Peter Parley's Tales About America and Australia

for other navigators to follow, and accordingly ma

e brave companions of Columbus, under

and having sailed southward, he crossed th

was relied upon by them as one of their surest guides; not knowing the shape

ne, was Cape St. Augustine, in eight degrees south latitude,

ast, he continued his voyage to the north-west, and fell in with t

in breadth, and its waters enter more than forty l

r, he pursued his course along the coast, passed the mouth of the Oro

aniards was now well known to the inhabitants of these parts, they determined to oppose their

survivors, however, succeeding in makin

n side of the Gulph of Darien, and built a

rancisco Pizarro, about whom I shall ha

settlement on that part of the coast, and built a fortress there, which

of America, on the side of the Atl

of land (which you know is called an Isthmus) that separated them from another vast ocean;

short account of the d

colony of San Sebastian, another expedition,

Balboa, who, although of a rich family, had, by his bad hab

he contrived to get on board Enciso's ship, concealed in a cas

ngo, Balboa came out from his cask

e punishment which his bad conduct had deserved; yet, as he

paniards having suffered much from the repeated attacks of the nati

izarro, with the wretched remains of the colony; he determ

nt was too true, for where St. Sebastian had st

e, his own ship was wrecked and th

to do, or where to go, when Balboa advised him to contin

same gulf, and on the western side he well remembered an India

esolved to take possession of this vil

ortunate people of the village any notice, he attacked them, killed

government, and called it Santa Maria del Darien. Ba

ith Enciso, and they refused to obey him, and sent him off in

of the country in search of gold, he first heard

hief, and was weighing it into shares for the purpose of dividing it

gusted at the sordid behaviour of the Spaniards that he struck the sc

l for such a trifle? If you really esteem gold to be so precious as to abandon your homes, and come and seize the land

hty sea, all the streams that flow into which down the southern side of those mo

g Indian, and eagerly inquired the best way of

ce of Indians inhabiting these mountains, who were cannibals, or eaters of human

of obtaining, by the merits of the discovery, the pardon of the K

to this sea, and immediately began

t instead of receiving these, the only news that reached him by the return of his messengers was, that he wou

ndred and ninety; but these were hardy and resolute, and much attached to him. He armed them with swords and targets; cross-bows and

om Darien, first to the residence of the Indian

uides and some warriors, and with this force he

Pacific Ocean, he set out with a resolution to endure patiently all the miseries, and to combat boldly all

underwood, so thick and close as to be quite matted together and every here a

ys they had not advanced more than ten league

ing to overpower them at once. They were armed with bows and arrows, and clubs made of palm-wood almost as hard as iron. But the first shock of the report from the fire-arms of the Spaniards s

t the foot of the last mountain that remained to be climbed; this village

llowers. But this victory was not gained wit

he Indians, and many also, overcome with fatigue, had fallen sick, these

ed his scanty band, and began to climb the height,

he closeness of the woods to the pleasant breeze from the mountain, was delightful. But they were still further encouraged. "From th

one to stir from his place. He was resolved to be the first European w

lone, and when he reached the summit he behel

d the height and look upon the glorious pr

rd of all our toils, a sight upon which

-coast and the surrounding countr

t on the spot from which he had first beheld the sea. He also made a mound by

stones and set up the cross, they little thought that they were

hat even the waves of the sea would obey him: but this arrogant and weak minded Spaniard waded into the waves of

th the Indian tribes that inhabited the sea-

some further accounts of the rich country which the Indian p

e mountains of Darien. His route homewards was different from that whi

hirst, and those who survived, although loaded with gold, were exhausted for want of food; for

ved at Darien; having robbed the Indians of all the gold and silver they could find. The Spaniards at Darien received with great de

his discovery, and by it he sent part of the gold

been sent out, by name Padrarias Davila, to take Balboa's pla

beloved by all the Spaniards of the settlement he hesitated through fear, and fi

vigate and explore the Pacific Ocean. Three years had elapsed since he discovered this ocean, and with

e satisfaction of seeing two brigantines finished a

d sailing down the river, was the first to launch into the ocean that he had been the f

, and envious of Balboa, on account of the discoverie

to return, and on his arrival he had him seized by one of his early friends and followers, Franciso Pizar

Balboa, after a mock trial, was publicl