captives and the plundering of nativesshall be subordinate . There will be , doubtless

,vast spoil

,for the country we are to

enter has the reputation of being rich ingold and gems . There willbe danger ; therewill be fatigues , deaths , wounds— but , aboveall

,there will be glory — the glory of ac

complishing something of which men havedreamed for many years

,but have never

achieved !We will do it ! The glory shall be ours !”

shouted the men ,vociferously .

“Where youlead , Vasco Nunez , we will go !

”

They were probably as daring and reckless adventurers as had ever been gatheredtogether since the New World was d iscovered , then twenty years agone , and that issaying much . There were , after Balboa hadselected the most resolute and vigorous ofthe colony, one hundred and ninety in theband , all fighting-men of the most desperate type . They were armed with cross -bows

1 60

THE QUEST FOR THE AUSTRAL OCEAN

BRIGANTINE and nine large canoescarried the troops up the gulf to the

shores of Chief Careta ’s territory , where theforce was augmented by a thousand friendlyIndians, who served as guides and carriers ,on the march from the coast to the mountains . Finding his Indian father-in- law welldisposed , and no signs of disaffection , thecommander left here nearly half his men

,

to guard the vessels and keep open a wayof retreat , should it be necessary ,

and withone hundred picked soldiers began his perilous journey through the wilderness .

He had left the settlement on September1 st , and on the 8th arri ved at the frontierof Cacique Ponca’s territory

,but found his

village abandoned and without a sign of li fewithin its limits . Ponca , it will be remembered

,was the inveterate enemy of Careta ,

1 62

Q U E S T FOR THE A U S T R A L O C E A N

and as he knew the latter was in league withBalboa

,he had fled with all his people to the

mountain fastnesses . He was extremely re

luctant to emerge from his retreat , but wasat last induced to do so by repeated offersof friendship , conveyed by the peaceful Indians

,and when he finally came out was won

by Balboa ’s kindness and induced to revea lto him all he knew .

It was not politic , the governor thought ,to leave behind him one so powerful as Poncainclined to be hostile , and , moreover , he alonecould furnish guides to the sea that lay b eyond the mountains . These he freely placedat Balboa ’s disposal , at the same time notonly confi rm ing the truth of the story toldby Comogre

’s people , as to the existence of

a great sea , or ocean , but adding that thecountry adjacent was rich in gold . In theexcess of his friendship , he presented Balboawith some golden ornaments— receiving inexchange glass beads and other trifles, precious in the sight of the Indian— and furnishedthe army with provisions for the journey .

The golden ornaments , Ponca assured Balb oa , came from the country bordering uponthe great sea , to gain a glimpse of which itwould only be necessary to ascend a high

1 63


peak rising above the cordilleras, and visiblefrom the village they then occupied . Thispeak seemed t o pierce the skies , to such an

altitude it rose above the surrounding hills ,and its broad shoulders were covered withdense forests , so that it appeared like anisland in an emerald sea .

With the departure from Chief Ponca ’scountry the real labors of the journey began

,

for there was no open trail through themountain wilderness

,white men never hav

ing be en there before . The Spaniards werecompelled to hew their way with sword andaxe , scale rugged p recipices , and ford thetorrents of numerous rivers . Friendly Indians carri ed the provisions, and the heaviestpieces of armor , but even though lightly cladand burdened only with their weapons , manyof the soldi ers were overcome by the comb ined effects of fatigue and climate , so thatin the end less than seventy remained withtheir commander

,the others having fallen

by the way . Such as had strength enoughreturned to Coyba but there were some who ,unable to endure the journey, sank to theground and never rose again .

Steadily climbing , at the rate of twoor three leagues a day , about September

1 64


A s he was considered by the soldiers theequal of any member of the force , he drewpay as one of them , and during his variouscampaignings earned for his master upwardof a thousand crowns . The Indians of thecoast country knew him well by reputation ,which was so terrible that merely the sightof him would put a thousand to rout . Butthese Indians of the mountains knew neither the dog nor his master — though totheir sorrow they were soon to make theiracquaintance .

At sight of the warriors emerging in serried masses from the forest depths

,Leoncito

growled ominously , and as they approachedwithin bow-shot he sprang to meet them withlong leaps . A shower of arrows was sent athim and he was struck by several ; but hisprogress was not stayed until he met a warrior in the oncoming ranks

,whom he seized

by the throat and bore to the ground . Amoment later the hapless savage was a mangled corpse , and hi s fate was shared by othersin swift succession , as the furious beast torehis way through the barbarian phalanx

,

leaving terror and destruction in his wake .

The savages were surprised and alarmed by

the advent of this strange animal in their166

Q U E S T FOR THE A U S T R A L O C E A N

midst , but they were absolutely terrorstricken when the cross-bows and arquebuses sent forth their messengers of death .

Many were slain as they stood petrified withastonishm ent and terror ; for this was theirfirst experience with fire - arms , and theycould not conceive whence came the rollingthunder of the explosions and the sheetedlightning of the flames . After the first discharge came in ringing tones Balboa’s battlecry

,

“ Santiago,and at them , companeros !

”

With bright sword drawn and gleaming inthe air , he sprang towards the foe , followedclose by his men .

Then ensued a scene of carnage the like ofwhich has been many times witnessed in theencounters between Spaniards and the Indiansof America . It is not a pleasant scene todwell upon

,so let it suffice to state that this

aboriginal Regulus ,” the rash though gal

lant Quaraqua ,together with six hundred

of his warriors,lay dead upon the field after

the charge was over . Some had been pinnedto the earth with lances

,some cut down by

swords . and others torn to pieces by theblood-hounds .

Having thus rem oved the obstacles to theiradvance , the Spaniards entered Quaraqua

’s

1 67


town ,which they quickly spoiled of all the

gold and other valuables it contained . Thisbooty Balboa shared equi tably among hisfollowers

,reserving for himself no more than

any other got , after deducting one-fifth thetotal amount for the king of Spain . By hiseminent fairness to the soldiers , and by hiscourageous bearing on every occasion , Balboa wins the admiration of all who becomecognizant of his exploits ; but alas ! his escutcheon is stained with the blood of manyinnocents . Among the prisoners taken inthe town were fifty or sixty male Indians

,

dressed in robes of white cotton after themanner of women

,and these

,their enemies

said,were given to unnatural crimes and fol

lowers of the devil . Whether they were ornot

,the Spaniards did not pause to inquire

,

but let loose their blood-hounds , who torethem limb from limb .

The village which Balboa had won at suchcost of blood and suffering was situated atthe very foot of the mountain whence , theIndians told him

,the great sea could be

distinctly seen . He had brought woe anddesolation to its homes , but by his harshmeasures the Indians had been thoroughlycowed

,and , after sending back the subjects

1 68

V A S C O N U N E Z D E B A L B O A

civilized man . He , Balboa , would be the firstto scale its sides and stand upon its summit ,the first to gaze upon the view it might reveal .Such thoughts as these kept Vasco Nunez

de B alboa awake while his soldiers slept .

So absorbing were they that he hardly heardthe groans of the wounded , the cries of anguish from the poor wretches on the battlefield . Wives , mothers , and children of thedead warriors were groping in the darknessfor their loved ones , and when they found theobjects of their search they rent the air withpiteous lamentations .

At last the dawn dispelled the shades ofnight . Bounding from his bed in the ocean ,the morning sun sent his rays

.

athwart thevast expanse of forest and illumined thepeak

_in the sky so that it shone like gold .

It appeared to Balboa like a beacon-flam e

beckoning him onward,upward

,and with

feverish eagerness he spurred his men toactivity . It had b een

‘

his intention to startin the gray dawn

,to avail of the morning

coolness and freshness ; but his soldiers werestiff and tired

,and moved slowly

,so that it

was within two hours of noon when theyemerged from the forest and saw the greatpeak standing stark before them .

1 70

D I SCOVERY OF THE P AC IF IC


tremely surprised at this outburst of joy andwonder over a spectacle with which theyand their fathers had been familiar for many

,

many years .

After his excited companions had gatheredaround him , Balboa said :

“Let us now-give

thanks to God , who hath granted us thisgreat honor and privilege . For we beholdbefore us

,friends , the object of all our de

sires and the reward of all our labors . B e

fore you roll the waves of the sea which wasannounced to us by Comogre

’s son , and

which,no doubt

,encloses the vast riches of

which we have heard . We are the first togaze upon it and

’shall be the first to reachits shores . To us be long their treasures ,and ours alone shall be the glory of reducingthese immense dominions to subjection inthe name of our king

,and of causing to be

shed upon them the light of the only truereligion . Follow me

,then

,faithful as hith

erto,and

,I promise you

,the world shall not

behold your equals in wealth and glory !The companions of Balboa

,then reduced

to a little company of sixty- seven , receivedhis words with acclamation

,and all embraced

him,while the chaplain of the expedition ,

one Andres de Vara , chanted in solemn tones1 72

Q U E S T FO R THE A U S T R A L O C E A N

the beautiful anthem beginning : Te Deum

laudamus Thee , O God , we thank . Agreat tree ,

which had been brought fromthe forest for the purpose , was shaped intoa cross and raised on the Spo t whence Balboa first beheld the ocean . Around this waspiled a mound of stones

,to keep it in po

sition,and then the company knelt in rev

erence before the holy symbol,while the

chaplain offered renewed thanks for the inestimable privilege that had been accordedthem .

Wrought upon by the sublimity of thescene , and filled with joy at the prospect ofboundless wealth and conquest opened tothem by the illimitable ocean spread outat their fee t , the Spaniards rose to the dignity of the occasion , and showed themselvescapable of elevated sentiment . Their leaderhad imbued them with his own enthusiasm ,

had invited them to share in the honors andglory of his great discovery

,and they de

clared they would follow him to the shoresof the great sea , and beyond . After signinga testimonial to the effect that they tookpo sse ssion of the sea and its shores in thename of the Castilian sovereign

,which was

duly attested by a notary,Balboa and his

1 73


companions descended the Sierras towardsthe south .

The date of this memorable discovery , as

witnessed by the instrument the Spaniardssigned , was September 25, 1 51 3 . They hadbeen more than three weeks in accomplishing the journey from the north coast of theisthmus to the mountain-top

,after fighting

their way through difficulties and dangerswhich men of iron alone could have confronted and overcome .

Sometimes,says their chronicler , they had

to penetrate through thick and entangledwoods , sometimes to cross lakes , where somewere lost in the depths ; they had ruggedhills and mountains to climb

,precipices to

scale , and deep and yawning gulfs to cross ,upon frail and trembling hammock-bridgesmade of forest V ines . From time to timethey had to make their way through opposing bands of Indians

,who

,though easily

'

con

quered , were always to be dreaded , and uponwhom they depended for their precarioussupplies of provisions . Altogether

,the toils ,

anxieties, and dangers of these Spaniards ledby Balboa formed an aggregate sufficient tobreak down the strength and depress themind of any , indeed ,

but “men of iron alone .

”

I 74


He was then at the zenith of his power,

as well as in possession of the health andstrength of vigorous manhood , for he wasbut thirty-eight years of age

,

t the timehe made his great discovery . For a fewmonths only he was to retain

’that power

undisputed ; then was to ensue a period ofdepression in his fortunes

,followed by his

early death . So long as he remained at adistance from Antigua del Darien , devotinghimself to original research in the wildernessand the subjugation of the natives , his success was unparalleled ; but whenever he re

turned to the settlement disaster seemed towelcome him .

Leading his enthusiastic soldiers down thesouthern slopes of the mountain

,Balboa en

tered the province of a cacique named Chiapes , who , unaware of what had happened

conqueror of Mexico ,is substituted for Balb oa , discov

erer of the PacificThen felt I like some watcher of the skies ,W hen a new planet swims into his ken ,

Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyesHe star

’d at the Pacific— and all his men

Look’d at each other with a wild surmise

S ilent , upon a peak in Darien .

Cortés was never at Darien , nor nearer to it t hanHonduras , or Santo Domingo .

1 76

O N THE S HO R E S O F THE P A C I F I C

to his northern neighbor, Quaraqua, likehim offered battle to the strangers . Theywere few in number , wayworn and hungrylooking, so he set upon them with his warriors— and his experience was like that ofall others who had opposed Balboa

,who

poured a volley from his arquebuses intothe ranks of the enemy

,and then

,in the

confusion that followed , let loose the dogsof war .Stunned by the reports of the guns

,con

fused by smoke and flames , and overcomewith astonishment , many of the Indiansfell to the ground and became easy prey tothe blood-hounds , while many others weremade captive . To these latter the Quara

quano guides made such representations ofthe Spaniards’ power to slay by means ofthunder and lightning , and of their magnanim ity to the vanquished , that CaciqueChiape s issued from his hiding-place and ap

peared before Balboa with gifts of wroughtgold amounting to five hundred pounds inweight . In return he received the profferedfriendship of the commander

,and trifles like

hawk-bells,beads

,and looking-glasses

,with

which he was greatly pleased and contented .

Their friendship having been establishedI 77


on a secure basis , Balboa sent back hisguides and carriers to Quaraqua with ordersfor all his soldiers there

,who were able , to

join him without delay . Whi le he remainedin the cacique’s village

,three scouting-par

ties of twelve men each were sent out toexplore the country between the mountainsand the southern coast . These several parties were commanded by Juan de Escary,

Alonzo Martin,and Francisco Pizarro

,the

last - named — then a lieutenant or captainunder Balboa— to become , in the wisdom ofProvidence , the conqueror of Peru . Thescouting-party under Alonzo Martin was thefirst to reach the sea-side , and, finding on thebeach an Indian canoe

,the captain stepped

into it and was pushed by his men out intothe water , so that he could rightfully claimto be the first European to embark upon thesouthern ocean .

After his scouts had returned and themen from Quaraqua had rejoined him ,

Balboa himself set out for the coast

,with less

than thirty men,but all well armed

,and

accompanied by Cacique Chiapes and somewarriors . They reached the sea- side on thelast day of September

,1 51 3 ,

at evening,

and as the tide was out sat down to await1 78

V A S CO N U N E Z D E B A L B OA

“Long live the sovereigns of Spain !

shouted the band on shore . We will defend these their new possessions , even tothe death

,and against all the potentates of

the world . Viva ! Viva Returning toshore , Vasco Nunez drew a dagger and withit carved a cross on the trunk of a tree , saying : “'

In this sign we shall conquer theheathen

,and the blessings of our religion

will we give them , in exchange for their barbarous practices . At the point of the swordwill we compel them . Now taste ye thewaters of this sea , and by its being salt shallye know that they are of the ocean . Theyare salt , like the seas of the north ; and thewaters are vast , like the seas of the north ;but from them they are separated by intervening mountains , as ye know ,

and canswear that they pertain to the great Sea ofthe South

,which has been the object of long

search , and at last is found and taken possession of for our dread sovereigns . ” Sayingthis , he caused the notary of the expedition ,

Andres de Valderrabano , to confirm all thathad been done and said in writing , to whichall present subscribed their names .

The spot where these historic incidentstook place was a secluded nook in the great

1 80

O N THE S H O R E S O F THE P A C I F I C

and tortuous bay of San Miguel,which deep

ly indents the southern coast of Darien ,and

lies southwest from the harbor of Careta ,in a straight line about sixty miles distant .Both names still adorn modern maps of theisthmus , and indicate approximately theterminal points of Balboa’s great journeyfrom the north coast to the south , in theyear 1 51 3 .

Cacique Chiapes and his men looked on inwonder while their new allies performed thestrange ceremonials

,remaining passive

,but

evidently not approving what they did notunderstand . When , however , a few dayslater , Balboa demanded of the cacique thathe produce canoes in which he might embark for some distant islands

,the latter pro

tested that the time was bad for ventureson the sea . It was then the month ofOctober, and that month , with Novemberand Decembe r , comprised the season ofstorms , in which the winds were strong andvariable , the seas at any moment liable torise suddenly . But Balboa was persistent .

He cared not for the storms . My God willprotect me ,

” he said . For am I not fighting the good fight and converting the infidelsto the true faith ? Go get the canoes .”

1 8 1

V A S CO N U NE Z D E B A L B O A

Cacique Chiapes shook his head and said,Perhaps your God may be stronger thanmy god ; but no god that the Indians servecan protect us from the waves at this seasonof the year .

”

That is because the god you worship isnot the true God , whom we reverently serve ,

”

answered Balboa .

“ He hath protected us,

’mid dangers many,and will continue to

do so .

”

But Chiapes was unconvinced ,and as

chief of an inland trib e , unacquainted withnavigation , he hesitated to embark . Hecompromised

,however

,by guiding the Span

iards to the littoral province of one Cuquera ,

whose subjects were fishermen and owned agreat number of canoes . Cuquera confirmedthe statement of Chiapes, that the seasonwas unpropitious for a venture at sea , butat sight of some pearls the chief displayed ,

which , he said , had been obtained on theislands off-shore , Balboa was more than everdetermined to make the voyage . Overcom

ing the objections of the caciques,he crowded

sixty of his men into nine canoes,and

,ao

companied by the faithful Chiapes, embarkedupon the bosom of the gulf . Hardly ,

however , had the canoes reached open water ,

1 8 2


of trees , and in the afternoon embarked inthe crazy craft and sought the shore .

After hours of exposure to the tropic sun,

they landed near nightfall at the upper endof the gulf

,in the province of a cacique

named Tumaco . The Spaniards , like theIndians

,were weak and famishing, having

labored all day without either food or drink ;but no sooner had they made land in safetythan the indomitable Balboa set out insearch of the Indian town . It was at a little distance from the shore , and was notreached until midnight . The inhabitantshad been informed of their coming and madea stout defence ; but were soon routed bythe Spaniards and driven into the forest atthe point of the sword .

Groping within the bohios,or Indian huts

,

the victors found an abundant supply ofprovisions , with which they appeased theirraging appetites

,and also a large number of

beautiful pearls,besides a quantity of gold .

As some of the pearls were contained in shellsfreshly taken from the water

,Balboa con

cluded that the seat of the pearl fishery wasnot far distant , and was very anxious toobtain possession of the cacique , believingthat he could inform him in the ‘matter.

1 84

O N THE S HO R E S OF THE P A C I F I C

Having captured a son of Tumaco , he loadedhim with gifts , such as a shirt made in Castile ,and other trifles valued by the savages , andsent him in search of his father . The chiefhad sought refuge in a wild den among therocks

,deep in the forest ; but he was very

much impressed by the beautiful presentsbrought by his son, and consented to emergefrom his retreat . When he appeared beforeBalboa he had with him six hundred piecesof gold , and pearls to the number of twohundred and forty . The gold was wroughtinto ornaments , and the pearls , though mostof them large and perfect in shape

,had been

injured by fire , with which the Indians hadopened the shells .

All this treasure Tumaco presented toBalboa , and when he saw with what joy itwas received

,and understood that the pearls

were especially appreciated , he sent a partyof his divers to search for more . Thirtynaked Indians

,accustomed all their lives to

dive for pearls , went down the coast in acanoe , accompanied by six Spaniards aswitnesses ; but the sea was so rough that theydared not fish in deep water

,where the large

pearl-oysters lay . The storm ,however

,had

caused a great number of oysters to be wash1 85


ed ashore , and there they collected morethan ninety ounces of small though perfectpearls , which were freely given to the Spaniards. The best of these , with specimens ofthe oysters from which they were taken ,

were set apart by the conscientious Balboa,

as an acceptable gift to his sovereign .

More precious than pearls,however high

ly they were valued by the explorer , was certain information conveyed to Balboa byTumaco , confirming the rumors that hadreached him in the interior

,respecting a vast

country to the southward , which aboundedin gold and gems . This was Peru , sub se

quently to be subjugated by FranciscoPizarro , then a humble follower of Balboa ,and with h im on this occasion . In order toimpress the Spaniards with the high stateof that country’s civilization , Tumaco described as well as he could the beasts ofburden used by the inhabitants of the distant empire . He moulded in clay

,it is said

,

a figure of the animal known as the llama,

which the Spaniards,as they had never seen

or heard of it before , supposed might be adeer or a tapir— the latter being the largestanimal they had found in South Am erica .

But,great and glowing as were Balboa’s

1 86


!no less needy and covetous than the discoverers themselves) concerning the opulenceof the new country .

”

Several weeks were consumed by Balboain exploring the country adjacent to SanMiguel

,and on a day in the first week of

November,Tumaco took him and his com

panions in his war-canoe to the uppermostend of the great bay . With them also wasthe still faithful Chiapes, who consideredhimself in some sort as Balboa’s sponsor

,

and who,when the time for parting came

,

is said to have shed tears , so deeply was heaffected . He gladly assumed the care of theSpanish sick and wounded , and took themwith him to his village in the mountains

,

while Balboa , with his able-bodied veterans ,essayed to return by another route acrossthe isthmus . The territory at the head ofthe bay was controlled by Cacique Techoan,

who vied with the other chiefs in bestowinggold and pearls upon the Spaniards , andwho furnished them with burden -bearers andprovisions for the journey .

That Techoan was not entirely disinterested was shown conclusively by his guidingthem to the abode of a cacique whom herepresented as a rich and powerful lord , but

1 88

O N THE S HO R E S O F THE P A C I F I C

an insufferable tyrant . This tyrant wasknown as the Croesus of the mountains ”

!or its equivalent in the Indian language) ,and

,as may be believed by those acquainted

with the character of Balboa , the latter wasnot unwilling to seek him out and make hisacquaintance . But Ponca ! for that was hisname) was not anxious to meet the Spaniards, especially when he learned that theywere coming in company with his deadlyenemy

,and fled farther into the mountains

,

taking with him,it was thought

,the bulk of

his treasure . He left behind , however , somethree thousand pieces of gold

,which the Ind

ian allies discovered and took to Balboa,who

used every exertion to entrap him and forcehim to disclose the hiding-place of his vastwealth . He caught him at last ; but whenquestioned as to his gold

,Ponca answered

that all he had the Spaniards already possessed , and that it had been left him by hisancestors . More than this he would notdisclose, even when the cruel Spaniards puthim to the torture , and ,

provoked by hisobstinacy

,in the heat of their passion ,

gavehim and three companions to the dogs , whofinished the revolting business by tearingthem to pieces .

1 89


In extenuation of their cruelty the Spaniards afterwards described Ponca as a monster of depravity ,

with deformed limbs , afrightful countenance

,and a sanguinary

nature . The guilt of his death , said one oftheir countrymen

,rests more with the

Indians than the Castilians ; yet they werenot the judges of Ponca !” They assumed ,however , that any Indian who refused toreveal the hiding-place of treasures whichthey desired to possess was deserving ofdeath , believing, as they did , that there wasnothing of greater worth in the world thangold

,or its equivalent in material wealth .

Thus cheaply did they hold the lives of theIndians , reckoning their immortal souls asof less worth than perishable gold . In thisrespect Balboa was no better than his comrades , and in truth set them an examplewhich they were not slow in following .

The senseless avarice of the Spaniardswrought its own retribution on thi s journey

,

for they had laden their carriers with goldto a greater extent than with provisions ,and this was done notwithstanding theirroute lay through a sterile wilderness yielding no supplies . The consequence was thatthey soon began to feel the effects of famine ,

1 90


which can cleave a man at a stroke ? Whowould not rather caress ‘ than oppose suchmen as thou ? Kill me not , I implore thee ,and I will bring thee all the gold I possess

,

and as much more as can be procured !”

A RIVAL IN THE FIELD

ACIQUE TUBANAMA was warlike aswell as wealthy

,but he had been com

pletely cowed by Balboa’s display of force

and weapons,so that he readily complied

with the Spaniard’s demands . Sending hismen into the forest , he remained as a hostage with his captor

,while they ransacked

his storehouses for gold . So successful werethey that within three days gold was broughtin to the amount of six thousand crowns ;but even then Balboa professed himself dissatisfied and declared there must be muchmore concealed in the province . As Tubanama positively declared to the contrary ,

he finally gave the cacique his freedom,but

when he departed for the coast took withhim , it is said , his eighty wives and eldestson .

Great quantities of virgin gold havingI QS


been discovered in the mountain streams,

he resolved to return , and found a settlement in that region

,but the condition of

his command at that time forced him toresume his homeward march without delay . Most of his men were now so exhausted that , like Balboa himself, who was ill ofa fever , they had to be borne in hammockson the Indians’ shoulders . In this mannermarching , and in such sorry state that b ya concerted effort the caciques might havedestroyed them utterly , the Spaniards approached the province of Comogre ,

wherethey found themselves among friends andon familiar ground . The old chief was dead

,

they were told , but in his place ruled theyoung cacique who had first informed Balboa of the South Sea and Peru . He receivedhim hospitably , as before , and made him apresent of all the gold he and his subjectshad collected since they parted

,in return for

which Balboa gave him a shirt and a soldier’scloak . As he had embraced Christianity

,

young Comogre considered himself vastlysuperior to the pagans about him

,and when

clad in the garments of the Christians,he

assumed the airs of a king and compelledhis naked subjects to do him homage .

1 94


his province greatly rejoicing . Although,

as we have too often seen,he acted with

great cruelty towards some of the caciques ,to those who approached him in a pacificspirit he was ever friendly and benign . Thathe grew to understand the nature of theIndians is shown by his success in converting them from enemies to friends , and bythe alliances which he cemented with morethan a score of native caciques in the courseof his wonderful journey . There never wasa Spaniard among his contemporaries

,ex

cepting perhaps De Soto , who had such success with the aborigines . Columbus andCortés , Pizarro and Velasquez !who conquered Cuba) , and all others who came intheir train , lamentably failed in their dealings with the Indians . alb oa

’s success

with his men was no less than with theIndians he encountered , for he had a facultyfor winning their affections and holding them ,

which no other commander of his time displayed ! Pizarro approached him in this respect ; but Pizarro received his initial training under Balboa himself .Bidding Comogre farewell , Balboa led his

men through the province belonging toPonca , where he was met by four Castilians,

1 96

A R I V A L I N THE F I E L D

who informed him that a ship and a caravel well laden with supplies had arrived atDarien during his absence , and that he wasawaited there with great anxiety . Hastening thence to Coyb a , the territory of hisfather- in-law , he embarked at the port ofCareta for Antigua del Darien , where he arrived the following day, which was January1 9 , 1 514, after an absence of four monthsand twenty days . Every week, nearly everyday

,that had passed since his departure had

been filled with exciting incident , and , moreover

,he had returned to report to his fellow

citizens of Antigua one of the greatest discoveries of the age . No wonder , then , thatthe entire population sallied forth to greethim at the gates of the town , and that theyrent the air with shouts of joy and welcome .

Lamentations were mingled with the ac

clamat ions, for some who had gone out withhim had found ,

instead of gold,only a grave

in the forest . Some who returned were suffering from fevers and wounds received inconflicts with the Indians ; but notwithstanding , it was declared that the expedition ofBalboa to the shores of the great Southern Sea was the most successful of any thathad ever been made in America . And when

I 97


the plunder was displayed : gold by thethousand pieces , pearls by the hundred ,brought in by scores and scores of captiveswho would serve in the future as slaves

,the

transports of the people knew no bounds .He was hailed as “ Conqueror of the Mountains

,Pacificator of the Isthmus

,and Dis

coverer of the Austral Bringing withhim more than forty thousand ounces ofgold , innumerable cotton robes , and eighthundred Indians of service— possessor , inshort , of all the secrets of the land , and fullof auspicious hopes for the future— he wasconsidered by the colonists of Darien as abeing privileged by Heaven and fortune .

Congratulating themselves on possessing sucha chief, the Antiguans conceived themselvesinvincible and happy under his guidance andgovernment .

“They compared the constant prosperitythe colony had enjoy ed , the splendid prospeets before them , the certainty of successattending his expeditions

,with the unfort

unate enterprises of Ojeda , of N icuesa , andeven of Columbus

,who could never gain a

firm footing on the American continent ; andthis glory was yet enhanced when the virt

ues and talents of him who had obtained198


fairly divided between the soldiers and thesettlers , as the latter had held possession ofAntigua as a base of supplies and operationswhile the former were actively engaged inthe field

,and had thus contributed their

share towards the success of the expedition .

The “ king’s fifth ” was religiously set apart,

in the first place , and soon an opportunityoffered for sending it to Spain ,

in charge ofa soldier who had accompanied him whenthe South Sea was discovered , Pedro deArb olancha . As he was an intimate friendof Balboa , who had proven himself a trustycompanion in the midst of great vicissitudeshe was despatched as an envoy to the court

,

not only with letters to the king containinga full account of the great discovery

,but in

charge of the sovereign’s fifth and a donativeof the largest and most precious pearls .

If he could have set out immediately afterthe return of the expedition

,all might have

gone well with Balboa’s schemes of conquestand government ; but his ship was delayeduntil the first part of March

, and in themeanwhile events were shaping in Spainwhich imperilled not only the fortunes

,but

the life of the great leader . Balboa’s former messengers

,Caicedo and Colmenares ,

200

A R I V A L I N THE F I E L D

had arrived in Spain during his absence fromAntigua , bearing to the king the tidingscommunicated by the cacique Comogre ,

and a request for reinforcements to the extent of a thousand men . Their testimonyas to Balboa’s unswerving loyalty to thecrown , and the vast significance of the intelligence they brought respecting the existence of an ocean beyond the mountains

,

turned the tide of sentiment at court in hisfavor , and excited the swelling ambitionof King Ferdinand . The sovereign had al

ready listened favorably to the complaintsof Enciso and other enemies of Balboa

,and

had issued an order for his arrest,even

going to the extent of threatening to imprison his friend Zamudio on account ofthe zeal he displayed in his defence . Butthe more recent information placed him ina new light . The enormity of his offencewas lessened by the great service he hadrendered the crown . He was no longer regarded as a fugitive from justice

,an ab

sconding debtor , who had seized the government of Darien by force and caused the deathof its real proprietor N icuesa . He had madefor himself a new name

,and around his head

already shone the halo of the great discoverer .

20 1


But again,the sovereign was involved in

a complication which arose from the conflicting accounts from Darien . That therewas dissension there

,that the colony was

threatened with extinction through the quarrels of unscrupulous men

,he was well as

sured . The leader of those men , he hadalso been assured

,was none other than Vasco

Nunez de Balboa . Accompanying the re

ports of dissension in the colony had come ,as well

,most convincing proofs of its pros

pective value to the crown in the richnessof its resources . “And as the adventurerswho went to America dreamed of nothingbut gold as gold was the object of theirpursuit as it was gold which they tookforcibly from the Indians— and gold aloneby which the latter purchased their friendship— gold which resounded in their lettersand despatches to court— and gold which atcourt was become the sole subject of conversation and desire— the Darien , which ap

peared so rich in this coveted metal , lostits first name of New Andalusia , and wascommonly called

,and even named in the

despatches,the ‘Golden

Though it was mainly owing to Balboa’sefforts that the isthmus won its new appella

202


two thousand , some of them cavaliers ofdistinction , many wealthy hidalgos , and allwell provided

,with arms , equipment , and

money. They had heard the exaggerated reports from Darien , of gold that was caughtin nets , which might be obtained almostwithout effort from the waters of everymountain stream , and were eager to jointhe fortunate adventurers under Balboa .

The king himself thought so well of theventure that he had expended upon thearmada more than fifty thousand ducats

,

and had sent out with Pedrarias a numberof friars , over whom was placed his favoritepreacher Juan de Quevedo . He was consecrated as bishop of Antigua del Darien ,

which was elevated to the dignity of a metropolitan city , as capital of the Golden Castile .

While the sovereign provided for the spiritualinterests of the colony in this manner

,at the

same time he ordained that no lawyers shouldbe permitted to practise there

,as experience

had shown they were detrimental to the welfare of new settlements . In spite of thisinhibition , however , one lawyer went out toDarien as alcalde mayor, or chief judge ,where he fully justified the king’s apprehensions regarding men of his profession . His

204

A R I VA L I N THE F I E L D

name was Gaspar de Espinosa , and thoughhe knew little of the law , he knew enoughto make a deal of mischief in the colony ,

and eventually became a tool in the handsof Pedrarias

,by which he effected the down

fall of his enemies , among whom he soonreckoned Vasco Nunez de Balboa .

The fleet swarmed with cavaliers and menof distinction

,but there was only one lady

of importance aboard the flag-ship , the wifeof Governor Pedrarias , Dona Isabel de Bobadilla , a distant relative of royalty andformerly a favorite at Queen Isabella’s court .So attached was she to the crusty old cavalier , her husband , that , notwithstandingshe was mother of several children , she choseto abandon them all and accompany thegovernor to his capital in the wilderness .Needless to say , she was a lady of grace andrefinement , and deserved better of fate thanto be wedded to a sanguinary monster suchas Pedrarias soon proved himself to be .

She has left no record of her sorrows ; butthey must have been great , since the crimesshe was compelled to witness were frequent

,

and revolting even to the hardened soldieryof Darien .

P EDRARIAS , THE SCOURGE OF DARIEN

T the time of the fleet ’s arrival at Darien , the town of Antigua consisted of

about two hundred huts thatched withstraw , with five hundred white men andfifteen hundred Indians composing its population . It was badly situated , in a deepvalley between high hills which cut off

the salutary sea - breeze , but the soil wasrich, and , owing to the exertions and example of Balboa , gardens of fruits andvegetables were already numerous and welltilled .

Since his return from the sea beyond themountains , Balboa had devoted himself assiduously to the improvement of the colony

:

erecting huts for dwellings , extending thearea of cultivated ground , and devisingmeans for inspiriting the lonely inhabitantsof this isolated post in the wilderness . The

206


with royal authority, and Balboa bowed tothe decree of the king .

There was doubt in the mind of Pedrariasas to the nature of his reception by Balboa ;for he knew himself as a usurper , who hadcome out to reap the rewards of another , sohe sent an envoy to announce his arrivaland ascertain the sentiment ashore Thisemissary, says the old chroniclers , expectedto find the governor of the Golden Castileseated , of course , on a golden throne and

lording it over a horde of captive slaves.

What, then, was his astonishment to find theredoubtable Vasco Nunez de Balboa , Con

queror of the Mountains , and Pacificator ofthe Indians, overseeing a group of nativeswho were engaged in thatching his humblehut with straw ! He wore no robe of state ,b ut merely a cotton shirt over one of linen ,cotton pantolones , or wide trousers , andhempen sandals , called alpargatas, on hisfeet .

He looked up from his work as the messenger approached , and, seeing that he wasa stranger, saluted him with courtly dignity .

Without manifesting emotion of any sort ,he received the message , to which he repliedConvey to Don Pedrarias de Avila my con

208

P E D R A R I A S , THE S COU R G E O F D A R I E N

gratulations on his safe arrival , of which Iam rejoiced to hear , and say also that I amready

,with my companions , to receive and

to serve him who cometh in the name of theking .

”

The news soon spread that a new governorhad arrived

,and

,hastily arming themselves

,

some of Balboa’s comrades began to assemble around their chieftain

,imploring him

not to allow his authority to be usurped ,even by an emissary from the king . Theirleader seemed absorbed in his work ,

to whichhe had returned after the departure of theenvoy ; but his thoughts were busy over theproblem with which he was so suddenly confronted . Though outwardly calm ,

he wasdeeply disturbed by the action of the sovereign he had so loyally served , upon whomhe had thrust inestimable blessings whothus requited all he had done with insult andrebuke . But finally , in answer to the clamors of his friends

,he slowly

'

said : Nay,nay

,

my comrades . Though doubtless we arestrong enough to repel Pedrarias and hiscarpet knights , who come to harvest withtheir swords the crops we have planted withours , and watered with our blood ,

yet willwe not oppose him

,for he comes with au

209


thority from our sovereign . And,I under

stand , there is with him fair Mistress Bobadilla

,erstwhile a companion of our late

queen , who is now with God in glory . So itbehooves us , caballeros , to receive them gallantly , as if, indeed , we were glad to do so ,and to place at their disposal the best wehave— which , God knows , is poor enough .

”

Thus saying , Balboa strode within hishouse

,and when he emerged again he had

on his complete suit of armor ; but his goodsword was in its scabbard

,and in his hand

only the wand of office . Likewise unarmedwere his battle scarred followers , thoughclad in armor which was no longer brightand shining, but rusty , dented , and battered by blows from many a weapon wieldedby arm of savage foe . These veterans suffered in appearance by contrast with thefoppish cavaliers who landed from the fleet ,nearly two thousand in number

,brave in

their glistening armor and confident fromtheir numerical superiority . When they sawthem

,however

,they smiled significantly ,

being well assured that they could defeatthem in open encounter , and by no meansafraid to essav it .

“ They are our guests and our brothers,

2 10


scarcely past her prime,and still retaining

some of the beauty for which she was famous when at Isabella’s court . She wasnot insensible to the gallant bearing of thehandsome cavalier Balboa

,whose straight

and stalwart frame was in decided contrastto her husband’s misshapen body , and hisfrank countenance grateful to her gaze , afterlong acquaintance with the sinister face ofPedrarias . That she smiled graciously onBalboa at the end of his speech

,and perhaps

showed pleasure at his flattery,was not to

be wondered at ; but old Pedrarias notedthese things with a twinge of ignoble jealousy ,

and frowned at his host instead of smiling .

Where is the palace ?” he growled at Balboa , as they approached his straw-thatchedhut and halted at the door .

“This is not afit habitation for my wife to dwell in

,let

alone a domicile for the executive .

”

“ That I freely grant,your excellency

,and

it vexes me that it be so,

” replied his host,

with a smile and deprecatory wave of thehand .

“ But such as it is , I trust you andyour noble lady will accept and avail of it

,

until we can erect a better , which we willdo without delay .

They entered without another word , and2 1 2

P ED R A R I A S , THE S CO U RG E O F D A R I E N

seating themselves at the table , which Balboa caused to be spread with as great avariety as the se ttlement afforded , gazedat the meagre banquet with amused disgust .

For,though there was an abundance of food ,

it consisted entirely of vegetarian products ,such as maize and cassava bread , wild rootsand fruits ; and as for drink , there was nobeverage except water from the river .

The frown upon the governor’s face deepened t o a scowl , but his wife broke into amerry laugh , in which she was joined bythe bishop

,who said : So

,Senor Caballero

,

this is the best you can afford in this so

called land of plenty ? Faith,I had heard

we were but to open our mouths and lusciousfruits would fall into them ; while as for goldwe could kick it up in the streets , as it were .

Balboa was presiding at the table with agracious dignity that , in the ey es of DonaIsabel

,made ample amends for the lack of

provand . An amused smile crept over hisface , but he answered , gravely :

“ Needs it besaid

,your lordship , that this is the best we

can afford ? Would that it were not , forthe sake of such distinguished guests as thisday I am honored with ; but , the truth to tell ,we have not been compelled to fast on Fri

2 1 3


days , merely , for meats of any sort havebeen hardly to be found . As for gold— well

,

my last remittance to the king was no lessthan fifty thousand ounces ; but we did notby any means find it easy of acquisition

,let

me assure you . It is to be found far in theforest only , and must be won chiefly by toil ,the sword , and the shedding of blood , yourlordship .

“Then , perchance , many lives have beenneedlessly sacrificed ?” It was the DohaIsabel who asked the question , and her host

’sbronzed cheeks flushed darkly as he slowlyanswered

,

“ Gracious lady, doubtless therehave been ! He said no more

,either in

explanation or extenuation of his deeds,for

a flood of disagreeable memories surged overhim and choked his utterance . Admiringhis frankness

,but pitying his evident dis

tress,Lady Isabel hastily added

,And

pearls,brave sir— rumor hath it that they

have been also found,since we sailed from

Spain .

”

In sooth have they,replied Balboa .

And I have a necklace of them that , thoughthey have been slightly injured by the Indian mode of piercing them , are good tobehold . He then called a servant , who , in

2 1 4


if so be the king himse lf doth not lay claimto it , forsooth .

”

“Nay,nay ; not so !

” exclaimed Balboa,

the hot blood rising to his brow , his eyessparkling with anger .

“ The king hath hadhis fifths , justly apportioned before we tookour shares , and a donative besides . Thesepearls are —that is , they were— my pearls ,and if I chose to bestow them upon the DohaIsabel , your excellency, as her husband , hasonly the right to refuse them , and that , too ,without questioning mymotive or my ownership of these pearls . ”

“Our host , the gallant cavalier , is right ,

interposed the bishop . He hath , in a mostmagnificent manner , done honor to thee ,Don Pedro

,and to thy wife , by despoiling

himself of treasure that must have cost himdear , and presenting it to the Lady Isabel .It ill becomes thee , Pedro , to receive thisprecious gift so sourly . Verily ,

”he added ,

with a sigh ,“ it is a gift worthy of accept

ance by the Church !”“I have reserved for thee and for the

Church a tithe of the gold that was apport ioned me , good father ,

” declared Balboa .

“And for me what hast thou ?” demandedPedrarias .

2 16

P E D R A R I A S , THE S COU RG E O F D A R I E N

My services,your excellency , which are

potential gold and pearls ! For the wilderness contains much which has not yet beenrevealed

,and which I have not had time to

seek .

”

“ Since that be so , suppose you , to-morrow ,

give me an account of your stewardship : anexact statement concerning the country andthe savages , which I may send to theking .

”

“ It shall be forthcoming,your excellency ;

but not to-morrow , I fear, since much haveI to do

,as well as much to write . Within

the week will I have it ready for yourperusal .”

“ Be it so , then , and see to it that the report is comprehensive as to the regions ofgold and the great South Sea , which , I understand

,you claim to have discovered .

”

“Which , of a truth , I did di scover , an

swered Balboa , indignantly , Many hadsought it

,as you should know , but none had

found it,or the way thereto , until I , Vasco

Nunez de Balboa,showed the way . May

hap I be deprived of fortune and of life,but

of the honor,the immortal glory

, o f thatdiscovery , none shall rob me !

“

There lives no man who could , perhaps2 1 7


none so base as to desire to , exclaimed DonaIsabel . Her voice trembled , not alone withindignation but with fear ; for at her sidesat the one man base enough to do such athing

,and that man was her husband .

Pedrarias was possessed of a crabbed disposition that made him envy every manwho had done something worthy of renown ,

and hate him who stood in the pathway ofhis own ambition . Hence he hated Balboawith a bitter

, unreasoning hatred,and

,as

his wife had divined,was already scheming

to deprive him of his laurels .

This conversation,at the frugal repast

spread by Balboa for his guests,will show

the trend of occurrences at and during thefirst week after the arrival of Pedrarias . Helanded at Darien already prejudiced againstits original settlers

,and especially their lead

er , whom he was not satisfied to have superseded , but determined to degrade , bringto ruin , and if possible to an ignominiousending . The plot of this story will henceforth contain five principal characters : Pedrarias, Balboa , Bishop Quevedo , Espinosathe lawyer , and Dofia Isabel . The governorand Balboa were soon at open enmity , theformer persistently seeking to circumvent

2 1 8

I N THE DOMAIN OF THE DRAGONS

ALBOA faithfully complied with hispromise to render the governor an

accurate account of the land’s resources,

giving him,within a few days’ time , a list

of the mountains,rivers

,and ravines where

he had found gold in the virgin state ; astatement of the colony as he had governedit ; his discovery of the South Sea and theroute thither ; a description of the pearlislands and their wealth ; and, finally

,the

names of the caciques,more than twenty in

number,with whom

,through force of arms

or diplomacy,he had made treaties of peace .

Having obtained this invaluable information from his rival

,Pedrarias threw off the

mask of friendship which he had assumedfor the purpose , and immediately ordered ajudicial investigation into his conduct as theself-elected governor of Darien without sanc

220

I N THE DOM A I N OF THE DRA GON S

tion of royal authority. Thi s scrutiny wasconducted by Espinosa , as the only lawyerin the colony , and as he was completelydominated by Pedrarias , his findings wereexactly in accordance with his desires. Verysoon the unfortunate Balboa was involvedin a legal net from which he could not extricate himself until he had parted with morethan ten thousand ounces of gold —the greater part of his fortune . Much of his wealth

,

however , was absorbed by the wily Quevedo ,who

,as bishop , exerted his influence in favor

of the accused , after having received fromhim a share in his enterprises, considerablegold

,and a drove of Indian slaves .

The scope of the inquiry , too , did not satisfy Pedrarias , for the inexperienced lawyerwent too largely into the discoveries and in

valuable services of Balboa to the crown ,

instead of confining himse lf to his arbitraryacts in expelling Enciso and indirectly causing the death of N icuesa . The result wasthat through the remonstrances of the bishop and the intercession of Dona Isabelupon whom the discoverer never ceasedto lavish costly presents , which he mingledwith all the politeness and attentions of themost refined courtier ” - the governor was

2 2 1


induced to cease his persecutions for a while .

It had been his intention to send his rivalto Spain

,loaded with chains and charged

with crimes that would compel his convietion before the highest court ; but the bishoprepresented to him that to do so would bethe surest way to advance Balboa’s interestsinstead of defeating his ambitions . The kingwas already aware of his great discoveries ,for the world was ringing with the fame ofhis achievements , so he could not but berewarded and received with highest honors .

Pedrarias reluctantly abandoned the prosecution openly , but in secret gathered muchinformation from Balboa’s enemies whichhe later used to his injury , and set afloat reports which destroyed his effectiveness andimpaired his popularity . He was

,in reality,

digging the ground from beneath his ownfeet , as well as undermining Balboa

’s reputation, for a condition of affairs had developed which demanded all the energies ofbothleaders in its correction . It was broughtabout by the governor’s recklessness andinexperience

,which

,combined

,had plunged

the colony into dreadful calamities .

In the fleet with Pedrarias a vast amountof provisions had been brought to Darien ,

2 22


cutters or burden-bearers , merely to sustainexistence

,while others

,in the pangs of star

vation,fed on grass and the leaves of trees .

One day , says the historian , a nobleknight rushed into the main street of Antigua crying aloud that he was dying ofhunger, and , in sight of the whole population , fell , and rendered up his soul Somany perished daily that it was impossibleto give them Christian burial

,and carts were

used for carrying away the dead,as in times

of pestilence .

”

Pedrarias himself was taken with a fever,

and , with his wife , was carried to a salubriousspot among the hills

,where he soon recov

ered . Thence he sent orders for the oldsoldiers to set out

,under his second in com

mand , Juan de Ayora , to visit the caciqueswith whom Balboa had negotiated treatieswhen on his journey to the sea . This he didwith an eye to the occupation of the territory ,

in order to. represent at court that , while hisrival might have discovered certain provinces, with their inhabitants , he was the firstto occupy and colonize beyond the region ofthe coast . But Ayora , though he had withhim a greater number of soldie rs than Balboahad ever commanded in one body , conducted

2 24

I N THE D OMA I N O F THE D R A G O N S

himself with such a reckless disregard for

the rights of the natives— seizing the W omen and children , and putting many Indiansto the torture that the caciques unitedagainst and drove him from their territory;so the expedition ended in disaster .

Balboa , meanwhile , was kept inactive atAntigua , and his adherents— for he still hadmany favorably disposed towards him

,who

would gladly have followed wherever he led— were not slow in pointing out to Pedrariasthe contrast between the old times and thenew . Before you and your minions came

,

”

said they ,“Antigua del Darien was tranquil

within and.

without . Under the commandand control of Vasco N ufiez , she reigned asqueen of the isthmus , and gave laws totwenty Indian nations . Our town was wellordered

,more than two hundred huts had

been erected,the people were cheerful and

happy,amusing themselves on their feast

‘days by jousting with reeds, the soil was cultit ivated ,

and all the caciques so pacific thata single Castilian might cross from sea to sea

,

fearless of violence or insult ; whereas at present many Spaniards are dead

,the rest dis

mayed and broken-spirited,and the Indians

in insurrection . All this has been caused2 25


by the process against Vasco Nunez . Hadhe been allowed to proceed in his discoveries

,

the truth respecting the promised treasuresof Dob ayb e would ere this have been re

vealed ; the Indians would still have beenpeaceful , the soil yielding its abundance , andthe Castilians content . Give us again VascoNunez as a leader

,for he alone can pacify the

Indians ; he alone knows the secrets of thelandf

’

The jealous and irritable Pedrarias wasgreatly incensed by the sneers and reproachesof Balboa’s friends . So they want thatrebel and that assassin to lead them againstDob ayb e ? Inasmuch as there could not beanother expedition so likely to be defeatedas one against that province

,thither shall

he go— and may the devil catch him by theway , say I .

”

This the crafty old governor said to himself

, b y-the-way

,and not to others ; nor did

he reveal his intentions until after the ex

pedition had departed , when it was foundto be badly equipped and lacking in manyparticulars which the careful Balboa

,had

he been unhampered,would have supplied .

He was rejoiced to be actively employedonce more

,and especially in the search for

226

VA S CO N U N E Z D E B A L B O A

ground they would swoop down like a hawk,and , seizing him in their claws , bear him off

to their dens in the mountains . Those whohad been there affirmed that these dens werelittered with the bones of such unfortunatesas had been torn to pieces and devoured bythe dragons , who seemed to have establishedthemselves as the self-constituted guardiansof the golden temple and its idol .It is doubtful if Balboa believed this tale

of the dragons ; but if so he did not let itdaunt him , and pushed on through the dismal morass by means of the noisome streamthat traversed it . Suddenly

,on turning a

bend of the river , the Spaniards found themselves face to face with an immense swarm ofsavages in canoes , who proceeded , with howlsand yells , to surround them . At the sametime they let fly clouds of darts and arrows ,by which many soldiers were killed or wounded , while many more were drowned by thevicious savages plunging into the water andoverturning the canoes . The two commanders were wounded : Balboa slightly ,

and Carillo,who was pierced through the

breast by a lance , so badly that he shortlydied .

The Indians forced Balboa to retreat to2 28

I N THE D O M A I N O F THE D R A GO N S

shore,where he beat them back, but was

compelled to return to Darien through theinundated forests swarming with noxiousreptiles

,and without having obtained eVen

a glimpse of Dob ayb e . The dangers andhorrors of that retreat exceeded anythingthat the brave soldier had previously ex

perienced ; and it was his first defeat ! Hispartisans attributed it to the fact that hehad not been given absolute command ; butthose of Pedrarias taunted him with cowardice and weakness , two qualities which , as

those acquainted with his life know fullwell , were not a part of his nature . But hebegan to fear his evil star had risen abovethe horizon

,and he was downcast

,if not

dispirited,while in proportion as he was de

pressed rose the spirits of the rancorous oldgovernor . He exulted greatly in the misfortunes of Balboa , even at the expense ofhis soldiers , the loss of life being as nothing ,in his eyes , compared with the pleasure heexperienced by his enemy’s downfall

.

His rejoicing , however , was of short duration , for soon after Balboa

’s return Pedrariasreceived a letter from King Ferdinand

,com

manding him to consult with his “ faithfulservant , Vasco Nunez de Balboa

,on all

2 29


affairs of importance,for, as he would see

by the enclosed credentials,he had con

stituted him adelantado of the great SouthSea , and governor of the provinces of Coyb aand Panama . He was , however , to be subordinate in authority to Pedrarias

,

“who,

on his part , was charged so to favor andadvance the pretensions and enterprises ofthat chief as might prove to him the esteemin which the king held his person . The courtdoubtless intended thus to reconcile the respect due to the character and authority ofthe governor with the gratitude and rewardsearned by Balboa ; however , that whichseemed so easy at court , was impossible inthe Darien

,where so many passions were

constantly in collision .

”

Pedrarias,in fact

,should never have been

appointed to control the territory of Darien ,

which so manifestly belonged to Balboa assupreme executive ; but , having made thatappointment— unfi t and ill-advised as it wasin order to save face

,the king thought to

reward the discoverer,and at the same time

placate the usurper with the honors of acaptain -generalcy . That they were emptyand valueless

,Pedrarias knew full well , for

the rich regions lay within the boundaries230


substantial emoluments of offi ce,since he

had forced from him a stipulation that hewould not enter upon the actual governmentof his provinces without his permission !Even the concession he was compelled to

make sufficed to fan the smouldering firesof the governor’s jealousies to a flame , andhe was more than ever convinced that inthe person of Balboa he had a deadly rivaland insidious foe

,who should be removed

from his path at whatever cost . It was atthis juncture

,while the friends of the dis

coverer were flocking about him with re

joicings, and he himself was openly exultant ,that there arrived in the gulf a vessel consigned to him

,freighted with arms and

ammunition,and containing seventy ad

venturers,evidently intended for a secret

expedition . It was,in fact , commanded by

one of his former comrades,Andres Garabito

,

who had been sent by him to Cuba,several

months before,with orders to raise a force

and procure an armament for a projectedexpedition to the Pacific coast .It may have been Balboa’s intention to

proceed over the mountains with this armedband and seize upon the government ofwhich he had been deprived by stratagem ;

23 2

I N THE DO M A I N O F THE D R A G O N S

but this is unlikely,as the movement was

made before he had received the royal titleto it . The mere fact , however , that a mysterious ship was off the coast and holdingsecret communication with the adelantado

,

was sufficient to rouse the old governor’spassions , and in a transport of fury he orderedhim to be seized and imprisoned in a woodencage .

! VII

A COM PACT W ITH THE ENEMY

ORTUNATELY for Balboa,his friend

the bishop interposed before the governor carried out his intention , and persuadedhim

,not only to release the prisoner , but

to give him the benefit of an impartial inquiry . The inquiry was entered into , butwas conducted by the lawyer Espinosa

,and

so protracted that , though the accused wasacquitted of any evil intentions in importing the men and armament

,yet he was

harassed to the verge of desperation andcompletely impoverished . Lawyer Espinosawas enjoying a monopoly of all legal processes , owing to the king

’s prohibition againstothers of his class

,and had already involved

nearly every man in the colony in some sortof entanglement , from which he could extri

cate himself only by paying to the licentiatea good fat fee .

234

V A S CO N U NE Z D E B A L B O A

The cacique of the island brought him abasketful of pearls as a peace offering,among which were several of great beautyand extraordinary size . These he gladly exchanged for iron hatchets

,beads, and hawk

bells,sagely remarking, when the Spaniards

smiled at his siinplicity,

“ These things I

can turn to useful purpose ; but of whatvalue are those baubles to me ? The shoresof this island and the deep places of thewaters around them abound in pearls without number

,which my divers can get for me

whenever I wish .

”

Taking the Spaniards to the summit of ahigh hill

,and showing them the distant

coast of the mainland,with its towering

mountains and bluff promontories,he re

marked : Beyond and beyond , as far as youcan see

,and much farther

,lies a land con

taining a rich kingdom called Biru !Peru! ,where gold is as plentiful as stones are withus . That is a country worthy your efforts ;that is something which will richly rewardyou if you can b fi t conquer it .

” It isthought that then and there

,while listen

ing to the cacique of the pearl islands,

Francisco Pizarro formed the resolve to seekout and effect the conquest of that golden

236

A CO M P A C T W I T H THE E N E M Y

empire which he subjugated sixteen yearslater .We shall have nothing further to do with

this expedition,except to relate its results

as they bear upon the fortunes of Balboa .

It came near sharing the fate of nearly allthose which were sent out while Pedrariasruled the isthm us , for , on the way back toDarien

,Pizarro and Morales were fiercely

attacked by several caciques,whom they

had outraged by their cruelties,and for seven

days pursued through the forests in disastrous retreat . Their command was nearlyexterminated , and but a remnant arrived atDarien ; after enduring incredible sufferings .

The adm inistration of Pedrarias was re

plete with disaster from beginning to end ,

and every enterprise he undertook endedin misfortune and disgrace . A valiant captain

,Francisco Becerra

,undertook to in

vade the province of Zenu , where , accordingto report , gold in unlimited quantities couldb e drawn from the rivers in nets . He hadone hundred and eighty men and three smallcannon when he entered the forest and badefarewell to the settlement ; but never a manof that gallant command came back , norwere the cannon ever recovered . All were

23 7


swallowed up in the forest , as though theearth had opened and taken the invadersinto a subterranean tomb .

While Balboa was detained inactive atthe settlement , these various expeditionsunder inexperienced commanders overranthe country, and effected nothing more thanhad been already— and better— done by thediscredited commander who was being consumed by vexation and despair . All the littoral Indians of Darien had been reduced tosubjection by him , and the most that was effected by Pedrarias was a reconquest, whichwas worse than useless , as it roused the rageof the caciques and provoked retaliation .

Among those who,though powerful and war

like , Balboa had overcome and compelledto sue for peace was the mountain caciqueTub anama. He was blunderingly attacked ,by orders of Pedrarias

,and not only repulsed

the Spaniards from his stronghold,but drove

them , bootless , back to Darien , where thesurvivors arrived breathless and panicstricken . Stripping the slain Spaniards asthey lay in the forest

,Tub anama displayed

their bloody shirts on poles as banners,and

marched his warriors around the walls , striking terror and dismay to the hearts of all

238


field , he yet possessed an excessive regardfor his sovereign and his representatives

,

hence his servile submission to the persecutions of Pedrarias . He has remained silentfor a long while beneath the governor’s opprob rium and calumnies now let him speakin his own behalf. While the ravage ofTub anamawas in progress , and his warriorswere raging around the settlement , he ap

proached the bishop one day as he emergedfrom the rude chapel that served as churchand cathedral . “Your lordship

,

” he said ,“ I

can endure this no longer ! My patience ,beneath the insults and indignities whichthe governor has heaped upon me

,has

reached its limit . Even the king,were he

to know all that has occurred in this colonysince that base usurper came here

,could not

but sustain me in rebelling against his au

thority . He has , as you know , kept me herein durance

,while others have been intrust

cd with expeditions that have invariably returned in disaster . In justice to the survivors of thi s once-flourishing colony , whichI alone placed on a basis of prosperity

,but

which Pedrarias has reduced to lamentableruin , I demand that I be established inpower again . If not here at Darien , then

240

A C O M P A C T W I T H THE E N!

E M Y

on the coast of the great sea , of which so little has been learned since I discovered it .His eyes flashed , his breast heaved with deepemotion

,and the bishop saw that he was at

last aroused from his lethargy— that the lionwithin him was crouch ing for a spring .

He heard him through without interruption

,then said , soothingly :

“My son,it is

even so as thou hast said . I have beheldthese things with grief and inward rage ; but ,as thou knowest

,Don Pedro hath been ap

pointed by the king , and ,though he be

technically a usurper , still he is supportedby the crown . Had but Arb olancha arriveda few weeks sooner than he did all mighthave been in thy favor ; but now— now theking’s eyes have been opened too late tobestow upon thee thy deserts . But pat ience , my son , for yet a little while . T0day , this very morning, will I see the governor and plead thy cause .

The good bishop quickly redeemed hispledge , and within an hour was in the presence of the governor and his lady . Withouta moment’s delay he plunged into the sub

ject of which he was so full , representing toPedrarias that “ by keeping the finest capacity in the land in idleness and obscurity he

241

V A S CO N U N E Z D E B A L B O A '

was injuring none more than himself,thus

losing the fruits which the friendship ofVasco Nunez would produce for him .

”

“There is no doubt ,” he said to the surly

Pedrarias,

“ that Vasco Nunez will,in some

way or other , make known to the king theoppression and contumely in which he hasbeen held

,to the defiance of royal command

and the injury of his majesty’s interest .Why , then , persist in driving a man tobecome your deadliest enemy whom youmay grapple to your side as your firm est

friend ?”“Why

,forsooth ?” exclaimed Pedrarias

,

with a growl . “ Because he has chosen tooppose me and to oppose the royal commands . But even were we disposed toagree— of which there is doubt— how couldI,now that I have humbled and discredited

him,still regain his confidence and friend

ship ? It is incredible ! ”“ Nay

,Pedro ,

” said the bishop,bending

forward and bestowing a glance full of meaning upon his listeners . To the contrary

,

it is the simplest thing in the world . Youhave two marriageable daughters . Givehim one of them ! ”

What ? One of our daughters marry242

VA S C O N U N E Z D E B A L B O A

redound to the advancement of thy family

,and to the credit of thy administra

tion.

“ Enough ! exclaimed Pedrarias,won over

,

not so much by the bishop’s earnestness andeloquence as by the evident advantages tohimself in such a match . Send for VascoNunez and for a notary . He shall espouseMaria , our eldest daughter . She is in Spain ;but that matters not , so the marriage agreement be written out and signed before witnesses . Send for my son -in-law !

! VIII

BUILDING THE B RIGANTINES

HE life led by Vasco Nunez de Balboain the New World , accustomed as he

had been to scenes of rapine and to theindulgence of the baser passions

,was not

conducive to the upbuilding of an elevatedcharacter . But that he had a shred ofmanliness remaining , was shown when ,

inresponse to the command of Pedrarias

,he

presented himself before that worthy athis official residence . When he learned of

the compact that had been proposed by thebishop and sanctioned by the governor

,he

at first seemed stunned by the intelligence ;but recovering himself with an effort , he exclaimed : “ And this is to be the purchase ofmy freedom ? Bound by pledges which cannot be broken , I am to be delivered into thehands of m ine enemy ! Never ! never will

245


I consent to such a compromise . It is disgraceful

,humiliating

“ Tut,tut

,

” said the bishop . You forget

,my son

,in whose presence thou art

speaking : the head of thy Church , the headof the government— not only— but before alady of a rank the equal of

,if not exceeding

,

thine own .

”

“ I crave her pardon,said Balboa

,now

for the first time allowing his gaze to restupon Dona Isabel . “ But do you

,my lady,

approve this alliance ? As the mother ofyour daughter , and knowing me for what Iam— what I have been in this wild landdo you consent to such a sacrifice ?”

She is my eldest,and dear to my heart

,

responded the Lady Isabel ;“ but I not only

consent to— I approve of this arrangement .

“ Then so be it ,” rejoined Balboa

,with a

sigh .

“ Never have I seen the maiden ; butif she be like her gracious mother

,then truly

shall I be the most fortunate of men .

” Headvanced and bowing low before her

,with

courtly dignity,pressed his lips to the hand

which she extended .

“Most fortunate of men,indeed

,ex

claimed Pedrarias , with a sneer ;“ not only

in what you gain , but what escape Dost246


Good ! In the province of Careta , another father-in-law of thine , by the way , thyrelations with whom thou must sever ! Thoucanst not but understand what I mean ?”

“ I understand ,” rejoined Balboa ,

your law is my will .”

“Certes,thou shouldst have no other ,

henceforth , as thou’lt find !

This allusion to Cacique Careta had reference

,of course , to the fact— which was well

known in Darien that his daughter , theCacica , was still held in regard by Balboa ,and had not yet returned to her father .Perhaps Dona Isabel had not been awareof the circumstances

,for she looked inquir

ingly at Balboa , who avoided her gaze , andretired in confusion from her presence .

Then ensued scenes of activity at Antiguadel Darien to which it had long been astranger . When it became known that Pedrarias and Balboa were again in accord , thesettlers took heart and began to improve“

their condition . Establishing himself atAcla , a port in Careta

’s province,to the west

of Antigua , where he had already erected afortress , Balboa began the construction offour brigantines . Timber for two of themwas already hewn and shaped , when it was

248

B U I L D I N G THE B R I G A N T I N E S

discovered that , having been cut near thesea-coast

,it was subject to the ravages of

destructive worms,and all the work had to

be done over again .

During long weeks and months , troops ofnegroes and Indians trudged painfully overthe rugged trails of the mountains

,from the

north coast to the south,bearing heavy loads

comprised of rigging,anchors

,and iron -work

for the brigantines,arms

,ammunition , and

provisions,a distance of fifty or sixty miles .

Timber for the second pair of brigantineswas felled on the banks of a river called theBalsa , which flowed into the South Sea ; buthardly had it been cut and shaped before aflood came down from the mountains andswept it nearly all away . Then ,

a thirdtime , did the indefatigable Balboa set hismen an example by Herculean labors

,and

after almost incredible toil , exposure , suffering from famine and sickness , two brigantines were finally constructed and floatedon the river . They drifted down to the seacoast , and there , while timber for the othertwo was being prepared and their fittingsbrought from Acla

,Balboa equipped them

with sails and set forth upon the bosom ofthe ocean he had discovered three years

249

VA S CO N U N E Z DE B A L B OA

before . This , he thought , was the consummation of his labors and the triumphof his genius ; but before him yet lay thecountry in which he hoped to round out hiscareer by a grand and startling conquest .

A trial trip was made to the islands ofpearls

,on one of which , called I sla Rica , or

the Rich Island,he established a base of

supplies,and then

,with one hundred men

aboard his clumsy brigantines,he set sail

for the coast of the mainland,where it

stretched away to the west and the southward . He was then , if he had but knownit

,on the watery highway to Peru , but

which another was to traverse,to its ending

at the gateway of the golden empire . Hehad found the way , however , and was content , for , with four brigantines soon to beunder his orders

,and three hundred men in

his command , it seemed to him that thetreasures of Peru now lay open before him .

He could exploit them at his leisure , hethought , and when a school of whales ap

peared ahead of his vessel— which he mistook for reefs— and a contrary wind assailedhim , he abandoned his cruise to the southward and returned to Isla Rica .

Balboa was a careful commander , and he250


messenger to Acla,in order to ascertain the

exact condition of affairs in Antigua,for

reports were conflicting , and he knew notwhat to do . The man selected for this important mission was none other than AndresGarabito

,who had brought the contingent

of armed men from Cuba . Balboa thoughthe could trust him , as they had campaignedtogether

,passed through perils together

,and

existed in close comradeship for years ; buthe had not taken into the account a recentoccurrence which had changed Garabito ’sfriendship into bitter hatred .

His e nmity was secret , but was none theless vindictive , and it was occasioned by hisfondness for Careta’s daughter , of whomBalboa claimed sole proprietorship . When ,

therefore,he one day discovered Garabito

paying her attentions — which she seemednot to receive unwillingly he rebuked hissubordinate severely

,and sent him away in

anger . The occurrence faded quickly fromBalboa’s mind

,for his generous nature did

not harbor resentment long ; but not so withGarabito , who felt he had been unjustlytreated

,and meditated revenge .

Before setting out with Balboa on thisVery expedition , he wrote to Pedrarias that

252

B U I L D I N G THE B R I G A N T I N E S

his prospective son- in-law was so completely enamored of the Indian girl Cacica that ,rather than give her up , he would fly withher to the wilds and abandon the settlementforever . This poisoned missive had doneits dastardly work most effectually duringBalboa’s absence on the southern coast , andwhen

,by a sinister coincidence

,Garabito was

chosen to return to Darien to spy upon theSpaniards there , he found the mind of P edrarias ripe to receive any accusation whatever against the man he hated yet had sohighly honored . He was furious from wounded pride and jealousy . His former suspicionsrevived

,and were augmented by the arrival

of the malignant Garabito at Acla . Thisdespicable wretch allowed himself to be arrested as a

'

spy,and when threatened with

punishment pretended to reveal what heknew and suspected of Balboa ’s intentions .

He declared that his chief intended , as soonas the brigantines were ready for sea

,pro

visioned and equipped , to embark upon thesouthern ocean . As an independent commander , said Garabito , he proposed to severall relations with the government of Darien ,

and cast off his allegiance to the king . Thuswas Balboa accused of the crime of treason

253


by this dastard scoundrel,a crime which

,as

he well knew , was punishable with death !As the new governor had died in the veryharbor of Antigua before he could take upthe burden of government

,Pedrarias was

not only undisturbed,but at liberty now to

proceed unrestrained with his persecution ofBalboa . In his blind fury

,he cast all con

siderations of justice or fairness to the winds,

and listened to the accusations of Balboa’senemies

,who now rose up on all sides to

condemn him . The colony was again throwninto a ferment by the several factions , forBalboa still had many friends besides thosewho were with him on the coast ; and everyadvantage which had been gained by thealliance between the governor and the discoverer was thus thrown away . The interests of the colony were subordinated by Pedrarias to the gratification of his malice , andall enterprises halted while he pursued hisenemy to the last extremity .

Garabito had , as though unintentionally ,

let drop that his chief had sent for Cacicawho was instructed to join him in his campat Isla Rica , he said , without delay . Butthis was an untruth

,for Balboa had broken

with her from the day he had promi sed P e254


venge , rather than the simple biography ofa historical character , we should find thematerial at hand for a most fascinating ro

mance ; and if the reader will recall the leading features of chapters v . and ix . ,

in thisconnection , perhaps such a story may bewoven

,after all ! For we have all the es

sentials for a plot : valiant hero , beautifulheroine

,despicable villain ; love , intrigue ,

the deadly enmity of a base tyrant ; andfinally, a tragic ending . This final tragedywe are leading up to now , and we shall attempt to show how Vasco Nunez de Balboa’scrimes in the early part of his career cameto be visited upon him when at the heightof apparent p rosperity and power , andbrought him to the headsman’s block !When Pedrarias heard from Garabito that

the Cacica had been ordered by Balboa tojoin him on his expedition , he sent an officerto bring her before him . She came tremb lingly, having in mind the tortures towhich her brother had been subjected whensummoned before a similar council by themagistrates . She was waylaid by Garabito

,

who whispered in her ear : You have onlyto say that your master sent for you

,but

that you refused to go . If you testify other256

B U I L D I N G T HE B R I G A N T I N E S

wise,you are lost , for the governor will put

you to the torture !”

The power of Garabito was in the ascendent

,over that of Balboa , and the girl testi

fi ed as he commanded , greatly to the satisfaction of the governor , who grimly regardedthis rival of his daughter with something likeapproval . Her evidence was the last linkin the chain he was forging to connect hisenemy with treason towards the king . Thefact that he had sent for her proved his intention of making the southern coast hisbase of operations and place of permanentabode . It also showed , the governor argued

,that Balboa had no thought of ful

filling his obligations to his daughter,whom

he thus virtually repudiated . This thoughtenraged him to the verge of frenzy . Thathe should have meditated an alliance withthi s base-born adventurer !as he styled himthen) was exasperating ; but that the graceless fellow should have spurned that alliance

,

and preferred an Indian female to his highborn daughter

,stirred his malignant nature

to its depths .

IM PRISONED AND IN CHAINS

HILE his enemies were plotting to takehis life

,Balboa was beyond their reach

at Isla Rica , where , all unconscious of thedangers that menaced him , he was completing preparations for the voyage southwardto Peru . He had sent for and expectedsupplies and reinforcements , but while theywere

,presumably

,on the way

,he did not

abate his diligence for a moment .

He relaxed , however , his strenuous exer

tions,for the great object of the past months

of terrible toils had been in a measure ac

complished in the building of the brigantines .

While the work went on beneath his eye,he

allowed himself a little recreation,and amid

the delights of Isla Rica indulged in dreamsof future conquests . One evening

,while

reclining in company with some comradeson a couch of palm-leaves spread upon the

258


fearsome stories of his sagacity . But whatis that ? See , yonder on the sea : a canoeapproaches . What can fetch a boat hitherfrom the main

,save unwelcome tidings ?”

“ I cannot conceive,

” rejoined Balboa,

except that the new governor has arrivedand it is a summons for us to return . Butwe shall see as to that

,for while the isthmus

intervenes between him and me,no power

shall stay us nor cause us to delay .

”

Propelled by the sinewy arms of nakedIndians

,the canoe darted over the sea and

through the surf to the strand,when a man

in the garb of a king’s official leaped outand approached the group . Going up toBalboa

,fwho was standing expectantly ,

hebowed low , then said : Senor Adelantado ,a letter I bring you from his excellency thegovernor .

Which I receive as his dutifulrservant ,answered Balboa

,taking it in his hand

,and

reading it by the light of a torch held by oneof his aids . It seems my intended fatherin- law is desirous of seeing me and consulting with respect to our proj ected ex

pedition,

” he explained to his comrades .As his wishes are my desires

,I shall start

in the morning . Meanwhile I am gone,

260

I M P R I S O N E D A N D I N C H A I N S

Francisco Companon,you will be in com

mand of the ships and the soldiers . Messenger

,what tidings in Antigua del Darien ?

For,sooth

,my father-in-law says not a word

as to happenings there . Is all well ? Hasthe new governor arrived ? Perchance not ,else Pedrarias would not have written .

”

“The new governor,who was to super

sede his excellency,died as he entered the

harbor,

” answered the messenger ; but hewas silent

,or evasive , as to other happen

ings at Antigua .

On the shore of the mainland other messengers were in waiting , who , finding thatBalboa had set out unarmed and without asuspicion of the fate that was in store forhim

,consulted together as to the advisab il

ity of informing him . They did not do so ,however

,until the mountains were passed

and the little party drew near Acla,when ,

won by Balboa’s frankness and open conduct

,their sympathies prevailed over their

fears of the governor’s vengeance,and they

informed him of the snare into which he washurrying . Balboa was astounded

,and at

first refused to believe in the perfidy of theman to whose daughter he was pledged inmarriage .

26 1


I am innocent of any evil intention,he

finally exclaimed . Faithfully have I servedPedrarias

,and faithfully have I served my

king . No,I will not retreat

, he said,in

answer to a suggestion that he should escapewhile the opportunity offered .

“ I havedone nothing worthy of punishment

,and I

will go forward , for my innocence I canprove .

”

To -morrow it will be too late,answered

one of the messengers ,“ for at Acla awaits

Francisco Pizarro,with a command

,to arrest

you . Adelantado we entreat you : returnwhile you may .

“ Nay,never ! My back I have never turn

ed to an enemy yet . But I cannot believethat Pedrarias will continue my enemy ; andas for Francisco Pizarro , have I not rearedhim in the profession of arms ? Have wenot campaigned together , fought and starvedtogether ?”

Sorrowfully,then , the little band of un

armed Spaniards held on their way to Acla,

in the environs of which they were met byPizarro and a company of soldiers

,who

barred the way . Pizarro drew from hiscorselet an order of arrest and proceeded toread it

,while Balboa regarded him with re

262


thee by Alonzo de Puente , who , being theking’s treasurer , hath compelled me to thisproceeding . But , doubtless , an investigation will not merely establish thy innocency

,

but serve to render thy zeal and loyalty tothe crown the more conspicuous .Balboa made no reply , for , frank and gen

erous himself , without the power of dissembling

,he despised , detested a hypocrite .

He knew that Puente’s charge was a merepretence behind which were cloaked deeperdesigns than had yet been revealed ; and soit proved

,for when

,in the course of a few

days,Pedrarias was satisfied that the grounds

of the legal process were sufli ciently strong tosecure Balboa ’s conviction of treason andenable him to put his unhappy prisoner todeath

,he threw off the mask . Returning to

the prison , he said to Balboa , with the hardand threatening countenance which he hab itually wore :

“ Hitherto I have treated youas a son

,because I gave you credit for fidel

ity to the king,and to me , in his name .

Since,however

,I find myself mistaken

,you

have no longer to expect from me the conduct of a father , bu t of a judge and anenemy

,as I shall henceforth treat you .

“As for your feelings towards me , in ;

264

I M P R I SO N E D A N D I N C H A I N S

dignantly replied the prisoner , it mattersnot to me one whit ; but as to my conducttowards the king

,my sovereign , your charges

are false ! If what you impute to me weretrue

,holding as I did at my command four

ships and three hundred men , by whom Iam beloved

,why should I not have gone

straight to sea without permitting anythingto impede my , purpose ? Safe in the consciousness of my innocence , I returned atyour command ; and little did I dream ofbeing treated so rigorously and with suchenormous injustice . This is my reward fortrusting you : a dungeon , with slander , indignities , and chains .

“Yea,traitor

,

” rejoined Pedrarias,hotly

,

a dungeon is truly your merited rewardfor despising the alliance I would have madewith you . Truly

,I shudder to think of

what my family has escaped : of the foul blotwhich the marriage of my daughter withone of your stamp would have spread uponmy proud escutcheon . And all the timeyou had an Indian mistress , for whom yousent to accompany you on the expeditionwhich would have placed you well beyondmy reach . But know ,

traitor and scoundrel ,that she has confessed ,

and thus the means265


by which you would have covered mydaughter’s name with obloquy have beenthose for encompassing your own destruction !”

“Who , Cacica , the pledge of amity betweenme and Careta ? She has confessed Nothing had she to confess

,for I sent her no mes

sage . After my word was given to you thatI would not see her

,of a truth , I saw her

no more . You are a liar , Pedro Pedrarias ,and were I but free

,with my good sword in

hand,fain would I render you unable to

utter more false statements against me andthose who were once true to me !”

“Ha ! Would you , then ? Here , jailer ,double this fellow’s irons

,and if he protest ,

weight him to the floor with them ! Mythroat you would slit

,eh ? Old as I am , you

will find that when it comes to the cuttingof throats

,Don Pedrarias de Avila needs not

rely upon his own unaided sword . There isone in my employ who wields a more potentweapon— mark you— and that is Gomez , theheadsman . I go to tell him now to sharpenhis axe for four ! ”

For four ?” exclaimed Balboa,as the

old man retreated from the cell . “Whoelse have you enmeshed in your net , base

266


doomed to die for treason against the king .

The proclamation was made at Acla,and not

in Antigua,where resided most of the settlers

,

because,as Pedrarias knew

,it would pro

voke an uprising of the people .

While they were supremely loyal to thecrown

,and

,in their timidity

,afraid to de

clare against its representative,Pedrarias

,

the people of Darien were yet well inclinedtowards Vasco Nur

’

iez de Balboa,and most

of them his friends,because of his possessing

many lovable qualities which the governorlacked .

When , affrighted at the vindictiveness ofPedrarias

,Espinosa explained to him that

the verdict against Balboa was technicalonly

,and that on account of his great ser

vices he should b e inclined to mercy ,the

fiend replied : “No , if he has merited death ,

let him suffer it . Die he must , and shall ,and on your head be his blood ! ”

THE END o r VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA

E are compe lled , in this chapter , tonarrate the details of a horrible crime

,

to commit which the name of justice wasinvoked by its perpetrator

,Pedro Arias cle

Avila , the one-time governor of Darien . Wehave followed the this

vstory ; Vasco

Nufiez de Balboa,

’

the vafi'

éi'

id stagesof his career : a penniless adventurer, selfelected governor of Darien

,savior - of the

settlem ent wh'

en“

on‘

the point‘

of dissolution ,

subjugator of the caciques,discover r of the

Pacificflfaithful servant of the king , bu ilderof the first brigantines that ploughed thewaters of the great Southern Ocean . We arenow to behold him led forth from his prisoncell as a criminal

,a traitor to his sovereign ,

and executed in the very town which wasfounded

,through his unwearied efforts , in

chief Careta’s province .

269


He was then scarcely forty-two years ofage

,in the prime of life

,seven long y ears of

which had been passed in the wilderness ofDarien . He had labored , he had fought , hehad committed crimes against humanityall that his sovereign might acquire a realmbeyond the sea— and this was his reward : toperish as a felon , to die as a traitor ,

“ in thefull career of his glory ,

one of the most deserving of the Spanish di scoverers— a victimto the basest and most perfidious envy .

”

He had,indeed

,deserved well of his king ,

for of all the Spaniards who explored the

regions of America,he was one of the great

est,the most persistent in carrying the flag

of his country into unknown lands , in com~

pelling the inhabitants to accept his religionand acknowledge the sovereignty of Spain .

He was not the first of the Spanish ex

plorers and conquistadores to experience thatking’s ingratitude

,nor the last to meet a

violent death . Columbus and Cortés diedin their beds

,but they were victims of their

sovereign’s neglect . De Soto , worn out byhis toils

,perished on the bank of the Missis

sippi,which became his grave . Ponce de

Leon,returning to Florida

,the land he had

discovered,received his death-wound from

2 70

V A S CO N U N E Z DE B A L BOA

he drew conclusions as to his merits,which

were long since sanctioned by the voice ofposterity .

The day arrived in which the sentence ofdeath was to be carried out , and found thelittle town of Acla overspread with gloom .

The horrified inhabitants moved about asin a dream

,unable to wholly comprehend

the nature of their dread surroundings , hardly daring to allow their tears to flow , muchless their voices to be raised in protest . Forthey realized that in Pedrarias

,the governor ,

they had a man to deal with not in his rightmind

,warped by envy

,malice

,j ealousy ,

until he had become a frenzied maniac .

They dared not provoke his wrath by protest

,even in a whisper

,for they were cow

ards all,rendered so by their subserviency

to the crown,which might commit any

atrocity and yet be accounted blameless .

Pedrarias had sentenced his prisoner todeath in the name of the king , yet he allowedhim no appeal , either to the king or to theCouncil of the Indies ; for he knew that sentence would be reversed and the discovererset free should his voice reach the throne .

It never reached it , save as wafted acrossthe sea and ocean in the indignant outcry

2 7 2

EN D O F V A S CO N U N E Z D E B A L B O A

of the people— after the deed was done bywhich Balboa lost his head Then it didnot avail to redress Balboa’s wrongs nor tobring Pedrarias to justice

,for he continued

in his crimes for years , and at the last diedin his bed

,like many another wretch of lesser

note .

But the day had arrived,Balboa’s last

on earth . The hot afternoon wore away,

and the sun sank towards the mountainswhich the prisoner had been the first to exploi e

,and touched with its rays the roofs

of the dwellings he himself had erected . Thedungeon door was thrown open

,and forth

came Balboa , preceded by his jailer andloaded with clanking chains . But the burden of the chains was as naught to the armorhe had carried in the days of his great deeds ,and he bore himself erect

,dauntless in mien

as of yore .

He searched the village square with flashing eye

,sweeping his glance over the assem

bled crowd of cowards , held back by mailedsoldiers under the command of his formercomrade and lieutenant

,Francisco Pizarro .

He was no coward— that Balboa knew ; buthe had his own reasons for serving Pedrarias ,as already narrated . If Pizarro had but

2 73

V A S CO N U N E Z D E

weakened ,if he had allowed his : sense

'

of

justice to prevail over his”

lust for po’

werand lucre

,and said one word for

‘

Balboa ;all the men under him would have joined inan effort to save t he man t heyhim they loathed and hated . But Piz

’

arrowas a clump

,a stick , a stone — anything

inanimate,or

,in other words

,a soldier— and

when Balboa’s pierci ng glance fell on ~ him

he looked to the ground and remained immovable .

Preceding the prisoner walked the publiccrie

‘

r,

.

'

who announced : “This is the punishment inflicted

“by command of the king an'

d

his lieutenant , gDon Pedrarias'

de . Avila,governor .of .this .0010ny, IIPOn ) thlS man

,as

a traitor,and usurper. of lands belonging to

the crown .

”

Nay,nay

,exclaimed the still loyal Bal

boa when he heard this lie proclaimed ; .

“it

is false! .You '

,my

,

former“

comrades,know

it is false . Never hath thought of such acrime entered my mind . I have ever servedmy king with . truth and loyalty

,and ever

sought t o augment his dominions !”

i

He raised'his eyes to heaven and stretched

forth . his manacled hands,while a murinur

of!

compassion went around the throng in2 74


the square of Acla . But there was no demonstration in his favor , for there was noman left in Darien

,apparently

,with a heart

in his breast . The best of Balboa’s followers

,the original conquerors of the territory

,

were awaiting his return to Isla Rica,where

lay the brigantines ready for exploration,

where were gathered the men for a voyageBalboa was never to make

,for a conquest

he was never to achieve .

There was no man present capable of leading an uprising against the tyrant

,save

Pizarro , and he was unready . There was noman in authori ty who could resist the tyrant’sauthority , for Bishop Quevedo had returnedto Spain ; but a priest was present , whooffered Balboa the sacrament as he ascendedthe scaffold

,and whispered words of consola

tion . It is doubtful if Balboa heeded them,

for , coming from such a source , from a manin the hire of Pedrarias

,his words must

have seemed meaningless and a mockery .

The rude scaffold stood in the centre ofthe square

,a platform erected on posts ,

reached by a ladder,which , manacled as

he was,Balboa climbed with difficulty .

Why he should have climbed at all , and whyhe so tamely submitted to his fate , seems

2 75


strange to those acquainted with his courageous nature . But probably the spell ofauthority was on him , for the magician whohad enthralled him had invoked the nameof a monster , living afar, but held to beomnipotent . That monster was the king

,

at mention of whose dread name the mostvaliant of fighters became servile and abj ect .

So Vasco Nunez de Balboa,mistakenly

supposing himself bound by the will of adastard king

,went meekly to the scaffold .

With a firm step he ascended to the platform , without a tremor viewed the blockon which he was to lose his head

,and looked

calmly on while the grim headsman madeit ready .

“Now haste ,” growled the man

with the axe,

“ for there are others , and thesun is low in the sky .

” Then Balboa gavea start —remembering the others . But itwas too late now to save them , and ,

with apang at his heart for those he had involvedin deadly perils , he sank to the platform andlaid his neck on the block . The headsmanraised his axe-4 a thrill of horror ran throughthe spectators ; it fell , and , as the bloodspurted from the headless trunk

,their groans

and lamentations rent the air .

The executioner’s work was not finished2 76


drama was being performed in darkness .

They heard the clank of Arguello’s chainsas he fell across the block , and then ,

after aninterval of breathless silence , the thud of theaxe

,proclaiming all was over .

Pedrarias had witnessed all , hidden b ehind a palisade of reeds , through the crevicesof which he watched the doings on the scaffold

,less than twenty feet away . There he

crouched, a demon in human semblance

,

gloating over the anguish of the people,the

groans of his victims , and counting thestrokes of the headsman’s axe .

Beneath a tree on the verge of the forestcowered a fearsome watcher , the Cacica ,formerly beloved of Balboa . Peering throughthe screen of leaves

,she witnessed the dread

ful ending of him whom she had both lovedand hated . But she did not exult

,like the

man - fi end Pedrarias . Believing that hertestimony had sealed Balboa’s fate , by thereproaches of conscience she was driveninto the forest

,where !as nothing more was

ever heard of her) she probably perished ,an

outcast from her tribe,and forgotten by her

family .

In Antigua del Darien,a broken-hearted

woman mourned the gallant Vasco Nunez2 78


de Balboa ; for he had been betrothed to herdaughter

,who

,through her father’s venge

ful deed , was widowed ere she had been madea bride .

VA S CO N U N E Z D E B A L B O A

anced , retired to a con

vent; the youngest , I sabel ,marri ed D e Soto , whomshe accompanied to Cuba ,where she di ed .!

B ALBOA , VASCO N UNEZ DE ,

advent of, 8 , 9 , 1 0 , 1 1 ;farm and major-domo

of, 1 1 — 1 4 ; packed in acask , 1 5; appearance ofbefore Enciso ,

1 7—2 2 ;

his friends , 23—26 ; ad

vises Enciso , 29 , 3 0 ;becomes prominent , 34 °

conspires against Enciso3 8 ; saves the colony , 47 ,

fine qualities of, 48 ; insupreme command , 49 ;captures Careta , 56—60 ;rescues an Indian '

rl,64, with whom he allsin love , 67—69 ; discoverstreasure

, 70 ; spies uponhis mistress , 7 2 ; sacksP onca’s capital , 78 ; invades Com ogre

’s prov

ince , 79 , 80 , where hefinds go ld , 83 ; first hearsof the P acific , 85; sendsgo ld to ! ing Ferdinand ,

88 ; despatches Valdiviato Spain for reinforcements , 89 ; invades Do

b ayb e province , 98 , 99 ;discovers tree-dwellers ,1 0 1 in aerial dwellings ,1 0 7 ,

tortures Indians ,1 2 1 ; sends Co lmenaresto Tich iri , 1 3 0

— 1 40 ; t e

treats to forest to avoiddissensions , 1 43 ; en

treated to return to

282

Antigua , 1 44 1 46 ; indisfavor with the ! ing ,1 50 ; commissioned captain-general , 1 52 ; sendscommissioners to Spain ,

1 55; his intrepidity ,1 57 ;

proj ects great expedition ,

1 59 ; sets out for

Austral Ocean , 1 62 ;treats with Chief P onca ,1 63 in Quaraqua

’s coun

try , 1 65; massacres Indians , 1 68 ; on verge of

discovery , 1 0 ; his firstsight of the acific ,

1 7 1 ;on its shores , 1 74 ; com

pared with Co lumbus ,1 75; takes po ssession of

P acific , 1 79 , 1 80, andembarks on , 1 82 1 84 ;di scovers pearls , 1 89 ;success W ith Indians ,1 96 ; returns from expodition , 1 97 ; popularityof, 1 98 ; sovereign

’s opinion of, 20 1 ; supersededby P edrarias , 20 whomhe receives at nt igua ,

208—2 1 2 ; his courtesy toDona Isabel , 2 1 1 , 2 1 2 ;

angers P edrarias , 2 1 6 ,who demands an ac

counting , 2 1 7 ; seeks Do

b ayb e , 2 2 7, and fails ,229 ; appo inted adelantado by the king, 230 ,

23 1 ; o rdered confinedin a cage , 23 3 ; proteststo Bishop Quevedo , 240 ;engages to marry thegovernor’s daughter ,242 ,

246 ; character of, 245;builds brigantines , 248 ,

I N D E !

249 , and sails them on

P acific , 250 ; freed fromP edrarias , 251 ; accusedb y Garabito , 253 ; suffers for his crimes , 256 ;flouts astro loger’s prophcey , 259 ; returns to Acla ,26 1 , where he is arrested

, 262 ; imprisoned ,

2 63 visited in prison byP edrari as , 263 , whomhe defies and denounces ,265; his career reviewed

, 269 , 2 70 ; scenes athis execution , 2 72

—2 75;beheaded , 2 76 .

B alsa , river in Darien ,249 .

Barbacoa , Indi an structure , 54,

1 0 1 .

Bastidas,Rodrigo de , ex

plorer , 1—7 .

B ecerra , Francisco , lost inZenu , 23 7 .

B iru ! P eru) described to

P iz arro , 23 6 .

Bobadilla , Francisco de ,

B obadilla , Dona Isabel de ,205; entertained by Balb oa, 2 1 2

—2 1 6 , whom shebefriends , 243 ; mournsBalboa’s death , 2 78 .

Bohio , or Indian hut , 3 .

B onouvam a,friendly md

ian ,195.

B rigantines , building the ,248

—250 .

CA Ci cA , the fair, B alboa’sprisoner , 69 ; entertainsspies, 1 1 6 ; betrays herpeople , 1 1 9 ; sought by

283

Garabito , 252 ; seals Balbo a’s fate , 257 ; witnesses his execution , 2 78 .

Caciques of D arien , the ,cha v dead , 7 1 .

Cafe 0 , J uan de , 1 54,

200 .

Calaboose , from Spanishcalabozo , 1 4 1 .

Caribs of Uraba, 52 .

Carillo , Captain Luis , 22 7 ;death of, 2 28 .

Carita , Cacique , 50 , 56 ;capture of, 57 ; speechof, 65; bestows daughterupon B alboa , 66 , andbecomes his ally, 78 .

Cartagena , harbo r of, 26 ,28 .

Ch iapes, native chief, 1 76

Chi cha , fermented beverage , 1 08 .

Co lmenares , D iego de , rescues co lonists, 39 ; andN icuesa, 40

—42 ; assists

Balboa , 8 1 , and invadesDob ayb e with him , 98 ;advises Balboa , 1 2 7 ;captures Tichiri , 1 1 ;kills chiefs , 1 3 2 ; b uiIdsa fortress , 1 39 ; sent toSpain by Balboa , 1 54,

Colom b inos, fo llowers of

Co lumbus , 4 .

Co lumbus , Christopher, allusion to ,

1, 3 , 4 ,

8 , 1 0 .

Co lumbus , D on D iego , gov

ernor of Santo Domingo ,

1 0 , 1 1 .

Co lumbus , appeal to , byBalboa , 88 .

V A S C O N U N E Z D E B A LB O A

Comogre , Cacique , 78 , 79sons of, 8 1 , 84— 86 ; bapt ized , 8 7 ; death of, 1 94.

Com panon , Francisco , 26 1 .

Corral , companion of B al

b oa, 42 ; in irons , 1 44.

Cortés , Hernando , never atD arien , 1 76 .

Cosa , J uan de la, pilot , 1 , 4,7 .

Coyb a, province of, 50 ;invasion of, 52 .

DAR IEN , Caciques of, chap .

v ; gulf of, 3 3 ; IndiansOf, 53

—56 ; river, 1 00.

Dob ayb e , the go lden , 92 ,

93 ; expedition to , 5 e t

seq . ; second expe'

tionto . 2 26

—229 .

D ragons of Dob ayb e , 227 ,228 .

ENCI SO, MART IN FERNANDEz DE , Oj eda

’s partner,

1 1 ; encounters Balboa ,1 9 ; b y whom he is outwitted , 20—22 ; arrives atCartagena , 26 ; parleyswith Indians , 3 0 , 3 1 ;sends Balboa and P iz arroto fight them , 3 2 ; losesa vessel , 33 ; unable to

restrain his men , 35, who

depo se him , electing B alb oa and Zamudio t o fi llhis place , 3 9 ; expelledand sent to Spain , 45.

Encomiendas of Indians , 9 .

Escary, J uan de , with Balb oa ,

1 78 .

Espinosa , Gaspar de , lawyer, 205; prosecutes Bal

b oa, 2 2 1 , and impoverishes him , 234 ; findsindictment against , 267 ,which results in his execut ion , 268 .

Explorers , fate of,2 7 1 .

270 ,

FAM INE in the co lony , 2 23 .

Fonseca , Bishop , allusionto , 203 .

284

GARAB ITO, ANDRES , 23 2 ;turns against B alboa ,252 , and plots his ruin ,

253Gold , in nets , 29 , 23 7 ; inabundance , 1 85; b y thousand pieces , 1 98 ; obj ectof all explorations , 202 ;sent to th e king , 2 1 4.

Go lden Castile , 202 .

Go lden sepulchres , 29 .

HURTADO, BARTHOLOM EW ,

1 1 3—1 1 5 commands at

Darien , 1 40.

IND IAN se ulchres, 7 1—73 .

Indians 0 D arien ,

533—56 .

Isabel, Dona . See ob a

dilla,Dona I sabel de .

I sla Rica ! rich island) , 250Balboa recreates in , 258 .

! EATS , the po et , mistakeof respecting Balboa andCo rtés , 1 75.

LEON CI CO , B alboa’s bloo dhound , 1 6 ,

1 7 , 24—2 6 ,

60—63 ; great exploits of,

VA S CO N U NE Z D E B A L BO A

Quintana , Don Manuel J . , Tutibara, Indian ch ief, 235.

auth or of Balboa’s bi ography,

1 58 .

RIO N EGRO, or B lack River, 1 00 .

SALVATIERRA , town of. 1 2 .

1 8 1 .

of, 3 ; rem ovalof co lonyto ali en , 47 .

Sea of the South , or P acifi c ,1 80 .

TECHOA N , CAC IQUE , 1 88 .

TeD eumLaudam us , chanted ,

1 73 .

Terra F irm a, 2 , 5, 23 .

sett lement ,1 1 9 ; captured , 1 3 1 .

To ledo , swords of, 96 , 98 .

Tomtom , Afri can drum , 56 .

Tub anama, Cacique , 86 ,1 9 1 ; the go ld of, 1 93 ;defeats Spani ards , 23 8 .

Tuira, Indian deity , 53 .

Tumaco , Indi an cacique,1 84 et se q , 1 88.

URA EA , Gulf of, 23 , 33 , 92 .

99

THE EN D

VALDERRAB ANO , A N DRESDE

,no tary , 1 80 ; con

to death , 2 67 .

Valdivia , regidor, sent toSpain , lost atsea, 90 ; his unhappyfate , 9

Vara , Andres de, chaplain,

Vela , Cape de la, 23 .

W EAPONS of the Spaniards,95» 9

! ERES DE LOSCAB ALLEROS ,Balboa’s birthplace , 8 .

ZAM UD IO, alcalde , 39 ; m s

treats N icuesa, 44 ; sentto Spain , 46 ; Balboa

’sfriend a

Ct

a

oourt , 1 50 ,1 56 .

Cl ue , 35. 93 :defeats Spaniards , 1 1 4.

Zenu, province of, 23 7 .

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