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tree, a newe kinde of building and seldome seene." These trees, the common habitations of the natives, are described as being of immense size and height, and the agility of the servants, at royal entertainments, in "running vp and down the staires adherente to the tree," is amusingly described. "Our men therefore came to the tree of King Abibeiba, and by the interpretours called him foorth to communication, giuing him. signes of peace, and thereupon willing him to come downe. But hee denyed that hee would come out of his house, desiring them to suffer him to lyve after his fashione. When hee hadde denyed them agayne, they fell to hewing the tree with their axes. Abebeiba seeing the chippes fall from the tree on euery side, chaunged his purpose, and came downe with onely two of his sons." This unfortunate potentate, thus summarily ejected from his airy habitation, told them that "hee had no golde, and that hee neuer had any neede therof, nor yet regarded it any more then stones." He promised, however, to go to the neighboring mountains and bring them some, but "came neither at the day, nor after the day appointed. They departed therefore from thence, well refreshed with his victualles and wine, but not with gold as they hoped." In the subsequent narrative there is a touching mention of "Abebeiba, the inhabitour of the tree, who had now likewise forsaken his countrey for feare of our men, and wandered in the desolate mountaines and woods."

After this disappointment, the Spanish leader explored the country for some distance, and gained considerable spoil; but the golden temple evaded all his researches.

The neighboring caciques, indignant at the outrages of the whites, soon formed a plan for their extermination: an hundred canoes and five thousand warriors were prepared for a midnight attack upon the settlement of Darien; but the treachery of one of their people defeated the enterprise. On learning their intention, Balboa marched secretly upon, the hostile camp, and seized their leaders, whom he put to death. A fortress then erected as a safeguard against future attack. T

getic governor met with equal success in suppressing a most dangerous sedition among his own followers.

CHAPTER II.

EXPEDITION OF BALBOA IN SEARCH OF THE SEA-CONTESTS WITH THE NATIVES-DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN-APPOINTMENT

OF PEDRARIAS-REAPPOINTMENT OF BALBOA

MISFORTUNES OF THE COLONY.

THE authority of Balboa had been confirmed by a letter from the treasurer of Hispaniola, but he was privately informed that the influence of his enemies at the court of Spain was sufficient to crush him. Some grand exploit was necessary to retrieve his fortunes; and he resolved at once to set forth in quest of the great sea, whose golden shores were said to lie in the south-west. An hundred and ninety of the most daring and resolute of his followers were selected to share the enterprise, and a number of bloodhounds were taken to overawe and discomfit the natives. On the first of September, 1513, after one of those solemn invocations to Heaven which usually preceded a Spanish expedition, whether for discovery or massacre, this little army set out to fight its way to the unknown ocean.

By the 8th, Balboa arrived at the territories of Ponca, his late foe, whom he readily conciliated, and who assured him of the reality of the object of his search. Leaving this cacique on the 20th, he pressed forward through a region of such terrible difficulties that four days were expended in passing a distance of ten leagues. The Indians, whose territory he was invading, under their cacique Quaraqua, now attacked his army in great numbers. But the unaccustomed terror of the fire-arms and bloodhounds overcame their courage: they soon took to flight; and the cacique, with six hundred of his people, was left dead upon the field. Much booty, in gold and jewels, was obtained from the Indian villages, and several prisoners, with execrable

cruelty, were given to be torn in pieces by bloodhounds. This piece of barbarism was indeed of common occurrence in the Spanish conquests. Sometimes the savage animals refused to touch the victims thus brutally offered to them-"Their very dogges," says an old author, with quaint indignation, “being less dogged than their doggish diuelish masters."

Many of the Spaniards, disabled by wounds or illness, were unable to proceed; and with only sixty-seven companions, the fierce and dauntless adventurer pushed forward up the mountain. On the 26th of September, 1513, as they were nearing its summit, he bade his companions to halt, and ordered that no man should stir from his place. With a beating heart, he ascended alone; and, standing on the summit of that mighty chain which divides the oceans, beheld the vast Pacific glittering in the south. In his joy at this sublime discovery, the grandest since the days of Columbus, he knelt down, and returned fervent thanks to God. His people crowded around him, and a solemn Te Deum went up to heaven. Formal possession, recorded by a notary, and witnessed by all, was taken of the new ocean, with all its shores and islands, in the name of Castile; a cross was erected, and a number of stones were piled up to mark the memorable spot.

Defeating the savages who opposed them, and receiving enormous tributes of gold, the Spaniards hastened to the shore of the still-distant sea. One Alonzo Martin reached it first, and leaping into a canoe, called all to witness that he was the first European who had floated on that sea. When Balboa arrived, seizing a banner, he plunged into the waves, and with a stately and swelling preamble took possession of the sea, offering to maintain in the name of his sovereigns against any other prince or people, "Christian or infidel," their "empire and dominion over these Indias, islands, and Terra firma, northern and southern, with all their seas, both at the Arctic and Antarctic poles, on either side of the equinoctial line, whether or without the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, bo' in all times, as long as the world endures.

judgment of all mankind." Amid all the avarice and cruelty which stained the Spanish discoverers, there occasionally gleamed forth something exceedingly fine and classical, making them eager for honorable renown, and at times almost forgetful of their quenchless thirst for gold.

Launching forth, with sixty of his men, in nine frail canoes, this daring commander attempted to explore the coast; but after experiencing great peril and suffering, was compelled to relinquish his project. The Indians, however, assured him that the shore stretched on without end, and that in the remote south, was abundance of gold. Their cacique also moulded in clay the figure of an animal (the lama), which he said was used in that region to carry burdens. It is probable that not only the imagination of Balboa, but that of Pizarro, who was with him, was fired with ambition by these tempting descriptions. Meanwhile, great quantities of gold and pearls were readily furnished by the natives, who pointed to a distant group of islands as being especially rich in the latter precious commodities. Balboa would have set forth at once to this land of promise, but was deterred by the alarming representations of his hosts.

As the expedition, early in November, set out on its return, the caciques sent large numbers of their subjects to assist the Spaniards in carrying their precious burdens of gold and jewels. On their way, these ferocious marauders seized a certain cacique, and, being disappointed in their expectations of treasure, gave him, and three of his companions, to be devoured by the bloodhounds. The personal ugliness of the unhappy chief seems to have been thought some reason for excluding him from the pale of humanity, the Spanish commander averring that he "neuer sawe a more monstruous & defourmed creature, and that nature hath only giuen him humane shape, and otherwise to bee worse then a bruite beast, with manners according to the liniamentes of his bodie." The avarice of the Spaniards, however, resulted in great disaster to themselves, for refusing to permit their Indian guides to bring a sufficiency of provi

sions (lest they should be unable to carry gold enough) great suffering ensued from hunger, and many of their unfortunate servants perished on the way. In the terrible regions through which they passed, they found "nothing apt to bee eaten, but wylde rootes and certaine vnpleasant fruites of trees." Twice they were obliged to make long delays to recruit their strength; but always contrived to wring fresh hoards of treasure from the trembling natives, and to overawe them by severity. Thus they gradually worked their way homeward, "laden with golde, but sore afflicted with hunger." It was not until the 18th of January, 1514, that Balboa arrived at Darien, having gained the most brilliant and enduring reputation as a discoverer, though stained by deeds of outrageous cruelty and oppression. A vast booty in pearls, gold, and captives, rewarded the rapacity of his followers, and promised to conciliate the favor of the crown.

But before the news of his success could arrive in Spain, his enemies were fully in the ascendant. The king, moved by their representations, appointed one Pedrarias Davila, a distinguished cavalier, but ambitious, relentless, and treacherous, as governor of the rising colony of Darien. Further stimulated by the accounts of the supposed ocean which Balboa had sent to Spain, he resolved to fit out a powerful armament for discovery and conquest. Now was witnessed an almost exact repetition of the scenes which had occurred at the time of the second expedition of Columbus-destined, too, like those, to be the prelude to disappointment, misery and death. The youthful and noble cavaliers, excited, as then, by the prospect of fortune and conquest in an undiscovered world, flocked to join in the enterprise. Age and capital, it seems, were equally carried away by the excitement; for, we are told, there were "likewise no small number of couetous old men," who eagerly offered to pay their own charges, if they might join the expedition. The number had been limited to twelve hundred; but by the royal permission, and by favor and artifice, the fleet, consisting of fifteen sail, eventually carried off more than two