Book-. X?;^ 4-- UKVhlkaHi D£P0g|| NC"* bAtlV TuBaC^t-ricsTgrTKe QB^f COf{R,^f/r U,:>TAHp^lKpUTZP^T^fi^ Vol. a. Vo. ML Mot. n, USS. Anav SPANISH C^'^2>^;. VOYAGl!^'^ - OF DISCOVERY, BY WASHINGTON IRVING. i A Mired at the Post Office, N. T., m seoond-eUiu maXter. Co^rriCht, UtS, t>x Jou W. Lotkll Co. > ORK^ ■h To !\N • W • L, oV£ t, L • CoAVPAHY-^ ^•MtfMTX lZjr>»«lbrMv»U»«oMbtp.20 m. McLeod of Dare, by Wni. l>iftek.',:0 94. Tempet^t Tossed, by Tilton P 1 1 20 Tempest Tosi^edTby Tilton, P 11120 95. Letters from High Latitudes, by Lord Diifferin .' ?0 96. Gideon Fleece, b;^ Lucy 20 97. India and Ceylon,? / E. Haeckei , .xO 98. The Gyp-^y Queen -0 99. The Admiral's Ward 20 100. >'impovt, by E L. Bynner,P'tI .15 Nimport. bvE. L. Bynner, P't II. 15 101. Harry Holbrooke 20 102. Trtons, by E. L. Bynner, P't I. . .1. '5 Tritons.bvE.L. Byiner. P tII..15 103. Let Nothing You Ditmay, by Walter Besant. 10 104. L'.dy Au41> y s Secret, by Miss M E. iTraddon 20 105 Woman V Ph.ce To-day, by Mrs. Lillie Deverenx rilake . 20 106. Dunallan, by K'^nnedy, Parti. ..15 Dunallan, by K<-nnedy, Pj^ II. .15 107. Housekeeping ano Ilomapiatt- ing. by Marion Harland 15 108. No New'^binfe by W. E. Norri.^.20 109. The Spoopendrke Papers 20 110. False Hope:*, by Goldwtn Smith 1 5 111. La»>oraiid Cap'tal 20 112. Wanda,' b> Onida, Tart 1 :15 Wanda, by Onida, Part II 16 SPANISH / C VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. BY WASHINGTON IRVING. • NEW YORK : JOHN W. LOVELL COMPANY 14 & i6 Vesey Street, \ SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. COifTEISTS. PAGE IXTRODCCTION 5 CHAP. ALONZO DE OJEDA. I. Some Account of Ojeda— Of Juan de la Cosa— Of Amerigo Vespucci- preparations for the Voyage (1499; 9 II. DeJ/ "ture from Spain— Arrival on the Coast of Paria — Customs of the Natives 13 III. Coasting of Terra Firma— Military Expedition of Ojeda 15 IV. Discovery of the Gulf of Venezuela — Transactions there— Ojeda explores the Gulf —Penetrates to Maracaibo 17 V. Prosecution of the Voyage— Return to Spain 20 PEDRO ALONZO NINO AND CHPJSTOVAL GUERRA (1499). A. D. 1499 22 VICENTE YANEZ PINZON. A. D. 1499 26 DIEGO DE LEPE AND RODRIGO DE BASTIDES. A. D. 1500 38 ALONZO DE OJEDA. Second Voyage. A. D. 1502 35 ALONZO DE OJEDA. Third Voyage. I. Ojeda applies for a Command— Has a rival candidate in Diego de Nicuesa — His success 41 n. Feud between the Rival Governors, Ojeda and Nicuesa— A Challenge— (1509) 44 in. Exploits and Disasters of Ojeda on the Coast of Carthagena — Fate of the veteran Jioan de la Cosa ''1.50Q) 48 rv. Arrival of Nicuesa— Vengeance taken on the Indians 52 V. Ojeda founds the Colony of San Sebastian— Beleagured bv the Indians, ... 56 VI. Alonzo de Ojeda supposed by the Savages to have a Charmed Life— Their Experiment to try the Fact 58 V [I. Arrival of aStrange Ship at San vSebastian 59 VIII. Factions in the Colony— A Convention made 61 IX. Disastrous Voyage of' Ojeda in the Pirate Ship - .'. 62 X. Toilsome March of Ojeda and his Companions through the Morasses of Cuba 64 XI. Ojeda performs his Vow to the Virgin 66 XII. Arrival of Ojeda at Jamaica— His Reception by Juan de Esquibel 67 Xlir. Arrival of Alonzo de Ojeda at San Domingo— Conclusion of his Story 69 DIEGO DE NICXIESA. I. Nicuesa sails to the Westward— His Shipwreck and subsequent Disasters.. 72 II. Nicuesa and his men on a desolate Island 74 HI. Arrival of a Boat— Conduct of Lope de Olano 76 IV. Nicuesa rejoins his Crews 77 V. Sufferings of Nicuesa and his men on the Coast of the Isthmus 78 VI. Expedition of the Bachelor Enciso in search of the Seat of Government of Ojeda a510) 81 yil . The Bachelor hears unwelcome Tidings of his destined Juri.sdiction &i VnL Crusade of the Bachelor Enciso against the Sepulchres of Zenu 85 4 dON^BKM CHAP. P^G^ IX. The Bachelor arrives at San Sebastian— His Disasters there, and subse- quent Exploits at Darien 88 X The Bachelor Enciso undertakes the Command— His Downfall 90 XI. Perplexities at the Colony— Arrival of Colmenares 91 m. Colmenares goes in quest of Nicuesa 92 XIH. Catastrophe of the unfortunate Nicuesa 95 YASCO NUNEZ DE BA-LBOA, Discovkrek op the Pacific Ocean. I. Factions at Darien— Vasco Nufiez elected to the Command 99 II. Expedition to Coyba— Vasco Nufiez receives the Daughter of a Cacique as hostage 101 III. Vasco Nuiiez hears of a Sea beyond the Mountains 104 iV. Expedition of Vasco Nufiez in quset of the Golden Temple of Dobayba. 107 V. Disaster on the Black River— Indian Plot against Darien Ill Vl! Further Factions in the Colony— Arrogance of Alonzo Perez and the Bachelor Corral 113 Vn. Vasco Nufiez determines to seek the Sea beyond the Mountair'^'^ (1513) . 117 Vlir. Expedition in quest of the Southern Sea '^ 118 IX. Discovery of the Pacific Ocean 121 X. Vasco Nufiez marches to the Shores of the South Sea 124 XI. Adventures of Vasco Nufiez on the Borders of the Pacific Ocean 127 Xll! Further Adventures and Exploits of Vasco Nunez 131 XIII. Vasco Nufiez sets out on his return across the Mountains— His contests with the Savage* 133 XIV. Enterprise against TubanamS,, the warlike Cacique of the Mountains- Return to Darien 136 XV. Transactions in Spain— Pedrarias Davila appointed to the Command of Darien— Tidings received in Spain of the Discovery of the Pacific Ocean 139 XVI Arrival and Grand Entry of Don Pedrarias Davila into Darien 144 XVIl! Perfidious Conduct of Don Pedrarius towards Vasco Nufiez 147 XVIII. Calamities of the Spanish Cavaliers at Darien 149 XIX. Fruitless Expedition of Pedrarias 151 XX. Second Expedition of Vasco Nufiez in quest of the Gtolden Temple of Dobayba 153 XXI. Letters from the King in favor of Vasco Nufiez— Arrival of Garabito— Arrest of Vasco Nunez (1515) 155 XXn. Expedition of Morales and Pizarro to the Shores of the Pacific Ocean— Their Visit to the Pearl Islands — Their disastrous Return across the Mountains 157 mil. Unfortunate Enterprises of the Officers of Pedrarias— Matrimonial Compact between the Governor and Vasco Nufiez 166 IXIV Vasco Nufiez transports ships across the Mountains to the Pacific Ocean (1516) 166 XXV. Cruise of Vasco Nufiez in the Southern Sea— Rumours from Ada 169 XXVI. Reconnoitering Expedition of Garabito — Stratagem of Pedrarias to entrap Vasco Nufiez 170 XIVII Vasco Nufiez and the Astrologer— His return to Ada 172 XXVm. Trial of Vasco Nufiez 174 XXIX. Execution of Vasco Nufiez (1517) 177 Valdivia and his Companions 1 80 Micer Codro, the Astrologer 189 JUAN PONCE DE LEON, Conqueror of Porto Rico and Discoverer of Florida. I. Reconnoitering Expedition of Juan Ponce de Leon to the Island of Boriquen (1508) 191 II. Juan Ponce aspires to the Government of Porto Rico (1509) 193 III. Juan Ponce rules with a strong hand— Exasperation of the Indians— Their Experiment to prove whether the Spaniards were mortal : 195 IV. Conspiracy of the Caciques— The Fate of Sotomayor 196 V. War of Juan Ponce with the Cacique Agueyban^ 199 VI. Juan Ponce de Leon hears of a wonderful Country and miraculous Fovin- tain 203 VII. Cruise of Juan Ponce de Leon in search of the Fountain of Youth (1512). . . 205 VIII. Expedition of Juan Ponce against the Caribs— His Death (1514) 207 APPENDIX. A Visit to Palos 211 Manifesto of Alonzo de Ojeda ^6 INTEODUOTIOF. The fii-st discovery of the western hemisphere has already- been related by the author in his History of Columbus. It is proposed by liim, in the present work, to narrate the enterprises of certain of the companions and disciples of the admiral, who, enkindled by his zeal, and instructed by his example, sallied forth separately in the vast region of adventure to which he had led the way. Many of them sought merely to skirt the continent which he had partially visited, and to secure the first fruits of the pearl fisheries of Paria and Cubaga, or to explore the coast of Veragua, which he had represented as the Aurea Chersonesus of the Ancients. Others aspired to accomplish a grand discovery which he had meditated toward the close of his career. In the course of his expeditions along the coast of Terra Firma, Columbus had repeatedly received information of the existence of a vast sea to the south. He supposed it to be the great Indian Ocean, the region of the Oriental spice islands, and that it must communicate by a strait with the Ca- ribbean Sea. His last and most disastrous voyage was made for the express purpose of discovering that imaginary strait, and making liis way into this Southern Ocean. The illustrious navigator, however, was doomed to die, as it were, upon the threshold of his discoveries. It was reserved for one of his fol- lowers, Vasco Nuiiez de Balboa, to obtain the first view of the promised ocean, from the lofty mountains of Darien, some years after the eyes of the venerable admiral had been closed in death. The expeditions herein narrated, therefore, may be considered as springing immediately out of the voyages of Columbus, and fulfilling some of his grand designs. They may be compared to the attempts of adventurous knights errant to achieve the enterprise left unfinished by some illustrious* predecessor. Neither is this comparison entirely fanciful. On the contrary, ^ SPANISH VOYAGES OF DtSG OVERT, it is a curious fact, well worthy of notice, that the spirit of chivalry entered largely into the early expeditions of the Span- ish discoverers, giving them a character wholly distinct from similar enterprises undertaken by other nations. It will not, perhaps, be considered far sought, if we trace the cause of this pecuharity to the domestic history of the Spaniards during the middle ages. Eight centuries of incessant warfare with the Moorish usurp- ers of the peninsula produced a deep and lasting effect upon the Spanish character and manners. The war being ever close at home, mingled itself with the domestic habits and concerns of the Spaniard. He was born a soldier. The wild an^ predatory nature of the war, also, made him a kind of chivalrous marauder. His horse and weapon were always ready for the field. His delight was in roving incursions and extravagant exploits, and no gain was so glorious in his eyes as the cavalgada of spoils and captives, driven home in triumph from a plundered prov- ince. Religion, which has ever held great empire in the Span- ish mind, lent its aid to sanctify these roving and ravaging pro- pensities, and the Castilian cavalier, as he sacked the towns and laid waste the fields of his Moslem neighbour, piously be- lieved he was doing God service. The conquest of Granada put an end to the peninsula wars between christian and infidel; the spirit of Spanish chivalry was thus suddenly deprived of its wonted sphere of action ; but it had been too long fostered and excited to be as suddenly ap- peased. The youth of the nation, bred up to daring adventure and heroic achievement, could not brook the tranquil and regu- lar pursuits of common life, but panted for some nsw field of romantic enterprise. It was at this juncture that the grand project of Columbus was carried into effect. His treaty with the sovereigns was, in. a manner, signed with the same pen that had subscribed tlie c^itulation of the Moorish capital, and his first expedition may almost be said to have departed from beneath the walls of Gra- nada. Many of the youthful cavaliers who had fleshed their swords in that memorable war, crowded the ships of the dis- coverers, thinking a new career of arms was to be opened to them —a kind of crusade into splendid and unknown regions of infi- dels. The very weapons and armour that had been used against the Moors were drawn from the arsenals to equip the discover- ers, and some of the most noted of the early commanders in the new world will be found to have made their first essay in arms INTRODUCTION. 7 under the banner of Ferdinand and Isabella, in their romantic campaigns among the mountains of Andalusia. To these circumstances may, in a great measure, be ascribed that swelling chivalrous spirit which will be found continually- mingling, or rather warring, with the technical habits of the seamen, and the sordid schemes of the mercenary adventurer ; in these early Spanish discoveries, chivalry had left the land and launched upon the deep. The Spanish cavalier had em- barked in the Caraval of the discoverer ; he carried among the trackless wildernesses of the new world, the same contempt of danger and fortitude under suffering, the same restless roaming spirit, the same passion for inroad and ravage, and vain-glori- ous exploit, and the same fervent, and often bigoted, zeal for the propagation of his faith that had distinguished him during his warfare with the Moors. Instances in point Avill be found in the extravagant career of the daring Ojeda, particularly in his adventures along the coast of Terra Firma and the wild shores of Cuba. In the sad story of the ' ' unfortunate Nicuesa ;" graced as it is with occasional touches of high-bred courtesy ; in the singular cruise of that brave, but credulous, old cavalier, Jman Ponce de Leon, who fell upon the flowery coast of Florida, in his search after an imaginary fountain of youth ; and above all in the chequered fortunes of Vasco Nmiez de Balboa, whose discovery of the Pacific ocean, forms one of the most beautiful and striking incidents in the history of the new world, and whose fate might furnish a theme of wonderful interest for a poem or a drama. The extraordinary actions and adventures of these men, while they rival the exploits recorded in chivalric tale, have the additional interest of verity. They leave us in admiration of the bold and heroic qualities inherent in the Spanish char- acter, which led that nation to so high a pitch of power and glory, and which are still discernible in the great mass of that gallant people, by those who have an opportunity of judging of them rightly. Before concluding these prefatory remarks, the author would acknowledge how much he has been indebted to the third volume of the invaluable Historical collection of Don Martin Fernandez de Navarrete, wherein he has exhibited his usual industry, accuracy, and critical acumen. He has like^ wise profited greatly by the second volume of Oviedo's general history, which only exists in manuscript, and a copy of which he found in the Columbian library of the Cathedral of g^yille, 3 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. He has had some assistance also from the documents of the law-case between Don Diego Columbus and the Crown, which exist in the archives of the Indies; and for an mspection of which he is much indebted to the permission of the Spanish Government and the kind attentions of Don Josef de La Hi- g-aera Lara, the keeper of the archives. These, with the his- torical works of LasCasas, Herrera, Gomera, and Peter Martyr, have been his authorities for the facts contained m the follow- ing work; though he has not thought proper to refer to them continually at the bottom of his page. ' While his work was going through the press he received a volume of Spanish Biography, written with great elegance and accuracy, by Don Manuel Josef Quintana, and containing a life of Vasco Nunez de Balboa. He was gratified to find that his arrangement of facts was generally corroborated by this work- though he was enabled to correct his dates m several instances, and to make a few other emendations from the vol- lune of Sefior Quintana, whose position in Spain gave him the means of attaining superior exactness on these points. VOYAGES AND DISCOVERIES OF THE COMPANIONS OF COLUMBUS. To declare my opiniuu herein, whatsoever hath heretofore been discovered by the famous travayles of Saturnus and Hercules, with such other whom the An- tiquitie for their heroical acts honoured as gods, seemeth but little and obscure, if it be compared to the victorious labors of the Spanyards.— P. Martyr, Decad. III. c. 4. Lock's translation ALONZO DE OJEDA.* HIS FIRST VOYAGE, IN WHICH HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY AMERIGO VESPUCCI.i CHAPTER I. SOME ACCOUNT OF OJEDA— OF JUAN DE LA COSA— OF AMERIGO VESPUCCI— PREPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE. — (1499.) Those who have read the History of Columbus will, doubt- less, remember the character and exploits of Alonzo de Ojeda ; as .some of the readers of the following pages, however, may not have perused that work, and as it is proposed at present to trace the subsequent fortunes of this youthful adventurer, a brief sketch of him may not be deemed superfluous. Alonzo de Ojeda was a native of Cuenca, in New Castile, and of a respectable family. He was brought up as a page or esquire, in the service of Don Luis de Cerda, Duke of Medina Cell, one of the most powerful nobles of Spain ; the same who for some time patronised Columbus during his application to the Spanish court. J * Ojeda is pronounced in Spanish Oheda, with a strong aspiration of the h. t Vespucci, Vespuchy. t Varones Ilustres, por F. Pizarro y Orellana, p. 41 . Las Casas, Hist. Ind. 1. 1. c. 82. lO SPAmsir VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. In those warlike days, when the peninsula was distracted by- contests between the christian kingdoms, by feuds between the nobles and the crown, and by the incessant and marauding warfare with the Moors, the household of a Spanish nobleman was a complete school of arms, where the youth of the country were sent to be trained up in all kinds of hardy exercises, and to be led to battle under an illustrious banner. Such was es- pecially the case with the service of the Duke of Medina Cell, who possessed princely domains, whose household was a petty court, who led legions of armed retainers to the field, and who appeared in splendid state and with an immense retinue, more as an ally of Ferdinand and Isabella, than as a subject. He engaged in many of the roughest expeditions of the mem- orable war of Granada, always insisting on leading his own troops in person, when the service was of peculiar difficulty and danger. Alonzo de Ojeda was formed to signalize himself in such a school. Though small of stature, he was well made, and of wonderful force and activity, with a towering spirit and a daring eye that seemed to make up for deficiency of height. He was a bold and graceful horseman, an excellent foot soldier, dexterous with every weapon, and noted for his extraordinary skill and adroitness in all feats of strength and agility. He must have been quite young when he followed the duke of Medina Cell, as page, to the Moorish wars : for he was but about twenty-one years of age when he accompanied Colum- bus in his second voyage; he had already, however, distin- guished himself by his enterprising spirit and headlong valour ; and his exploits during that voyage contributed to enhance his reputation. He returned to Spain with Columbus, but did not accompany hun in his third voyage, in the spring of 1498. He was probably impatient of subordination, and ambitious of a separate employment or command, which the influence of his connexions gave him a great chance of obtaining. He had a cousin-german of his own name, the reverend Padre Alonzo de Ojeda, a Dominican friar, who was one of the first inquisitors of Spain, and a great favourite with the Catholic sovereigns.* This father inquisitor was, moreover, an intimate friend of the bishop Don Juan Rodriguez Fonseca, who had the chief man- agement of the affairs of the Indies, under which general namxc were comprehended all the countries discovered in the new * Pizarro. Varones Ilustres. ALONZO BE OJEDA. \\ world. Through the good offices of his cousin inquisitor, there- fore, Ojeda had been introduced to the notice of the bishop, who took him into his especial favour and patronage. Men- tion has already been made, in the History of Columbus, of a present made by the bishop to Ojeda of a small Flemish paint- ing of the Holy Virgin. This the young adventiu-er carried about with him as a protecting rehc, invoking it at all times of peril, whether by sea or land ; and to the special care of the Virgin he attributed the remarkable circumstance that he had never been wounded in any of the innumerable brawls and battles into which he was continually betrayed by his rash and fiery temperament. While Ojeda was Hngering about the court, letters were received from Columbus, giving an account of the events of his third voyage, especially of his discovery of the coast of Paria, which he described as abounding with drugs and spices, with gold and silver, and precious stones, and, above all, with oriental pearls, and v.^hich he supposed to be the borders of that vast and unknown region of the East, wherein, according to certain learned theorists, was situp.ted the terrestrial para- dise. Specimens of the pearls, procured in considerable quan- tities from the natives, accompanied his epistle, together with charts descriptive of his route. These tidings caused a great sensation among the maritime adventurers of Spain; but no one was more excited by them than Alonzo de Ojeda, who, from his intimacy with the bishop, had full access to the charts and correspondence of Columbus. He immediately conceived the project of making a voyage in the route thus marked out by the admiral, and of seizing upon the first fruits of discovery which he had left ungathered. His scheme met with ready encouragement from Fonseca, who, as has hereto- fore been shown, was an implacable enemy to Columbus, and . willing to promote any measure that might injure or molest^ him. The bishop accordingly granted a commission to Ojeda, authorizing him to fit out an armament and proceed on a voyage of discovery, with the proviso merely that he should not visit any territories appertaining to Portugal, or any of the lan^s discovered in the name of Spain previous to the year 1495. The latter part of this provision appears to have been craftily worded by the bishop, so as to leave the coast of Paria and its pearl fisheries open to Ojeda, they having been recently discovered by Columbus in 1498. The commission was signed by Fonseca alone, in virtue of 12 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. general powers vested in him for such purposes, but the signa- ture of the sovereigns did not appear on the instrument, and it is doubtful whether their sanction was sought on the occa- sion. He knew that Columbus had recently remonstrated against a royal mandate issued in 1495, permitting voyages of discovery, by private adventurers, and that the sovereigns had in consequence revoked their mandate wherever it might be deemed prejudicial to the stipulated privileges of the admiral.* It is probable, therefore, that the bishop avoided raising any question that might impede the enterprise ; being confident of the ultimate approbation of Ferdinand, who would be well pleased to have his dominions in the new world extended by the discoveries of private adventurers, under- taken at their own expense. It was stipulated in this, as well as in subsequent licenses for private expeditions, that a certain proportion of the profits, generally "^ fourth or fifth, should be reserved for the crown. Having thus obtained permis^'^n to make the voyage, the next consideration with Ojeda w ..^ to find the means. He was a young adventurer, a mere soldier of fortune, and destitute of wealth ; but he had a high reputation for courage and enter- prise, and with these, it was thought, would soon make his way to the richest parts of the newly discovered lands, and have the wealth of the Indies at his disposal. He had no diffi- culty, therefore, in finding monied associates among the rich merchants of Seville, who, in that ago of discovery, were ever ready to stake their property upon the schemes of roving navi- gators. With such assistance he soon equipped a squadron of four vessels at Port St. Mary, opposite Cadiz. Among the seamen who engaged with him were several who had just returned from accompanying Columbus in his voyage to this very coast of Paria. The principal associate of Ojeda, and one on whom he placed great reliance, was Juan de la Cosa ; who accompanied him as first mate, or, as it was termed, chief pilot. This was a bold Biscayan, who may be regarded as a disciple of Columbus, with whom he had sailed in his second voyage, when he coasted Cuba and Jamaica, and he had since accom- panied Rodrigo de Bastides, in an expedition along the coast of Terra Firma. The hardy veteran was looked up to by his con- temporaries as an oracle of the seas, and was pronounced one of the most able mariners of the day; he may be excused. * Navarrete, t ii. Document, cxiii. ALONZO DE OJEDA. 13 therefore, if in his harmless vanity he considered himself on a par even with ColLmibus.* Another conspicuous associate of Ojeda, in this voyage, was ■Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine merchant, induced by broken fortunes and a rambhng disposition to seek adventures in the new world. Whether he had any pecuniary interest in the expedition, and in what capacity he sailed, does not appear. His importance has entirely arisen from subsequent circum- stances ; from his having written and pubhshed a narrative of his voyages, and from his name having eventually been given to the new world. CHAPTER II. DEPARTURE FROM SPAIN — ARRIVAL ON THE COAST OP PARIA — CUSTOMS OF THE NATIONS. Ojeda sailed from Port St. Mary on the 20th of May, 1499, and, having touched for supphes at the Canaries, took a depar- ture from Gomara, pursuing the route of Columbus, in his third voyage, being guided by the chart he had sent home, at well as by the mariners who had accompanied him on that occasion. At the end of twenty-four days he reached the contir^nt of the new world, about two hundred leagues far- ther south than the part discovered by Columbus, being, as it is supposed, the coast of Surinam. f From hence he ran along the coast of the Gulf of Paria, passing the mouths of many rivers, but especially those of the Esqulvo and the Oronoko. These, to the astonishment of the Spaniards, unaccustomed as yet to the mighty rivers of the new world, poured forth such a prodigious volume of water, as to freshen the sea for a great extent. They beheld none of the natives until they arrived at the Island of Trini- dad, on whic^ island they met with traces of the recent visit of Columbus. Vespucci, in his letters, gives a long description of the people of this island and of the coast of Paria, who were of the Carib race, tall, well-made and vigorous, and expert with the bow, the lance, and the buckler. His description, in general, resem- N&YftrfJtte, Collec. Viag., t. iu., p. 4. tNavarrete, t. iii., p. 211. 14 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. bles those which have frequently been given of the Aboriginals of the new world ; there are two or three particulars, however, worthy of citation. They appeared, he said, to beheve in no reHgious creed, to have no place of worship, and to make no prayers or sac- rifices; but, he adds, from the voluptuousness of their hves, they might be considered Epicureans.* Their habitations were built in the shape of bells ; 'of the trunks of trees, thatched with palm leaves, and were proof against wind and weather. They appeared to be in common, and some of them were of such magnitude as to contain six hundred persons: in one place there were eight principal houses capable of sheltering nearly ten thousand inhabitants. Every seven or eight years the natives were obhged to change their residence, from the maladies engendered by the heat of the chmate in their crowded habitations. Their riches consisted in beads and ornaments made from the bones of fishes; in small white and green stones strung like rosaries, with which they adorned their persons, and in the beautifiil plumes of various colours for which the tropical birds are noted. The Spaniards smiled at their simphcity in attaching an extraordinary value to such worthless trifles ; while the sav- ages, in all probabihty, were equally surprised at beholding the strangers so eager after gold, and pearls and precious stones, which to themselves were objects of indifference. Their manner of treating the dead was surdlar to that ob- served among the natives of some of the islands. Having deposited the corpse in a cavern or sepulchre, they placed a jar of water and a few eatables at its head, and then abandoned it without moan or lamentation. In some parts of the coast, when a person was considered near his end, his nearest rela- tives bore him to the woods and laid him in a hammock sus- pended to the trees. They then danced round him until evening, when, having left within his reach sufficient meat and drink to sustain him for four days, they repaired to their habitations. If he recovered and returned home, he was re- ceived with much ceremony and rejoicing; if he died of his malady or of famine, nothing more was thought of him. Their mode of treating a fever is also worthy of mention. In the height of the malady they plunged the patient in a bath * Viages de Vespucei. Navarrete, t. iii., p. 211. ALOSZO BE OJEDA. 15 of the ooldeei water, after which they oUiged him to make many eviofaitioDS roimd a great fire, until he was in a violent heat, wfaea tlii^ pot him to hed. that he mi^t sie^: a tieat- meot, adds Amezjgo^Ve^Hioci, by which we saw many cored. CHAPTER HL Oj^?nyG OF Tzs^A flr^a— >£elitap.t expedition of ojeda. ATTESL touching at various pans of Trinidad and the GuH of Paria. Ojeda passed through the steait of the Boca d^ Drar: :r I^r?,r3n*s Mouth, whidi Gc^mnbos had found so fonii: 1 .^T .i then steered his course akxig the coast c^ Terra Tirna. L'.Tiding occasioiially until he arrived at Cnriaiia^ or the Gulf oi Pearis. Frooi hence he stood to the appooAe island of Mazganta. previously discovered by Ocdumbus, and since leno w ii ed for its pearl fishery. This, as well as several adjacent i^sunAa he visited asA ex^ored : after which he re- turned to tiie mAJn land, and touched at Cumana and 3£ara- capana, whore he found the rivers infested wiOi aHigatois le- semfahng the crooodfls c^ tiie NUe. Knding a convenient harbour at MaracgqwTia he iiiil':-ade>i and careened his 'veasds thore. and built a small bragantine. The natives came to fannin great numh^s. brii^mg abundance of venison, fidi, and cassava bread, and aiding tiie seamen in tiieir labouTEL Their hospitality was not coiainly disinter- ested, for they soug^ to gain tiie {Hotectiffli-i:zrELA— TEAySACTI05"S THERE — OJEDA EXPLORES THE GULF— PENETRATES TO MAEACAIBO. His crew being refreshed, and the wounded sufficiently re- covered. Ojeda made sail, and touched at the island of Curazao. which, according to the accounts of Vespucci, was inhabited by a race of g-iants, ' ' every woman appearing a Penthesilea. and every man an Antseus."t As Vespucciw as a s<:holar. and as he supposed himself exploring the regions of the extreme East, the ancient realm of fable, it is probable his imagination deceived him, and construed the formidable accounts given by the In- dicin:- of their cannibal neighbours of the islands, into some- thing according with his recollections of classic fable. Certain it is, that the reports of subser^uent voyagers proved the iii- halHtants of the island to be of the ordinary size. Proceeding along the coast, he arrived at a vast deep gulf, resembling a tranquil lake : entering which, he beheld on the eastern side a village, the construction of which struck him with surprise. It consisted of twenty large houses, shaped Like bells, and builv on piles driven into the bottom of the lake, which, in this part, was Limpid and of but httle depth. Each house was provided with a drawbridge, and with canoc-s. by which the communication was carried on. From these resem- blances to the Italian city, Ojeda gave to the bay the name of the Gulf of Venice : and it is called at the present day Vene- zuela, or Little Venice : the Indian, name was Co^quibacoa. When the inhabitants beheld the ships standing into the bay, looking like wonderful and unknown apparitions from the deep, they fled with terror to their houses, and raised the drawbridges. The Spaniards remaineevo Mundo dio Pinzon. 32 SPAMSH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERf. DIEGO DE LEPE AND RODRIGO DE BASTIDES. (15CX).) Notwithstanding the hardfships and disasters that had beset the voyages to the New World, and the penury in which their golden anticipations had too frequently terminated, adventur- ers continued to press forward, excited by fresh reports of newly-discovered regions, each of which, in its turn was repre- sented as the real land of promise. Scarcely had Vicente Yanez Pinzon departed on the voyage recently narrated, Avhen his townsman, Diego de Lepe, likewise set sail with two vessels from the busy little port of Palos on a like expedition. No particulars of importance are known of this voyage, excepting that Lepe doubled Cape St. Augustine, and beheld the southern continent stretching far to the southwest. On re- turning to Spain he drew a chart of the coast for the bishop Fonseca, and enjoyed the reputation, for upwards of ten years afterwards, of having extended his discoveries further south than any other voyager. Another contemporary adventurer to the New World was Rodrigo de Bastides, a wealthy notary of Triana, the suburb of Seville inhabited by the maritime part of its population. Be- ing sanctioned by the sovereigns, to w^hom he engaged to yield a fourth of his profits, he fitted out two caravels in Octo- ber, 1500, to go in quest of gold and pearls. Prudently distrusting his own judgment in nautical matters, this adventurous notary associated with him the veteran pilot Juan de la Cosa, the same hardy Biscayan who had sailed with Columbus and Ojeda. A general outline of their voyage has already been given in the life of Columbus ; it extended the discoveries of the coast of Terra Firma from Cape de la Vela, where Ojeda had left off, quite to the port of Nombre de Dios. Bastides distinguished himself from the mass of discoverers by his kind treatment of the natives, and Juan de la Cosa by his [sound discretion and his able seamanship. Their voyage DIEGO DE LEPE AND RODBIGO DE BA8TIDE8. 33 had been extremely successful, and they had collected, by barter, a great amount of gold and pearls, when their prosper- ous career was checked by an unlooked-for evil. Their vessels, to their surprise, became leaky in every part, and they discov- ered, to their dismay, that the bottoms were pierced in innum- erable places by the broma, or worm which abounds in the waters of the torrid zone, but of which they, as yet, had scarcely any knowledge. It was with great difficulty they could keep afloat until they reached a small islet on the coast of Hispaniola. Here they repaired their ships as well as they were able, and again put to sea to return to Cadiz. A succes- sion of gales drove them back to port ; the ravages of the worms continued ; the leaks broke out afresh ; they landed the most portable and precious part of their wealthy cargoes, and the vessels foundered with the remainder. Bastides lost, moreover, the arms and ammunition saved from the wreck, being obHged to destroy them lest they should fall into the hands of the Indians. Distributing his men, into three bands, two of them headed by La Cosa and himself, they set off for San Domingo by three several routes, as the country was not able to furnish provis- ions for so large a body. Each band was provided with a coffer stored with trinkets and other articles of Indian traffic, with which to buy provisions on the road. Francisco de Bobadilla, the wrong-headed oppressor and superseder of Columbus, was at that time governor of San Do- mingo. The report reached him that a crew of adventurers had landed on the island, and were marching through the country in three bands, each provided with a coffer of gold, and carry- ing on illicit trade with the natives. The moment Bastides made his appearance, therefore, he was seized and thrown into prison, and an investigation commenced. In his defence he maintained that his only traffic with the natives was for the purpose of procuring provisions for his followers, or guides for his journey. It was determined, however, to send him to Spain for trial, with the written testimony and the other docu- ments of his examination. He was accordingly conveyed in the same fleet in which Bo- babiUa embarked for Spain, and which experienced such an awful shipwreck in the sight of Columbus. The ship Eodrigo Bastides was one of the few that outlived the tempest: it arrived safe at Cadiz in September, 1502. Bastides was ulti- mately acquitted of the charges advanced against him. So 34 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISC VERY. lucrative had been his voyage, that, notwithstanding the losses sustained by the foundering of his vessels, he was enabled to pay a large siun to the crown as a fourth of his profits, and to retain a great amount for himself. In reward ofehis services and discoveries the sovereigns granted him an annual revenue for life, to arise from the proceeds of the province of Uraba, which he had discovered. An equal pension was hke- Avise assigned to the hardy Juan de la Cosa, to result from the same territory, of which he was appointed Alguazil Mayor.* Such was the economical generosity of King Ferdinand, who rewarded the past toils of his adventurous discoverers out of the expected produce of their future labours. * Navarrete. Collec. t. iii. SECOND VOYAGE OF ALONZO DE OJEDA. 85 SECOND VOYAGE OF ALONZO DE OJEDA (1502.) The first voyage of Alonzo de Ojeda to the coast of Paria, and its meagre termination in June, 1500, has heen related. He gained nothing in wealth by that expedition, but he added to his celebrity as a bold and skilful adventurer. His youthful fire, his sanguine and swelling spirit, and the wonderful stories that were told of his activity and prowess, made him extremely popular, so that his patron, the bishop Fonseca, found it an easy matter to secure for him the royal favour. In considera- tion of his past services and of others expected from him, a grant was made to him of six leagues of land on the southern part of Hispaniola, and the goverimaent of the province of Coquibacoa which he had discovered. He was, furthermore, authorized to fit out any number of ships, not exceeding ten, at his own expense, and to prosecute the discovery of the coast of Terra Firma. He was not to touch or traffic on the pearl coast of Paria ; extending as far as a bay in the vicinity of the island of Margarita. Beyond this he had a right to trade in all kinds of merchandise, whether of pearls, jewels, metals, or precious stones ; paying one-fifth of the profits to the crown, and abstaining from making slaves of the Indians without a special license from the sovereigns. He was to col- onize Coquibacoa, and, as a recompense, was to enjoy one-half of the proceeds of his territory, provided the half did not exceed 300,000 maravedies: aU beyond that amount was to go to the crown. A principal reason, however, for granting this government and those privileges to Ojeda, was that, in his previous voyage, he had met with English adventurers on a voyage of discovery in the neighbourhood of Coquibacoa, at which the jealousy of the sovereigns had taken the alarm. They were anxious, therefore, to establish a resolute and fighting commander like Ojeda upon this outpost, and they instructed him to set up the 36 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCO VEEY. arms of Castile and Leon in every place he visited, as a signal of discovery and possession, and to put a stop to the intrusions of theEnghsh.* With this commission in his pocket, and the government of an Indian territory in the perspective, Ojeda soon found asso- ciates to aid him in fitting out an armament. These were Juan de Vergara, a servant of a rich canon of the cathedral of Seville, and Garcia de Campos, commonly called Ocampo. They made a contract of partnership to last for two years, according to which the expenses and profits of the expedition, and of the government of Coquibacoa, were to be shared equally between them. The purses of the confederates were not ample enough to afford ten ships, but they fitted out four. 1st, The Santa Maria de la Antigua, commanded by Garcia del Campo; 2d, The Santa Maria de la Granada, conunanded by Juan de Vergara ; 8d, The Caravel Magdalena, commanded by Pedro de Ojeda, nephew to Alonzo; and 4th, The Caravel Santa Ana, commanded by Hernando de Guevara. The whole was under the command of Alonzo de Ojeda. The expedition set sail in 1502, touched at the Canaries, according to custom, to take in provisions, and then proceeded westward for the shores of the New World. After traversing the Gulf of Paria, and before reaching the Island of Margarita, the Caravel Santa Ana, commanded by Hernando de Guevara, was separated from them, and for sev- eral days the ships were mutiijally seeking each other, in these silent and trackless seas. After they were all reunited they found their provisions growing scanty ; they landed therefore at a part of the coast called Cumana by the natives, but to which, from its beauty and fertility, OjeAa gave the name of Valfermoso. While foraging here for their immediate sup- plies, the idea occurred to Ojeda that he should want furniture and utensils of all kinds for his proposed colony, and that it would be better to pillage them from a country where he was a mere transient visitor, than to wrest them from his neigh- bours in the territory where he was to set up his government. His companions were struck with the policy, if not the justice, of this idea, and they all set to work to carry it into execution. Dispersing themselves, therefore, in ambush in various direc- tions, they at a concerted signal rushed forth from their con- cealment, and set upon the natives. Ojeda had issued orders * Navarrete, t. iii., document x. SECOJyj) VOYAGE OF ALONZO DE OJEDA. 37 to do as little injury and damage as possible, and on no ac- count to destroy the habitations of the Indians. His followers, however, in their great zeal, transcended his orders. Seven or eight Indians were killed and many wounded in the skirmish which took place, and a number of their cabins were wrapped in flames. A great quantity of hammocks, of cotton, and of utensils of various kinds, fell into the hands of the conquerors ; they also captured several female Indians, some of whom were ransomed with the kind of gold called guanin; some were retained by Vergara for himself and his friend Ocampo ; others were distributed among the crews ; the rest, probably the old and ugly, were set at liberty. As to Ojeda, he reserved noth- ing for himself of the spoil excepting a single hammock. The ransom paid by the poor Indians for some of their effects and some of their women, yielded the Spaniards a trifling quantity of gold, but they found the place destitute of pro- visions, and Ojeda was obliged to despatch Vergara in a cara- vel to the island of Jamaica to forage for supplies, with instructions to rejoin him at Maracaibo or Cape de la Vela. Ojeda at length arrived at Coquibacoa, at the port destined for his seat of government. He found the country, however, so poor and sterile, that he proceeded along the coast to a bay which he named Santa Cruz, but which is supposed to be the same at present called Bahia Honda, where he found a Span- iard who had been left in the province of Citarma by Bastides in his late voyage about thirteen months before, and had re- mained ever since among the Indians, so that he had acquired their language. Ojeda determined to form his settlement at this place ; but the natives seemed disposed to defend their territory, for, the moment a party landed to procure water, they were assailed by a galling shower of arrows, and driven back to the ships. Upon this Ojeda landed with all his force, and struck such terror into the Indians, that they came forward with signs of amity, and brought a considerable quantity of gold as a peace- offering, which was graciously accepted. Ojeda, with the concurrence of his associates, now set to work to establish a settlement, cutting down trees, and com- mencing a fortress. They had scarce begun, when they were attacked by a neighbouring cacique, but Ojeda sallied forth upon him with such intrepidity and effect as not merely to de- feat, but to drive him from the neighbourhood. He then pro- ceeded quietly to finish his fortress, which was defended by 38 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. lombards, and contained the magazine of provisions and the treasure amassed in the expedition. The provisions were dealt out twice a day, under the inspection of proper officers ; the treasure gained by barter, by ransom, or by plunder, was deposited in a strong box secured by two locks, one key being kept by the royal supervisor, the other by Ocampo. In the mean time provisions became scarce. The Indians never appeared in the neighbourhood of the fortress, except to harass it with repeated though ineffectual assaults. Vergara did not appear with the expected supphes from Jamaica, and a caravel was despatched in search of him. The people, worn out with labour and privations of various kinds, and dis- gusted with the situation of a settlement, which was in a poor and unhealthy country, grew discontented and factious. They began to fear that they should lose the means of departing, as their vessels were in danger of being destroyed by the broma or worms. Ojeda led them forth repeatedly upon foraging parties about the adjacent country, and collected some pro- visions and booty in the Indian villages. The provisions he • deposited in the magazine, part of the spoils he divided among his followers, and the gold he locked up in the strong box, the keys of which he took possession of, to the great displeasure of the supervisor and his associate Ocampo. The murmurs of the people grew loud as their sufferings increased. They insinu- ated that Ojeda had no authority over this part of the coast, having passed the boundaries of his government, and formed his settlement in the country discovered by Bastides. By the time Vergara arrived from Jamaica, the factions of this petty colony had risen to an alarming height. Ocampo had a per- sonal enmity to the governor arising probably from some feud about the strong box ; being a particular friend of Vergara, he held a private conference with him, and laid a plan to entrap the doughty Ojeda. In pursuance of this the latter was in- vited on board of the caravel of Vergara to see the provisions he had brought from Jamaica, but no sooner was he on board than they charged him with having transgressed the limits of his government, with having provoked the hostihty of the Indians, and needlessly sacrificed the lives of his followers, and above all, with having taking possession of the strong box, in contempt of the authority of the royal supervisor, and with the intention of appropriating to himself all the gains of the enterprise ; they informed him, therefore, of their intention to convey him a prisoner to Hispaniola, to answer to the Gov- SECOND VOYAGE OF ALONZO BE OJEDA. 39 ernor for his offences. Ojeda finding himself thus entrapped, proposed to Vergara and Ocampo that they should return to Spain with such of the crews as chose to accompany them, leaving him with the remainder to prosecute his enterprise. The two recreant partners at first consented, for they were disgusted with the enterprise, which offered httle profit and severe hardships. They agreed to leave Ojeda the smallest of the caravels, with a third of the provisions and of their gains, and to build a row boat for him. They actually began to labour upon the boat. Before ten days had elapsed, however, they repented of the arrangement, the ship-carpenters were ill, there were no caulkers, and moreover, they recollected that as Ojeda, according to their representations, was a defaulter to the crown, they would be liable as l^s sureties, should they re- turn to Spain without him. They Concluded, therefore, that the wisest plan was to give him nothing, but to carry him off prisoner. When Ojeda learned the determination of his wary partners, he attempted to make his escape and get off to St. Domingo, but he was seized, thrown in irons, and conveyed on board of the caravel. The two partners then set sail from Santa Cruz, bearing off the whole community, its captive governor, and the htigated strong box. They put to sea about the beginning of September, and arrived at the western part of the island of Hispaniola. While at anchor within a stone's throw of the land, Ojeda, con- fident in his strength and skill as a swimmer, let himself quietly slide down the side of the ship into the water during the night, and attempted to swim for the shore. His arms were free, but his feet were shackled, and the weight of his irons threatened to sink him. He was obliged to shout for help ; a boat was sent from the vessel to his relief, and the un- fortunate governor was brought back half drowned to his un- relenting partners.* The latter now landed and delivered their prisoner into the hands of Gallego, the commander of the place, to be put at the disposal of the governor of the island. In the mean time the strong box, which appears to have been at the bottom of all these feuds, remained in the possession of Vergara and Ocam- po, who, Ojeda says, took from it whatever they thought proper, without regard to the royal dues or the consent of the * Hist. Gen. rle Adages. Herrera, Hist. Ind, 40 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. royal supervisor. They were all together, prisoner and ac- cusers, in the city of San Domingo, about the end of Septem- ber 1502, when the chief judge of the island, after hearing both parties, gave a verdict against Ojeda that stripped him of all his effects, and brought him into debt to the crown for the royal proportion of the profits of the voyage. Ojeda ap- pealed to the sovereign, and, after some time, was honour- ably acquitted, by the royal council, from all the charges, and. a mandate was issued in 1503, ordering a restitution of his property. It appears, however, that the costs of justice, or rather of the law, consumed his share of the treasure of the strong box, and that a royal order was necessary to libe- rate him from the hands of the governor; so that, Hke too many other litigants, he flfially emerged from the labyrinths of the law a triumphant client but a ruined man. THIRD VOYAGE OF ALONZO DE OJEDA, 41 THIRD VOYAGE OF ALONZO DE QJEDA. CHAPTER I. OJEDA APPLIES FOR A COMMAND— HAS A RIVAL CANDIDATE IN DIEGO DE NICUESA— HIS SUCCESS. For several years after his ruinous, though successful law- suit, we lose all traces of Alonzo de Ojeda, excepting that we are told he made another voyage to the vicinity of Coquibacoa, in 1505. No record remains of this expedition, which seems to have been equally unprofitable with the preceding, for we find him, in 1508, in the island of Hispaniola, as poor in purse, though as proud in spirit, as ever. In fact, however fortune might have favoured him, he had a heedless, squandering dis- position that would always have kept him poor. About this time the cupidity of King Ferdinand was greatly excited by the accounts which had been given by Columbus, of the gold mines of Veragua, in which the admiral fancied he had discovered the Aurea Chersonesus of the ancients, from whence King Solomon procured the gold used in building the temple of Jerusalem. Subsequent voyagers had corroborated the opinion of Columbus as to the general riches of the coast of Terra Firma ; King Ferdinand resolved, therefore, to found regular colonies along that coast and to place the whole under some capable commander. A project of the kind had been conceived by Columbus, when he discovered that region in the course of his last voyage, and the reader may remember the disasters experienced by his brother Don Bartholomew and himself, in endeavouring to establish a colony on the hostile shores of Veragua. The admiral being dead, the person who should naturally have presented himself to the mind of the sovereign for this particular service was Don Bartholomew, but the wary and selfish monarch knew the Adelantado to be as lofty in his terms as his late brother, and preferred to accom- plish his purposes by cheaper agents. He was unwilling, also, 42 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. to increase the consequence of a family, whose vast, but just, claims were already a cause of repining to his sordid and jeal- ous spirit. He looked round, therefore, among the crowd of adventurers, who had sprung up in the school of Cclmnbus, for some individual who might be ready to serve him on more accommodating terms. Among those, considered by their friends as most fitted for this purpose, was Alonzo de Ojeda, for his roving voyages and daring exploits had made him famous among the voyagers ; and it was thought that an apphcation on his part would be attended with success, for he was known to possess a staunch friend at court in the Bishop Fonseca. Unfortunately he was too far distant to urge his suit to the bishop, and what was worse, he was destitute of money. At this juncture there happened to be at Hispaniola the veteran navigator and pilot, Juan de la Cosa, who was a kind of Nestor in all nautical affairs.* The hardy Biscayan had sailed with Ojeda, and had conceived a great opinion of the courage and talents of the youthful adventurer. He had contrived, also, to fill his purse in the course of his cruising, and now, in the gen- erous spirit of a sailor, offered to aid Ojeda. with it in the prosecution of his wishes. His offer was gladly accepted ; it was agi'eed that Jiian de la Cosa should depart for Spain, to promote the appointment of Ojeda to the command of Terra Firma, and, in case of success, should fit out, with his own funds, the necessary armament. La Cosa departed on his embassy ; he called on the Bishop Fonseca, who, as had been expected, entered warmly into the views of his favourite, Ojeda, and recommended him to the ambitious and bigot king, as a man well fitted to promote his empire in the wilderness, and to dispense the blessings of Chris- tianity among the savages. The recommendation of the bishop was usually effectual in the affairs of the New World, and the opinion of the veteran de la Cosa had great weight even with the sovereign; but a * Peter Martyr gives the following weighty testimony to the knowledge and skill of this excellent seaman:—" Of the Spaniards, as many as thought themselves to have any knowledge of what pertained to measure the land and sea, drew cardes (charts) on parchment as concerning these navigations. Of all others they most esteem them which Juan de la Cosa, the companion of Ojeda, and another pilot, called Andres Morales, had set forth, and this as well for the great experience which both had, (to whom these tracks were as well known as the chambers of their own houses,) as also that they were thought to be cunninger in that part of cos- mography which teacheth the description and measuring of the sea."— P. Martyr, Decad. ii, c. 10. THIRD VOYAGE OF ALONZO DE OJEDA. 43 rival candidate to Ojeda had presented himself, and one who had the advantage of higher connexions and greater pecuniary means. This was Diego de Nicuesa, an accomplished courtier of noble birth, who had filled the post of grand carver to Don Enrique Enriquez, uncle of the king. Nature, education, and habit seemed to have combined to form Nicuesa as a complete rival of Ojeda. Like him he was small of stature, but remark- able for symmetry and compactness of form and for bodily strength and activity ; like him he was master at all kinds of weapons, and skilled, not merely in feats of agility but m those graceful and chivalrous exercises, which the Spanish cavaliers of those days had inherited from the Moors ; being noted for his vigour and address in the jousts or tilting matches after the Moresco fashion. Ojeda himself could not surpass him in feats of horsemanship, and particular mention is made of a favourite mare, which he could make caper and carricol in strict cadence to the sound of a viol ; beside all this, he was versed in the legendary ballads or romances of his country, and was renowned as a capital performer on the guitar ! Such were the qualifica- tions of this candidate for a command in the wilderness, as enumerated by the reverend Bishop Las Casas. It is probable, however, that he had given evidence of qualities more adapted to the desired post ; having already been out to Hispaniola in the military train of the late Governor Ovando. Where merits were so singularly balanced as those of Ojeda and Nicuesa, it might have beem difficult to decide ; King Ferdi- nand avoided the dilemma by favouring both of the candidates ; not indeed by furnishing them with ships and money, but by fi:ranting patents and dignities which cost nothing, and might bring rich returns. He divided that part of the continent which lies along the Isthmus of Darien into two provinces, the boundary line run- ning through the Gulf of Uraba. The eastern part, extending to Cape de la Vela, was called New Andalusia, the government of it given to Ojeda. The other, to the west, including Veragua, and reaching to Cape Gracias a Dios, was assigned to Nicuesa. The island of Jamaica was given to the two governors in com- mon, as a place from whence to draw supplies of provisions. Each of the governors w^as to erect two fortresses in his dis- trict, and to enjoy for ten years the profits of all the mines he should discover, paying to the crown one-tenth part the first year, one-ninth the second, one-eighth the third, one-seventh the fourth, and one-fifth part in each of the remaining years. 44 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. Juan de la Cosa, who had been indefatigable in promoting the suit of Ojeda, was appointed his lieutenant in the govern- ment, with the post of Alguazil Mayor of the province. He immediately freighted a ship and two brigantines, in which he embarked with about two hundred men. It was a slender armament, but the purse of the honest voyager was not very deep, and that of Ojeda was empty. Nicuesa, having ampler means, armed four large vessels and two brigantines, furnished them with abundant munitions and supplies, both for the voy- age and the projected colony, enlisted a much greater force, and set sail in gay and vaunting style, for the golden shores of Veragua, the Aurea Chersonesus of his imagination. CHAPTER n. FEUD BETWEEN THE RIVAL GOVERNORS, OJEDA AND NICUESA — A CHALLENGE. — (1509.) The two rival armaments arrived at San Domingo about the same time. Nicuesa had experienced what was doubtless con- sidered a pleasant little turn of fortune by the way. Touching at Santa Cruz, one of the Carribee islands, he had succeeded in capturing a hundred of the natives, whom he had borne off in his ships to be sold as slaves at Hispaniola. This was deemed justifiable in those days, even by the most scimpulous divines, from the belief that the Caribs were all anthropophagi, or man-eaters ; fortunately the opinion of mankind, in this more enlightened age, makes but little difference in atrocity between the cannibal and the kidnapper. Alonzo de Ojeda welcomed with joy the arrival of his nau- tical friend and future lieutenant in the government, the worthy Juan de la Cosa ; still he could not but feel some mor- tification at the inferiority of his armament to that of his rival Nicuesa, whose stately ships rode proudly at anchor in the harbour of San Domingo, He felt, too, that his means were inadequate to the establishment of his intended colony. Ojeda, however, was not long at a loss for pecuniary assist- ance. Like many free-spirited men, who are careless and squandering of their own purses, he had a facility at com- manding the purses of his neighbours. Among the motley population of San Domingo there was a lawyer of some abili- THIRD VOYAGE OF ALONZO DE OJEDA. 45 ties, the Bachelor Martin Fernandez de Enciso, who had made two thousand castillanos by his pleading ;* for it would appear that the spirit of litigation was one of the first fruits of civilized life transplanted to the New World, and flourished surprisingly among the Spanish colonists. Alonzo de Ojeda became acquainted with the Bachelor, and finding him to be of a restless and speculative character, soon succeeded in inspiring him with a contempt for the dull but secure and profitable routine of his oflS.ce in San Domingo, and imbuing him with his own passion for adventure. Above all, he dazzled him with the offer to make him Alcalde Mayor, or chief judge of the provincial government he was about to establish in the wilderness. In an evil hour the aspiring Bachelor yielded to the tempta- tion, and agreed to invest all his money in the enterprise. It was agreed that Ojeda should depart with the armament which had arrived from Spain, while the Bachelor should remain at Hispaniola to beat up for recruits and provide supplies ; with these he was to embark in a ship purchased by liimself , and proceed to join his high-mettled friend at the seat of his in- tended colony. Two rival governors, so well matched as Ojeda and Nicuesa, and both possessed of swelling spirits, pent up in small but active bodies, could not remain long in a little place like San Domingo without some collision. The island of Jamaica, which had been assigned to them in common, fur- nished the first ground of contention ; the province of Darien furnished another, each pretending to include it within the limits of his jurisdiction. Their disputes on these points ran so high that the whole place resounded with them. In talk- ing, however, Nicuesa had the advantage; having been brought up in the court, he was more polished and ceremoni- ous, had greater self-command, and probably perplexed his rival governor in argument. Ojeda was no great casuist, but he was an excellent swordsman, and always ready to fight his way through any question of right or dignity which he could not clearly argue with the tongue ; so h^ proposed to settle the dispute by single combat. Nicuesa, though equally brave, was more a man of the world, and saw the foUy of such arbit- rament. Secretly smiling at the heat of his antagonist, he proposed, as a preliminary to the duel, and to furnish some- thing worth fighting for, that each should deposit five thou- * Equivalent to 10,650 dollars of the present day. 46 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. sand castillanos, to be the prize of the victor. This, as he foresaw, was a temporary check upon the fiery valour of his rival, who did not possess a pistole in his treasury, but prob- ably was too proud to confess it. It is not likely, however, that the impetuous spirit of Ojeda would long have remained in check, had not the discreet Juan de la Cosa interposed to calm it. It is interesting to notice the great ascendency possessed by this veteran navigator over his fiery associate. Juan de la Cosa was a man whose strong natural good sense had been quickened by long and hard experience; whose courage was above all question, but tem- pered by time and trial. He seems to have been personally attached to Ojeda, as veterans who have outlived the rash im- pulse of youthful valour are apt to love the fiery quality in their younger associates. So long as he accompanied Ojeda in his enterprises, he stood by him as a Mentor in council, and a devoted partisan in danger. In the present instance the interference of this veteran of the seas had the most salutary effect ; he prevented the impending duel of the rival governors, and persuaded them to agree that the river Darien should be the boundary line between their respective jurisdictions. The dispute relative to Jamaica was settled by the Admiral Don Diego Columbus himself. He had already felt aggrieved by the distribution of these governments by the king, without his consent or even knowledge, being contrary to the privileges which he inherited from his father, the discoverer. It was in vain to contend, however, w^hen the matter was beyond his reach and involved in technical disputes. But as to the island of Jamaica, it in a manner lay at his own door, and he could not brook its being made a matter of gift to these brawling governors. Witliout waiting the slow and uncertain course of making remonstrances to the king, he took the affair, as a matter of plain right, into his own hands and ordered a brave officer, Juan de Esquibel, the same who had subjugated the province of Higuey, to take possession of that island, with seventy men, and to hold it subject to his command. Ojeda did not hear of this arrangement until he was on the point of embarking to make sail. In the heat of the moment iie loudly defied the power of the admira -, and swore that if he ever found Juan de Esquibel on the island of Jamaica he would strike off his head. The populace present heard this menace, and had too thorough an idea of the fiery and daring character THIRD VOYAGE OF ALONZO DE OJEDA. 47 of Ojeda to doubt that he would carry it into effect. Notwith- standing his bravado, however, Juan de Esquibel proceeded according to his orders to take possession of the island of Jamaica. The squadron of Nicuesa lingered for some time after the sailing of his rival. His courteous and engaging manners^ aided by the rumour of great riches in the province of Vera- gua, where he intended to found his colony, had drawn numer- ous volunteers to his standard, insomuch that he had to pur- chase another ship to convey them. Nicuesa was more of the courtier and the cavalier than the man of business, and had no skill in managing his pecuniary affairs. He had expended his funds with a free and lavish hand, and involved himself in debts which he had not the im- mediate means of paying. Many of his creditors knew that his expedition was regarded with an evil eye by the Admiral, Don Diego Columbus ; to gain favour with the latter, therefore, they threw all kinds of impediments in the way of Nicuesa. Never was an unfortunate gentleman more harassed and dis- tracted by duns and demands, one plucking at his skirts as soon as the other was satisfied. He succeeded, however, in getting all his forces embarked. He had seven hundred men, well chosen and well armed, together with six horses. He chose Lope de Olano to be his captain-general, a seemingly impolitic appointment, as this Olano had been concerned with the notorious Roldan in his rebellion against Columbus. The squadron sailed out of the harbour and put to sea, ex- cepting one ship, which, with anchor a-trip and sails unfurled, waited to receive Nicuesa, who was detained on shore until the last moment by the perplexities which had been artfully multiphed around him. Just as he was on the point of stepping into his boat he was arrested by the harpies of the law, and carried before the Alcalde Mayor to answer a demand for five hundred ducats, which he was ordered to pay on the spot, or prepare to go to prison. This was a thunderstroke to the unfortunate cavaher. In vain he represented his utter incapacity to furnish such a sum at the moment ; in vain he represented the ruin that would accrue to himself and the vast injury to the public service, should he be prevented from joining his expedition. The Al- calde Mayor was inflexible, and Nicuesa was reduced to de- spair. At this critical moment relief came from a most unex- 48 SPAmSE VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. pected quarter. The heart of a public notary was melted by his distress ! He stepped forward in court and declared that rather than see so gallant a gentleman reduced to extremity he himself would pay down the money. Nicuesa gazed at him with astonishment, and could scarcely beUeve his senses, but when he saw him actually pay off the debt, and found himself suddenly released from this dreadful embarrassment, he em- braced his dehverer with tears of gratitude, and hastened with all speed to embark, lest some other legal spell should be laid upon his person. CHAPTER in. EXPLOITS AND DISASTERS OF OJEDA ON THE COAST OF CARTHA- GENA— FATE OF THE VETERAN JUAN DE LA COSA. — (1509.) It was on the 10th of November, 1509, that Alonzo de Ojeda, set sail from San Domingo with two ships, two brigantines, and three hundred,men. He took with liim also twelve brood mares. Among the remarkable adventurers who embarked with him was Francisco Pizarro, who was afterwards re- no wnod as the conqueror of Peru.* Hernando Cortez had hke- wise intended to sail in the expedition, but was prevented by an inflammation in one of his knees. The voyage was speedy and prosperous, and they arrived late in the autumn in the harbour of Carthagena. The veteran Juan de la Cosa was well acquainted with this place, having sailed as pilot with Rodrigo de Bastides, at the time he discov- ered it in 1501. He warned Alonzo de Ojeda to be upon his guard, as the natives were a brave and warlike race, of Carib * Francisco Pizarro was a native of Truxillo in Estremadura. He was the ille- gitimate fruit of an amour between Gonsalvo Pizarro, a veteran captain of in- fantry, and a damsel in low life. His childhood was passed in grovelling occu- pations incident to the humble condition of his mother, and he is said to have been a swineherd. When he had sufficiently increased in years and stature he en- listed as a soldier. His first campaigns may have been against the Moors in the war of Granada. He certainly served in Italy under the banner of the Great Cap- tain, Gonsalvo of Cordova. His roving spirit then induced him to join the bands of adventurers to the New World. He was of ferocious courage, and, when en- gaged in any enterprise, possessed an obstinate perseverance that was neither to be deterred by danger, weakened by fatigue and hardship, or checked by repeated disappointment. After having conquered the great kingdom of Peru, he was as- sassinated, at an advanced age, In 1541, defending himself .bravely to the last. THIRD VOYAGE OF ALONZO DE OJEDA. 49 origin, far different from the soft and gentle inhabitants of the islands. They wielded great swords of palm-wood, defended themselves with osier targets, and dipped their arrows in the subtle poison. The women, as well as the men, mingled in bat- tle, being expert in drawing the bow and throwing a species of iance called the azagay. The warning was well timed, for the Indians of these parts had been irritated by the misconduct of previous adventurers, and flew to arms on the first appearance of the ships. Juan de la Cosa now feared for the safety of the enterprise in which he had person, fortune, and official dignity at stake. He earnestly advised Ojeda to abandon this dangerous neigh- bourhood, and to commence a settlement in the guK of Uraba, where the people were less ferocious, and did not use poisoned weapons. Ojeda was too proud of spirit to alter his plans through fear of a naked foe. It is thought, too, that he had no objection to a skirmish, being desirous of a pretext to make slaves to be sent to Hispaniola in discharge of the debts he had left unpaid.* He landed, therefore, with a considerable part of his force, and a number of friars, who had been sent out to convert the Indians. His faithful lieutenant, being un- able to keep him out of danger, stood by to second him. Ojeda advanced towards the savages, and ordered the friars to read aloud a certain formula which had recently been di- gested by profound jurists and divines in Spain. It began in stately form. "I, Alonzo de Ojeda, servant of the most high and mighty sovereigns of Castile and Leon, conquerors of bar- barous nations, their messenger and captain, do notify unto you, and make you know, in the best way I can, that God our Lord, one and eternal, created the heaven and the earth, and one man and one woman, from whom you and we, and all the people of the earth proceeded, and are descendants, as well as those who shall come hereafter." The formula then went on to declare the fundamental principles of the Cathohc Faith : the supreme power given to St. Peter over the world and all the human race, and exercised by his representative the pope ; the donation made by a late pope of aU this part of the world and aU its inhabitants, to the Cathohc sovereigns of Castile; and the ready obedience which had already been paid by many of its lands and islands and people to the agents and represent atives of those sovereigns. It called upon those savages pres- *Las Casas. pist. Ind. 1. ii. c. 57, MS 50 SPANISH VOYAGES OP DlSCOVmT. ent, therefore, to do the same, to acknowledge the truth of the Christian doctrines, the supremacy of the pope, and the sov- ereignty of the Cathohc King, but, in case of refusal, it de- nounced upon them all the horrors of war, the desolation of their dwellings, the seizure of their property, and the slavery of their wives and children. Such was the extraordinary doc- ument, which, from this time forward, was read by the Span- ish discoverers to the wondering savages of any newly-found country, as a prelude to sanctify the violence about to be in- flicted on them.* When the friars had read this pious manifesto, Ojeda made signs of amity to the natives, and held up glittering presents ; they had already suffered, however, from the cruelties of the white men, and were not to be won by kindness. On the con- trary, they brandished their weapons, sounded their conchs, and prepared to make battle. Juan de la Cosa saw the rising choler of Ojeda, and knew his fiery impatience. He again entreated him to abandon these hostile shores, and reminded him of the venomous weapons of the enemy. It was all in vain : Ojeda confided blindly in the protection of the Virgin. Putting up, as usual, a short prayer to his patroness, he drew his weapon, braced his buckler, and charged furiously upon the savages. Juan de la Cosa followed as heartily as if the battle had been of his own seeking. The Indians were soon routed, a number killed, and several taken prisoners ; on their persons were found plates of gold, but of an inferior quality. Flushed by this triumph, Ojeda took several of the prisoners as guides, and pursued the fiying enemy four leagues into the interior. He was followed, as usual, by his faithful lieutenant, the veteran La Cosa„ continually remon- strating against his useless temerity, but hardily seconding him in the most hare-brained perils. Having penetrated far into the forest, they came to a strong-hold of the enemy, where a numerous force was ready to receive them, armed with clubs, lances, arroAvs, and bucklers. Ojeda led his men to the charge with the old Castilian war cry, "Santiago !" The savages soon took to flight. Eight of their bravest warriors threw them- selves into a cabin, and plied their bows and arrows so vigor- ously, that the Spaniards were kept at bay. Ojeda cried shame upon his followers to be daunted by eight naked men. Stung * The readai- will And the complete form of this cm-ious manifesto in the ap- pendix. THIUn VOYAGE OF ALO.NZO DE OJEDA. 51 by this reproach, an old CastiHan soldier rushed through a shower of arrows, and forced the door of the cabin, but re- ceived a shaft through the heart, and fell dead on the thresh- old. Ojeda, furious at the sight, ordered fire to be set to the combustible edifice ; in a moment it was in a blaze, and the eight warriors perished in the flames. Seventy Indians were made captive and sent to the ships, and Ojeda, regardless of the remonstrances of Juan de la Cosa, continued his rash pursuit of the fugitives through the forest. In the dusk of the evening they arrived at a village called Yurbaco ; the mhabitants of which had fled to the mountains with their wives and children and principal effects. The Span- iards, imagining that the Indians were completely terrified and dispersed, now roved in quest of booty among the deserted houses, which stood distant from each other, buried among the trees. While they were thus scattered, troops of savages rushed forth, with furicTiis yells, from all parts of the forest. The Spaniards endeavoured to gather together and support each other, but every little party was surrounded by a host of foes. They fought with desperate bravery, but for once their valour and their iron armour were of no avail ; they were over- whelmed by numbers, and sank beneath war-clubs and poi- soned arrows. Ojeda on the first alarm collected a few soldiers and en- sconced himself within a smaU enclosure, surrounded by pali- sades. Here he was closely besieged and galled by flights of arrows. He threw himself on his knees, covered himself with his buckler, and, being small and active, managed to protect himself from the deadly shower, but all his companions were slain by his side, some of them perishing in frightful agonies. At this fearful moment the veteran La Cosa, having heard of the peril of his commander, arrived, with a few followers, to his assistance. Stationing himself at the gate of the pahsades, the brave Biscayan kept the savages at bay until most of his men were slain and he himself was severely wounded. Just then Ojeda sprang forth hke a tiger into the midst of the enemy, dealing his blows on every side. La Cosa would have seconded him, but was crippled by his wounds. He took refuge with the remnant of his men in an Indian cabin ; the straw roof of which he aided them to throw off, lest the enemy should set it on fire. Here he defended himself until all his comrades, but one, were destroyed. The subtle poison of his wounds at length overpowered him, and he sank to the ground. Feeling 52 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. death at hand, he called to his only surviving companion. "Brother, "said he, " since God hath protected thee from harm, sally forth and fly, and if ever thou shouldst see Alonzo de Ojeda, teU him of my fate !" Thus f eU the hardy Juan de la Cosa, faithful and devoted to the very last ; nor can we refrain from pausing to pay a pass- ing tribute to his memory. He was acknowledged by his con- temporaries to be one of the ablest of those gallant Spanish navigators who first explored the way to the New World. But it is by the honest and kindly qualities of his heart that his memory is most endeared to us ; it is, above all, by that loyalty in friendship displayed in this his last and fatal expedition. Warmed by his attachment for a more youthful and a hot- headed adventurer, we see this wary veteran of the seas for- getting his usual prudence and the lessons of his experience, and embarking, heart and hand, purse and person, in the wild enterprises of his favourite. We behold him watching over him as a parent, remonstrating with him as a counsellor, but fighting by him as a partisan ; following him, without hesita- tion, into known and needless danger, to certain death itself, and showing no other solicitude in his dying moments but to be remembered by his friend. The histories of these Spanish discoveries abound in noble and generous traits of character, but few have charmed us more than this instance of loyalty to the last gasp, in the death of the staunch Juan de la Cosa. The Spaniard who es- caped to tell the story of his end was the only survivor of seventy that had followed Ojeda in this rash and headlong inroad. CHAPTER IV. ARRIVAL OF NICUESA— VENGEANCE TAKEN ON THE INDIANS. While these disastrous occurrences happened on shore, great alarm began to be felt on board of the ships. Days had elapsed since the party had adventured so rashly into the wil- derness ; yet nothing had been seen or heard of them, and the forest spread a mystery over their fate. Some of the Spaniards ventured a httle distance into the woods, but were deterred by the distant shouts and yells of the savages, and the noise of THIRD VOYAGE OF ALONZO DE OJEDA. 53 their conchs and drums. Armed detachments then coasted the shore in boats, landing occasionally, chmbing the rocks and promontories, firing signal-guns, and sounding trumpets. It was all in vain ; they heard nothing but the echoes of their own noises, or perhaps the wild whoop of an Indian from the bosom of the forest. At length, when they were about to give up the search in despair, they came to a great thicket of man- grove trees on the margin of the sea. These trees grow within the water, but their roots rise, and are intertwined, above the surface. In tlpis entangled and almost impervious grove, they caught a glimpse of a man in Spanish attire. They entered, and, to their astonishment, found it to be Alonzo de Ojeda. He was lying on the matted roots of the mangroves, his buck- ler on his shoulder, and his sword in his hand ; but so wasted with hunger and fatigue that he could not speak. They bore him to the firm land ; made a fire on the shore to warm him, for he was chilled with the damp and cold of his hiding-place, and when he was a little revived they gave him food and wine. In this way he gradually recovered strength to tell his doleful story.* He had succeeded in cutting his way through the host of savages, and attaining the woody skirts of the mountains ; but when he found himself alone, and that all his brave men had been cut oif, he was ready to yield up in despair. Bitterly did he reproach himself for having disregarded the advice of the veteran La Cosa, and deeply did he deplore the loss of that loyal follower, who had fallen a victim to his devotion. He scarce knew which way to bend his course, but continued on, in the darkness of the night and of the forest, until out of hear- ing of the yells of triumph uttered by the savages over the bodies of his men. When the day broke, he sought the rudest parts of the mountains, and hid himself until the night ; then struggling forward among rocks, and precipices, and matted forests, he made his way to the sea-side, but was too much ex- hausted to reach the ships. Indeed it was wonderful that one * The picture here given is so much hke romance, that the author quotes his authority at length:—" Llegaron adonde havia, junto al agua de la mar, unos Man- glares, que son arboles, que siempre nacen, i crecen i permanecen dentro del agua de la mar, con grandes raices, asidas, i enmaranadas unas con otras, i alii metido, i escondido hallaron Sl Alonzo de Ojeda, con su espada en la mano, i la rodela en las espaldas, 1 en ella sobre trecientas senales de flechazos. Estabo descaido de hambre, que no podia hechar de si la habla; i si no fuera tan robusto, aunque chico de cuerpo, fuera muerto." Las Casas. 1. ii. c. 58. MS. Herrara, Hist. Ind. D. i. 1. vii. c. xv. 54 SPAm8H VOYAGES OF DISCO VERY. SO small of frame should have been able to endure such great hardships; but he was of admirable strength and hardihood. His followers considered his escape from death as little less than miraculous, and he himself regarded it as another proof of the special protection of the Virgin ; for, though he had, as usual, received no wound, yet it is said his buckler bore the dints of upwards of three hundred arrows.* While the Spaniards were yet on the shore, administering to the recovery of their commander, thev beheld a squadron of ships standing towards the harbour of Carthagena, and soon perceived them to be the ships of Nicuesa. Ojeda was troubled in mind at the sight, recollecting his late intem- perate defiance of that cavalier; and, reflecting that, should he seek him in enmity, he was in no situation to main- tain his challenge or defend himself. He ordered his men, therefore, to return on board the ships and leave him alone on the shore, and not to reveal the place of his retreat while Nicuesa should remain in the harbour. As the squadron entered the harbour, the boats sallied forth to meet it. The first inquiry of Nicuesa was concerning Ojeda. The followers of the latter rephed, mournfully, that their com- mander had gone on a warlike expedition into the country, but days had elapsed without his return, so that they feared some misfortune had befallen him. They entreated Nibuesa, therefore, to give his word, as a cavalier, that should Ojeda really be in distress, he would not take advantage of his mis- fortunes to revenge himself for their late disputes. Nicuesa, who was a gentleman of noble and generous spirit, blushed with indignation at such a request. ' ' Seek your com- mander instantly, " said he ; " bring him to me if he be alive ; and I pledge myseK not merely to forget the past, but to aid him as if he were a brother, t When they met, Nicuesa received his late foe with open arms. "It is not," said he, "for Hidalgos, like men of vulgar souls, to remember past differences when they behold one an- other in distress. Henceforth, let all that has occurred be- tween us be forgotten. Command me as a brother. Myself and my men are at your orders, to follow you wherever you please, until the deaths of Juan de la Cosa and his comrades are revenged." The spirits of Ojeda were once more lifted up by this gallant , X Las Casas, ubi sup. t Ibid. THIRD VOYAGE OF ALONZO DE OJEDA. ^^ and generous offer. The two governors, no longer rivals, landed four hundred of their men and several horses, and set off with all speed for the fatal village. They approached it in the night, and, dividing their forces into two parties, gave orders that not an Indian should be taken alive. The village was buried in deep sleep, but the woods were filled with large parrots, which, being awakened, made a pro- digious clamour. The Indians, however, thinking the Span- iards aU destroyed, paid no attention to these noises. It was not until their houses were assailed, and wrapped in flames, that they took the alarm. ' They rushed forth, some with arms, some weaponless, but were received at their doors by the exas- perated Spaniards, and either slain on the spot, or driven back into the fire. Women fled wildly forth with children in their arms, but at sight of the Spaniards glittering in steel, and of the horses, which they supposed ravenous monsters, they ran back, shrieking with horror, into their burning habitations. Great was the carnage, for no quarter was sh"'^ endeavoured to cheer up his comnam-onr ''' ^''^''^'''' "^"^^ should proceed westward on fooTL Tar liTve''"^ "W' "^^^ of his intended government, XervW that If tr\*'''ri survived the tempest, they wou^d r,mh«w, • ^'P^ ^""^ place. They accordin^lv Z^ Tff i ^'^'1'?'*^'^ I'epa"- to that thickness of'^thrf^fe "prevented theTt™' '"* ''^^^ ^^^ *'^« Four of the hardiest sSlorr S^to Tea r^T *^ ^"**'"°''- of^^res^d-^n;^^^^^^^^^ &^;i™f^srd\-irs™^g^^^^^^^ across rank fens and mor^^nd drowned tt'rX 7^'^ erse deep and rapid streams ®' ""^ *° *''a^- ereTaL'rttThor?'H.d1ht r' "^^ ^"^ shellfish gath- would have dreaded in 7hl^^ "■ ™^* ^"^ ^""^^ans they for provisio,; tstlh y ould tokr"* '*^*''' ^ ^"^'^ '" *'^''« committed alngthis7oatTfo:L'^,^:;:Xf ^"^ °"*^^^^ dolThtLtTth^sSXh "*4^ ^'•^^ -- - they had not been driten ' I "^tfr^'^''' "^^ ^'^iP^-'-eck, step would take then^ lo muchMrS^'^f """'^ '''"^ "^'^^ fiaven. - ''^■^*'''^' f''<^'» their desired 74 SPANIBB VOYAGES OF DISGOVmY. Still they laboured feebly forward, encouraged by the words and the example of Nicuesa, who cheerfuUy partook of the toils and hardships of the meanest o£ his men. They had slept one night at the foot of impending rocK and were about to resume their weary march m the morning, when they were espied by some Indians from a neighbouring height Among the followers of Nicuesa was a favourite page whose tatteredlnery and white hat caught the -OUick eyes of the savages. One of them immediately singled him out, and takiS a deadly aim, let fly an arrow that laid him expiring at the feet of his Laster. While the generous cav^h^r mourned over his slaughtered page, consternation prevailed among his c:mpanions,'each fearin'g for his own Ufa The In« how^ ever did not follow up this casual act of hostility, but suffered the Spaniards to pui-sue their painfiJ journey — lested^ Arriving one day at the point of a great ''ay that lan fai inland, they were conveyed, a few at a time, "J f « ^f * *« what appeared to be the opposite point. Bemg alHanded, and ilsuming their march, they found to their surprise that they were o/an island, separated from the ™a™ »and by a great arm of the sea. The sailors who managed the boat were too we^ry to take them to the opposite shore; they remained therefore all night upon the island. ^ . . .„ ,.^„„ ^„„ In the morning they prepared to depart, but to then con- sternation, the boat with the four marinei-s had disappeared^ They ran anxiously from point to point, uttermg shouts and cries, in hopes the boat might be in some inlet; they clain- bored the rocks and strained their eyes over the sea. It was aU in vain. No boat was to be seen; no voice responded to their call; it was too evident the four mariners had either per- ished or had deserted them. CHAPTER II. NICUESA AND HIS MEN ON A DESOLATE ISLAND. THE Situation of Nicuesa and his men ^f dreary and des- perate in the extreme. They were on a desolate f ^nd ^^oid^^; ng upon a swampy coast, in a remote and lonely ^'^^'J'^^^ coLnerce never spread a sail. Their '=omPanions in the o^h^ Ships, if still alive and ti-ue to them, had doubtless given them THE VOTAQE OF DIEGO BE NICUESA. 75 up for lost; and many years might elapse before the casual bark of a discoverer might ventiu-e along these shores. Long before that time their fate would be sealed, and their bones bleaching on the sands would alone tell their story. In this hopeless state many abandoned themselves to frantic grief, wandering about the island, wringing their hands and uttering groans and lamentations ; others called upon God for succour, and many sat down in silent and sullen despair. The cravings of hunger and thirst at length roused them to exertion. They found no food but a few shell-fish scattered along the shore, and coarse herbs and roots, some of them of an unwholesome quality. The island had neither springs nor streams of fresh water, and they were fain to slake their thirst at the brackish pools of the marshes. Nicuesa endeavoured to animate his men with new hopes. He employed them in constructing a raft of drift-wood and branches of trees, for the purpose of crossing the arm of the sea that separated them from the main land. It was a difficult task, for they were destitute of tools, and when the raft was finished they had no oars with which to manage it. Some of the most expert swinuners undertook to propel it, but they were too much enfeebled by their sufferings. On their first essay the currents which sweep that coast bore the raft out to sea, and they swam back with difficulty to the island. Having no other chance of escape, and no other means of exercising and keeping up the spirits of his followers, Nicuesa repeatedly ordered new rafts to be constructed, but the result was always the same, and the men at length either grew too feeble to work or renounced the attempt in despair. Thus, day after day and week after week elapsed without any mitigation of suffering or any prospect of relief. Every day some one or other sank under his miseries, a victim not so much to hunger and thirst as to grief and despondency. His . death was envied by his wretched survivors, many of whom were reduced to such debility that they had to crawl on hands and knees in search of the herbs and shell-fish which formed their scanty food. 76 SPANISH VOYAGES OF mSCOVERT, CHAPTER III. ARRIVAL OF A BOAT— CONDUCT OF LOPE DE OLANO. When the unfortunate Spaniards, without hope of succour, began to consider death as a desirable end to their miseries, they were roused to new hfe one day by beholding a sail gleam- ing on the horizon. Their exultation was checked, however, by the reflection how many chances there were against its approaching this wild and desolate island. Watching it with anxious eyes they put up prayers to God to conduct it to their relief, and at length, to their great joy, they perceived that it was steering directly for the island. On a nearer approach it proved to be one of the brigantines that had been commanded by Lope de Olano. It came to anchor : a boat put off, and among the crew were the four sailors who had disappeared so mysteriously from the island. These men accounted in a satisfactory manner for their de- sertion. They had been persuaded that the ships were in some harbour to the eastward, and that they were daily leavir^g them farther behind. Disheartened at the constant, and, in their opinion, fruitless toil which fell to their share in the struggle westward, they resolved to take their own counsel, without risking the opposition of Nicuesa. In the dead of the night, therefore, when their companions on the island were asleep, they had silently cast off their boat, and retraced their course along the coast. After several days' toil they found the brig- antines under the command of Lope de Olano, in the river of Belen, the scene of the disasters of Columbus in his fourth voyage. The conduct of Lope de Olano was regarded with suspicion by his contemporaries, and is still subject to doubt. He is supposed to have deserted Nicuesa designedly, intending to usurp the command of the expedition. Men, however, Avere prone to judge harshly of him from his having been concerned in the treason and rebellion of Francisco Roldan. On the stormy night when Nicuesa stood out to sea to avoid the dan- gers of the shore, Olano took shelter under the lee of an island. Seeing nothing of the caravel of his commander in the morn- ing, he made no effort to seek for it, but proceeded with the »--igantines to the river Chagres, where he found the ships at THE VOYAGE OF DIEGO DE NIGUESA. 77 anchor. They had landed all their cargo, being almost in a sinking condition from the ravages of the worms. Olano per- suaded the crews that Nicuesa had perished in the late storm, and, being his lieutenant, he assumed the command. Whether he had been perfidious or not in his motives, his command was but a succession of disasters. He sailed from Chagres for the river of Belen, where the ships were found so damaged that they had to be broken to pieces. Most of the people construct- ed wretched cabins on the shore, where, during a sudden storm, they were almost washed away by the swelling of the river, or swallowed up in the shifting sands. Several of his men were drov/ned in an expedition in quest of gold, and he himself merely escaped by superior swinnning. Their provi- sions were exhausted, they suffered from hunger and from va- rious maladies, and many perished in extreme misery. All were clamorous to abandon the coast, and Olano set about con- structing a caravel, out of the wreck of the ships, for the pur- pose, as he said, of returning to Hispaniola, though many suspected it was still his intention to persist in the enterprise. Such was the state in which the four seamen had found Olano and his party ; most of them living in miserable cabins and destitute of the necessaries of life. The tidings that Nicuesa was still alive put an end to the sway of Olano. Whether he had acted with truth or perfidy, he now manifested a zeal to relieve his commander, and imme- diately despatched a brigantine in quest of him, which, guided by the four seamen, arrived at the island in the way that has been mentioned. CHAPTER IV. NICUESA REJOINS HIS CREWS. When the crew of the b igantine and the companions of Nicuesa met, they embraced each other with tears, for the hearts, even of the rough mariners, were subdued by the sor- rows they had undergone ; and men are rendered kind to each other by a community of suffering. The brigantine had brought a quantity of palm nuts, and of such other articles of food as they had been able to procure along the coast. These the famished Spaniards devoured with such voracity that Nicuesa was obliged to interfere, l^^f fh^v should injure them- 78 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. selves. Nor was the supply of fresh water less gratehil to their parched and fevered palates. When sufficiently revived, they all abandoned the desolate island, and set sail for the river Belen, exulting as joyfully as if their troubles were at an end, and they were bound to a haven of delight, instead of merely changing the scene of suffering and encountering a new variety of horrors. In the mean time Lope de Olano had been dihgently prepar- ing for the approaching interview with his commander, by persuading his fellow officers to intercede in his behalf, and to place his late conduct in the most favourable light. He had need of their intercessions. Nicuesa arrived, bm-ning with indignation. He ordered him to be instantly seized and pim- ished as a traitor ; attributing to his desertion the ruin of the enterprise and the sufferings and death of so many of his brave followers. The fellow captains of Olano spoke in his favour ; but Nicuesa turned indignantly upon them: ''You do well," cried he, "to supphcate mercy for him; you, who, yourselves, have need of pardon! You have pai-ticipated in his crime; why else have you suffered so long a time to elapse without compelling him to send one of the vessels in search of me?" The captains now vindicated themselves by assm'ances of their behet in his having fomidered at sea. They reiterated their supplications for mercy to Olano; drawing the most affecting pictures of their past and present sufferings, and urging the impolicy of increasing the horrors of their situation by acts of severity. Nicuesa at length was prevailed upon to spare his victim ; resolving to send him, by the first opportun- ity, a prisoner to Spain. It appeared, in truth, no time to add to the daily blows of fate that were thinning the number of his followers. Of the gallant armament of seven hundred resolute and effective men that had sailed with him from San Domingo, four hundred had already perished by various miseries ; and of the survivors, many could scarcely be said to live. CHAPTER V. SUFFERINGS OF NICUESA AND HIS MEN ON THE COAST OF THE ISTHMUS. The first care of Nicuesa, on resuming the general com m and, was to take >T^e<»«nr^s for the relief of his people, w^-^ ^0^/* 'riiE voYAuh: OF Dimo dh mcuesa. 79 perishing with famine and disease. All those who were in health, or who had strength sufficient to bear the least fatigue, were sent on foraging parties among the fields and villages of the natives. It was a service of extreme peril ; for the Indians of this part of the coast were fierce and warlike, and were the same who had proved so formidable to Columbus and his brother when they attempted to found a settlement in this neighbourhood. Many of the Spaniards were slain in these expeditions. Even if they succeeded in collecting provisions, the toil of bringing them to the harbour was worse to men in their enfeebled con- dition than the task of fighting for them ; for they were obliged to transport them on their backs, and, thus heavily laden, to scramble aver rugged rocks, through almost impervious forests, and across dismal swamps. Harassed by these perils and fatigues, they broke forth into murmurs against their commander, accusing him, not merely of indifference to their sufferings, but of wantonly* imposing severe and unnecessary tasks upon them out of revenge for their having neglected him. The genial temper of Nicucsa had, in fact, been soured by disappointment ; and a series of harassing cares and evils had rendered him irritable and impatient ; but he was a cavalier of a generous and honourable nature, and does not appear to have enforced any services that were not indispensable to the com- mon safety. In fact, the famine had increased to such a degree, that, we are told, thirty Spaniards, having on one occasion found the dead body of an Indian in a state of decay, they were driven by hunger to make a meal of it, and Avere so infected by the horrible repast, that not one of them survived.* Disheartened by these miseries, Nicuesa determined to aban- don a place which seemed destined to be the grave of Span- iards. Embarking the greater part of his men in the two brigantines and the- caravel which had been built by Olano, he set sail eastward in search of some more favourable situation for his settlement. A number of the men remained behind to await the ripening of some maize and vegetables which they had sown. These he left under the command of Alonzo Nunez, whom he nominated his Alcalde Mayor. When Nicuesa had coasted about four leagues to the east, a Genoese sailor, who had been with Columbus in his last voy- * Herrera, Hist. lud. D. i, ftpd viii. c. 80 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVEUY. age, informed him that there was a fine harbour somewhere in that neighbourhood, which had pleased the old admiral so highly that he had given it the name of Puerto Bello. He added that they might know the harbour by an anchor, half buried in the sand, which Columbus had left there; near to which was a fountain of remarkably cool and sweet water springing up at the foot of a large tree. Nicuesa ordered search to be made along the coast, and at length they found the anchor, the fountain, and the tree. It was the same har- bour which bears the name of Portobello at the present day. A number of the crew were sent on shore in search of provi- sions, but were assailed by the Indians ; and, being too weak to wield their weapons with their usual prowess, were driven back to the vessels with the loss of several slain or wounded. Dejected at these contmual misfortunes, Nicuesa continued his voyage seven leagues farther, until he came to the harbour to which Columbus had given the name of Puerto de Bastimi- entos, or Port of Provisions. It presented an advantageous situation for a fortress, and was surrounded by a fruitful coun- try. Nicuesa resolved to make it his abiding place. "Here," said he, " let us stop, en el nombre de DiosP^ (in the name of God.) His followers, with the superstitious feeling with which men in adversity are prone to interpret every thing into omens, persuaded themselves that there was favourable augury in his words, and called the harbour "Nombre de Dios," which name it afterwards retained. Nicuesa now landed, and, drawing his sword, took solemn possession in the name of the Catholic sovereigns. He im- mediately began to erect a fortress to protect his people against the attacks of the savages. As this was a case of exi- gency, he exacted the labour of every one capable of exertion. The Spaniards, thus equally distressed by famine and toil, for- got their favourable omen, cursed the place as fated to be their grave, and called down imprecations on the head of their com- mander, who compelled them to labour when ready to sink with hunger and debility. Those murmured no less who were sent in quest of food, v/hich was only to be gained by fatigue and bloodshed; for, whatever they collected, they had to transport from great distances, and they were frequently waylaid and assaulted by the Indians. When he could spare men for the purpose, Nicuesa de- spatched the caravel for those whom he had left at the river Belen. Many of them had perished, and the survivors had TUE VOYAGE OP PtEGO DH NiCUESA. 81 been reduced to such famine at times as to eat all kinds of reptiles, until a part of an alligator was a banquet to them. On mustering all his forces when thus united, Nicuesa found that but one hundred emaciated and dejected wretches re- mained. He despatched the caravel to Hispaniola, to bring a quan- tity of bacon which he had ordered to have prepared there, but it never returned. He ordered Gonzalo de Badajos, at the head of twenty men, to scour the country for provisions; but the Indians had ceased to cultivate ; they could do with little food, and could subsist on the roots and wild fruits of the forest. The Spaniards, therefore, found deserted villages and barren fields, but lurking enemies at every defile. So deplorably were they reduced by their sufferings, that at length there were not left a sufficient number in health and strength to mount guard at night; and the fortress remained without sentinels. Such was the desperate situation of this once gay and gallant cavalier, and of his brilliant armament, which but a f ew^ months before had salhed from San Domingo, flushed with the consciousness of power and the assurance that they had the means of compelling the favours of fortune. It is necessary to leave them for a while, and turn our atten- tion to other events which will ultimately be found to bear upon their destinies. CHAPTER VI. EXPEDITION OF THE BACHELOR ENCISO IN SEARCH OF THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT OF OJEDA. — (1510.) In calling to mind the narrative of the last expedition of Alonzo de Ojeda, the reader will doubtless remember the Bachelor Martin Fernandez de Enciso, who was inspired by that adventurous cavaher with an ill-starred passion for colonizing, and freighted a vessel at San Domingo with rein- forcements and supplies for the settlement at San Sebastian. When the Bachelor was on the eve of sailing, a number of the loose hangers-on of the colony, and men encumbered with debt, concerted to join his ship from the coast and the out- ports. Their creditors, however, getting notice of their inten- tion, kept a close watch upon every one that went on board B2 sPANisji vovAaE^s 01'' niscoVEiiY. while in the harbour, and obtained an armed vessel from the Admii-al Don Diego Columbus, to escort the enterprishig Bach- elor clear of the island. One man, however, contrived to elude these precautions, and as he afterwards rose to great importance, it is proper to notice him particularly. His name was Vasco Nuiiez de Balboa. He was a native of Xeres de los Caballeros, and of a noble though impoverished family. He had been brought up in the service of Don Puerto Carrero, Lord of Moguer, and he afterwards enlisted among the adven- turers who accompanied Rodrigo de Bastides in his voyage of discovery. Peter Martyr, in his Latin decades, speaks of him by the appellation of "egregius digladiator, " which has been interpreted by some as a skilful swordsman, by others as an adroit fencing master. He intimates, also, that he was a mere soldier of fortune, of loose prodigal habits, and the circum- stances under which he is first introduced to us justify this character. He had fixed himself for a time in Hispaniola, and undertaken to cultivate a farm at the town of Salvatierra, on the sea coast, but in a little time had completely involved him- self in debt. The expedition of Enciso presented him with an opportunity of escaping from his embarrassments, and of in- dulging his adventurous habits. To elude the vigilance of his creditors and of the armed escort, he concealed himself in a cask, which was conveyed from his farm on the sea coast on board of the vessel, as if containing provisions for the voyage. When the vessel was fairly out at sea, and abandoned by the escort, Vasco Nunez emerged like an apparition from his cask, to the great surprise of Enciso, who had been totally ignorant of the stratagem. The Bachelor was indignant at being thus outwitted, even though he gained a recruit by the deception ; and in the first ebullition of his wrath gave the fugitive debtor a very rough reception, threatening to put him on shore on the first uninhabited island they should encounter. Vasco Nunez, however, succeeded in pacifying him, "for God," says the venerable Las Casas, ' ' reserved him for greater things. " It is probable the Bachelor beheld in him a man well fitted for his expedition, for Vasco Nuiiez was in the prime and vigour of his days, tall and muscular, seasoned to hardships, and of intrepid spirit. Arriving at the main land, they touched at the fatal harbour of Carthagena, the scene of the sanguinary conflicts of Ojeda and Nicuesa with the natives, and of the death of the brave Juan de la Oosa. Enciiso was ignorant of those events, having ha(i THE VOYAGE OF DIEGO BE NICUESA. 83 no tidings from those adventurers since their departure from San Domingo; without any hesitation, therefore, he landed a number of his men to repair his boat, which was damaged, and to procure water. While the men were working upon the boat, a multitude of Indians gathered at a distance, well armed, and with menacing aspect, sounding their shells and brandishing their weapons. The experience they had had of the tremendous powers of the strangers, however, rendered them cautious of attacking, and for three days they hovered in this manner about the Spaniards, the latter bemg obliged to keep continually on the alert. At length two of the Spaniards ventured one day from the main body to fill a water cask from the adjacent river. Scarcely had they reached the margin of the stream, when eleven savages sprang from the thickets and surrounded them, bending their bows and pointing then- arrows In this way they stood for a moment or two m fear- ful suspense, the Indians refraining from discharging their shafts, but keeping them constantly pointed at their breasts. One of the Spaniards attempted to escape to his comrades, who were repairing the boat, but the other called him back, and understanding something of the Indian tongue, addressed a few amicable words to the savages. The latter, astonished at being spoken to in their own language, now relaxed a little from their fierceness, and demanded of the strangers who they were, who were their leaders, and what they sought upon their shores. The Spaniard replied that they were harmless people who came from other lands, and merely touched there through necessity, and he wondered that they should meet them with such hostility; he at the same time warned them to beware, as there would come many of his countrymen well armed, and v/ould wreak terrible vengeance upon them for any nuschief they might do. While they were thus parleying, the Bachelor Enciso, hearing that two of his men were surrounded by the savages, sallied instantly from his ship, and hastened with an armed force to their rescue. As he approached, however, the Spaniard who had held the parley made him a signal that the natives were pacific. In fact, the latter had supposed that this was a new invasion of Ojeda and Nicuesa, and had thus arrayed themselves, if not to take vengeance for past out- rages, at least to defend their houses from a second desolation. When they were convinced, however, that these were a totaUy different band of strangers, and without hostile intentions, their animosity was at an end; they threw by their weapons 84 SPANISB V0TAGB8 OF DISCOVERT. and came forward with the most confiding frankness. Dunne the whole time that the Spaniards remained there thev treated them with the greatest friendship, supplying them with bread made from maize, with saJted fish, Xd 4th tte fermented and spirituous beverages common along that coast Such was the magnanimous conduct of men who were ro,, sidered among the most ferocious and warhke of these savase nations; and who but recently had beheld their shores T vaded, their viUages ravaged and burnt, and their friends and relations butchered, without regard to age or sex by X countrymen of these very strangers. When we recaU the bloody andindiscriminate vengeance wreaked upon this people by Ojeda and his followers for their justifiabte resistance of invasion and compare it with their placable and considerate spmt when an opportunity for revenge presented itself we confess we feel a momentary doubt whether the arbitrar; I! pellation of savage is always applied to the right party CHAPTER Vn. THE BACHELOE HEARS UNWELCOME TIDINGS OP HIS DESTINED JURISDICTION. Not long after the arrival of Enciso at this eventful harbour he.was surprised by the circumstance of a brigantine enterW and coming to anchor. To encounter an European saU In tW ™rncrb,itT T' T "'"^•^" '-' -"^--nd striMng *! currence, but the astonishment of the Bachelor was mingled with alarm when, on boarding the brigantine, he founffl H was manned by a number of the men who had embarked wth Ojeda. His first idea was, that they had mutinied aSnst tMr commander, and deserted with the vessel. The feehnS of thl magistrate were aroused within him by the suspki3n and he determined to take his flret step as Alcalde Mayor by seizing tZ''w'f''''l^ °" ^""^ *^^ severity of the fe^f He af tered his tone, however, on conversing with their iwlte commander. This was no other than FranrW^ lesolute whom Ojeda had left as his locum tenensTsTsebX:' and who showed the Bachelor his letter patent, dgned by tha* unfortunate governor. In fact, the little hvis^nt^TcolJJzl the sad remnant of the once vaunted colonf. After tWe THE VOYAGE OF DIEGO DE NICUE8A. 85 mrtureof Ojeda in the pirate ship, his followers, whom he had left behind under the command of Pizarro, contmued in the fortress until the stipulated term of fifty days had expired. Receiving: no succour, and hearing no tidmgs of Oaeda they then determined to embark and sail for Hispaniola; but here anunthought-of difficulty presented itself: fey were seventy innumber^and the two brigantines which had been left with - them were incapable of taking so many. They came to the forlorn agreement, therefore, to remain until famine sickness, and the poisoned arrows of the Indians should reduce their mimbertothe capacity of the brigantines. A brief space of time was sufficient for the purpose. They then prepared for the voyage Four mares, which had been kept ahve as ter- rors to the Indians, were killed and salted for sea-stores Then takinp- whatever other articles of provision remained, they em- bafked and made sail. One brigantine was commanded by Pizarro, the other by one Valenzuela. They had not proceeded far when, in a storm, a sea struck the crazy vessel of Valenzuela with such violence as to cause it to founder with all its crew. The other brigantme was so near that the mariners witnessed the struggles of their drown- ing companions and heard their cries. Some of the sailors ^vith the common disposition to the marvellous, declared that they had beheld a great whale, or some other monster of the deep strike the vessel with its tail, and either stave m its sides or shatter the rudder, so as to cause the shipwreck * The sur- viving brigantine then made the best of its way to the harbour of Carthagena, to seek provisions. , ^ ,, -o , i u Such was the disastrous account rendered to the Bachelor by Pizarro of his destined jurisdiction. Enciso, however, was ot a confident mind and sanguine temperament, and trusted to restore all things to order and prosperity on his arrival. CHAPTER VIII. CRUSADE OF THE BACHELOR ENCISO AGAINST THE SEPULCHRES OF ZENU. The Bachelor Enciso, as has been shown, was a man of the sword as well as of the robe; ha vine; doubtless imbibed a pas- * Herrera, Hist. lud. d. i. 1. vii. c, 10, 86 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. Bion for military exploit from his intimacy with the discov- erers. Accordingly, while at Carthagena, he was visited by an impulse of the kind, and undertook an enterprise that would have been worthy of his friend Ojeda. He had been told by the Indians that about twenty-five leagues to the west lay a provmce called Zenu, the mountains of which abounded with the finest gold. This was washed down by torrents during the ramy season, in such quantities that the natives stretched nets across the rivers to catch the largest particles; some of which were said to be as large as eggs. ^J^^ '1^^ ""^ ^^^"^^ ^"^^^ '"^ ^^*^ captivated the imagination of the Bachelor, and his cupidity was stHl more excited by further accounts of this wealthy province. He was told that Zenu was the general place of sepulture of the Indian tribes through- out the country, whither they brought their dead, and buried them, according to their custom, decorated with their most precious ornaments. It appeared to him a matter of course, therefore, that there must be an immense accumulation of riches in the Indian tombs, from the golden ornaments that had been buried with the dead through a long series of generations. Fired with the thought, he determined to make a foray into this province and to sack the sepulchres ! Neither did he feel any compunc- tion at the Idea of plundering the dead, considering the de- ceased as pagans and infidels, who had forfeited even the sanctuary of the grave, by having been buried according to the rites and ceremonies of their idolatrous; religion Enciso, accordingly, made sail from Carthagena and landed with his forces on the coast of Zeiiu. Here he was proniptiv opposed by two caciques, at the head of a large band of war- riors. The Bachelor, though he had thus put' on the soldier retained sufficient of the spirit of his former calling not to enter into quarrel without taking care to have the law on his side- he proceeded regularly, therefore, according to the legal form^ recently enjoined by the crown. He caused to be read and interpreted to the caciques the same formula used by Oieda expounding the nature of the Deity, the supremacy of the pope' and the right of the Catholic sovereigns to all these lands, by virtue of a grant from his holiness. The caciques listened to the whole very attentively and without interruption, accord- ing to the laws of Indian courtesy. They then replied that, as to the assertion that there was but one God, the sovereign of heaven and earth, it seemed to them good, and that such mus^ Tim VOYAOK OF DIKGO Jll? ^'/Cl/eSA. 8t be the case; but as to the doctrine that the pope was regent of the world in place of God, and that he had made a grant o£ their country to the Spanish king, they observed that the pope must have been drunk to give away what was not his, and the king must have been somewhat mad to ask at his hands what belonged to others. They added, that they were lords of those lands and needed no other sovereign, and if this king should come to take possession, they would cut off his head and put it on a pole; that being their mode of dealing with their enemies. - \s an illustration of this custom they pointed out to Enciso the very uncomfortalile spectacle of a row of grizzly heads im- naled in the neighbourhood. , Nothing daunted either by the reply or the illustration, the Bachelor menaced them with war and slavery as the conse- quences of their refusal to believe and submit. They replied by threatening to put his head upon a pole as a-representatiye of his sovereign. The Bachelor, having furnished them with the law, now proceeded to the commentary. He attacked the Indians, routed them, and took one of the caciques prisoner but in the skirmish two of his men were slightly wounded with poisoned arrows, and died raving with torment. ' ^ It does not appear, however, that his <^™fde against tte se- pulchres was attended with any hicrative advantage^ Peihaps the experience he had received of the hostility of the natives and of the fatal effects of their poisoned arrows, prevented his nenetrating into the land with his scanty force. Certain it is ^reputed wealth of Zenu, and the tale of its fishery tor gold with nets, remained unascertained and uncontradicted, and were the cause of subsequent and disastrous enterpnses. ihe Bachelor contented himself with his -i''t°'-y' ^" V^^^TIov- his ships, prepared to continue his voyage for the «eat of gov ei-nment er4ablished by 0.ieda m the Gulf of Uraba. . The .tb,.v. ancclote is related by the Bachelor Euciso himself in a geographical as reported by the ^^^^'^^'^^l^^J^^^^ erra^y que era^enor de todo que les pedia lo que era de otros," etc. fi8 f'PAm.m roTAGBs of jdiscoyebt. .CHAPTER IX. THE BACHELOR ARRIVES AT SAN SEBASTIAN-HIS DISA.STEES THERE, AND SUBSEQUENT EXPLOITS AT DAEIEN. It was not without extreme difficulty, and the peremptory exercise of his authority as Alcalde Mayor, that Enciso prj^ vailed upon the crew of Pizarro to return witii him to the fated shores of San Sebastian. He at length arrived in sigh o the ong-wished-for seat of his anticipated power and authoritv but here he was doomed like his principal, Ojeda to meet w h nothing but misfortune. On entering the harbour his v^sse struck on a rock on the eastern point. The rapid currents and tumultuous wa..es rent it to pieces; the crew escaned Ji^b gi-eatdifflculty to the brigantiniof Pizarro; rilleloTchees* and biscuit, and a smaU part of the arms were saved biftth^ hoi-ses, mares swme, and all other colonial supplies were swept away, and the unfortunate Bachelor beheld the pioceeTs of several years of prosperous litigation swallowed u^i, in ^ i° His dream of place and dignity seemed equaUy on the point of vanishing, for, on landing, he found the fm-tress and i?s tlSbyriXns'^^^^^ '' ™^"^' •^^^^-^ ^- ^---'^ For a few days the Spaniards maintained themselves with palm nuts, and with the flesh of a kind of wild swine, of wILh they met with several herds. Thesesupphes failing, theBlche lor sallied forth with a hundred men to forage fhe counW They were waylaid by three Indians, who discharged all the arrows in their qmvers with incredible rapidity, wounded « ^ThTs^ ""V'^"; ^'^r''''' -ifJnessVt defl d pmsuit. The Spaniards returned to the harbour in dismay All their dread of the lurking savages and their poisoned weal oiTf orSeT "' '""'*'' "P°" ^"""•^^'^''"^ ^ P'-« --'^"^ The Bachelor Enciso was himself disheartened at the situation of this boa-sted capital of San Sebastian ;-but whither couW he go where t^e same misfortunes might not attend him? In this moment of doubt and despondency, Vasco Nuiiez, the same cask, stepped forward to give counsel. He informed the THE VOTAGE OF DIEOO DE NIGUESA. 89 Bachelor that several years previously he had sailed along that coast with Rodrigo de Bastides. They had explored the whole giilf Oi Uraba ; and he well remembered an Indian village situ- ated on the western side, on the banks of a river which the natives called Darien. The country around was fertile and abundant, and was said to possess mines of gold ; and the na- tives, though a warlike race, never made use of poisoned weapons. He offered to guide the Bachelor to this place, where they might get a supply of provisions, and even found their colony. The Spaniards hailed the words of Vasco Nunez as if reveal- ing a land of promise. The Bachelor a,dopted his advice, and, guided by him, set sail for the village, determined to eject the inhabitants and take possession of it as the seat of government. Arrived at the river, he landed, put his men in martial array, and marched along the banks. The place was governed by a brave cacique named Zemaco. When he heard of the approach of the Spaniards, he sent off the women and children to a place of safety, ajid posting himself with five hundred of his warriors on a height, prepared to give the intruders a warm reception. The Bachelor was a discoverer at all points, pious, daring, and rapacious. On beholding this martial array he recommended himself and his folloAvers to God, making a vow in their name to " Our Lady of Antigua," whose image is adored with great devotion in Seville, that the first church and town which they built should be dedicated to her, and that they Avould make a pilgrimage to Seville to offer the spoils of the heathen at her shrine. Having thus endeavoured to propitiate the favour of Heaven, and to retain the Holy Virgin in his cause, he next proceeded to secure the fidelity of his follower^. Doubting that they might have some lurking dread of poisoned arrows, he exacted from them all an oath that they would not turn their backs upon the foe, whatever might happen. Never did warrior enter into battle with more preliminary forms and covenants than the Bachelor Enciso. All these points being arranged, he assumed the soldier, and attacked the enemy with such valour, that though they made at first a show of fierce resistance, they were soon put to flight, and many of them slain. The Bachelor entered the village in triumph, took pos- session of it by unquestionable i-iglit of conquest, and plundered all the hamlets and houses of the surrounding country ; collect- ing great quantities of food and cotton, with bracelets, anklets, plates, and other ornaments of gold, to the value of ten thou- 90 SPANliSH VOYAGES iji' DISCO VhJBT. sand castellanos.* His heart was wonderfully elated by his victory and his booty ; his followers, also, after so many hard- ships and disasters, gave themselves up to joy at this turn of good fortune, and it was unanimously agreed that the seat of government should be established in this village ; to which, in fulfilment of his vow, Enciso gave the name of Santa Maria' de la Antigua del Darien. CHAPTER X. THE BACHELOR ENCISO UNDERTAKES THE COMMAND— HIS DOWN- FALL. The Bachelor Enciso now entei'ed upon the exercise of his civil functions as Alcalde Mayor, and Lieutenant of the absent governor, Ojeda. His first edict was stern and peremptory; he forbade all trafiicking with the natives for gold, on private account, under pain of death. This was in conformity to royal command ; but it was little palatable to men who had engaged in the enterprise in the hopes of enjoying free trade, laAvless liberty, and golden gains. They murmured among themselves, and insinuated that Enciso intended to reserve all the profit to himself. Vasco Nuiiez was the first to take advantage of the general discontent. He had risen to consequence among his feUow- adventurers, from having guided them to this place, and from his own intrinsic quahties, being hardy, bold, and intelligent, and possessing the random spirit and open-handed generosity common to a soldier of fortune, and calculated to dazzle and delight the multitude. He bore no good will to the Bachelor, recollecting his threat ^of landing him on an uninhabited island, when he escaped in a cask from San Domingo. He sought, therefore, to make a party against him, and to unseat him from his command. He attacked him in his own way, with legal weapons, questioning the legitimacy of his pretensions. The boundary Hne,'he ob- served, which separated the jurisdictions of Ojeda and Nicuesa, ran through the centre of the gulf of Uraba. The village of Darien lay on the wcsteiii ride, which had been allotted to * Equivalent to a preseut sum of 53.:?59 dollnrs THE VOYAGE OF DIEGO DE NIGUESA. 91 Nicuc^a. Eiiciso, therefore, as Alcalde Mayor and Lieutenant of Ojeda, could have no jurisdiction here, and his assumed authority was a sheer usurpation. The Spaniards, already incensed at the fiscal regulations of Enciso, were easily convinced ; so with one accord they refused allegiance to him; and the unfortunate Bachelor found the chair of authority to which he had so fondly and anxiously aspired, suddenly wrested from under him, before he had well time to take his seat. CHAPTER XI. PERPLEXITIES AT THE COLONY — ARRIVAL OF COLMENARES. To depose the Bachelor had been an easy matter, for most men are ready to assist in pulling down ; but to choose a suc- cessor was a task of far more difficulty. The people at first agreed to elect mere civil magistrates, and accordingly appointed Vasco Nunez and one Zamudio as alcaldes, together with a cavalier of some merit of the name of Valdivia, as regidor. They soon, however, became dissatisfied with this arrangement, and it was generally considered advisable to vest the authority in one person. Who this person should be, w^as now the question. Some proposed Nicuesa, as they were within his province ; others were strenuous for Vasco Nufiez. A violent dispu^ ensued, which was carried on with such heat and obstinacy, that many, anxious for a quiet life, declared it would be better to reinstate Enciso until the pleasure of the king should be known. In the height of these factious altercations the Spaniards were aroused one day by the thundering of cannon from the opposite side of the gulf, and beheld columns of smoke rising from the hills. Astonished at these signals of civilized man on these wild shores, they replied in the same manner, and in a short time two ships were seen standing across the gulf. They proved to be an armament commanded by one Rodrigo de Colmenares, and were in search of- Nicuesa, with supplies. They had met with the usual luck of adventurers on this dis- astrous coast, storms at sea and savage foes on shore, and many of their number had fallen by poisoned arrows. Col- menares had touched at San Sebastian to learn tidings of 9^ SPANISH VOTAOES OF DiSCOVEnT. Nicuesa; but, finding the fortress in ruins, had made sisals m hopes of being heard by the Spaniards, should they be yet hngenng m the neighbourhood. .Vl^ f^I^^.^'l Colmenares caused a temporary suspension of the feuds of the colonists. He distributed provisions among them and gamed their hearts. Then, representing the legiti- mate right of Nicuesa to the coimnand of all that part of the coast as a governor appointed by the king, he persuaded the greater part of the people to acknowledge his authority It was generaUy agreed, therefore, that he should cruise along the coast m search of Nicuesa, and that Diego de Albitez and an active member of the law, called the Bachelor Corral should accompany him as ambassadors, to invite that cavaher to come and assume the govermnent of Darien. CHAPTER Xn. COLMENARES GOES IN QUEST OF NICUESA. RoDRiGo DE Colmenares proceeded along the coast to the westward, looking into every bay and harbour, but for a Ion- time without success. At length one day he discovered a W- antmeatasmall island in the sea. On making up to it he found that It was part of the armament of Nicuesa, and had been sent out by him to forage for provisions. By this vessel he was piloted to the port of Nombre de Dios, L nomTna capital of the unfortunate governor, but which was so ur rounded and overshadowed by forests, that he might have passed by without noticing it. . The arrival of Colmenares was welcomed with transports and tears of joy It was scarcely possible for him to recognLe the once buoyant and briUiant Nicuesa in the squalid and de misetTf 'at^' ^'"- ^% ""^ ""^'^^ ^ '^' most abject misery. Of all his once gallant and powerful band of fol- lowers but sixty men remained, and those so feeble, yellow tTem!* ' ^^^-^^g^-^' ^h^t it was piteous to "behold intenor. They fou.d there the ruined fort of ^iou.ZZSZl'^l^Z'^l 'THK VOYAGE OF DIEGO BE NICUESA. 93 Colmenares distributed food among them, and told them that he had come to convey them to a plenteoiuj country, and one rich in gold. When Nicuesa heard of the settlement al Darien, and that the inhabitants had sent for him to come and govern them, he was as a man suddenly revived from death. All the spirit and munificence of the cavalier again awakened in him. He gave a kind of banquet that very day to Colme- nares and the ambassadors, from the provisions brought in the ship. He presided at his table with his former hilarity, and displayed a feat of his ancient office as royal carver, by hold- ing up a fowl in the air and dissecting it with wonderful adroitness. Well would it have been for Nicuesa haft the sudden buoy- ancy of his feelings carried him no further, but adversity had not taught him prudence. In conversing with the envoys about the colony of Darien, he already assumed the tone of governor, and began to disclose the kind of policy with which he intended to rule. When he heard that great quantities of gold had been collected and retained by private individuals, his ire was kindled. He vowed to make them refund it, and even talked of punishing them for trespassing upon the privi- leges and monopolies of the crown. This was the very error that had unseated the Bachelor Enciso from his government, and it was a strong measure for one to threaten who as yet was governor but in expectation. The menace was not lost upon the watchful ambassadors Diego de Albitez and the Bachelor Corral. They were put still more on the alert by a conversa- tion which they held that very evening with Lope de Olano, who was still detained a prisoner for his desertion, but who found means to commune with the envoys, and to prejudice them against his unsuspecting commander. "Take warning," said he, ' ' by my treatment. I sent relief to Nicuesa and rescued him from death when starving on a desert island. Behold my recompense. He repays me with imprisonment and chains. Such is the gratitude the people of Darien may look for at his hands !" The subtle Bachelor Corral and his 'fellow envoy laid these matters to heart, and took their measures accordingly. They bones, and crosses erected oft heaps of stones, dismal mementos of his followers who had perished of hunger; the sight of which struck such horror and dismay into the hearts of the soldiers that they would have abandoned their enterprise, had not their intrepid captain immediately sent away the ships, and thus deprived them or the means of retreating.— fZerrera, d. xi. 1, i. 94 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. hurried their departure before Nicuesa, and setting all sail on their caravel, hastened back to Darien. The moment they arrived they sTinimoned a meeting of the principal inhabitants " A blessed change we have made," said they, "in summoning this Diego de Nicuesa to the command ! We have called in the stork to take the rule, who will not rest satisfied until he has devoured us." They then related, with the usual exaggeration the unguarded threats that had fallen from Nicuesa, and instanced his treatment of Olano as a proof of a tyrannous and ' ungrateful disposition. The words of the subtle Bachelor Corral and his associate produced a violent agitation among the people, especially among those who had amassed treasures which would have to be refunded. Nicuesa, too, by a transaction which almost de- stroys sympathy in his favour, gave time for their passions to ferment. On his way to Darien he stopped for several days among a group of small islands, for the purpose of capturing Indians to be sold as slaves. While committing these outrages against humanity, he sent forward Juan de Cayzedo in a boat to announce his coming. His messenger had a private pique against him, and played him false. He assured the people of Darien that all they had been told by their envoys concerning the tyranny and ingratitude of Nicuesa was true. That he treated his followers with wanton severity ; that he took from them all they won in battle, saying, that the spoils were his rightful property; and that it was his intention to treat the people of Darien in the same manner. " What folly is it in you, "added he, "being your own masters, and in such free condition, to send for a tyrant to rule over you !" The people of Darien were convinced by this concurring tes- timony, and confounded by the overwhelming evil they had thus invoked upon their heads. They had deposed Enciso for his severity, and they had thrown themselves into the power of one who threatened to be ten times more severe ! Vasco Nunez de Balboa observed their perplexity and consternation. He drew them one by one apart, and conversed with them in private. ' ' You are cast' down in heart, " said he, ' ' and so you might well be, were the evil beyond all cure. But do not despair; there is an effectual relief, and you hold it in your hands. If you have committed an error in inviting Nicuesa to Darien, it is easily remedied by not receiving him when he comes !" The obviousness and simplicity of the remedy struck every mind, and it was unanimously adopted. THJ^ VOYAGE OF DlEGo BE IsICUElSA 95 CHAPTER XIIL V CATASTROPHE OF THE UNFORTUNATE NICUESA. While this hostile plot was maturmg at Darien, the unsus- pecting Nicuesa pursued his voyage leisurely and serenely, and arrived in safety at the mouth of the river. On approaching the shore he beheld a multitude, headed by Vasco Nuilez, waiting, as he supposed to receive him with all due honour. He was about to land, when the public procurator, or attorney, called to him with a loud voice, warning him not to disembark, but advising him to return with all speed to his government at Nombre de Dios. iSicuesa remained for a moment as if thunder-struck by so unlooked-for a salutation. When he recovered his self-posses- sion he reminded them that he had come at their own request ; he entreated, therefore, that he might be allowed to land and have an explanation, after which he would be ready to act as they thought proper. His entreaties were vain: they only provoked insolent replies, and threats of violence should he venture to put foot on shore. Night coming on, therefore, he was obliged to stand out to sea, but returned the next morn- ing, hoping to find this capricious people in a different mood. There did, indeed, appear to be a favourfible change, for he was now invited to land. It was a mere stratagem to geC him in their power, for no sooner did he set foot on shore than the multitude rushed forward to seize him. Among his many bodily endowments, Nicuesa was noted for swiftness of foot. He now trusled to it for safety, and, throwing off the dignity of governor, fled for liis life along the shore, pursued by the rabble. He soon distanced his pursuers and took refuge in the woods. Vasco Nunez de Balboa, who was himself a man of birth, SGcing this high-bred cavalier reduced to such extremity, and at the mercy of a ^sdolent rabble, repented of Avhat he had done. He had not anticipated such popular fury, and endeavoured, though too late, to allay the tempest he had raised. He suc- ceeded in preventing the people fiom pursuing Nicuesa into the forest, and then endeavoured to mollify the vindictive i*age of his fellow Alcalde, Zamudio, whose hostility was quickened by the dread of losing his office, should the new governor be re- ceived ; and who was supported in his boisterous conduct by 96 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. the natural love of the multitude for what are called " strong measures." Nicuesa now held a parley with the populace, through the mediation of Vasco Nuiiez. He begged that, if they would not acknowledge him as governor, they would at least admit him as a companion. This they refused, saying, that if they admitted him in one capacity, he would end by at- taining to the other. He then implored, that if he could be admitted on no other terms, they would treat him as a prisoner, and put him in irons, for hcAvould rather die among them than return to Nombre de Dios, to perish of famine, or by the arrows of the Indians. It was in vain that Vasco Nuiiez exerted his eloquence to obtain some grace for this unhappy cavalier. His voice was drowned by the vociferations of the multitude. Among these was a noisy swaggering fellow named Francisco Benitez, a great talker and jester, who took a vulgar triumph in the dis- tresses of a cavalier, and answered every plea in his behalf with scoffs and jeers. He was an adherent of the Alcalde Za- mudio, and under his patronage felt emboldened to bluster. His voice was even uppermost in the general clamour, until, to the expostulations of Vasco Nuiiez, he rephed by merely bawl- ing Avith great vociferation, ' ' No, no, no I — we will receive no such a fellow among us as Nicuesa !" The patience of Vasco Nuiiez was exhausted ; he availed hunself of his authority as Alcade, and suddenly, before his fellow magistrate could inter- fere, ordered the brawling ruffian to be rewarded with a hun- dred lashes, which were taled out roundly to him upon the shoulders.* Seeing that the fury of the populace was not to be pacified, he sent word to Nicuesa to retire to his brigantine, and not to venture on shore until advised by him to do so. The counsel was fruitless. Nicuesa, above deceit himself, suspected it not in others. He i-etired to his brigantine, it is true, but suffered himself to be inveigled on shore by a deputation professing to come on the part of the public, with offers to reinstate him as governor. He had scarcely landed when he was set upon by an armed band, headed by the base-minded Zamudio, who seized him and compelled him, by menaces of death, to swear that he would immediately depart, and make no delay in any place until he had presented himself before tlie king and council in Castile. has Casas, Hist. lud. 1. ii c. 68- THE VOYAGE OF DIEGO BE NICUESA. 97 It was in vain that Nicuesa reixdnded them that he was gov- ernor of that territory and representative of the king, and that they were guilty of treason in thus opposing him ; it was in vain that he appealed to their humanity, or protested be- fore God againsl their cruelty and persecution. The people were in that state of tumult when they are apt to add cruelty to injustice. Not content with expelling the discarded gov- ernor from their shores, they allotted him the "worst vessel in the harbour ; an old crazy brigantine totally unfit to encoun- ter the perils and labours of the sea. Seventeen followers embarked with him ; some being of his household and attached to his person; the rest were volun- teers who accompanied him out of respect and sympathy. The frail bark set sail on the first of March, 1511, and steered across the Caribbean sea for the island of Hispaniola, but was never seen or heard of more ! Various attempts have been made to penetrate the mystery that covers the fate of the brigantine and its crew. A rumour prevailed some years afterwards that several Spaniards, wan- dering along the shore of Cuba, found the following inscription carved on a tree : Aqui fenecifi el desdicado Nicuesa. (Here perished the unfortunate Nicuesa.) Hence it was inferred that he and his followers had landed there, and been massacred by the Indians. Las Casas, how- ever, discredits this story. He accompanied the first Span- iards who took possession of Cuba, and heard nothing of the fact, as he most probably would have done had it really oc- curred. He imagines, rather, that the crazy bark was swal- lowed up by the storms and currents of the Caribbean sea, or that the crew perished with hunger and tiurst, having been but scantily supplied with provisions. The good old bishop adds, with the superstitious feeling prevalent in that age, that a short time before Nicuesa sailed from Spain on his expedi- tion, an astrologer warned him not to depart on the day he had appointed, or under a certam sign ; the cavalier replied, how- ever, that he had less confidence in the stars than in God who made them. "I recollect, moreover," adds Las Casas, "that about this time a comet was seen over this island of Hispaniola, which, if I do not forget, was in the shape of a sword ; and it was said that a monk warned several of those about to embark 98 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. with Nicuesa., to avoid that captain, for the heavens foretold he was destined to be lost. The same, however, " he concludes, ^' might be said of Alonzo de Ojeda, who sailed at the same time, yet returned to San Domingo and died in his bed." * * Las Casas, ut sup. c. 68. VA8C0 NUMeZ be BALBOA. 99 VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA, DISCOV^ERER OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN. CHAPTER I. FACTIONS AT DARIEN— VASCO NUNEZ ELECTED TO THE COMMAND. We have traced the disastrous fortunes of Alonzo de Ojeda and Diego de Nicuesa ; we have now to record the story of Vasco Nunez de Balboa, an adventurer equally daring, far more renowned, and not less unfortunate, who, in a manner, rose upon their ruins. When the bark disappeared from view which bore the iU- starred Nicuesa from the shores of Darien, the community relapsed into factions, as to who should have the rule. The Bachelor Enciso insisted upon his claims as paramount, but he met with a powerful opponent in Vasco Nunez, who had be- come a great favourite with the people, from his frank and fearless character, and his v/inning affability. In fact, he was peculiarly calculated to manage the fiery and factious, yet generous and susceptible nature of liis countrymen; for the Spaniards, though proud and resentful, and impatient of indig- nity or restraint, are easily dazzled by valour, and won by courtesy and kindness. Vasco Nuiiez had the external re- quisites also to captivate the multitude. He was now about thirty-five years of age ; tall, well formed, and vigorous, with reddish hair, and an open prepossessing countenance. His office of Alcalde, while it clothed him with influence and im- portance, tempered those irregular and dissolute habits he might have indulged while a mere soldier of fortune ; and his superior talent soon gave him a complete ascendancy over his official colleague Zamudio. He was thus enabled to set on foot a vigorous opposition to Enciso. Still he proceeded according to the forms of law, and summoned the Bt.chelor to trial, on 100 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. the charge of usurping the powers of Alcalde Mayor, on the mere appointment of Alonzo de Ojeda, whose jurisdiction did not extend to this province. Enciso was an able lawyer, and pleaded his cause skilfully ; but his claims were, in fact, fallacious, and, had they not been so, he had to deal with men who cared little for law, who had been irritated by his legal exactions, and who were disposed to be governed by a man of the sword rather than of the robe. He was readily found guilty, therefore, and thrown into prison, and all his property was confiscated. This was a vio- lent verdict, and rashly executed ; but justice seemed to grow fierce and wild when transplanted to the wilderness of the new world. Still there is no place where wrong can be committed with impunity ; the oppression of the Bachelor Enciso, though exercised under the forms of law, and in a region remote from the pale of civilized life, redounded to the eventual injury of Vasco Nunez, and contributed to blast the fruits of that ambi- tion it was intended to promote. The fortunes of the enterprising Bachelor had indeed run strangely counter to the prospects with which he had embarked at San Domingo ; he had become a culprit at the bar instead of a judge upon the bench ; and now was left to ruminate in a prison on the failure of his late attempt at general command. His friends, however, interceded warmly iii his behalf, and at length obtained his release from confinement, and permission for him to return to Spain. Vasco ISluiiez foresaw that the lawyer would be apt to plead his cause more effectually at the court of Castile than he had done before the partial and pre- judiced tribunal of Darien. He prevailed upon his fellow Alcalde Zamudio, therefore, who was imphcated with him in the late transactions, to return to Spain in the same vessel with the Bachelor, so as to be on the spot to answer his charges, and to give a favourable report of the case. He was also instructed to set forth the services of Vasco Nunez, both in guiding the colonists to this place, ajid in managing the affairs of the settlement ; and to dwell with emphasis on the symptoms of great riches in the surrounding country. The Bachelor and the Alcalde embarked in a small caravel; and, as it was to touch at Hispaniola, Vasco Nunez sent his confidential friend, the Eegidor Valdivia, to that island to ob- tain provisions and recruits. He secretly put into his hands a round sum of gold as a present to Miguel de. Pasamonte, the royal treasurer of Hispaniola, whom he knew to have great VA8C0 NUMeZ DE BALBOA. 101 credit with the king, and to be invested with extensive powers, craving at the same time his protection in the new world and his influence at court. Having taken these shrewd precautions, Vasco Nufiez saw the caravel depart without dismay, though bearing to Spain his most dangerous enemy; he consoled himself, moreover, with the reflection that it likewise bore off his fellow Alcalde, Zamudio, and thus left him in sole command of the colony. CHAPTEE II. EXPEDITION TO CO YB A— VASCO NUNEZ RECEIVES THE DAUGHTER OF A CACIQUE AS HOSTAGE. Vasco Nunez now exerted himself to prove his capacity for the government to which he had aspired; and as he knew that no proof was more convincing to King Ferdinand than ample remittances, and that gold covered all sins in the new world, his first object was to discover those parts of the country which most abounded in the precious metals. Hearing exaggerated reports of the riches of a province about thirty leagues distant, called Coyba, he sent Francisco Pizarro with six men to ex- plore it. The cacique Zemaco, the native lord of Darien, who cher- ished a bitter hostility against the European intruders, and hovered with his warriors about the settlement, received no- tice of this detachment, from hie spies, and planted himself in ambush to waylay and destroy it. Tlie Spaniards had scarcely proceeded three leagues along the course of the river when a host of savages burst upon them from the surrounding thick- ets, uttering frightful yells, and discharging showers of stones and arrows. Pizarro and his men, though sorely bruised and wounded, rushed into the thickest of the foe, slew many, wounded more, and put the rest to flight ; but, fearing another assault, they made a precipitate retreat, leaving one of their companions, Francisco Hernan, disabled on the field. They arrived at the settlement crippled and bleeding; but when Vasco Nuiiez heard the particulars of the action, his anger was roused against Pizarro, and he ordered him, though wounded, to return immediately and recover the disable(J 102 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY, man. "Let it not be said, for shame," said he, "that Span- iards fled before savages, and left a comrade in their hands !" Pizarro felt the rebuke, returned to the scene of combat and brought off Francisco Hernan in safety. Nothing having been heard of Nicuesa since his departure, Vasco Nuiiez despatched two brigantines for those followers of that unfortunate adventurer who had remained at Nombre de Dios. They were overjoyed at being rescued from their for- lorn situation, and conveyed to a settlement where there was some prospect of comfortable subsistence. The brigantines, in coasting the shores of the Isthmus, picked up two Spaniards, clad in painted skins and looking as wild as the native In- dians. These men, to escape some punishment, had fled from the ship of Nicuesa about a year and a half before, and had taken refuge with Careta, the cacique of Coyba. The savage chieftain had treated them with hospitable kindness; their first return for wliich, now that they found themselves safe among their countrymen, was to advise the latter to invade the cacique in his dwelling, where they assured them they would find immense booty. Finding their suggestion listened to, one of them proceeded to Darien, to serve as a guide to any expedition that might be set on foot ; the other returned to the cacique, to assist in betraying him. Vasco Nuiiez was elated by the intelligence received through these vagabonds of the wflderness. He chose a hundred and thirty weU arined and resolute men, and set off for Coyba, the dominions of Careta. The cacique received the Spaniards in his mansion with the accustomed hospitality of a savage, setting before them meat and drink, and v/hatever his house afforded • butlwhen Vasco Nuiiez asked for a large supply of provisions for the colony, he declared that he had none to spare, his people having been prevented from cultivating the soil by a war which he was waging with the neighbouring cacique of Ponca. The Spanish traitor, who had remained to betray his benefactor, now took Vasco Nuiiez aside, and assured him that the cacique had an abundant hoard of provisions in secret ; he advised him, however, to seem to believe his words, and to make a pretended departure for Darien with his troops, but to return in the night and take the village by surprise. Vasco Nuiiez adopted the advice of the traitor. He took a cordial leave of Careta, and set off for the settlement. In the dead of the night, however, when the savages were buried in deep sleep, Vasco Nufiez led his men into the midst of the village, and, VASCO WU^EZ DE BALBOA. 103 before the inhabitants could rouse themselves to resistance, made captives of Careta, his wives, and children, and many of his people. He discovered also the hoard of provisions, with which he loaded two brigantines, and returned with his booty and his captives to Darien. When the unfortunate cacique beheld his family in chains, and in the hands of strangers, his heart was wrung with despair; " What have I done to thee," said he to Vasco Nmiez, "that thou shouldst treat me thus cruelly? None of thy people ever came to my land that were not fed and sheltered and treated with loving-kindness. When thou camest to my dwelling, did I meet thee with a javehn in my hand? Did I not set meat and drink before thee and welcome thee as a brother? Set me free, therefore, Avith my family and people, and we will remain thy friends. We will supply thee with provisions, and reveal to thee the riches of the land. Dost thou doubt my faith? Behold my daughter, I give her to thee as a pledge of friendship. Take her for thy wife, and be assured of the fidelity of her family and her people !" Vasco Nuiiez felt the force of these words and knew the im- portance of forming a strong alliance among the natives. The captive maid, also, as she stood trembling and dejected before him, found great favour in his eyes, for she was young and beautiful. He granted, therefore, the prayer of the cacique, and accepted his daughter, engaging, moreover, to aid the father against his enemies, on condition of his furnishing pro- visions to the colony. Careta remained three days at Darien, during which time he was treated with the utmost kindness. Vasco Nuiiez took him on board of his ships and showed him every part of them. He displayed before him also the war-horses, with their armour and rich caparisons, and astonished him with the thunder of artillery. Lest he should be too much daunted by these war- like spectacles, he caused the musicians to perform a harmoni- ous concert on their instruments, at which the cacique was lost in admiration. Thus having impressed him with a wonderful idea of the power and endowments of his new alhes, he loaded him with presents and permitted liim to depart.* Careta returned joyfully to his territories, and his daughter remained with Vasco Nuiiez, willingly, for his sake, giving up her family and native home. They were never married, but * p. Martyr, D. 3, c. vi. 104 SPANISH VOYAGES OF D ISO OVERT. she considered herself his wife, as she really was, according to the usages of her own country, and he treated her with fond- ness, allowing her gradually to acquire great influence over him. To his affection for this damsel his ultimate ruin is in some measure to be ascribed. CHAPTER III. VASCO NUNEZ HEARS OF A SEA BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS. Vasco Nunez kept his word with the father of his Indian beauty. Taking with hun eighty men and his companion-in- arms, Rodrigo Enriquez de Colmenares, he repaired by sea to Coyba, the province of the cacique. Here landing, he invaded the territories of Ponca, the great adversary of Careta, and obliged him to take refuge in the mountains. He then ravaged his lands and sacked his villages, in which he found consider- able booty. Returning to Coyba, where he was joyfully enter- tained by Careta, he next made a friendly visit to the adjacent province of Comagre, which was under the sway of a cacique of the same name, who had 3,000 fighting men at his command. This province was situated at the foot of a lofty mountain in a beautiful plain twelve leagues in extent. On the approach of Vasco Nuiiez, the cacique came forth to meet him attended by seven sons, all fine young men, the offspring of his various wives. He was followed by his principal chiefs and warriors, and by a multitude of his people. The Spaniards were con- ducted with great ceremony to the village, where quarters were assigned them, and they were furnished with abundance of provisions, and men and women were appointed to attend upon them. The dwelling of the cacique surpassed any they had yet seen for magnitude and for the skill and solidity of the architecture. It was one hundred and fifty paces in length, and eighty in breadth, founded upon gi-eat logs surrounded with a stone wall ; while the upper part was of wood- work, curiously inter- woven and wrought with such beauty, as to fill the Spaniards with surprise and admiration. It contained many commodious •> apartments. There were store-rooms also; one filled with bread, with venison, and other provisions; another with various spirituous beverages which the Indians made from VASCO NUS-EZ DE BALBOA. lo5 maize, from a species of the palm, and from roots of different kinds. There was also a great hall in a retired and secret part of the building, wherein Comagre preserved the bodies of his ancestors and relatives. These had been dried by the fire, so as to free them from corruption, and afterwards wrapped in man- tles of cotton richly wrought and interwoven with pearls and jewels of gold, and with certain stones held precious by the natives. They were then hung about the hall with cords of cotton, and regarded with great reverence, if not a species of rehgious devotion. Among the sons of the cacique, the eldest was of a lofty and generous spii'it, and distinguished above the rest by liis supe- rior intelhgence and sagacity. Perceiving, says old Peter Martyr, that the Spaniards were a "wandering kind of men, living only by shifts and spoil, " he sought to gain favour for himself and family by gratifying their avarice. He gave Vasco Nufiez and Colmenares, therefore, 4,000 ounces of gold, wrought into various ornaments, together with sixty slaves, being captives that he had taken in the wars. Vasco Nuiiez ordered one-fifth of the gold to be weighed out and set apart for the crown, and the rest to be shared among his fol- lowers. The division of the gold took place in the porch of the dwell- ing of Comagre, in the presence of the youthful cacique who had made the gift. As the Spaniards were weighing it out, a violent quarrel arose among them as to the size and value of the pieces which fell to their respective shares. The high- ■■ minded savage was disgusted at this sordid brawl among beings whom he had regarded with such reverence. In the first impulse of his disdain, he struck the scales with his fist and scattered the glittering gold about the porch. Before the Spaniards could recover from their astonishment at tliis sud- den act, he thus addressed them, "Why should you quarrel for such a trifle? If this gold is indeed so precious in your eyes that for it alone you abandon your homes, invade the peaceful land of others, and expose yourselves to such suffer- ings and perils, I will tell you of a region where you may gratify your wishes to the utmost. Behold those lofty moun- tains," continued he, pointing to the south. "Beyond these lies a mighty sea, which may be diseerned from their summit. It is navigated by people who have vessels almost as large as yours, and furnished, like them, with sails and oars. All the streams which flow down the southern side of those mountains l06 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCO VERt into that sea abound in gold, and the kings who reign upon its borders eat and drink out of golden vessels. Gold, in fact, is as plentiful and common among those people of the south as iron is among you Spaniards." Struck with this intelligence, Yasco Nufiez inquired eagerly as to the means of penetrating to this sea and to the opulent regions on its shores. "The task," replied the prince, "is difficult and dangerous. You must pass through the territo- ries of many powerful caciques, who will oppose you with hosts of warriors. Some parts of the mountains are infested by fierce and cruel cannibals— a wandering, lawless race; but, above all, you will have to encounter the great cacique, Tuba- nama, whose territories are at the distance of six days' jour- ney, and more rich in gold than any other provmce; this cacique will be sure toxome forth against you with a mighty force. To accomplish your enterprise, therefore, will require at least a thousand men armed hke those who follow you." The youthful cacique gave him further information on the subject, collected from various captives whom he had taken in battle, and from one of his own nation, who had been for a long time in captivity to Tubanama, the powerful cacique of the golden realm. The prince, moreover, offered to prove the sincerity of his words by accompanying Vasco Nunez in any expedition to those parts at the head of his father's warriors. Such was the first intimation received by Vasco Nunez of the Pacific Ocean and. its golden realms, and it had an immediate effect upon his whole character and conduct. This hitherto wandering and desperate man had now an enterprise opened to his ambition, which, if accomplished, would elevate him to fame and fortune, and entitle him to rank among the great captains and discoverers of the earth. Henceforth the discov- ery of the sea beyond the mountains was the great object of his thoughts, and his whole spirit seemed roused and ennobled by the idea. He hastened his return to Darien, to niake the necessary preparations for this splendid enterprise. Before departing from the province of Comagre he baptized that cacique by the name of Don Carlos, and performed the same ceremony upon his sons and several of his subjects ; — thus singularly did ava- rice and religion go hand in hand in the conduct of the Spanish discoverers. Scarcely had Vasco Nunez returned to Darien when the Hegidor Valdivia arrived there from Hispaniola, but with no VA8C0 NU:^EZ BE BALBOA. 107 more provisions than could be brought in his small caravel. These were soon consumed, and the general scarcity continued. It was heightened also by a violent tempest of thunder, light- ning, and rain, which brought such torrents from the moun- tains that the river swelled and overflowed its banks, laying waste all the adjacent fields that had been cultivated. In this extremity Vasco Nunez despatched Valdivia a second time to Hispaniola for provisions. Animated also by the loftier views of his present ambition, he wrote to Don Diego Columbus, who governed at San Domingo, informing him of the intelligence he had received of a great sea and opulent realms beyond the mountains, and entreating hun to use his influence with the king that one thousand men might be immediately furnished him for the prosecution of so grand a discovery. He sent him also- the amount of fifteen thousand crowns in gold, to be re- mitted to the king as the royal fifths of what had already been collected under his jurisdiction. Many of his followers, also, forwarded sums of gold to be remitted to their creditors in Spain. In the mean time, Vasco Nunez prayed the admiral to yield him prompt succour to enable him to keep his footing in the land, representing the difficulty he had in maintaining, with a mere handful of men, so vast a country in a state of subjection. CHAPTER IV. EXPEDITION OF VASCO NUNEZ IN QUEST OF THE GOLDEN TEMPLE OF DOBAYBA.— (1512.) While Vasco Nunez awaited the result of this mission of Valdivia, his active disposition prompted liim to undertake foraging excursions into the surrounding country. Among various rumours of golden realms in the interior of this unknown land, was one concerning a province called Do- bayba, situated about forty leagues distant, on the banks of a great river which emptied itself, by several mouths, into a corner of the Gulf of Uraba. This province derived its name, according to Indian tradi- tion^ from a mighty female of the olden time, the mother of the god who created the sun and moon and all good things. She had power over the elements, sending thunder and light- 108 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCO VERr. ning to lay waste the lands of those who displeased her, but showering down fertility and abundance upon the lands of her faithful worshippers. Others described her as having been an Indian princess who once reigned amongst the mountains of Dobayba, and was renowned throughout the land for her supernatural power and wisdom. After her death, divine honours were paid her, and a great temple was erected for her *■ worship. Hither the natives repaired from far and near, on a kind of pilgrimage, bearing offerings of their most valuable effects. The caciques who ruled over distant territories, also sent golden tributes, at certain times of the year, to be de- posited in this temple, and slaves to be sacrificed at its shrine. At one time, it was added, this worship fell into disuse, the pilgrimages were discontinued,- and the caciques neglected to send their tributes ; whereupon the deity, as a punishment, in- flicted a drought upon the country. The springs and fountains failed, the rivers' were dried up; the inhabitants of the moun- tains were obhged to descend into the plains, where they digged pits and wells, but these likewise failing, a great part of the nations perished with thirst. The remainder hastened to pro- pitiate the deity by tributes and sacrifices, and thus succeeded in averting her displeasure. In consequence of offerings of the kind, made for generations from all parts of the country, the temple was said to be filled with treasure, and its walls to be covered with golden gifts.* In addition to the tale of this temple, the Indians gave marvellous accounts of the general wealth of this province, declaring that it abounded with mines of gold, the veins of which reached from the dwelhng of the cacique to the borders of his dominions. To penetrate to this territory, and above all to secure the treasures of the golden temple, was an enterprise suited to the adventurous spirit of the Spaniards. Vasco Nuiiez chose one hundred and seventy of his hardiest men for the purpose. Embarking them in two brigantines and a number of canoes, he set sail from Darien, and, after standing about nine leagues to the east, came to the mouth of the Eio Grande de San Juan, or the Great River of St. John, also called the Atrato, which is since ascertained to be one of the branches of the river Darien. Here he detached Eodrigo Enriquez de Colmenares with one^ third of his forces to explore the stream, while he himself pro- ceeded with the residue to another branch of the river, which p. Martyr, decad. 3, c. vi. Idem. d. 7, c. x. VASCO NUNEZ BE BALBOA. 109 he was told flowed from the province of Dobayba, and which he ascended, flushed with sanguine expectations.* His old enemy, Zemaco, the cacique of Darien, however, had discovered the object of his expedition, and had taken measures to disappoint it : repairing to the province of Dobayba, he had prevailed upon its cacique to retire at the approach of the Spaniards, leaving his country deserted. Vasco Nunez found a village situated in a marshy neighbour- hood, on the banks of the river, and mistook it for the residence of the cacique : it was silent and abandoned. There was not an Indian to be met with from whom he could obtain any infor- mation about the country, or who could guide him to the golden temple. He was disappointed, also, in Ms hopes of obtaining a supply of provisions, but he found weapons of various kinds hanging in the deserted houses, and gathered jewels and pieces of gold to the value of seven thousand castellanos. Discour- aged by the savage look of the surrounding wilderness, which was perplexed by deep morasses, and having no guides to aid him in exploring it, he put all the booty he had collected into two large canoes, and made his way back to the Gulf of Uraba. Here he was assailed by a violent tempest, which nearly wrecked his two brigantines, and obliged him to throw a great part of their cargoes overboard. The two canoes 'containing the booty were swallowed up by the raging sea, and all their crews perished. Thus bafiied and tempest-tost, Vasco Nunez at length suc- ceeded in getting into what was termed c' .e Grand River, which he ascended, and rejoined Cohnenares and his detach- ment. They now extended their excursions up a stream which emptied into the Grand River, and wliich, irom the dark hue of its waters, they called Rio Negro, or the i^lack River. They also explored certain other tributary streams branching from it, though not without occasional skirmishes with the natives. * In recording this expedition, the author has followed the old Spanish narratives, written when the face of the country was but little known, and he was much per- plexed to reconcile the accounts given of numerous streams with the rivers laid dowu on modern maps. By a clear and judicious explanation, given in the recent work of Don Manuel Josef Quintana, it appears that the different streams explored by Vasco Nunez and Colmenares were all branches of one grand river, which, de- scending from the mountains of the interior, winds about in crystal streams among the plams and morasses bordering the bottom of the ^roat t,ulf of Darien, and dis- charges itself by various mouths into the gulf. In fact, the stream which ran by the infant city of Santa Maria de la Antigua was but one of its branches, a fact en- tirely unknown to Vasco Nuilez and his companions. 110 SPAmSE VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. Ascending one of these minor rivers with a part of his men, Vasco Nunez came to the territories of a cacique named Abi- beyba, who reigned over a region of marshes and shallow lakes. The habitations of the natives were built amidst the branches of immense and lofty trees. They were large enough to con- tain whole family connexions, and were constructed partly of wood, partly of a kind of wicker work, combining strength and pliability, and yielding uninjured to the motion of the branches when agitated by the wmd. The inhabitants ascended to them with great agility by light ladders, formed of great reeds split through the middle, for the reeds on this coast grow to the thickness of a man's body. These ladders they drew up after them at night, or in case of attack. These habitations were well stocked with provisions ; but the fermented bever- ages, of which these people had always a supply, were buried in vessels in the earth at the foot of the tree, lest they should be rendered turbid by the rocking of the houses. Close by, also, were the canoes with which they navigated the rivers and ponds of their marshy country and followed their main occu- pation of fishing. On the approach of the Spaniards, the Indians took refuge in their tree-built castles and drew up the ladders. The former called upon them to descend and to fear nothing. Upon this the cacique replied, entreating that he might not be molested, seeing he had done them no injury. They threatened, unless he came down, to fell the trees or to set fire to them, and burn him and his wives and children. The cacique was disposed to consent, but was prevented by the entreaties of his people. Upon this the Spaniards prepared to hew down the trees, but were assailed by showers of stones. They covered themselves, however, with their bucklers, assailed the trees vigorously with their hatchets, and soon compelled the inhabitants to ca- pitulate. The cacique descended with his wife and two of his children. The first demand of the Spaniards was for gold. He assured them he had none ; for, having no need of it, he had never made it an object of his search. Being importuned, however, he assured them that if he were permitted to repair to certain mountains at a distance, he would in a few days re- turn and bring them what they desired. They permitted him to depart, retaining his wife and children as hostages, but they saw no more of the cacique. After remaining here a few days and regaling on the provisions which they found in abundance, they continued their foraging expeditions, often opposed by VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA. HI the bold and warlike natives, and suffering occasional loss, but inflicting great havoc on their opposers. Having thus overrun a considerable extent of country, and no grand object presenting to lure him on to further enterprise, Vasco Nunez at length returned to Darien with the spoils and captives he had taken, leaving Bartolome Hurtado with thirty- men in an Indian village on the Rio Negro, or Black River, to hold the country in subjection. Thus terminated the first expe- dition in quest of the golden temple Dobayba, which for some time continued to be a favourite object of enterprise among the adventurers of Darien. CHAPTER V. DISASTER ON THE BLACK RIVER— INDIAN PLOT AGAINST DARIEN. Bartolome Hurtado being left to his own discretion on the banks of the Black River, occupied himself occasionally in hunting the scattered natives who straggled about the sur- rounding forests. Having in this way picked up twenty-four captives, he put them on board of a large canoe, Hke so much live stock, to be transported to Darien and sold as slaves. Twenty of his followers who were infirm, either from wounds or the diseases of the climate, embarked also in the canoe, so that only ten men remained with Hurtado. The great canoo, thus heavily freighted, descended the Black River slowly, between banks overhung with forests. Zemaco the indefatigable cacique of Darien, was on the watch, and waylaid the ark with four canoes fiUed with warriors armed with war clubs, and lances hardened in the fire. The Spaniards being sick, could make but feeble resistance ; some were massacred, others leaped into the river and were drowned. Two only escaped, by chnging to two trunks of trees that were floating down the river and covering them- selves with the branches. Reaching the shore in safety, they returned to Bartolome Hurtado with the tragical tidings of the death of his followers. Hurtado was so disheartened by the news f^nd so dismayed at his own helpless situation, m the midst of a hostile country, that he resolved to abandon the fatal shores of the Black River and return to Darien. He was quickened in this resolution by receiving intimation of a con- 112 SPANISE VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. spiracy forming among the natives. The implacable Zemaco had drawn four other caciques into a secret plan to assemble their vassals and make a sudden attack upon Darien. Hurtado hastened with the remnant of his followers to carry tidings to the settlement of this conspiracy. Many of the inhabitants were alarmed at his intelligence ; others treated it as a false rumour of the Indians, and no preparations were made against what might be a mere imagmary danger. Fortunately for the Spaniards, among the female captives owned by Vasco Nunez was an Indian damsel named Fulvia, to whom, in consequence of her beauty, he had shown great favour, and who had become strongly attached to him. She had a brother among the warriors of Zemaco, who often visited her in secret. In one of his visits he informed her that on a certain night the settlement would be attacked and every Spaniard destroyed. He charged her, therefore, to hide her- self that night in a certain place until he should come to her aid, lest she should be slain in the confusion of the massacre. When her brother was gone a violent struggle took place in the bosom of the Indian girl, between her feeling for her family and her people and her affection for Vasco Nunez. The latter at length prevailed, and she revealed all that had been told to her. Vasco Nunez prevailed upon her to send for her brother under pretence of aiding her to escape. Having him in his power, he extorted from him all that he knew uf tne de- signs of the enemy. His confessions showed what imminent danger had been lurking round Vasco Nunez in his most un- suspecting moments. The prisoner informed him that he Jiad been one of forty Indians sent some time before by che cacique Zemaco to Vasco Nunez, in seeming friendship, co be employed by hun in cultivating the fields adjacent to the jettlement. They had secret orders, however, to take an opportunity when Vasco Nuiiez should come forth to inspect their work, to ,iet upon him in an unguarded moment and destroy him. For- tunately, Vasco Nuiiez always visited the fields mounted )n his war horse and armed with lance and target. The Indians were therefore so awed by his martial appearance, and by the terrible animal he bestrode, that they dared not attack him. Foiled in this and other attempts of the kind, Zemaco re- sorted to the conspiracy with the neighbouring caciques with which the settlement was menaced. Five caciques had joined in the confederacy; they had prepared a hundred canoes, had amassed provisions for an VASCO NVMZ DE BALBOA. 113 army, and had concerted to assemble five thousand picked warriors at a certain time and place ; with these they Were to make an attack on the settlement by land and water in the middle of the night and to slaughter every Spaniard. Having learnt where the confederate chiefs were to be found, and where they had deposited their provisions, Vasco Nuiiez chose seventy of his best men, well-armed, and made a circuit by land, while Colmenares, with sixty men, salhed forth secretly in four canoes guided by the Indian prisoner. In this way they surprised the general of the Indian army and several of the principal confederates, and got possession of ^aU their provisions, though they failed to capture the formidable Ze- maco. The Indian general was shot to death with arrows, and the leaders of the conspiracy were hanged in presence of their captive followers. The defeat of this deep-laid plan and the punishment of its devisers, spread terror throughout the neigh- bouring provinces and prevented any further attempt at hos- tilitiorj. Vasco Nunez, however, caused a strong fortress of wood to be immediately erected to guard against any future assaults of the savages. CHAPTER VI. FURTHER FACTIONS IN Ti . COLONY— ARROGANCE OF AI.ONZO PERl^Z AND THE BACHELOR CORRAL. — (1512.) A coNSiDERAbi^i:^ time had now elapsed since the departure of Valdivia for Hispaiiiola, yet no tidings had been received from him. Many began to fear that some disaster had befallen him ; while others insinuated that it was possible both he and Za- mudio might have neglected the objects of their mission, and, having appropriated to their own use the gold with which they had been entrusted, might have abandoned the colony to its fate. Vasco Nunez himself was harassed by these surmises, and by the dread lest the Bachelor Enciso should succeed in preju- dicing the mind of his sovereign against him. Impatient of this state of anxious suspense, he determined to repair to Spain to communicate in person all that he had heard concern- ing the Southern Sea, and to ask for the troops necessary for its discovery. 114 8PAms:d: votaoes of disco vemt. ' Every one, however, both friend and foe, exclaimed against such a measure, representing his presence as indispensable to the safety of the colony, from his great talents as a conomander and the fear entertained of him by the Indians. After much debate and contention, it was at length agreed that Juan de Cayzedo and Rodrigo Enriquez de Colmenares should go in his place, instructed to make all necessary repre- sentations to the king. Letters were written also containing the most extravagant accounts of the riches of the country, partly dictated by the sanguine hopes of the writers, and partly by the fables of the natives. The rumoured wealth of the province ofDobayba and the treasures of its golden temple were not forgotten ; and an Indian was taken to Spain by the commissioners, a native of the province of Zenu, where gold was said to be gathered in nets stretched across the mountain streams. To give more weight to all these stories, every one contributed some portion of gold from his private hoard to be presented to -the king in addition to the amount arising from his fifths. But little time elapsed after the departure of the commis- sioners when new dissensions broke out in the colony. It was hardly to be expected that a fortuitous assemblage of adven- turers could remain long tranquil during a time of suffering under rulers of questionable authority. Vasco Nunez, it is true, had risen by his courage and abihties ; but he had risen from among theiroranks; he was, in a manner, of their own creation ; and they had not become sufficiently accustomed to him as a governor to forget that he was ret;ently but a mere soldier of fortune and an absconding debtor. Their factious discontent, however, was directed at first against a favourite of Vasco Nuiiez, rather than against him- self. He had invested Bartolome Hurtado, the commander of the Black Eiver, with considerable authority in the colony, and the latter gave great offence by his oppressive conduct. Hurtado had particularly aggrieved by his arrogance one Alonzo Perez de la Rua, a touchy cavaher, jealous of his honour, who seems to have peculiarly possessed the sensitive punctilio of a Spaniard. Firing at some indignity, whether real or fancied, Alonzo Perez threw himself into the ranks of the disaffected, and was immediately chosen as their leader. Thus backed by a faction, he clamoured loudly for the punish- ment of Hurtado; and, finding his demands unattended to, threw out threats of deposing Vasco Nunez. The latter no VASOO NV^EZ BE BALBOA. 115 sooner heard of these menaces, than, with his usual spirit and promptness, he seized upon the testy Alonzo Perez and threw hftn in prison to digest liis indignities and cool his passions at leisure. The conspirators flew to arms to hberate their leader. The friends of Vasco Nuiiez were equally on the alert. The two parties drew out in battle array in the public square, and a sanguinary conflict was on the point of taking place. Fortu- nately there were some cool heads left in the colony. These interfered at the critical moment, representing to the angry adversaries that if they fought among themselves, and dimin- ished their already scanty numbers, even the conquerors must eventually fall a prey to the Indians. Their remonstrances had effect. A parley ensued, and, after much noisy debate, a kind of compromise was made. Alonzo Perez was liberated, and the mutineers dispersed quietly to their homes. The next day, however, they were again in arms, and seized upon Bartolome Hurtado; but after a little while were prevailed upon to set him free. Their factious views seemed turned to a higher object. They broke forth into loud murmurs against Vasco Nunez, complaining that he had not made a fair division of the gold and slaves taken in the late expeditions, and threatening to arrest him and bring him to account. Above all, they clamoured for an immediate distribution of ten thousand castellanos in gold, which yet re- mained unshared. Vasco Nuiiez understood too well the riotous nature of the people under him, and his own precarious hold on their obe- dience, to attempt to cope with them in this moment of turbu- lence. He shrewdly determined, therefore, to withdraw from the sight of the multitude, and to leave them to divide the spoil among themselves, trusting to their own strife for his security. That very night he sallied forth into the country, under pretence of going on a hunting expedition. The next morning the mutineers found themselves in pos- session of the field. Alonzo Perez, the pragmatical ringleader, immediately assumed the command, seconded by the Bachelor Corral. Their first measure was to seize upon the ten thou- sand castellanos, and to divide them among the multitude, by way of securing their own popularity. The event proved the sagacity and forethought of Vasco Nunez. Scarcely had these hot-headed intermeddlers entered upon the partition of the gold, than a furious strife arose. Every one was dissatisfied 116 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. with his share, considering his merits entitled to pecuhar rec- ompense. Every attempt to appease the rabble only aug- mented their violence, and in their rage they swore that Vasco Nunez Iftid always shown more judgment and discrimination in his distributions to men of merit. The adherents of the latter now ventured to lift up their voices; "Vasco NufLez," said they, "won the gold by his en- terprise and valour, and would have shared it with the brave and the deserving ; but these men have seized upon it by fac- tious means, and would squander it upon their minions." The multitude, who, in fact, admired the soldier-like qualities of Vasco Nunez, displayed one of the customary rev^erses of pop- ular feeling. The touchy Alonzo Perez, his coadjutor the Bachelor Corral, and several other of the ringleaders were seized, thrown in irons, and confined in the fortress; and Vasco Nunez was recalled with loud acclamations to the settle- ment. How long this pseudo commander might have been able to manage the unsteady populace it is impossible to say, but just at this juncture two ships arrived from Hispaniola, freighted with supplies, and bringing a reinforcement of one hundred and fifty men. They brought also a commission to Vasco Nunez, signed by Miguel de Pasamonte, the royal treasurer of Hispaniola, to whom he had sent a private present of gold, constituting him captain-general of the colony. It is doubtful whether Pasamonte possessed the poAver to confer such a com- mission, though it is afiirmed that the king had clothed hun with it, as a kind of check upon the authority of the admiral Don Diego Columbus, then Governor of Hispaniola, of whose extensive sway in the new world the monarch was secretly jealous. At any rate the treasurer appears to have acted in fuU confidence of the ultimate approbation of his sovereign. Vasco Nuiiez was rejoiced at receiving a commission which clothed him with at least the semblance of royal sanction. Feehng more assured in his situation, and being naturally of a generous and forgiving temper, he was easily prevailed upon, in his moment of exultation, to release and pardon Alonzo Perez, the Bachelor Corral, and the other ringleaders of the late commotions, and for a time the feuds and factions of this petty community were lulled to repose. VASCO NU^EZ DE BALBOA. 117 CHAPTER VII. VASCO NUNEZ DETERMINES TO SEEK THE SEA BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS. — (1513.) The temporary triumph of Vasco Nunez was soon overcast by tidings received from Spain. His late colleague, the Alcalde Zamudio, wrote him word that the Bachelor Enciso had car- ried his complaints to the foot of the throne, and succeeded in rousing the indignation of the king, and had obtained a sen- tence in his favour, condemning Vasco Nunez in costs and damages. Zamudio mf ormed him in addition, that he would be immediately summoned to repair to Spain, and answer in person the criminal charges advanced against him on account of the harsh treatment and probable death of the unfortunate Nicuesa. Vasco Nunez was at first stunned by this intelligence, which seemed at one blow to annihilate aU his hopes and fortunes. He was a man, however, of prompt decision and intrepid spirit. The information received from Spain was private and informal, no order had yet arrived from the king, he was still master of his actions, and had control over the colony. One brilliant achievement might atone for aU the past, and fix him in the favour of the monarch. Such an achievement was within his reach— the discovery of the southern sea. It is true, a thousand soldiers had been required for the expedition, but vf ere he to wait for their arrival from Spain, his day of grace would be past. It was a desperate thing to undertake the task with the handful of men at his command, but the circum- stances of the case were desperate. Fame, fortune, life itself, depended upon the successful and the prompt execution of the enterprise. To linger was to be lost. Vasco Nuiiez looked roimd upon the crew of daring and reckless adventurers that formed the colony, and chose one hundred and ninety of the most resolute and vigorous, and of those most devoted to his person. These he armed with swords, targets, cross-bows, and arquebusses. He did not conceal from them the peril of the enterprise into which he was about to lead them; but the spirit of these Spanish adventurers was always roused by the idea of perilous and extravagant exploit. To aid his slender forces, he took with him a number of blood- 118 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. hounds, which had been found to be terrific allies in Indian warfare. The Spanish writers make particular mention of one of those animals, named Leoncico, which was a constant companion, and, as it were, body-guard of Vasco Nuiiez, and describe him as minutely as they would a favourite warrior. He was of a middle size.. but immensely strong: of a dull yellow or reddish colour, with a black muzzle, and his body was scarred allT>ver with wounds received in innumerable battles with the Indians Vasco Nunez always took him on his expeditions, and some- times lent hun to others, receivmg for his services the same share of booty allotted to an armed man. In this way he gained by him, in the course of his campaigns, upwards of a thousand croAvns. The Indians, it is said, had conceived such terror of this animal, that the very sight of him was sufficient to put a host of them to flight.* In addition to these forces, Vasco Nunez took with him a number of the Indians of Darien, whom he had won to him by kindness, and whose services were important, from their knowledge of the wilderness, and of the habits and resources of savage life. Such was the motley armament that set forth from the httle colony of Darien, under the guidance of a dar- mg, if not desperate commander, in quest of the great Pacific Ocean. CHAPTER VIII. EXPEDITION IN QUEST OF THE SOUTHERN SEA. It was on the first of September that Vasco Nunez embarked with his followers in a.brigantine and nine large canoes or pirogues, followed by the cheers and good wishes of those who remained at the settlement. Standing to the north-westward he arrived without accident at Coyba, the dominions of the cacique Careta, whose daughter he had received as a pledge of amity. That Indian beauty had acquired a great influence over Vasco Nuiiez, and appears to have cemented his friend- ship with her father and her people. He was received by the cacique with open arms, and furnished with guides and war- riors to aid him in his enterprise. * Oviedo, Hist. Indies, p. 2, c. 3, MS. VA800 NXIMeZ DE BALBOA. 119 Vasco Nunez left about half of his men at Coyba to guard the brigantine and canoes, while he should penetrate the wil- derness with the residue. The importance of this present ex- pedition, not merely as affecting his own fortunes, but as it were unfolding a mighty secret of nature, seems to have im- pressed itself upon his spirit, and to have given corresponding solemnity to his conduct. Before setting out upon his march, he caused mass to be performed, and offered up prayers to God for the success of his perilous undertaking. It was on the sixth of September that he struck off for the mountains. The march was difficult and toilsome in the ex- treme. The Spaniards, encumbered with the weight of their armour and weapons, and oppressed by the heat of a tropical cKmate, were obliged to climb rocky precipices, and to struggle through close and tangled forests. Their Indian alHes aided them by carrying their ammunition and provisions, and by guiding them to the most practicable paths. On the eighth of September they arrived at the village of Ponca, the ancient enemy of Careta. The village was lifeless and abandoned; the cacique and his people had fled to the fastnesses of the mountains. The Spaniards remained here several days to recruit the health of some of their number who had fallen ill. It was necessary also to procure guides ac- quainted with the mountain wilderness they were approaching. The retreat of Ponca was at length discovered, and he was pre- vailed upon, though reluctantly, to come to Vasco Nuilez. "The latter had a peculiar facility in winning the confidence and friendship of the natives. The cacique was soon so captivated by his kindness, that he revealed to him in secret all he knew of the natural riches of the country. He assured him of the truth of what had been told him about a great pechry or sea beyond the mountains, and gave him several ornaments inge- niously wrought of fine gold, which had been brought from the countries upon its borders. He told him, moreover, that when he had attained the summit of a lofty ridge, to which he pointed, and which seemed to rise up to the skies, he would behold that sea spread out far below him. Animated by the accounts, Vasco Nunez procured fresh guides from the cacique, and prepared to ascend the moun- tains. Numbers of his men having fallen ill from fatigue and the heat of the climate, he ordered them to return slowly to Coyba, taking with him none but such as were in robust and vigorous health. 120 SPANISH VOYAGES* OF DISCOVERT. On the 20th of September, he again set forward through a broken rocky country, covered with a matted forest, and inter- sected by deep and turbulent streams, maiay of which it was necessary to cross upon rafts. So toilsome was the journey, that in four days they did not advance above ten leagues, and in the mean time they suffered excessively from hunger. At. the end of this time they arrived at the province of a warhke cacique, named Quaraqua, who was at war with Ponca. Hearing that a band of straaigers were entering his terri- tories, guided by the subjects of his inveterate foe, the cacique took the field with a large number of warriors, some armed with bows and arrows, others with long" spears, or with double- handed maces ot palm- wood, almost as heavy and hard as iron. Seeing the inconsiderable ntunber of fhe Spaniards, they set upon them- with furious yells, thinking to overcome them in an instant. The first discharge of fire-arms, however, struck them with dismay. They thought they were contending with demons who vomited forth thunder and lightning, especially when tliey saw their companions fall bleeding and dead beside them, without receiving any aj^parent blow. They took to headlong flight, and* were hotly pursued by the Spaniards and their bloodhounds. Some were transfixed with lances, others hewn down with swords, and mamy were torn to pieces by the dogs, so that Quaraqua and six hundred of his warriors were left dead upon the field. A brother of the cacique and several chiefs were taken pris- oners. They were clad in robes ot white cotton. Either from their effeminate dress, or from the accusations of their ene- mies, the Spaniards were induced to consider them guilty of unnatural crimes, and, in their abhorrence and disgust, gave them to be torn to pieces by the bloodhounds.* It is also affirmed, that among the prisoners were several ne- groes, who had been slaves to the.cacique. The Spaniards, we are told, were informed by the other captives, that these black men came from a region at no great distance, where there was a people of that colour Avith whom they were frequently at war. "These," adds the Spanish writer, "were the first ne- groes ever found in the New World, and I believe no others have since been discovered. ''t * Herrera, Hist. Ind. d. 1. 1. x. c. 1. t Peter Martyr, in his third Decade, makes mention of these negroes in the fol- VASCO NUMEZ be BALBOA. 121 After this sanguinary triumph, the Spaniards marched to the village of Quaraqua, where they found considerable booty in gold and jewels. Of this Vasco Nunez reserved one-fifth for the crown, and shared the rest liberally among his followers. The village was at the foot of the last mountain that remained for them to-climb ; several of the Spaniards, however, were so disabled by the wounds they had received in battle, or so ex- hausted by the fatigue and hunger they had endured, that they were unable to proceed. They were obliged, therefore, reluc- tantly to remain in the village, within sight of the mountain- top that commanded the long-sought prospect, ^^sco Nuiiez selected fresh guides from among his prisoners, who were na- tives of the province, and sent back the subjects of Ponca. Of the band of Spaniards who had set out with him in this enter- prise, sixty-ii«ven alone remained in sufficient health and spirits for this last effort. These he ordered to retire early to repose, that they might be ready to set off at the cool and fresh hour of day -break, so as to reach the summit of the mountain before the noon-tide heat. CHAPTEE IX. DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN. The day had scarcely dawned, when Vasco Nunez and his followers set forth from the Indian village and began to climb the height. It was a severe and rugged toil for men so way- worn, but they were filled with new ardour at the idea of the triumphant scene that was so soon to repay them for all their hardships. About ten o'clock in the morning they emerged from the thick forests through which they had hitherto struggled, and arrived at a lofty and airy region of the mountain. The bald lowing words: — " About two days' journey distant from Quaraqua is a region in- habited only by black Moors, exceeding fierce and cruel. It is supposed that in time past certain black Moor.s sailed thither out of Ethiopia, to rob, and that by shipwreck, or some other chance, they were driven to these mountains." As Mar- tyr lived and wrote at the time, he of course related the mere rumour of the day, which all subsequent accounts have disproved. The other historians who men- tioned the circumstance, have probably repeated it from him. It must have riseu from some misrepresentation, and is not entitled to credit, 122 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. summit alone remained to be ascended, and their guides pointed to a moderate eminence from which they said the southern sea was visible. Upon this Vasco Nunez commanded his followers to halt, and that no man should stir from his place. Then, with a palpitating heart, he ascended alone the bare mountain-top. On reaching the summit the long-desired prospect burst upon his view. It was as if a new world were unfolded to him, separated from all hitherto known by this mighty barrier of mountains. Below him extended a vast chaos of rock and forest, and green savannahs and wandering streams, while at a distance the waters of the promised ocean glittered in the morning sun. At this glorious prospect Vasco Nuiiez sank upon his knees, and poured out thanks to God for being the first European to whom it was given to make that great discovery. He then called his people to ascend: "Behold, my friends," said he, "that glorious sight which we have so much desired. Let us give thanks to God that he has granted us this great honour and advantage. Let us pray to him that he will guide and aid us to conquer the sea and land which we have discovered, and in which Christian has never entered to preach the holy doc- trine of the Evangelists. As to yourselves, be as you have hitherto been, faithful and true to me, and by the favour of Christ you will become the richest Spaniards that have ever come to the Indies ; you will render the greatest services to your king that ever vassal rendered to his lord ; and you will have the eternal glory and advantage of all that is here dis- covered, conquered, and converted to our holy Catholic faith." The Spaniards answered this speech by embracing Vasco Nunez and promising to follow him to death. Among them was a priest, named Andres de Vara, who hfted up his voice and chanted Te Deum Jaudamus — the usual anthem of Spanish discoverers. The people, kneeling down, joined in the strain with pious enthusiasm and tears of joy ; and never did a more smcere oblation rise to the Deity from a sanctified altar than from that wild mountain summit. It was indeed one of the most subhme discoveries that had yet been made in the New World, and must have opened a boundless field of conjecture to the wondering Spaniards. The imagination delights to pic- ture forth the splendid confusion of their thoughts. Was this the great Indian Ocean, studded with precious islands, abound- ing in gold, in gems, and spices, and bordered hj the gorgeous VASCO NUNEZ BE BALBOA. 123 cities and wealtJiy marts of the East? Or was it some lonely sea locked up in the embraces of savage uncultivated conti- nents, and never traversed by a bark, excepting the light pirogue of the Indian? The latter could hardly be the case, for the natives had told the Spaniards of golden realms, and populous and powerful and luxurious nations upon its shores. Perhaps it might be bordered by various people, civilized in fact, but differing from Europe in their civilization ; who might have peculiar laws and customs and arts and sciences; who might form, as it were, a world of their own, intercom m uning by this mighty sea, and carrying on commerce between their own islands and continents; but who might exist in total igno- rance and independence of the other hemisphere. Such may naturally have been the ideas suggested by the sight of this unknown ocean. It was the prevalent belief of the Spaniards, however, that they were the first Christians who had made the discovery. Vasco Nunez, therefore, called upon all present to witness that he took possession of that sea, its islands, and surrounding lands, in the name of the sov- ereigns of Castile, and the notary of the expedition made a testimonial of the same, to which all present, to the number of sixty-seven men, signed their names. He then caused a fair and tall tree to be cut down and wrought into a cross, which was elevated on the spot from whence he had at first beheld the sea. A mound of stones was likewise piled up to serve as a monument, and the names of the Castilian sovereigns were carved on the neighbouring trees. The Indians beheld aU these ceremonials and rejoicings m silent wonder, and, while they aided to erect the cross and pile up the mound of stones, marvelled exceedingly at the meaning of these monuments, little thinking that they marked clie subjugation of their land. The memorable evenefc here recorded took place on the 26th of September, 1513; so that the Spaniards had been twenty days performing the journey from the province of Careta to the summit of the mountain, a distance which at present, it is said, does not require nlore than six days' travel. Indeed the isthmus in this neighbourhood is not more than eighteen leagues in breadth in its widest part, and in some places merely seven ; but it consists of a ridge of extremely high and rugged mountains. When the discoverers traversed it, they had no route but the Indian paths, and often had to force their way amidst all kinds of obstacles, both from the savage country and its savage inhabitants. In fact, the details of 124 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. this narrative sufficiently account for the slowness of their progress, and present an array of difficulties and perils which, as has been well observed, none but those "men of iron" could have subdued and overcome.* CHAPTER X. VASCO NUNEZ MARCHES TO THE SHORES OF THE SOUTH SEA. Having taken possession of the Pacific Ocean and all its realms from the summit of the mountain, Vasco Nunez now descended with his httle band to seek the regions of reputed wealth upon its shores. He had not proceeded far when he came to the province of a warlike cacique, named Chiapes, who, issuing forth at the head of his -warriors, looked with scorn upon the scanty number of straggling Spaniards, and forbade them to set foot within his territories. Vasco Nunez depended for safety upon his power of striking terror into the ignorant sa^^ages. Ordering his arquebusiers to the front, he poured a volley into the enemy, and then let loose the blood- hounds. The flash and noise of the fire-arms, and the sul- phurous smoke which was carried by the wind among the Indians, overwhelmed them with dismay. Some fell down in a panic as though they had been struck by thunderbolts, the rest betook themselves to headlong flight. Vasco Nunez commanded his men to refrain from needless slaughter. He made many prisoners, and on arriving at the village, sent some of them in search of their cacique, accom- panied by several of his Indian guides. The latter informed Chiapes of the supernatural power of the Spaniards, assuring him that they exterminated with thunder and lightning all who dared to oppose them, but loaded all such as submitted to them with benefits. They advised liim, therefore, to throw himseK upon their mercy and seek their friendship. The cacique listened to their advice, and came trembling to the Spaniards, bringing with him five hundred pounds weight of wrought gold as a peace offering, for he had already learnt the value they set upon that metal. Vasco Nunez received ♦ Vidas de Espanoles C61ebres, por Don Manuel Josef Quintana. Tom, ii. p. 40, VASCO NUS-EZ BE BALBOA. 125 him with great kindness, and graciously accepted his gold, for which he gave him beads, hawks' bells, and looking-glasses, making him, in his own conceit, the richest potentate on that side of the mountains. Friendship being thus established between them, Vasco Nuiiez remained at the village for a few days, sending back the guides who had accompanied liim from Quaraqua, and ordering his people, whom he had left at that place, to rejoin him. In the mean time he sent out three scouting parties, of twelve men each, under Francisco Pizarro, Juan de Escary, and Alonzo Martin de Don Benito, to explore the surrounding country and discover the best route to the sea. Alonzo Martin was the most successful. After two days' journey he came to a beach, where he foulid two large canoes lying high and dry, without any water being in sight. While the Spaniards were regarding these canoes, and wondering why they should be so far on land, the tide, which rises to a great height on that coast, came rapidly in afid set them afloat ; upon this, Alonzo Martin stepped into one of them, and called his companions to bear witness that he was the first European that embarked upon that sea ; his example was followed by one Bias de Etienza, who called them likewise to testify that he was the second.* We mention minute particulars of the kind as being charac- teristic of these extraordinary enterprises, and of the extra- ordinary people who undertook them. The humblest of these Spanish adventurers seemed actuated by a swelling and ambitious spirit, that rose superior at times to mere sordid considerations, and aspired to share the glory of these great discoveries. The scouting party having thus explored a direct route to the sea coast, returned to report their success to their commander. Vasco Nuiiez being rejoined by his men from Quaraqua, now left the greater part of his followers to repose and recover from their sickness and fatigues in the village of Chiapes, and, taking with him twenty-six Spaniards, well armed, he set oui on the twenty -ninth of September, for the sea coast, accom- panied by the cacique and a number of his warriors. The thick forest which covered the mountains descend d to the very margin of the sea, surrounding and overshadowing the wide and beautiful bays that penetrated far into the land. The whole coast, as far as the eye could reach, was perfectly * Herrera, Hist. Ind. d. i. 1. x. c. 3. 126 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. wild, the sea without a sail, and both seemed never to have been under the dominion of civihzed man. Vasco Nunez arrived on the borders of one of those vast bays, to which he gave the name of Saint Michael, it being discovered on that saint's day. The tide was out, the water was above half a league distant, and the intervening beach was covered with mud ; he seated himself, therefore, under the shade of the forest trees until the tide should rise. After a while the water came rushing in with great impetuosity, and soon reached nearly to the place where the Spaniards were reposing. Upon this, Vasco Nunez rose and took a banner, on which were painted the Virgin and child, and under them the arms of Castile and Leon; then drawing his sword and throw- ing his buckler on his shoulder, he marched into the sea until the water reached above his knees, and waving his banner, ex- claimed, with a loud voice, "Long hve the high and mighty monarchs, Don Ferdinand and Donna Juanna, sovereigns of Castile, of Leon, and of Arragon, in \Vhose name, and for the royal crown of Castile, I take real, and corporal,* and actual possession of these seas, and lands, and coasts, and ports, and islands of the South, and all thereimto annexed; and of the kingdoms and provinces which do or may appertain to them in whatever manner, or by whatever right or title, ancient or modern, in times past, present, or to come, without any con- tradiction ; and if other prince or captain, christian or infidel, or of any law, sect, or condition whatsoever, shall pretend any right to these lands and seas, I am ready and prepared to maintain and defend them in the name of the Castilian sov- ereigns, present and future, whose is the 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 equinoxial line, whether within or without the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, both now and in all times, as long as the world endures, and until the final day of judgment of all mankind." . This swelling declaration and defiance being uttered with a f loud voice, and no one appearing to dispute his pretensions, * Vasco Nunez called upon his companions to bear witness of the fact of his having duly taken possession. They all declared themselves ready to defend his claim to the uttermost, as be- came true and loyal vassals to the Castilian sovereigns; and the notary having drawn up a document for the occasion, they all subscribed it with then- names. i VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA. 127 This done, they advanced to the margin of the sea, and stooping down tasted its waters. When they found, that, though severed by intervening mountains and continents, they were salt hke the seas of the north, they felt assured that they had indeed discovered an ocean, and again returned thanks to God. Having concluded all these ceremonies, Vasco Nuiiez drew a dagger from his girdle and cut a cross on a tree which grew within the water, and made two other crosses on two adjacent trees in honour of the Three Persons of the Trinity, and in token of possession. His followers likewise cut crosses on many of the trees of the adjacent forest, and lopped off branches with their swords to bear away as trophies. * Such was the singular medley of chivalrous and rehgious ceremonial mth which these Spanish adventurers took pos- session of the vast Pacific Ocean, and all its lands — a scene strongly characteristic of the nation and the age. CHAPTER XI. ADVENTURES OF VASCO NUNEZ ON THE BORDERS OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN. While he made the village of Chiapes his headquarters, Vasco Nuiiez foraged the adjacent country and obtained a considerable quantity of gold from the natives. Encouraged by his success, he undertook to explore by sea the borders of a neighbouring gulf of great extent, which penetrated far into the land. The cacique Chiapes warned him of the danger of venturing to sea in the stormy season, which comprises the months of October, November, and December, assuring him that he had beheld many canoes swallowed up in the mighty waves and whirlpools, which at such times render the gulf almost unnavigable. These remonstrances were unavailing: Vasco Nuiiez ex- pressed a confident belief that God would protect him, seeing that his voyage was to redound to the propagation of the faith, * Many of the foregoing particulars are from the unpublished volume of Oviedo's Hlstpry of the Indias, 128 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. and the augmentation of the power of the Castilian monarchs over the infidels ; and in truth this bigoted reUance on the im- mediate protection of heaven seems to have been in a great measure the cause of the extravagant daring of the Spaniards in their expeditions in those days, whether against Moors or Indians. Seeing his representations of no effect, Chiapes volunteered to take part in this perilous cruise, lest he should appear want- ing in courage, or in good-will to his guest. Accompanied by the cacique, therefore, Vasco Nuiiez embarked on the 17th of October with sixty of his men in nine canoes, managed by Indians, leaving the residue of his followers to recruit their health and strength in the village of Chiapes. Scarcely, however, had they put forth on the broad bosom of the gulf when the wisdom of the cacique's advice was made apparent. The wind began to blow freshly, raising a heavy and tumultuous sea, which broke in roaring and foaming surges on the rocks and reefs, and among the numerous islets with which the gidf was studded. The light canoes were deeply laden with men unskilled in their management. It was frightful to those in one canoe to behold their companions, one instant tossed on high on the breaking crest of a wave, the next plunging out of sight, as if swallowed in a watery abyss. The Indians themselves, though almost amphibious in their habits, showed signs of consternation ; for amidst these rocks and breakers even the skill of the expert swimmer would be of little avail. At length the Indians succeeded in tying the canoes in pairs, side by side, to prevent their being overturned, and in this way they kept afloat, until towards evening they were enabled to reach a small island. Here they landed, and fastening the canoes to the rocks, or to smaU trees that grew upon the shore, they sought an elevated dry place, and stretched themselves to take repose. They had but escaped from one danger to encounter another. Having been for a long time accustomed to the sea on the northern side of the isthmus, where there is little, if any, rise or fall of the tide, they had neglected to take any precaution against such an oc- currence. In a httle while they were awakened from their sleep by the rapid rising of the water. They shifted their sit- uation to a higher ground, but the waters continued to gain upon them, the breakers rushing and roaring and foaming upon the beach like so many monsters of the deep seeking for their prey. Nothing, it is said, can be more dismal and ap- VASCO yUJS/h'Z ]JE BALBOA. 129 palling than the sullen bellowing of the sea among the islands of that gulf at the rising and falling of the tide. By degrees, rock after rock, and one sand bank after another disappeared, until the sea covered the wliole island, and rose almost to the girdles of the Spaniards. Their situation was now agonizing. A little more and the waters would overwhehn them ; or, even as it was, the least surge might break over them and sweep them from their unsteady footing. Fortunately the wind had lidled, and the sea, having risen above the i-ocks which had fretted it. was calm. The tide had reached its height and began to subside, and after a time they heard the retiring waves beating against the rocks below them. When the day daw^ned they sought their canoes ; but here a sad spectacle met their eyes. Some were broken to pieces, others yaAvning open in many parts. The clothing and food left in them had been washed away, and replaced by sand and water. The Spaniards gazed on the scene in mute despair; they were faint and weary, and needed food and repose, but famine and labour awaited them, even if they should escape with their lives. Vasco Nunez, however, rallied their spirits, and set them an example by his own cheerful exertions. Obey- ing his directions, they set to work to repair, in the best man- ner they were able, the damages of the canoes. Such as were not too much shattered they bound and braced up with their girdles, v>dth slips of the bark of trees, or with the tough long stalks of certain sea- weeds. They then peeled off the bark from the small sea plants, pounded it between stones, and mixed it with grass, and with this endeavoured to caulk th-e seams and stop the leaks that remained. When they re-embarked, their nmnbers v/eighed down the canoes almost to the water's edge, and as they rose and sank with the swelling waves there w-a.s danger of their being swallowed up. All day they laboured with the sea, suffering excessively from the pangs of hunger and thirst, and at nightfall they landed in a coi'ner of the gulf, near the abode of a cacique named Tumaco. Leaving a part of his men to guard the canoes, Vasco Nunez set out with the i-esidue for the Indian town. He arrived there about midnight, but the inhabitants were on the alert to defend their habita- tions. The fire-ai-ms and dogs soon put them to flight, and the Spaniards pursuing them with their swords, drove them howl- ing into the woods. In the village were found provisions in abundance, beside a considerable amount of gold and a great (quantity of pearls, many of them of a large size. In tlie house 130 .S7UiV/*7/ VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. of the cacique were several huge shells of mother-of-pearl, and four pearl oysters quite fresh, which showed that there was a pearl fishery in the neighbourhood. Eager to learn the sources of this wealth, Vasco Nuiiez sent several of the Indians of Chiapes in search of the cacique, who traced him to a wild re- treat among the rocks. By their persuasions Tumaco sent his son, a fine young savage, as a mediator. The latter returned to his father loaded with presents, and extolling the benignity of these superhuman beings, who had shoAvn tliemselves so ter- rible in battle. By these means, and by a mutual exchange of presents, a friendly intercourse was soon established. Among other things the cacique gave Vasco Nunez jewels of gold weighing six hundred and fourteen crowns, and two hundred pearls of great size and beauty, excepting that they were some- what discoloured in consequence of the oysters having been opened by fire. * The cacique seeing the value which the Spaniards set upon the pearls, sent a number of his men to fish for them at a place about ten miles distant. Certain of the Indians were trained from their youth to this purpose, so as to become expert divers, and to acquire the power of remaining a long time beneath the water. The largest pearls are generally found in the deepest waters, sometimes in tiiree and four fathoms, and are oiAj sought in calm weather; the smaller sort are found at the depth of two and three feet, and the oysters containing them are often driven in quantities on the beach during violent storms. The party of pearl divers sent by the cacique consisted of thirty Indians, with whom Vasco Nunez sent six Spaniards as eye-witnesses. The sea, however, was so furious at that stormy season that the divers dared not venture into the deep water. Such a number of the shell -fish, however, had been driven on shore, that they collected enough to yield pearls to the value of twelve marks of gold. They were small, but ex- ceedingly beautiful, being newly taken and uninjured by fire. A number of these shell-fish and their pearls were selected to be sent to Spain as specimens, In reply to the inquiries of Vasco Nunez, the cacique informed him that the coast which he saw stretching to the west con- tinued onwards without end, and that far to the south there was a country abounding in gold, where the inhabitants made use of certain quadrupeds to carry burthens. He moulded a figure of -clay to represent these animals, which some of the PA^'^aO NUNliJZ BE BALBOA. 131 Spaniards supposed to be a deer, others a camel, others a tapir, for as yet they knew nothing of the lama, the native beast of burthen of South America. This was the second intimation received by Vasco Nunez of the great empire of Peru ; and, while it confirmed all that had been told him by the son of Comagre, it filled him with glowing anticipations of the glori- ous triumphs that awaited him. CHAPTER XII. FURTHER ADVENTURES AND EXPLOITS OF VASCO NUNEZ ON THE BORDERS OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN. Lest any ceremonial should be wanting to secure this grand discovery to the crown of Spain, Vasco Nunez determined to sally from the gulf and take possession of the main land be- yond. The cacique Tumaco furnished him with a canoe of state, formed from the trunk of an enormous tree, and managed by a great number of Indians. The handles of the paddles were inlaid with small pearls, a circumstance which Vasco Nunez caused his companions to testify before the notary, that it might be reported to the sovereigns as a proof of the wealth of this newly discovered sea. * Departing in the canoe on the 29th of October, he was piloted cautiously by the Indians along the borders of the gulf, over drowned lands where the sea was fringed by inundated forests and as still as a pool. Arrived at the point of the gulf, Vasco Nunez landed on a smooth sandy beach, laved by the waters .of the broad ocean, and, with buckler on arm, sword in hand, and banner displayed, again marched into the sea and took possession of it, with like ceremonials to those observed in the Gulf of St. Michael's. The Indians now pointed to a line of land rising above the horizon about four or five leagues distant, which they described as . being a great island, the principal one of an archipelago. The whole group abounded with pearls, but those taken on the coasts of this island were represented as being of immense size, many of them as large as a man's eye, and found in shell-fish as * Ovledo, Hist. Gen. p. 2, MS. l'^''2 ^'^PANJSii loTAaEs OF nmcovtiiiiy. big as bucklers. This island and the surrounding cluster of small ones, they added, were under the dominion of a tyranni- cal and puissant cacique, who often, during the calm seasons, made descents upon the main land with fleets of canoes, plun- dering and desolating the coasts, and carrying the people into captivity. Vasco Nuiiez gazed with an eager and wistful eye at this land of riches, and would have immediately undertaken an ex- pedition to it, had not the Indians represented the danger of venturing on such a voyage in that tempestuous season in their frail canoes. His own recent experience convinced him of the wisdom of their remonstrances. He postponed his visit, there- fore, to a future occasion, when, he assured his allies, he would avenge them upon this tyrant invader, and deliver their coasts from his maraudings. In the mean time he gave to this island the name of Isla Eica, and the little archipelago surrounding it the general appellation of the Pearl Islands. On the third of November Vasco Nunez departed from the pro vi .ice of Tumaco, to visit other parts of the coast. He em- barked with his men in the canoes, accompanied by Chiapes and his Indians, and guided by the son of Tumaco, who had become strongly attached to the Spaniards. The young man piloted them along an arm of the sea, wide in some places, but in others obstructed by groves of mangrove trees, which grew within the water and interlaced their branches from shore to shore, so that at times the Spaniards were obliged to cut a pas- sage with their swords. At length they entered a great and turbulent river, which they ascended with difficulty, and early the next morning surprised a village on its banks, making the cacique Teao- chan prisoner ; who purchased their favour and kind treatment by a quantity of gold and pearls, and an abundant supply of provisions. x\s it was the intention of Vasco Nufiez to aban- don the shores of the Southern Ocean at this place, and to strike across the mountains for Darien, he took leave of Chiapes and of the youthful son of Tumaco, who were to re- turn to their houses in the canoes. He sent at the same time a message to his men, Avhom he had left in the village of Chiapes, appointing a place in the mountains where they were to rejoin him on his way back to Darien. The talent of Vasco Nunez for conciliating and winning the good-will of the savages is often mentioned, and to such a de- gree had he exerted it in the present instance, that the two VASao NU^EZ DE BALBOA. JBB chieftains shed tears at parting. Their conduct had a favour- able effect upon the cacique Teaochan ; he entertained Vasco Nunez with the most devoted hospitahty during three days that he remained in his village ; when about to depart he fur- nished him with a stock of provisions sufficient for several days, as his route would lay over rocky and sterile mountains. He sent also a numerous band of his subjects to carry the bur- thens of the Spaniards. These he placed under the command of his son, whom he ordered never to separate from the stran- gers, nor to permit any of his men to return without the con- sent of Vasco NuSez. CHAPTER XIII. VASCO nuSez sets out on his return across the mountains —HIS contests with the savages. Turning their backs upon the Southern Sea, the Spaniards now began painfully to clamber the rugged mountains on liieir return to Darien. In the early part of their route an unlooked-for suffeMng awaited them : there was neither brook nor fountain nor stand- ing pool. The burning heat, which produced intolerable thirst, had dried up all the mountain torrents, and they v/ere tanta- lized by the sight of naked and dusty channels where water had once flowed in abundance. Their sufferings at length in- creased to such a height that many threw themselves fevered and panting upon the earth, and were ready to give up the ghost. The Indians, however, encouraged them to proceed, by hopes of speedy relief, and after a v/hile, turning aside from the direct course, led them into a deep and narrow glen, refreshed and- cooled by a fountain which bubbled out of a cleft of the rocks. While refreshing themselves at the fountain, and reposing in the Kttle valley, they learnt from their guides that they were in the territories of a powerful chief named Poncra, famous for his riches. The Spaniards had already heard of the golden stores* of this Croesus of the mountains, and being now re- freshed and invigorated, pressed forward with eagerness for his village. 1^4 f^PANim YOYAOES OF DISCOVERY. The cacique and most of his people fled at their approach, but they found an earnest of his wealth in the deserted houses, amounting to the value of three thousand crowns in gold. Their avarice thus whetted, they despatched Indians in search of Poncra, who found him trembling in his secret retreat, and partly by threats, partly by promises, prevailed upon him and three of his principal subjects to come to Vasco Nuilez. He was a savage, it is said, so hateful of aspect, so misshapen in body and deformed in all his members, that he was hideous to behold. The Spaniards endeavoured by gentle means to draw from him information of the places from whence he had pro- cured liis gold. He professed utter ignorance in the matter, declaring that the gold found in his village had been gathered by his predecessors in times long past, and that as he himself set no value on the metal, he had never troubled himself to seek it. The Spaniards resorted to menaces, and even, it is said, to tortures, to compel him to betray his reputed treasures, but with no better success. Disappointed in their expecta- tions, and em^aged at his supposed obstinacy, they listened too readily to charges advanced against him by certain caciques t of the neighbourhood, who represented him as a monster of' cruelty, and as guilty of crimes repugnant to nature.;* where- upon, in the heat of the moment, they gave him and his three ^ companions, who were said to be equally guilty, to be torn in f pieces by the dogs. — A rash and cruel sentence, given on the! evidence of avowed enemies ; and which, however it may be | palliated by the alleged horror and disgust of the Spaniards at the imputed crimes of the cacique, bears too much the stamp of haste and passion, and remains a foul blot on the character of Vasco Nuiiez. The Spaniards remained for thirty days reposing in the vil- lage of the unfortunate Poncra, during which time they were rejoined by their companions, who had been left behind at the village of Chiapes. They were accompanied by a cacique of the mountains, who had lodged and fed them, and made them presents of the value of two thousand croAvns in gold. This hospitable savage approached Vasco Nufiez with a serene countenance, and taking him by the hand, "Behold," said he, ' ' most valiant and powerful chief, I bring thee thy companions safe and well, as they entered under my roof. May he who made the thunder and lightning, and who gives us the fruits * p. Martvr. d. iii. c. VA8CU JS'UNKZ 1)E BALBOA. 135 of the earth, preserve thee and tliine in safety I" So saying, he raised his eyes to the sun, as if he worshipped that as his deity and the dispenser of all temporal blessings.* Departing from this village, and being still accompanied by the Indians of Teaochan, the Spaniards now bent their course along the banks of the river Comagre, which descends the northern side of the Isthmus, and flows through the territories of the cacique of the same name. This wild stream, which in the course of ages had worn a channel through the deep clefts and ravines of the mountains, was bordered hy preci- pices, or overhung by shagged forests; they soon abandoned it, therefore, and wandered on without any path, but giiided by the Indians. They had to climb terrible precipices, and to descend into deep valleys, darkened by thick forests and beset by treacherous morasses, where, but for their guides, they might have been smothered in the mire. In the course of this rugged journey they suffered excessive- ly in consequence of their own avarice. They had been warned of the sterility of the country they were about to traverse, and of the necessity of providing amply for the journey. When they came to lade the Indians, however, who bore their burdens, their only thought was how to convey the most treasure ; and they grudged even a slender supply of provisions, as taking up the place of an equal weight of gold. The consequences were soon felt. The Indians could carry but small burthens, and at the same time assisted to consume the scanty stock of food which formed part of their load. Scarcity and famine ensued, and relief was rarely to be procured, for the villages on this elevated part of the mountains were scattered and poor, and nearly destitute of provisions. They held no communication with each other ; each contenting itself with the scanty prod- uce of its own fields and forest. Some were entirely deserted ; at other places, the inhabitants, forced from their retreats, implored pardon, and declared they had hidden themselves through shame, not having the means of properly entertaining such celestial visitors. They brought peace-offerings of gold, but no provisions. For once the Spaniards found that even their darling gold could fail to cheer their drooping spirits. Their sufferings from hunger became intense, and many of their Indian companions sank down and perished by the way. At length they reached a village where they were enabled to * Henera, (J, i, 1. x. c, 4, -|36 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. obtain supplies, and where tbey remained thirty days, to re- cruit their wasted strength. CHAPTER XIV. ENTERPRISE AGAINST TUBANAMA, THE WARLIKE CACIQUE O^ THE MOUNTAINS— RETURN TO DARIEN. The Spaniards had now to pass through the territories of M\ibanama, the most potent and warhke cacique of the moun- tains This was the same chieftain of whom a lormidable 4aracter had been given by the young Indian prince, w]io iivst informed Vasco Nuilez of the southern sea. He had erro- neously represented the dominions of Tubanama as lymg be- vond the mountains; and, when he dwelt upon the quantities of j?old to be found in them, had magnified the dangers that would attend any attempt to pass their borders. The name of this redoubtable C£icique was, in fact, a terror liiroughout the country and, when Vasco Nunez looked round upon his haiid- ml of pale and emaciated foHowers, he doubted whether even the superiority of their weapons and their military skill would enable them to cope with Tubanama and his armies m open contest He resolved, therefore, to venture upon a perilous stratagem. When he made it known to his men, every one pressed forward to engage in it. Choosing seventy of the most vigorous, he ordered the rest to maintain their post m tlie vil- 'Ts soon as night had fallen, he departed silently and secretly with hist3hosen band and made his way with such rapidity through the labyrinths of the forests and the defiles of the mountains that he arrived in the neighbourhood of the resi- dence of Tubanama by the following evening, though at the distance of two regular days' journey. , , „, i There waiting until midnight, he assailed the village siicl denly and with success, so as to surprise and capture the cacique and his whole family, in which were eightyfema.es. When Tubanama found himself a prisoner m the hands ot tlie Spaniards, he lost all presence of mind and wept bitterly. Tue Indian allies of Vasco Nufiez, beholding their once-dreaded ei^emy thus fallen and captive, noAv urged that he should be Kisco NVNm dh: balboa. 1:-j7 put; to d(^ath, accusing him of various crimes and cruelties. Vasco Nunez pretended to listen to their prayers, and gave orders that his captive sh'^)uld be tied hand and foot and giveji to the dogs. The cacique approached him trembling, and laid his hand upon the pommel of his sword. "Who can pretend," said he, ' ' to strive with one who bears this weapon, which can cleave a man asunder with a blow? Ever since thy fame has reached among these moimtains have I reverenced thy valour. Spare my life and thou shalt have all the gold I can procure. " Vasco Nuiiez, whose auger vfas assumed, was readily paci- fied. As soon as the day dawned the cacique gave him arm- lets and other jewels of gold to the value of three thousand crowns, and sent messengers throughout his dominions order- ing his subjects to aid in paying his ransom. The poor In- dians, with their accustomed loyalty, hastened in crowds, bringing their golden ornaments, until, in the course of three days, they had produced an amount equal to six thousand crowns. This done, Vasco Nunez set the cacique at liberty, bestowing on him several European trinkets, with which he considered himself richer than he had been with all his gold. Nothing would draw from him, however, the disclosure of the mines from whence this treasure was procured. He declared that it came from the territories of his neighbours, where gold and pearls were to be found in abundance ; but that his lands produced nothing of the kind. Vasco Nuiiez doubted his sin- cerity, and secretly caused the brooks and rivers in his domin- ions to be searched, where gold was found in such quantities, that he determined at a future time to found two settlements in the neighbourhood. On parting with Tubanama. the cacique sent his son with the . Spaniards to learn their language and religion. It is said, also, that the Spaniards carried off his eighty Avomen ; but of this par- ticidar fact, Oviedo, who writes with the papers of Vasco Nuiiez before him, says nothing. He affirms generally, however, that the Spaniards, throughout this expedition, were not scrupulous in their dealings with the Avives and daughters of the Indians ; and adds that in this their commander set them the example.* Having returned to the village, where he had left the greater part of his men, Vasco Nunez resumed his homeward march. His people were feeble and exhausted -and several of them sick, so that some had to be carried and others led by tlie arms. He * Oviedo, Hist. Gen. Part II. e. 4, MS. J3f^ SPANIS/l VOYAGIiJS OF DlSCOVEllY. himself was part of tlic time afflicted by a fever, and ]iod to bo borne in a haniniock on the shoulders of the Indians. Proceeding thus slowly and toilfully, they at length arrived on the northern sea-coast, at the territories of their ally, Oo- magre. The old cacique was dead and had been succeeded by his son, the same intelligent youth who had first given infor- mation of the southern sea and the kingdom of Peru. The young chief, who had embraced Christianity, received them with great hospitality, making them presents of gold. Vasco Nunez gave him trinkets in return and a shirt and a soldier's cloak ; with which, says Peter Martyr, he thought himself half a god among his naked countrymen. After having reposed for a few days, Vasco Nimez proceeded to Ponca, where he heard that a ship and caravel had arrived at Darien from Hispaniola with reinforcements and supplies. Hastening, therefore, to Coyba, the territories of his ally, Careta, he embarked on the 18th of January, 1514, with twenty of his men, in the brigan- tine which he had left there, and arrived at Santa Maria de la Antigua in the river of Darien on the following day. All the inhabitants came forth to receive him ; and, when they heard the nev\^s of the great southern sea, and of his returning from its shores laden with pearls and gold, there were no bounds to their joy. He immediately despatched the sliip and caravel to Coyba for the companions he had left behind, who brought with them the remaining booty, consisting of gold and pearls, mantles, hammocks, and other articles of cotton, and a great number of captives of both sexes. A fifth of the spoil was set apart for the crown ; the rest was shared, in just proportions, among those who had been in the expedition and those who had remained at Darien. All were contented with their allot- ment, and elated with the prospect of still greater gain from future enterprises. Thus ended one of the most remarkable expeditions of the early discoverers. The intrepidity of Vasco Nuilez in pene- trating with a handful of men far into the interior of a wild and mountainous country, peopled by warlike tribes : his skill in managing his band of rough adventurers, stimulating their valour, enforcing their obedience, and attaching their affec- tions, show him to have possessed great qualities as a general. "We are told that he was always foremost in peril and the last to quit the field. He shared the toils and dangers of the mean- est of his followers, treating them with frank affability ; watch- ing, fighting, fasting, and labouring with them; visiting and VASCO NUM^Z DE BALBOA. 139 consoling such as were sick or infirm, and dividing all his gains with fairness and liberality. He was chargeable at times with acts of bloodshed and injustice, but it is probable that these were often called for as measures of safety and precau- tion ; he certainly offended less against humanity than most of the early discoverers; and the unbounded amity and confi- dence reposed in him by the natives, when they became inti- mately acquainted with his character, speak strongly in favour of his kind treatment of them. The character of Vasco Nuiiez had, in fact, risen with his circumstances, and now assumed a nobleness and grandeur from the discovery he had made, and the important charge it had devolved upon him. He no longer felt himself a mere soldier of fortune, at the head of a band of adventurers, but a great commander conducting all immortal enterprise. "Be- hold," says old Peter Martyr, "Vasco Nunez de Balboa, at once transformed from a rash royster to a politic and discreet captain:" and thus it is that men are often made by their for- tunes; that is to say, their latent qualities are brought out, and shaped and strengthened by events, and by the necessity of every exertion to cope with the greatness of their destiny. CHAPTER XV. TRANSACTIONS IN SPAIN— PEDR ARIAS DAVILA APPOINTED TO THE COMMAND OF DARIEN-— TIDINGS RECEIVED IN SPAIN OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN. Vasco Nlinez de Balboa now flattered himself that he had made a discovery calculated to silence all his enemies at court, and to elevate him to the highest favour with his sovereign. . He wrote letters to the king, giving a detail of his expedition, and setting forth all that he had seen or heard of this Southern Sea, and of the rich countries upon its borders. Beside the royal fifths of the profits of the expedition, he prepared a present for the sovereign, in the name of himself and his com- panions, consisting of the 1^'gest and most precious pearls they had collected. As a trusty and intelligent envoy to bear these tidings, he chose Pedro de Arbolancha, an old and tried friend, who had accompanied him in his toils and dangers, and was well acquainted with all his transactions. 140 SPAI^ISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. The fate of Vasco Nunez furnishes a striking instance how prosperity and adversity, how even Hfe and death hang bal- anced upon a point of time, and are affected by the improve- ment or neglect of moments. Unfortunately, the ship which was to convey the messenger to Spain lingered in port until the beginning of March ; a delay which had a fatal influence on the fortunes of Vasco Nuiiez. It is necessary here to cast an eye back upon the events which had taken place in Spain wiiile he was employed in his conquests and discoveries. The Bachelor Enciso had arrived in Castile full of his wrongs and indignities. He had friends at court, who aided him in gaining a ready hearing, and he lost not a moment in availing himself of it. He declaimed eloquently upon the alleged usur- pation of Vasco Nunez, and represented him as governing the colony by force and fraud. It was in vain that the Alcalde Zamudio, the ancient colleague and the envoy of Vasco Nunez, attempted to speak in his defence ; he was miable to cope with the facts and arguments of the Bachelor, who Avas ,a pleader by profession, and now pleaded his own cause. The king de- termined to send a new governor to Darien with power to in- quire into and remedy all abuses. For this office he chose Don Pedro Arias Davila, commonly called Pedrarias.* He was a native of Segovia, who had been brought up in the royal household, -and had distinguished himself as a brave soldier, both in the war in Granada and at the taking of Oran and Bugia in Africa. He possessed those personal accomplish- ments which captivate the soldiery, and was called el Galan, for his gallant array and courtly demeanour, and el Justador, or the Tilter, for his dexterity in jousts and tournaments. These, it must be admitted, were not the qualifications most adapted for the government of iiide and factious colonies in a Avilderness; but he had an all-powerful friend in the Bishop Fonseca. The Bishop was as thoroughgoing in patronage as in persecution. He assured the king that Pedrarias had mi- derstanding equal to bis valour; that he was as capable of managing the affairs of peace as of war, and that, having been brought up in the royal household, his loyalty might be im- plicitly relied on. Scarcely had Don Pedvarias been appointed, when Cayzedo and Colmenares arrived on their mission from Darien. to communicate the intelligence received tvi/m th^' son of the * P.Y t^e. 'EngliKh ]iistorians he h£is genevatlly betpR <^^aP,?^]sopiis; so that henceforth we shull ncMtliei' envy nor r<»vei-enf*e the nice fruitfnlness of Tra})ohan or the Red Sea, The Spaniards will not need hereafter to mine and dig- far into the earth, nor to cut asunder mountains in quest of gold, but will find it plentifully, in a manner, on the upper crust of the earth, or in the sands of riv(>rs dried up by the heats of summer. Certainly the reverend antiquity obtained not so great a benefit of nature, nor even aspired to the know ledge thereof, since never man before, from the known world, penetrated to these unknown regions." '■^'■ The tidings of this discovery at once made all Spain resound with the praises of Vasco Nunez ; and from being considered a lawless and despei*ate adventiu-er, he was lauded to the skies as a worthy successor to Columbus. The king repented of the harshness of his late measures towards him, and ordered the Bishop Fonseca to devise some mode of rewarding his transcendent services. CHAPTER XVI. ARRIVAL AND GRAND ENTRY OF DON PEDRARIAS DAVILA INTO DARIEN. While honours and rewards were preparing in Europe for Vasco Nunez, that indefatigable commander, inspired by his fortunes, with redoubled zeal and loftier ambition, was exercis- ing the paternal forethought and discretion of a patriotic governor over the country subjected to his rule. His most . strenuous exertions were directed to bring the neighbourhood of Darien into such a state of cultivation as might render the settlement independent of Europe for supplies. The town was situated on the banks of a river, and contained upwards of two hundred houses and cabins. Its population amounted to five hundred and fifteen Europeans, all men, and fifteen hun- dred Indians, male and female. Orchards and gardens had been laid out, where European as well as native fruits and vegetables were cultivated, and already gave promise of future * p. Martyr, decad. 3, chap. iii. Lok's translation. VAsiro ^rJ^I^JZ bl'l liAlJiOA. :145 abiiudancc. Yawco Niiilez; devised all kinds of nieans t(j keep up the spirits of his people. On holidays they liad tljeii- favourite national sports and games, and pavticidarly tiltijig rtiatches, of wln'ch chivalrous amusement the Spaniards in those days were extravagantly fond. Sometimes he gratified their restless and roving habits by sending them on expedi- tions to various parts of the countiy, to acquire a knowledge of its resources, and to strengthen his sway over the natives. He was so successful in securing the amity ^' exciting the awe of the Indian tribes, that a Spaniard might go singly about tlie land in perfect safety; while his own followers were zealous in their devotion to him, both from admii-ation of his past exploits and from hopes of soon being led by him to new discoveries and conquests. Peter Martyr, in his letter to Leo the Tenth, speaks in high terms of these "old soldiers of Darien,'' the remnants of those well-tried adventurers who had followed the fortunes of Ojeda, Nicuesa, and Vasco Nunez. ' ' They were hardened, " says he, ' ' to abide all sorrows, and were exceedingly tolerant of labour, heat, hunger, and watch- ing, insomuch that they merrily make their boast that they have observed a longer and sharper Lent than ever your Holiness enjoined, since, for the space of four years, their food has been herbs and fruits, with now and then fish, and very seldom flesh."* Such were the hardy and well-seasoned veterans that were imder the sway of Vasco Nuiiez; and the colony gave signs of rising in prosperity under his active and fostering manage- ment, when in the month of June the fleet of Don Pedrarias Davila* arrived in the Gulf of Uraba. The Spanish cavaliers who accompanied the new governor were eager to get on shore, and to behold the anticipated wonders of the land; but Pedrarias, knowing tlie resolute character of Vasco Nuiiez, and the devotion of liis followers, apprehended some difficulty in getting possession of the colony. Anchoring, therefore, about a league and a half from the settle- ment, he sent a messenger on shore to anriounce his arrival. The envoy, having heard so much in Spain of the prowess and exploits of Vasco Nuiiez and the riches of Golden Castile, expected, no doubt, to find a blustering warrior, maintaining barbaric state in the government which he had usurped. Great was his astonishment, therefore, to find this redoubta- *P. Martyr, decad. ;^, c. iii. Lojc's translation. UCi SPAmSH VOTAGKS OF PrsVOVEItY. blc hero a plain, unassuming man, clad in a cotton frc^ck and drawers and hempen sandals, directing and aiding the lahour of several Indians who were thatching a cottage in which he resided. The messenger approa<-Jied him respectfully, and announced the arrival of Don Pedrarias Davila as governor of the country Whatever Vasco Nunez may have felt at this intelligence he suppressed his emotions, and answered the messenger with great discretion: ''JTellDon Pedrarias Davila, " said he, "that he is welcome, that I congratulate him on his safe arrival, and am ready, with all who are here, to obey his orders." The little community of rough and daring adventurers was immediately in an uproar when they found a new governor had arrived. Some of the most zealous adherents of Vasco Nuiiez were disposed to sally forth, sword in hand, and repel the intruder ; but they were restrained by their more consider- ate chieftain, who prepared to receive the new governor with all due submission. Pedrarias disembarked on the thirtieth of June, accom- panied by his heroic wife, Doila Isabella; who, according to old Peter Martyr, had sustained the roarings and rages of the ocean with no less stout courage than either her husband or even the mariners who had been brought up among the surges of the sea. Pedrarias set out for the embryo city at the head of two thousand men, all well armed. He led his wife by the hand, and on the other side of him was the bishop of Darien in his robes; while a brilliant train of youthful cavaliers, in glittering armour and brocade, formed a kind of body-guard. , All this pomp and splendour formed a striking contrast with the humble state of Vasco Nunez, who came forth unarmed, in simple attire, accompanied by his councillors and a handful of the "old soldiers of Darien," scarred and battered, and" grown half wild in Indian warfare, but without weapons, and in garments much the worse for wear. Vasco Nunez saluted Don Pedrarias Davila with profound reverence, and promised him implicit obedience, both in his own name and in the name of the community. Having en- tered the town, he conducted his distinguished guests to his straw-thatched habitation, where he had caused a repast to be prepared of such cheer as his means afforded, consisting of roots and fruits, maize and casava bread, with no other bever- age than water from the river; a sorry palace and a meagr^ ¥ VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA. 147 banquet in the eyes of the gay cavahers, who had anticipated far other things from the usurper of Golden Castile. Vasco Nuiiez, however, acquitted himself in his humble wigwam with the courtesy and hospitality of a prince, and showed that the dignity of an entertainment depends more upon the giver than the feast. In the meantime a plentiful supply of European provisions was landed from the fleet, and a temporary abund- ance was diffused through the colony. CHAPTER XVII. PERFIDIOUS CONDUCT OF DON PEDRARIAS TOWARDS VASCO NUNEZ. On the day after his entrance into Darien, Don Pedrarias held a private conference with Vasco Nunez in presence of the historian Oviedo, who had come out from Spain as the public notary of the colony. The governor commenced by assuring him that he was instructed by the king to treat him with great favour and distinction, to consult him about the affairs of the colony, and to apply to him for information relative to the surrounding country. At the same time he professed the most, amicable feelings on his own part, and an intention to be guided by his counsels in all public measures. Vasco Nuiiez was of a frank, confiding nature, and was so captivated by this unexpected courtesy and kindness, that he threw off all caution and reserve, and opened his whole soul to the politic courtier. Pedrarias availed himself of this com- municative mood to draw from him a minute and able state- ment in writing, detailing the circumstances of the colony, and the information collected respecting various parts of the coun- try ; the route by which he had traversed the mountains ; his discovery of the South Sea; the situation and reputed wealth of the Pearl Islands ; the rivers and ravines most productive of gold ; together with the names and territories of the various caciques with whom he had made treaties. When Pedrarias had thus begTiiled the unsuspecting soldier of all the information necessary for his purposes, he dropped t/he mask, and within a few days proclaimed a judicial scrutiny into the conduct of Vasco Nunez and his office»s. It was to 148 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. be conducted by the Licentiate Gaspar de Espinosa, who had come out as Alcalde Mayor, or chief judge. The Licentiate was an inexperienced lawyer, having but recently left the univer- sity of Salamanca. He appears to have been somewhat flexi- ble in his opinions, and prone to be guided or governed by others. At the outset of his career he was much under the influence of Quevedo, the Bishop of Darien. Now, as Vasco Nuiiez knew the importance of this prelate in the colony, he had taken care to secure him to his interests by paying him tlie most profound deference and i-espect, and by giving him a share in his agricultural enterprises and his schemes of traffic. In fact, the good bishop looked upon him as one eminently cal- culated to promote his temporal prosperity, to which he was by no means insensible. Under the influence of the prelate, therefore, the Alcalde conmienced his investigation in the most favourable manner. He went largely into an examination of the discoveries of Vasco Nuiiez, and of the nature and extent of his various services. The governor was alarmed at the course which the inquiry was taking. If thus conducted, it would but serve to illustrate the merits and elevate the repu- tation of the man whom it was his interest and intent to ruin. To counteract it he immediately set on foot a secret and invid- ious course of interrogatories of the followers of Nicuesa and Ojeda, to draw from them testimony which might support the charge against Vasco Nuiiez of usurpation and tyrannical abuse of power. The bishop and the Alcalde received information of this inquisition, carried on thus secretly, and without their sanction. They remonstrated warmly against it, as an infringe- ment of their rights, being coadjutors in the government; and they spurned the testimony of the followers of Ojeda and Nicuesa, as being dictated and discoloured by ancient enmity. Vasco Nuiiez was, therefore, acquitted by them of the crimi- nal charges made against him, though he remained involved in difficulties from the suits brought against him by individuals, for losses and damages occasioned by his measures. Pedrarias was incensed at this acquittal, and insisted upon the guilt of Vasco Nuiiez, which he pretended to have estab- lished to his conviction by his secret mvestigations ; and he even deterniined to send him in chains to Spain, to be tried for the death of Nicuesa, and for other imputed offences. It was not the inclination or the interest of the bishop that Vasco Nuiiez should leave the colony ; he thei'efore niimaged tp awaken the jealous apprehensions of the goyeruor as to the, VASCO NU^EZ I)K BALBOA. 149 effect of his proposed measure. He intimated that the arrival of Vasco Nunez in Spain would be signalized by triumph rather than disgrace. By that time his grand discoveries would be blazoned to the world, and would atone for all his . faults. He would be received with enthusiasm by the nation, with favour by the king, and would probably be sent back to the colony clothed with new dignity and power. Pedrarias was placed in a perplexing dilemma by these sug- gestions; his violent proceedings against Vasco Nunez were also in some measure restrained by the influence of his wife,. Doiia Isabel de Bobadilla, who felt a great respect and sympathy for the discoverer. In his perplexity, the wily governor adopted a middle course. He resolved to detain Vasco Nunez at Darien under a cloud of imputation, which would gradually impair his popularity ; while his patience and means would be silently consumed by protracted and expensive litigation. In the mean time, however, the property which had been seques- trated w-as restored to him. While Pedrarias treated Vasco Nunez with this severity, he failed not to avail himself of the plans of that able commander. The first of these was to establish a line of posts across the mountains between Darien and the South Sea. It was his eager desire to execute this before any order should arrive from the king in favour of his predecessor, in order that he might have the credit of having colonized the coast, and Vasco Nunez merely that of having discovered and visited it.* Before he could complete these arrangements, however, imlooked-for calamities fell upon the settlement, that for a time interrupted every project, and made every one turn his thoughts merely to his own security. CHAPTER XVIII. CALAMITIES OF THE SPANISH CAVALIERS AT DARIEX. The town of Darien was situated in a deep valley surrounded by lofty hills, which, while they kept off the breezes so grate- ful in a sultry climate, reflected and concentrated the rays of the sun, insomuch that at noontide the heat was insupportable; * Oviedo). Ki«t , W^-- P- !^> <-■• 8, 150 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. the river which passed it was shallow, with a muddy channel and bordered by marshes; overhanging forests added to the general humidity, and the very soil on which the town was built was of such a nature, that on digging to the depth of a foot there would ooze forth brackish water.* It is not matter of surprise that a situation of this kind, in a tropical climate, should be fatal, to the health of Europeans. Many of those who had recently arrived were swept off speedily; Pedrarias himself fell sick and was removed, with most of his people, to a healthier spot on the river Corobari ; the malady, however, continued to increase. The provisions which had been brought out in the ships had been partly dam- aged by the sea, the residue grew scanty, and the people were put upon short allowance ; the debHity thus produced increased the ravages of the disease; at length the provisions were ex- hausted and the horrors of absolute famine ensued. Every one was more or less affected by these calamities; even the veterans of the colony quailed beneath them; but to none were they more fatal than to the crowd of youthful cava- hers who had once ghttered so gaily about the streets of Seville, and had come out to the new world elated with the most sanguine expectations. From the very moment of their landing they had been disheartened at the savage scenes around them, and disgusted with the squalid life they were doomed to lead. They shrunk with disdain from the labours with which alone-wealth was to be procured in this land of gold and pearls, and were impatient of the humble exertions necessary for the maintenance of existence. As the famine mcreased, their case became desperate; for they were unable to help themselves, and their rank and dignity commanded neither deference nor aid at a time when common misery made every one selfish. Many of. them, who had mortgaged estates m Spain to fit themselves out sumptuously for their Italian campaign, now perished for lack of food. Some would be seen bartering a robe of crimson silk, or some garment of rich brocade, for a pound of Indian bread or European biscuit- others sought to satisfy the cra^dngs of hunger with the herbs and roots of the field, and one of the principal cavaliers abso- lutely expired of hunger in the public streets. In this wretched way, and in the short space of one month perished seven hundred of the little army of youthful and * p. Martyr decad. 3, Va scv k ui^'K'Z I) K BA I no A , I f) j buoyant spirits who liad embarked with Pedrarias. Tlie bodies of some remained for a day or two without sepulture, their friends not having sufficient strength to bury them. Unable to remedy the evil, Pedrarias gave permission for his men to flee from it. A ship-load of starving adventurers departed for Cuba, where some of them joined the standard of Diego Velasquez, who was colonizing that island ; others made their way back to Spain, where they arrived broken in health, in spirits, and in fortune. CHAPTER XIX. FRUITLESS EXPEDITION OF PEDRARIAS. The departure of so manj^ hungry mouths was some tem- porary relief to the colony; and Pedrarias, having recovered from his malady, bestirred himself to send expeditions in vari- ous directions for the purpose of foraging the country and collecting the treasure. These expeditions, however, were entrusted to £is own favourites a^id partisans; while Vasco Nuiiez, the man most competent to carry them into effect, remained idle and neg- lected. A judicial inquiry, tardily carried on, overshadowed him, and though it substantiated nothing, served to embarrass his actions, to cool his friends, and to give him the air of a public delinquent. Indeed, to the other evils of the colony was now added that of excessive litigation, arising out of the dis- I^utes concerning the government of Yasco Nunez, and which increased to such a degree, that according to the report of the Alcalde Espinosa, if the law-suits should be divided among the people, at least forty would fall to each man's share.* This too was in a colony into which the government had com- manded that no lawyer should be admitted. Wearied and irritated by the check which had been given to his favourite enterprises, and confident of the ultimate appro- bation of the king, Vasco Nunez now determined to take his f oi'tunes in his own hands, and to prosecute in secret his grand project of exploring the regions beyond the mountains. For * Herrera, decad. '^, 1. i. c. 1. ]5'2 sPAArsii voYAdhs ()/■■ j)/:>cor/^nr. this piiT'pose he privately despatched one Andres Garabiio to Cuh'fX to enlist Tiien, and to make the requisite provisions for nu expedition across th(3 isthmus, from Nomhre de Dios, and for- the founding a colony o)i the shores of the Southern Ocean, from whence he proposed to extend his discoveries by sea and land. While Vasco Nuilez awaited the return of Garabito, he had the uKjrtification of beholding various of his colonizing plans pursued and marred hy Pedrarias. Among other enterprises, the governor despatched his lieutenant-general, Juan de Ayora, at the head of four hundred men, to visit the provinces of those caciques with whoin Vasco Nuiiez had sojourned and made treaties on his expeditioji to the Southern Sea. Ayora j)artook of the rash and domineering spirit of Pedrarias, and harassed and devastated the countries which be pretended to explore. He was received with amity and confidemce by vari- ous caciques who had formed treaties with Vasco Nufiez ; but he repaid their hospitality with the basest ingratitude, seizing upon their property, taking from them their wives and daughters, and often torturing them to make them reveal theii' hidden or supposed treasures. Among those treated with this perfidy, ^we grieve to enumerate the youthful cacique who first gave Vasco Nunez infoi-mation of the sea beyond the moun- tains. The enormities of Ayora and of other captains of Pedrarias produced the usual effect ; the natives were roused to desper- ate resistance; caciques who had been faithful friends, were converted into furious enemies, and the expedition ended in disappointment and disaster. The adherents of Vasco Nuiiez did not fail to contrast these disastrous enterprises with those which had been conducted with so much glory and advantage by their favourite com- mander ; and their sneers and reproaches had such an effect upon the jealous and irritable disposition of Pedrarias, that he detcMnined to CT^^ploy their idol in a service that would be likely to be attended with defeat and to impair his popularity. None seemed more fitting for the purpose than an expedition to Dotayba, where he had once already attempted in vain to penetrate, and where so many of his followers had fallen vic- tims to the stratagems and assaults of the natives. VA^CO iS'UMEZ DK BALBOA. 153 CHAPTER XX. SECOND EXPEDITION OF VASCO NUNEZ IN QUEST OF THE GOLD TEMPLE OF DOBAYBA. The ricli mines of Dobayba and tins treasures of its golden temple bad continued to form a favourite theme v/ith the Spanish adventurers. It w&s ascertained that Vasco Nuiiez had stopped short of the wealthy region on his former expedi- tion, and had mistaken a frontier village for the residence of the caciq.ue. The enterprise of the temple was therefore still to be achieved ; and it w^as solicited by several of the cavaliers in the train of Pedrarias with all the chivalious ardour of that romantic age. Indeed, common report had invested the enter- prise with difficulties and danger sufficient to stimulate the am- bition of tlie keenest seeker of adventure. The savages^who inhabited that part of the country were coui-ageous and adroit. They fought by water as well as by land, forming ambuscades with their canoes in the bays and rivers. The country was intersected by dreary fens and morasses, infested by all kinds of reptiles. Clouds of gnats and musquitoes filled the air; there were large bats also, supposed to have tVie baneful prop- erties i)f the vampire; ^alligators lurked in the waters, and the gloomy recesses of the fens were said to be the dens of dra- gons ! ^= Besides these objects of terror, both true arkl fabulous, the old historian, Peter Martyr,. makes mention of another mon- strous animal said to infest this goiden region, and which deserves to be cited, as showing the imaginary dangers with which the active minds of the discoverers peopled the unex- plored wilderness around them. According to the tales of the Indians, there had occui red shortly before the arrival of the Spaniards a violent tempest, or rather hurricane, in the neighbourhood of Dobayba, which demolished houses, tore up trees by the roots, and laid waste whole forests. When the tempest had subsided, and the af- i righted inhabitants ventured to look abroad, they found tliat two monsti-ous annuals liad been brought into the country by the hurricane. According to their accounts, they were not p. JIartyr. J 54 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. unlike the ancient harpies, and one being smaller than the other was supposed to be its young. They had the faces of women, with the claws and wings of eagles, and Avere of such prodigious size that the very boughs of the trees on which they alighted broke beneath them. They would swoop down and carry off a man as a hawk would bear off a chicken, flying with him to the tops of the mountains, where they would tear him in pieces and devour him. For some time they were the scourge and terror of tlie land, until the Indians succeeded in killing the old one by stratagem, and hanging her on their long spears, bore her through all the towns to assuage the alarm of the inhabitants. The younger harpy, says the Indian tradi- tion, was never seen afterwards.* Such were some of the perils, true and fabulous, with which the land of Dobayba w^as said to abound ; and, in fact, the very Indians had such a dread of its dark and dismal morasses, that in their journeyings they carefully avoided them, prefer- ring the circuitous and rugged paths of the mountains. Several of the youthful cavaliers, as has been observed, were stimulated, rather than deterred, by these dangers, and con- tended for the honour of the expedition ; but Pedrarias selected his rival for the task, hoping, as has been hinted, that it would involve him in disgrace. Vasco Nunez promptly accepted the enterprise, for his pride was concerned in its success. Two hundred resolute men were given to him for the purpose ; but his satisfaction was diminished when he found that Luis Car- riUo, an officer of Pedrarias, who had failed in a perilous enterprise, was associated with him in the command. Few particulars remain to us of the events of this affair. They embarked in a fleet of canoes, and, traversing the gulf, arrived at the river which flo\red down from the region of Dobayba. They Avere not destined, however, to achieve the enterprise of the golden temple. As they were proceeding rather confidently and unguardedly up the river, they were suddenly surprised and surrounded by an immense swarm of canoes, filled with armed savages, which darted out from lurk- ing places along the shores. Some of the Indians assailed them with lances, others with clouds of arrows, while some, plung- ing mto the water, endeavoured to overturn their canoes. In this way one-half of the Spaniards were killed or drowned. Among the number :ell I^uis Carrillo, pierced through the *P. Martyr, deckel. 7, c. 10, VASCO NUPeZ be BALBOA. 155 breast by an Indian lance. Vasco Nunez himself was wound- ed, and had great difficulty in escaping to the shore with the ^esidue of his forces. The Indians pursued him and kept up a skirmishing attack, but he beat them off until the night, when he silently aban- doned the shore of the river, and directed his retreat towards Darien. It is easier to imagine than to describe the toils and dangers and horrors which beset him and the remnant of his men, as they traversed rugged mountains or struggled throu^ these fearful morasses, of which they had heard such terrific tales. At length they succeeded in reaching the settlement of Darien. The partisans of Pedrarias exulted in seeing Vasco Nunez returned thus foiled and wounded, and taunted his adherents with their previous boastings. The latter, however, laid all the blame upon the unfortunate Carrillo. "Vasco Nunez," said they, ' ' had always absolute command in his former enter- prises, but in this he has been embarrassed by an associate. Had the expedition been confided to him alone, the event had been far different." CHAPTER XXI. LETTERS FROM THE KING IN FAVOUR OF VASCO NUNEZ — ARRIVAL OF GARABITO— ARREST OF VASCO NUNEZ. — (151.5.) About this time despatches arrived from Spain that promised to give a new turn to the fortunes of Vasco Nunez and to the general affairs of the colony. They were written after the tidings of the discovery of the South Sea, and the subjugation of so many important provinces of the Isthmus. In a letter addressed to Vasco Nuiiez, the king expressed his high sense of his merits and services, and constituted him Adelantado of the South Sea, and Governor of the provinces of Panama and Coyba, though subordinate to the genei-al command of Pe- drarias. A letter was likewise written by the king to Pe- drarias, informing him of this appointment, and ordering him to consult Vasco Nuiiez on all public affairs of importance. This was a humiliating blow to the pride and consequence of Pedrarias, but he hoped to parry it. In the mean time, as all letters from Spain were first delivered into his hands, he with- -ir,(l sPA.^rrsii Voyages OB' DtscdVEnr. held that intended foi- Vasco Nuilezj until he should deter- mine what course of conduct to adopt. The latter, however, iieard of the circumstance, as did liis friend the Bishop of Darien, The prelate made loud complaints of this interrup- tion of the royal correspondence, which he denounced, even from the pulpit, as an outrage upon the rights of the subject, and an act of disobedience to the sovereign. Upon this the governor called a council of his public officers; and, after imparting the contents of his letter, requested their opinion as to the propriety of investing Vasco Nuiiez with tJie dignities thus granted to hmi. The Alcalde Mayor, Espi- nosa, had left the party of the bishop, and was now devoted to the governor. He insisted, vehemently, that the offices ought in no wise to be given to Yasco Nunez, until the king should be informed of the result of the inquest which was still going on against him. In this he was warmly supported by the treasurer and the accountant. The bishop replied, indig- nantly, that it was presumptuous and disloyal in "them to dispute the commands of the king, and to interfere with the rewards conscientiously given by him to a meritorious subject. In tills way, he added, they were defeating, by their pas- sions, the gra-teful intentions of their sovereign. The governor was o\'jerawed by the honest warmth of the bishop, and pro- fessed to accord with him in opinion. The council lasted until midnight ; and it was finally agreed that the titles and digni- ties should be conferred on Vasco Nuiiez on the following day.* Pedrarias and his officers reflected, however, that if the jurisdiction implied by these titles were absolutely vested in Vasco Nuiiez, the government of Darien and Castilla del Oro would virtually be reduced to a trifling matter ; they i^solved, therefore, to adopt a middle course; to grant him the empty titles, but to make him give security not to enter upon the actual government of the territories in question, until Pe- drarias should give him permission. The bishop and Vasco Nuiiez assented to this arrangement ; satisfied, for the present, with securing the titles, and trusting to the course of events to get dominion over the territories.! * Oviedo, part 2, c. 9. MS. Oviedo, the historian, was present at this consultation, and says that he wrote down the opinions given on the occasion, v/hich the parties signed A\ith their pi-oper hands. t Oviedo, part 2, c 9, MS. VASaO NUiYEZ BE BAT. HO A. ir)-? The new honours of Vasco Nuiiez were now promulgated to the world, and he was every where addressed by the title of Adelantado. His old friends lifted up their heads with exulta- tion, and Tiew adherents flocked to his standard. Parties be- gan to form for him and for Pedrarias, for it was deemed im- possible they could continue long in harmony. The jealousy of the governor was excited by these circum- stances ; and he regarded the newly created Adelantado as a dangerous rival and an insidious foe. Just at this critical junc- ture, Andres Garabito, the agent of Yasco Nunez, arrived on the coast in a vessel which he had procured at Cuba, and had freighted with arms and ammunition, and seventy resolute men, for the secret expedition to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. He anchored six leagues from the harbour, and sent word privately to Vasco Nuiiez of his arrival. Information Avas immediately carried to Pedra.rias, that a mysterious vessel, full of armed men, was hovering on the coast, and holding secret communication with his rival. The suspicious temper of the governor immediately took the alarm. He fancied some treasonable plot against his authority; his passions mingled with his fears; and, in the first burst of his fury, he ordered that Vasco Nunez should be seized and con- fined in a wooden cage. The Bishop of Darien interposed in time to prevent an indignity which it might have been im- possible to expiate. He prevailed upon the passionate gover- nor, not merely to retract thje order respecting the cage, but to examine the whole matter with coolness and deliberation. The result proved that his suspicions had been erroneous ; and that the armament had been set on foot without any treasonable in- tent. Vasco Nuiiez was therefore set at liberty, after having agi-eed to certain precautionary conditions; but he remained cast down in spirit and impoverished in fortune, by the har- assing measures of Pedrarias. CHAPTER XXII. EXPEDITION OF MORALES AND PIZARRO TO THE SHORES OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN — THEIR VISIT TO THE PEARL ISLANDS — THEIR DISASTROUS RETURN ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS. The Bishop of Darien, encouraged by the success of his in- tercession, endeavoured to persuade the governor to go still lt)8 8PAmSH VOYAOKS OF msCOVEHY. further, and to permit the departure of Vasco Nunez on his ex- pedition to the South Sea. The jealousy of Pedrarias, how- ever, was too strong to permit him to hsten to such counsel He was aware of the importance of the expedition, and was anxious that the Pearl Islands should be explored, which promised such abundant treasures; but he feared to increase the popularity of Vasco Nunez, by adding such an enterprise to the number of his achievements. Pedrarias, therefore, set on toot an expedition, consisting of sixty men, but gave the command to one of his own relations, named Gaspar Morales Ihe latter was accompanied by Francisco Pizarro, who had already been to those parts in the train of Vasco Nunez and who soon rose to importance in the present enterprise bV his tierce courage and domineering genius. A brief notice of the principal incidents of this expedition is all that is necessary for the present narration. Morales and Pizarro traversed the mountains of the isth- mus by a shorter and more expeditious route than that which had been taken by Vasco Nunez, and arrived on the shores of me bouth bea at the territories of a cacique named Tutibra by whom they Avere amicably entertained. Their great obiect was to visit the Pearl Islands: the cacique, however, had but four canoes, which wei;e insufficient to contain their whole party. One-half of their number, therefore, remained at the village of Tutibra under the command of a captain named Penalosa; the residue embarked in the canoes with Morales and Pizarro. After a stormy and perilous voyage, they landed 1.1 ''''^fwi"?^"^''''^^''^'' '^^^^'^ they had some skirmish- ing with the natives, and thence made their way to the princi- pal island of the Archipelago, to which, from the report of its great pearl fishery, Vasco Nuiiez had given the name of Isla The cacique of this island had long been the terror of the neighbouring coasts, invading the main land .vith fleets of canoe^, and carrying oft the inhabitants into captivity His reception ot the Spamards was worthy of his fame.' ' Four ^mes did he saiiy forth to defend his territory, and as often wa. he repulsed with great slaughter. His warriors were over- Tt tW r ^''".1 ^\*^" ^'"-^^"^^ ^^ *^^ Spaniards, and atJ W ?>,"''"'''''' ^^^^dhounds. Finding all resistance un- availing, the cacique was at length compelled to sue for peace His prayers being granted, he received the conquerors mto his habitation, wnich was well built, and of immense size VA8C0 yUNEZ DK BALBOA. 159 Here he brought them, as a peace-offering, a basket cuiiously wrought, and filled with pearls of great beauty. Among these were two of extraordinary size and value. One weighed twenty-five cai'ats : the other was of the size of a Muscadine pear, weighing upwards of three drachms, and of oriental col- our and lustre. The cacique considered himself more than re- paid by a present of hatchets, beads, and hawks'-bells : and, on the Spaniards smiling at his joy, observed, "These things I can turn to useful purpose, but of what value are those pearls to me?" Finding, however, that these baubles were precious in the eyes of the Spaniards, he took Morales and Pizarro to the sum- mit of a wooden tower, commanding an unbounded prospect. "Behold, before you," said he, "the infinite sea, which ex- tends even beyond the sun beams. As to these islands which lie to the right and left, they are all subject to my sway. They possess but little gold, but the deep places of the sea around them are full of pearls. Continue to be my friends, and you shall have as many as you desire ; for I value your friendship more than pearls, and, as far as in me lies, will never forfeit it." He then pointed to the main land, where it stretched to- wards the east, mountain beyond mountain, until the summit of the last faded in the distance, and was scarcely seen above the watery horizon. In that direction, he said, there lay a vast country of inexhaustible riches, inhabited by a mighty nation. He went on to repeat the vague but wonderful ru- mours which the Spaniards had frequently heard about the great kingdom of Peru. Pizarro listened greedily to his words, and while his eye followed the finger of the cacique, as it ranged along the line of shadowy coast, his daring mind kin- dled with the thought of seeking this golden empire beyond the waters.* Before leaving the island, the two captains impressed the cacique with so great an idea of the power of the king of Cas- tile, that he agreed to become his vassal, and to render him an annual tribute of one hundred pounds weight of pearls. The party having returned in satety to the mainland, though to a different place from that where they had embarked, Gas- par Morales sent his relation, Bernardo Morales, with ten men * Jfeneia, d. 2, 1. i. c. iv. P. Martyr, d. 3, c. x, 1(50 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY in quest of Penalosa and his companions, who had remained in the village of Tutibra. Unfortunately for the Spaniai'ds, during the absence of the commanders, this Penalosa had so exasperated the natives by his misconduct, that a conspiracy had been formed by the caciques along the coast to massacre the whole of the strangers, when the party should return from the islands. Bernardo Morales and his companions, on their way in quest of Peiialosa, put up for the night in the village of a cacique named Chuchama, who was one of the conspiratois. They were entertained with pretended hospitality. In the dead of the night, however, the house in which they were sleeping was wrapped in flames, and most of them were de- stroyed. Chuchama then prepared with his confederates to attack the main body of the Spaniards who remained with Morales and Pizarro, Fortunately for the latter, there was among the Indians who had accompanied them to the islands a cacique named Chi- ruca, who was in secret correspondence with the conspirators. Some circumstances in his conduct excited their suspicions; they put him to the torture and drew from him a relation of the massacre of their companions, and of tlie attack with vfhich they were menaced. Morales and Pizarro were at first appalled by the over- whelming danger which surrounded them. Concealing their agitation, however, they compelled Chiruca to send a message to each of the coni'ederate caciques, inviting him to a secret conference, under pretence of giving him impoitant informa- tion. The caciques came at the summons: they were thus taken one by one to the number of eighteen, and put in chains. Just at this juncture Penalosa arrived with thirty men who liad remained with him at Tutibra. Their arrival Avas hailed with joy by their comrades, who had given them up for lost. Encouraged by this unexpected reinforcement, the Spaniards now attacked by surprise the main body of confederate In- dians, who, being ignorant of the discovery of their plot, and capture of their caciques, were awaiting the return of the lat- ter in a state of negligent seciuity. Pizarro led the van, and set upon the enemy at daybreak Ysdth the old Spanish war-ciy of Santiago ! It was a slaugliter rather than a battle, for the Indians were unprepared for re- sistance. Before sunrise, seven hundred lay dead upon the field. Returning from the massacre, the commanders d^om^d VASCO NUNEZ BE BALBOA. 161 the caciques who were in chains to be torn in pieces by the bloodhounds ; nor was even Chiruca spared from this sangui- nary sentence. Notwithstanding this bloody revenge, the vindictive spirit of the commanders was still unappeased, and they set off to surprise the village of a cacique named Biru, who dwelt on the eastern side of the Gulf of St. Michael. He was famed for valour and for cruelty ; his dwelling was sur- rounded by the weapons and other trophies of those whom he had vanquished ; and he was said never to give quarter. The Spaniards assailed his village before daybreak with fire and sword, and made dreadful havoc. Biru escaped from his burning habitation, rallied his people, kept up a galling fight throughout the greater part of that day, and handled the Spaniards so roughly, that, when he drew off at night, they did not venture to pursue him, but returned right gladly from his territory. According to some of the Spanish writers, the kingdom of Peru derived its name from this warlike cacique, through a blunder of the early discoverers; the assertion, however, is believed to be erroneous. The Spanish had pushed their bloody revenge to an extreme, and were now doomed to suffer from the recoil. In the fury of their passions, they had forgotten that they were but a handful of men surrounded by savage nations. Eeturning wearied and disheartened from the battle with Biru, they were waylaid and assaulted by a host of Indians led on by the son of Chiruca. A javelin from his hand pierced one of the Spaniards through the breast and came out between the shoulders; several others were wounded, and the remainder were harassed by a galling fire kept up from among rocks and bushes. Dismayed at the implacable vengeance they had aroused, the Spaniards hastened to abandon these hostile shores and make the best of their way back to Darien. The Indians, hoAvever, were not to be appeased by the mere departure of the in- truders. They followed them perseveringly for seven days, hanging on their skirts, and harassing them by continual alarms. Morales and Pizarro, seeing the obstinacy of their pursuit, endeavoured to gain a march upon them by strata- gem. Making large fires as usual one night about the place of their encampment, they left them burning to deceive the enemy while they made a rapid retreat. Among their num- ber was one poor fellow named Velasquez, who was so griev- ously wounded that he could not walk. Unable to accompany 162 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. his countryraen in their flight, and dreading to fall intO the merciless hands of the savages, he determined to hang him- self, nor could the prayers and even tears of his comrades^ dis- suade him from his purpose. The stratagem of the Spaniards, however, was unavailing. Their retreat was perceived, and at daybreak, to their dismay, they found themselves surrounded by three squadrons of sav- ages. Unable, in their haggard state, to make head against so many foes, they remained drawn up all day on the defen- sive, some watching while others reposed. At night they lit their fires and again attempted to make a secret retreat. The Indians, however, were as usual on their traces, and wounded several with arrows. Thus pressed and goaded, the Spaniards became desperate, and fought like madmen, rushing upon the very darts of the enemy. Morales now resorted to an inhuman and fiiiitless expedient to retard his pursuers. He caused several Indian prisoners to be slain, hoping that their friends would stop to lament over them ; but the sight of their mangled bodies only increased the fury of the savages and the obstinacy of their pursuit. For nine days were the Spaniards hunted in this manner about the woods and mountains, the swamps and fens, wander- ing they knew not whither, and returning upon their steps, until, to their dismay, they found themselves in the very place where, several days previously, they had been surrounded by the three squadrons. Many now began to despair of ever escaping with life from this trackless wilderness, thus teeming with deadly foes. It was with difficulty their commanders could rally their spirits, and encourage them to persevere. Entering a thick forest they were again assailed by a band of Indians, but despair and fury gave them strength : they fought like wild beasts rather than Hke men, and routed the foe with dreadful carnage. They had hoped to gain a breathing time by this victory, but a new distress attended them. They got entangled in one of those deep and dismal marshes which abound on those coasts, and in which the wanderer is often drowned or suffocated. For a whole day they toiled through brake and bramble, and miry fen, mth the water reaching to their girdles. At length they extricated themselves from the swamp, and arrived at the sea shore. The tide was out, but was about to return, and on this coast it rises rapidly to a great height. Fearing to be overwhelmed by the rising surf, they hastened to climb a rock VASOO NVPeZ be BALBOA, 163 out of reach of the swelling waters. Here they threw them- selves on the earth, panting with fatigue and abandoned to despair. A savage wilderness filled with still more savage foes, was on one side, on the other the roaring sea. How were they to extricate themselves from these surrounding perils? While reflecting on their desperate situation, they heard the voices of Indians. On looking cautiously round, they beheld four canoes entering a neighbouring creek. A party was im- mediately despatched who came upon the savages by surprise, drove them into the woods, and seized upon the canoes. In these frail barks the Spaniards escape way to the residence of certain Spaniards, where his wounds were dressed. When this was done he waited not to take repose, but repaired by a circuitous route to Oaparra, and informed Juan Ponce de Leon of the danger he supposed to be still impending over Sotomayor, for he knew not that the enemy had accomplished his death. Juan Ponce immedi- ately sent out forty men to his relief. They came to tlie scene of massacre, where they found the body of the unfortunate cavalier, partly buried, but with the feet out of the earth. In the mean time the savages had accomplished the destruc- tion of the village of Sotomayor. They approached it unper- ceived, through the surrounding forest, and entering it in the dead of the night, set fire to the straw-thatched houses, and at- tacked the Spaniards as they endeavoured to escape from the flames. Several were slain at the onset, but a brave Spaniard, named Diego de Salazar, raUied his countrymen, inspirited them to beat off the enemy, and succeeded in conducting the greater part of them, though sorely mangled and harassed, to the strong-hold of the Governor at Caparra. Scarcely had these fugitives gained the fortress, when others came hurrying in from all quarters, bringing similar tales of conflagration and massacre. For once a general insurrection, so often planned in savage life, against the domination of the white men, was crowned with success. All the villages founded by the Span- iards had been surprised, about a hundred of their inhabit- ants destroyed, and the survivors driven to take refuge in a beleaguered fortress. CHAPTER V. WAR OF JUAN PONCE WITH THE CACIQUE AGUEYBANA. Juan Ponce de Leon might now almost be considered a gov- ernor without territories, and a general ^vithout soldiers. His villages were smoking ruins, and his wliole force did not amount to a hundred men, several of whom were disabled by their wounds. He had an able and implacable foe in Aguey- bana, who took the lead of all the other caciques, and even sent envoys to the Caribs of the neighbouring islands, entreat- ing them to forget all ancient animosities, and to make qpin-; 300 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. mon cause against these strangers — the deadly enemies of the whole Indian race. In the mean time the whole of this wild island was in rebellion, and the forests around the fortress of Caparra rang with the whoops and yeUs of the savages, the blasts of their war conchs, and the stormy roaring of their drums. Juan Ponce was a staunch and wary old soldier, and not easily daunted. He remained grimly ensconced within his fortress, from whence he despatched messengers in all haste to Hispaniola, imploring immediate assistance. In the mean ' time he tasked his wits to divert the enemy and to keep them at bay. He divided his little force into three bodies of about thirty men each, under the command of Diego Salazar, Miguel de Toro, and Luis de Anasco, and sent them out alternately to make sudden surprises and assaults, to form ambuscades, and to practice the other stratagems of partisan warfare, which he had learnt in early life in his campaigns against the Moors of Granada. One of his most efficient warriors was a dog named Berezillo, renowned for courage, strength and sagacity. It is said that he could distinguish those of the Indians who were allies, from those who were enemies of the Spaniards. To the former he was docile and friendly, to the latter fierce and implacable. He was the terror of the natives, who were unaccustomed to powerful and ferocious animals, and did more service in this wild v/arfare than could have been rendered by several soldiers. His prowess was so highly appreciated that his master received for him the pay-allowance, and share of booty, assigned to a cross-bow man, which was the highest stipend given.* At length the stout old cavalier Juan Ponce was reinforced in his strong-hold by troops from Hispaniola, whereupon he sallied forth boldly to take revenge upon those who had thus held him in a kind of durance. His foe Agueybana was at that time encamped in his own territories with more than five thousand warriors, but in a negligent, unwatchfnl state, for he knew nothing of the reinforcements of the Spaniards, and * This famous dog was killed some years afterwards by a poisoned arroAs. as he was swimming in the sea in pursuit of a Carib Indian. He left, however, a num- erous progeny and a great name behind him ; and his merits and exploits were long a favourite theme among the Spanish colonists. He was father to the renowned Leoncico, the faithful dog of Va,sco NufSesc, which resembled hini in looks ^nd equalled him in prowess. supposed Juan Ponce shut up with his handful of men in Caparra. The old soldier, therefore, took him completely by surprise, and routed him with great slaughter. Indeed, it is said the Indians were struck with a kind of panic when they saw the Spaniards as numerous as ever, notwithstand- ing the number they had massacred. Their belief in their immortality revived ; they fancied that those whom they had slain had returned to life, and they despaired of victory over beings who could thus arise with renovated vigour from the grave. Various petty actions and skirmishes afterwards took place, in which the Indians were defeated. Agueybana, however, disdained this petty warfare, and stirred up his countrymen to assemble their forces, and by one grand assault to decide the fate of themselves and their island. Juan Ponce received secret tidings of their intent, and of the place where they were assembling. He had at that time barely eighty men at his disposal, but then they were cased in steel and proof against the weapons of the savages. Without stopping to reflect, the high-mettled old cavalier put himself at their head and led them through the forest in quest of the foe. It was nearly sunset when he came in sight of the Indian camp, and the multitude of warriors assembled there made him pause, and almost repent of his temerity. He was as shrewd, however, as he was hardy and resolute. Ordering some of his men in the advance to skirmish with the enemy, he hastily threw up a slight fortification with the assistance of the rest. When it was finished he withdrew his forces into it and ordered them to keep merely on the defensive. The Indians made repeated attacks, but were as often repulsed with loss. Some of the Spaniards, impatient of this covert warfare, would saUy forth in open field with pike and cross- bow, but were called back within the fortification by their wary commander. The cacique Agueybana was enraged at finding his host of warriors thus baffled and kept at bay by a mere handful of Spaniards. He beheld the night closing in, and feared that in the darkness the enemy would escape. Summoning his choicest warriors round him, therefore, he led the way in a general assault, when, as he approached the fortress, he re- ceived a mortal wound from an arquebus and fell dead upon the spot. The Spaniards were not aware at first of the importance of ^(y^ .SPASL'^II VOYAGlu^ OF DISCOVEUY, the chief whom they had slain. They soon surmised it, how- ever, from the confusion that ensued among the enemy, who bore off the body with great lamentations, and made no further attack. The wary Juan Ponce took advantage of the evident distress of the foe, to draw off his small forces in the night, happy to get out of the terrible jeopardy into which a rash confidence had betrayed him. Some of his fiery-spirited officers would have kept the field in spite of the overwhelming force of the enemy. "No, no," said the shrewd veteran; "it is better to protract the war than to risk all upon a single battle." While Juan Ponce de Leon was fighting hard to maintain his sway over the island, his transient dignity was overturned by another power, against which the prowess of the old soldier was of no avail. King Ferdinand had repented of the step he had iU-advisedly taken, in superceding the governor and heutenant governor, appointed by Don Diego Columbus. He became convinced, though rather* tardily, that it was an infringement of the rights of the admiral, and that policy, as well as justice, required him to retract it. When Juan Ceron and Miguel Diaz, therefore, came prisoners to Spain, he received them graciously, conferred many favors on them to atone for their rough ejectment from office, and finally, after some time, sent them back, empowered to resume the com- mand of the island. They we're ordered, however, on no account to manifest rancour or ill-will against Juan Ponce de Leon, or to interfere with any property he might hold, either in houses, lands or Indians ; but on the contrary, to cultivate the most friendly understanding with him. The king also wrote to the hardy veteran explaining to him, that this resti- tution of Ceron and Diaz had been determined upon in council, as a mere act of justice due to them, but was not intended as a censure upon his conduct, and that means should be sought to indemnify him for the loss of his command. By the time the governor and \\w, lieutenant reached the island, Juan Ponce had completed its subjugation. The death of the island champion, the brave Agueybana, had in fact been a death blow to the natives, and shows how much in savage warfare, depends upon a single chieftain. They never made head of war afterwards ; but, dispersing among their forests and mountains, fell gi-adually under the power of the Span- i \rds. Their subsequent fate was like that of their neighbours 01 Hayti. They were employed in the labour of the mines, JUAN PONCE BE LEON. 203 and in other rude toils so repugnant to their nature that they sank beneath them, and, in a Httle Avhile, almost all the aboriginals disappeared from the island. CHAPTER VI. JUAN PONCE DE LEON HEARS OP A WONDERFUL COUNTRY AND MIRACULOUS FOUNTAIN. Juan Ponce DE Leon resigned the command of Porto Rico with tolerable grace. The loss of one wild island and wild government was of little moment, when there was a new world to be shared out, where a bold soldier like himself, with sword and buckler, might readily carve out new fortunes for himself. Beside, he had now amassed wealth to assist him in his plans, and, like many of the early discoverers, his brain was teeming with the most romantic enterprises. He had conceived the idea that there was yet a third world to be dis- covered, and he hoped to be the first to reach its shores, and thus to secure a renown equal to that of Columbus. While cogitating these things, and considering which way he should strike forth in the unexplored regions around him, he met with some old Indians who gave him tidings of a country which promised, not merely to satisfy the cravings of his ambition, but to realize the fondest dreams of the poets. They assured him that, far to the north, there existed a land abounding in gold and in all manner of delights ; but, above all, possessing a river of such wonderful virtue that whoever bathed in it would be restored to youth ! They added, that in ' times past, before the arrival of the Spaniards, a large party of the natives of Cuba had departed northward in search of this happy land and this river of life, and, having never returned, it was concluded that they were flourishing in renovated youth, detained by the pleasures of that enchanting country. Here was the dream of the alchymist realized ! one had but to find this gifted land and revel in the enjoyment of bound- less riches and perennial youth! nay, some of the ancient Indians declared that it was not necessary to go so far in .quest of these rejuyenating waters, for th^-t, in a certain island of 204 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. the Bahama group, called Bimini, which lay far out in the ocean, there was a fountain possessing the same marvellous and inestimable quahties. Juan Ponce de Leon hstened to these tales with fond credu- lity. He was advancing in hfe, and the ordinary term of exis- tence seemed insufficient for his mighty plans. Could he but plunge into this marvellous fountain or gifted river, and come out with his battered, war-worn body restored to the strength and freshness and suppleness of youth, and his head still retain- ing the wisdom and knowledge of age, what enterprises might he not accomphsh in the additional course of vigorous years insured to him ! It may seem incredible, at the present day, that a man of years and experience could yield any faith to a story which resembles the wild fiction of an Arabian tale ; but the wonders and novelties breaking upon the world in that age of discovery almost realized the illusions of fable, and the imaginations of the Spanish voyagers had become so heated that they were capable of any stretch of creduhty. So fuUy persuaded was the worthy old cavalier of the exist- ence of the region described to him, that he fitted out three ships at his own expense to prosecute the discovery, nor had he any difficulty in finding adventurers m abundance ready to cruise with him in quest of this fairy-land.* * It was not the credulous minds of voyagers and adventurers alone that were heated by these Indian traditions and romantic fables. Men of learning and eminence were likewise beguiled by them: witness the following extract from the second decade of Peter Martyr, addressed to Leo X., then Bishop of Rome: •• Among the islands on the north side of Hispaniola there is one about 325 leagues distant, as they say which have searched the same, in the which is a continual spring of running water, of such marvellous virtue that the water thereof being drunk, perhaps with some diet, maketh olde men young again. And here I must make protestation to your holiness not to think this to be said lightly or rashly, for they have so spread this rumour for a truth throughout all the court, that not only all the people, but also many of them whom wisdom or fortune hath divided from the common sort, think it to be true: but, if you will ask my opinion herein, I will answer that I will not attribute so great power to nature, but that God hath no lesse reserved this prerogative to himself than to search the hearts of men," &c,— P. Martyr, D. 3. c. 10, Lofc's translatifm. JUAN PONCE DE LEON. 205 CHAPTER VII. CRUISE OF JUAN PONCE DE LEON IN SEARCH OF THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH.— 1512. It was on the third of March, 1512, that Juan Ponce sailed with his three ships from the Port of St. Germain in the island of Porto Rico. He kept for some distance along the coast of Hispaniola, and then, stretching away to the north- ward, made for the Bahama islands, and soon fell in with the first of the group. He was favoured with propitious weather and tranquil seas, and ghded smoothly with wind and current along that verdant archipelago, visiting one island after another, until, on the fourteenth of the month, he arrived at Guanahani, or St. Salvador's, where Christopher Columbus had first put his foot on the shores of the new world. His inquiries for the island of Bimini were all in vain, and as to the fountain of youth, he may have drank of every fountain and river, and Ifoke of the archipelago, even to the salt pools of Turk's island, without being a whit the younger. Still he was not discouraged ; but, having repaired his ships, he again put to sea and shaped his course to the north-west. On Sunday, the 27th of March, he came in sight of what he supposed to be an island, but was prevented from landing by adverse weather. He continued hovering about it for several days, buffeted by the elements, until, in the night of the second of April, he succeeded in coming to anchor under the land in thirty degrees eight minutes of latitude. The whole country was in the fresh bloom of spring; the trees were gay with blossoms, and the fields covered with flowers; from which circumstance, as well as from having discovered it on Palm Sunday, (Pascua Florida,) he gave it the name of Florida, which it retains to the present day. The Indian name of the country was Cautio.* Juan Ponce landed, and took possession of the country in the name of the Castilian Sovereigns. He afterwards con- tinued for several weeks ranging the coasts of this flowery land, and struggling against the gulf-stream and the various currents which sweep i(. He doubled Cape Canaveral, and reconnoitered the southern and eastern shores without euspect- Hervera, Hist. Ind. d. 1. 1. ix. c. 1Q» 206 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. ing that this was a part of Terra Finna. In aU his attempts to explore the country, he met with resolute and implacable hostihty on the part of the natives, who appeared to be a fierce and warlike race. He was disappointed also in his hopes of findmg gold, nor did any of the rivers or fountains which he examined possess the rejuvenating virtue. Convinced, there- fore, that this was not the promised land of Indian tradition he turned his prow homeward on the 14th of June, with the intention in the way of making one more attempt to find the island of Bimini. In the outset of his return he discovered a gi'oup of islets abounding with sea-fowl and marine animals. On one of them his sailors, in the course of a single night, caught one hundred and seventy turtles, and might have taken many more, had they been so mchned. They hkewise took fourteen sea wolves and killed a vast quantity of pelicans and other birds To this group Juan Ponce gave the name of the Tortugas, or turtles which they still retain. Proceeding in his cruise, he touched at another group of islets n^ar the Lucayos, to which he gave the name of La Vieia or the Old Woman group, because he found no inhabitant there but one old Indian woman.* This ancient sybil he took on board his ship to give him information about the labyrinth of islands into which he was entering, and perhaps he could not have had a more suitable guide in the eccentric quest he was making Nobvithstanding her pilotage, however, he was ex- ceedmgly baffled and perplexed in his return voyage among the Bahama islands, for he was forcing his way as it were against the course of nature, and encountering the currents which sweep westward along these islands, and the trade-wind which accompanies them. For a long time he struggled- with all kinds of difficulties and dangers; and was obliged to re- mam upwards of a month in one of the islands to repair the damages which his ship had suffered in a storm Disheartened at length by the perils and trials with which nature seemed to have beset the approach to Bimini as to some fairy island in romance, he gave up the quest in person, and sent m his place a trusty captain, Juan Perez de Ortubia who departed m one of the other ships, guided by the ex' perienced old woman of the isles, and by another Indian, As to Juan Ponce, he made the best of his way back to fprtci JVAN PONOE DE LEON. 207 Rico, where he arrived infinitely poorer in purse and wrinkled in brow, by this cruise after inexhaustible riches and perpetual youth. He had not been long in port when his trusty envoy, Juan Perez, likewise arrived. Guided by the sage old woman, he had succeeded in finding the long-sought-for Bimini. He de- scribed it as being large, verdant, and covered with beautiful groves. There were crystal springs and limpid streams in abundance, which kept the island in perpetual verdure, but none that could restore to an old man the vernal greenness of his youth. Thus ended the romantic expedition of Juan Ponce de Leon. Like many other pursuits of a chimera, it terminated in the acquisition of a substantial good. Though he had failed in finding the fairy fountain of youth, he had discovered in place of it the important country of Florida.* CHAPTER VIII. EXPEDITION OF JUAN PONCE AGAINST THE CARIBS— HIS DEATH.— (1514.) Juan Ponce de Leon now repaired to Spain to make a re- port of his voyage to King Ferdinand. The hardy old cava- Her experienced much raillery from the witlings of the court on account of his visionary voyage, though many wise men had been as credulous as himself at the outset. The king, however, received him with great favour, and conferred on him the title of Adelantado of Bimini and Florida, which last was as yet considered an island. Permission was also granted him to recruit men either in Spain or in the colonies for a set- *The belief of the existence, in Florida, of a river like that sought by Juan Ponce, was long prevalent among the Indians of Cuba, and the caciques were anxious to discover it. That a party of the natives of Cuba once went in search of it. and re- mained there, appears to be a fact, as their descendants were afterwards to be traced among the people of Florida. Las Casas says, that even in his days, many persisted in seeking this . my stery , and some thought that the river was no other than that called the Jordan, at the point of St. Helena; without considering that the name was given to it by the Spaniards in the year 1520, when they discovered tUe land of Chicora. §08 SPAJS'LSU VOYAGES OF DiSCOVERf. tlement in Florida ; but he deferred entering on his command for the present, being probably discouraged and impoverished by the losses in his last expedition, or finding a diflSculty in enlisting adventurers. At length another enterprise present- ed itself. The caribs had by this time become a terror to the Spanish inhabitants of many of the islands, making descents upon the coasts and carrying off captives, Avho it was supposed were doomed to be devoured by these cannibals. So fre- " quent were their invasions of the island of Porto Rico, that it was feared they would ultimately oblige the Spaniards to abandon it. At length King Ferdinand, in 1514, ordered that three ships, well armed and manned, should be fitted out in Seville, des- tined to scour the islands of the Caribs, and to free the' seas from those cannibal marauders. The conmiand of the Armada was gjiven to Juan Ponce de Leon, from his knowledge in In- dian warfare, and his varied and rough experience which had mingled in him the soldier with the sailor. He was instructed in the first place to assail the Caribs of those islands most con- tiguous and dangerous to Porto Pico, and then to make war on those of the coast of Terra Fii-ma, in the neighbourhood of Carthagena. He was afterwards to take the captaincy of Porto Rico, and to attend to the repartimientos or distribu- tions of the Indians in conjunction with a person to be ap- pointed by Diego Columbus. The enterprise suited the soldier-like spirit of Juan Ponce de Leon, and the gallant old cavalier set sail full of confidence in January, 1515, and steered direct for the Caribbees, with a de- termination to give a wholesome castigation to the whole sav- age archipelago. Arriving at the island of Guadaloupe, he cast anchor, and sent men on shore for wood and water, and \ women to wash the clothing of the crews, with a party of sol- • diers to mount guard. Juan Ponce had not been as wary as usual, or he had to deal with savages unusually adroit in warfare. While the people were scattered carelessly on shore, the Caribs mshed forth froni an ambuscade, killed the greater part of the men, and carried off the women to the mountains. This blow at the very outset of his vaunted expedition sank deep into the heart of Juan Ponce, and put an end to all his imhtary excitement. Humbled and mortified, he set saU for the island of Porto Rico, where he relinquished all further prosecution of the enterprise, under pretext of ill health, and JtlAN PONCE JbE LEON. '200 gave the comraand of the squadron to a captain named Zuniga ; but it is surmised that his malady was not so much of the flesh as of the spirit. He remained in Porto Eico as governor ; but, having grown testy and irritable through vexations and disap- pointments, he gave great offence, and caused much contention on the island by positive and strong-handed measures, in re- spect to the distribution of the Indians. He continued for several years in that island, in a state of gi'owling repose, until the brilliant exploits of Hernando Cortez, which threatened to ecUpse the achievements of all the veteran discoverers, roused his dormant spirit. Jealous of being cast in the shade in his old days, he deter- mined to sally forth on one more expedition. He had heard that Florida, which he had discovered, and which he had hitherto considered a mere island, was part of Terra Firma, possessing vast and unknown regions in its bosom. If so, a grand field of enterprise lay before liim, wherein he might make discoveries and conquests to rival, if not surpass, the far-famed conquest of Mexico. Accordingly, in the year 1521 he fitted out two ships at the island of Porto Rico, and embarked almost the whole of his property in the undertaking. His voyage was toilsome and tempestuous, but at length he arrived at the wished-f or land. He made a descent upon the coast with a great part of his men, but the Indians salhed forth with unusual valour to de- fend their shores. A bloody battle ensued, several of the Spaniards were slain, and Juan Ponce was wounded by an arrow, in the thigh. He was borne on board his ship, and finding himself disabled for further action, set sail for Cuba, where he arrived ill in body and dejected in heart. He was of an age when there is no longer prompt and health- ful reaction either mental or corporeal. The irritations of hiunihated pride and disappointed hope, exasperated the fever of his wound, and he died soon after his arrival at the island. " Thus fate," says one of the quaint old Spanish writers, " de- lights to reverse the schemes of man. The discoveiy that Juan Ponce flattered himself was to lead to a means of per- petuating his life, had the ultimate effect of hastening his death." It may be said, however, that he has at least attained the shadow of his desire, since, though disappointed in extending the natural term of his existence, his discovery has ensiu'cd a lasting duration to his name. 210, JSPAmsM VOYAGB^'^ OF UtSCOVEUY. The following epitaph was inscribed upon his tomb, which does justice to the warrior qualities of the stout old cavalier: Mole sub hac fortis requiescat ossa Leonis, Qui vicit factis nomina mas:na suis. It has thus been paraphrased in Spanish by the Licentiate Juan de Castellanos. Aqueste lugar estrecho Es sepulchre del varon, ! Que en el nombre fue Leon, Y mucho mas en el hecho. " in this sepulchre rest the bones of a man, who was a lion by name, and still more by nature." APPENDIX. 211 APPENDIX. A VISIT TO PALOS. [The following narrative was actually commenced, by the author of this work, as a letter to a friend, but unexpectedly swelled to its present size. He has been in- duced to insert it here from the idea that many will feel the same curiosity to know something of the present state of Palos and its inhabitants that led him to make the journey.] Seville, 1828. Since I last wrote to you I have made, what I may term, an American Pilgrimage, to visit the little port of Palos in Andalusia, where Columbus fitted out his ships, and whence he sailed for the discovery of the New World. Need I tell you how deeply interesting and gratifying it has been to me? I had long meditated this excursion as a kind of pious, and, if I may say, filial duty of an American, and my intention was quickened when I learnt that many of the edifices mentioned in the history of Columbus still remained in nearly the same state in which they existed at the time of his sojourn at Palos, and that the descendants of the intrepid Pinzons, who aided him with ships and money, and sailed with him in the great voyage of discovery, still flourished in the neighbourhood. The very evening before my departure from Seville on the excursion, I heard that there was a young gentleman of the Pinzon family studying law in the city. I got introduced to him, and found him of most prepossessing appearance and manners. He gave me a letter of introduction to his father, Don Juan Fernandez Pinzon, resident of Moguer, and the pre- sent head of the family. As it was in the middle of August, and the weather in- tensely hot, I hired a calesa for the journey. This is a two- wheeled carriage, resembling a cabriolet; but of the most primitive and rude construction; the harness is profusely pmamented with brass, and the horse's head decorated with 212 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT, tufts and tassels and dangling bobs of scarlet and yellow worsted. I had, for calasero, a tall, long-legged Andalusian, in short jacket, little round-crowned hat, breeches decorated with buttons from the hip to the knees, and a pair of russet leather bottinas or spatter-dashes. He was an active fellow, though uncommonly taciturn for an Andalusian, and strode along beside his horse, rousing him occasionally to greater speed by a loud malediction or a hearty thwack of his cudgel. In this style I set off late in the day to avoid the noon-tide heat, and after ascending the lofty range of hills that borders the great valley of the Guadalquivir, and having a rough ride among their heights, I descended about twihght into one of those vast, silent, melancholy plains, frequent in Spain, where I beheld no other signs of life than a roaming flock of bustards, and a distant herd of cattle, guarded by a sohtary herdsman, who, with a long pike planted in the earth, stood motionless in the midst of the dreary landscape, resembling an Arab of the desert. The night had somewhat advanced when we stopped to repose for a few hours at a solitary venta or inn, if it might so be called, being nothing more than a vast low-roofed stable, divided into several compartments for the reception of the troops of mules and arrieros (or carriers) who carry on the internal trade of Spain. Acconmiodation for the traveller there was none—not even for a traveller so easily accom- modated as myself. The landlord had no food to give me, and as to a bed, he had none but a horse cloth, on which his only child, a boy of eight years old, lay naked on the earthen floor. Indeed the heat of the weather and the fumes from the stables made the interior of the hovel insupportable, so I was fain to bivouac on my cloak on the pavement at the door of the venta, where on waking after two or three hours of sound sleep, I found a contrabandista (or smuggler) snoring beside me, with his blunderbuss on his arm. I resumed my journey before break of day, and had made several leagues by ten o'clock, when we stopped to breakfast and to pass the sultry hours of midday in a large village, from whence we departed about four o'clock, and, after passing through the same kind of solitary country, arrived just after sunset at Moguer. This little city (for at present it is a city) is situated about a league from Palos, of which place it has gra- duaUy absorbed all the respectable inhabitants, and, among the number, the whole family c»f the Pinions. So remote is this little place from th^ stir and bustle ol APPENDIX. 213 travel, and so destitute of the show and vain-glory of this world, that my calesa, as it rattled and jingled along the nar- row and ill-paved streets, caused a great sensation; the chil- dren shouted and scampered along by its side, admiring its splendid trappings of brass and worsted, and gazing with rev- erence at the important stranger who came in so gorgeous an equipage. I drove up to the principal posada, the landlord of which was at the door. He was one of the very civilest men in the world, and disposed to do every thing in his power to make, me comfortable ; there was only one difficulty, he had neither bed nor bedroom in his house. In fact, it was a mere venta for muleteers, who are accustomed to sleep on the ground with their mule-cloths for beds and pack-saddles for pillows. It was a hard case, but there was no better posada in the place. Few people travel for pleasure or curiosity in these out-of-the- way parts of Spain, and those of any note are generally re- ceived into private houses. I had travelled sufficiently in Spain to find out that a bed, after all, is not an article of indis- pensable necessity, and was about to bespeak some quiet corner where I might spread my cloak, when, fortunately, the landlord's wife came forth. She could not have a more oblig- ing disposition than her husband, but then — God bless the women!— they always know how to carry their good wishes into effect. In a little while a small room about ten feet square, that had formed a thoroughfare between the stables and a kind of shop or bar-room, was cleared of a variety of lumber, and I was assured that a bed should be put up there for me. From the consultations I saw my hostess holding with some of her neighbour gossips, I fancied the bed was to be a kind of piecemeal contribution among them for the credit of the house. As soon as I could change my dress, I commenced the histori- cal researches, which were the object of my journey, and inquired for the abode of Don Juan Fernandez Pinzon. My obliging landlord himself volunteered to conduct me thither, and I set off full of animation at the thoughts of meeting with the Lineal representative of one of the coadjutors of Columbus. A short walk brought us to the house, which was most re- spectable in its appearance, indicating easy if not affluent cir- cumstances. The door, as is customary in Spanish villages during summer, stood wide open. We entered with the usual salutation, or rather summons, "Ave Maria!" A trim Anda- 214 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. lusian handmaid answered to the call, and, on our mquiring for the master of the house, led the way across a httle patio or court in the centre of the edifice, cooled by a fountain sur- rounded by shrubs and flowers, to a back court or terrace, like- wise set out with flowers, where Don Juan Fernandez was seated with his family enjoying the serene evening in the open air. I was much pleased with his appearance. He was a ven erable old gentleman, tall and somewhat thin, with fair com- plexion and gi'ay hair. He received me with great urbanity, and, on reading the letter from his son, appeared struck with surprise to find I had come quite to Moguer merely to visit the scene of the embarkation of Columbus ; and still more so on my telling him that one of my leading objects of curiosity was his own family connexion ; for it would seem that the worthy cavalier had troubled his head but little about the enterprises of his ancestors. I now took my seat in the domestic circle and soon felt myself quite at home, for there is generally a frankness in the hospitality of Spaniards that soon puts a stranger at his ease beneath their roof. The wife of Don Fernandez was extremely amiable and affable, possessing much of that nat- ural aptness for which the Spanish women are remarkable. In the course of conversation with them, I learnt that Don Juan Fernandez, who is seventy-two years of age, is the eldest of five brothers, all of whom are married, have numerous off- spring, and lived in Moguer and its vicinity in nearly the same condition and rank of life as at the time of the dis- covery. This agreed with what I had previously heard re- specting the families of the discoverers. Of Columbus no lineal and direct descendant exists; his was an exotic stock that never took deep and lasting root in the country ; but the I'ace of the Pinzons continues to thrive and multiply in its native soil. While I was yet conversing a gentleman entered, who was introduced to me as Don Luis Fernandez Pinzon, the young- est of the brothers. He appeared to be between fifty and sixty years of age, somewhat robust, with fair complexion and gray hair, and a frank and manly deportment. He is the only one of the present generation that has followed the ancient pro- fession of the family ; having served with great applause as an officer of the royal navy, from which lie retired on his mar- riage about t"wenty-trsYO years since. He is the one also who APPENDtX. 51,^ takes the greatest interest and pride in the historical honours of his house, carefully preserving all the legends and docu- ments of the achievements and distinctions of his family, a manuscript volume of which he lent me for my inspection. Don Juan now expressed a wish that during my residence in Moguer I would make his house my home. I endeavoured to excuse myself, alleging that the good people at the posada had been at such extraordinary trouble in preparing quarters for me that I did not like to disappoint them. The worthy old gentleman undertook to arrange all this, and, while supper was preparing, we walked together to the posada. I found that my obliging host and hostess had indeed exerted them- selves to an uncommon degi'ee. An old ricketty table had been spread out in a corner of the little room as a bedstead, on top of which was propped up a grand cama de luxo, or state bed, which appeared to be the admiration of the house. I could not for the soul of me appear to undervalue what the poor people had prepared with such hearty good-will and con- sidered such a triumph of art and luxury ; so I again entreated Don Juan -to dispense with my sleeping at his house, promising most faithfully to make my meals there while I should stay at Mognier, and, as the old gentleman understood my motives for declining his invitation and felt a good-humoured sympathy in then ., we readily arranged the matter. I returned, therefore, with Don Juan to his house and supped with his family. Dur- ing the repast a plan was agreed upon for my visit to Palos and to the convent La Eabida, in which Don Juan volunteered to accompany me and be my guide, and the following day was allotted to the expedition. We were to breakfast at a hacienda or country-seat which he possessed in the vicinity of Palos in the midst of his vineyards, and were to dine fhere on our re- turn from the convent. These arrangements being made, we parted for the night ; I returned to the posada highly gratified with my visit, and slept soundly in the extraordinary bed, which, I may almost say, had been invented for my accommo- dation. On the following morning, bright and early, Don Juan Fer- nandez and myself set off in the calesa for Palos. I felt ap- prehensive at first, that the kind-hearted old gentleman, in his anxiety to oblige, had left his bed at too early an hour, and was exposing himself to fatigues unsuited to his age. He laughed at the idea, and assured me that he was an early riser, and accustomed to all kinds of exercise on horse and foot, §16 spAmsU VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. being a keen sportsman, and frequently passing days together among the mountains on shooting expeditions, taking with him servants, horses, and provisions, and hving in a tent He appeared, in fact, to be of an active habit, and to possess a youthful vivacity of spirit. His cheerful disposition rendered our morning drive extremely agi-eeable; his urbanity was shown to every one whom we met on the road; even the com- mon peasant was saluted by Mm with the appellation of cuhal- lero, a mark of respect ever gratifying to the poor but proud bpamard, when yielded by a superior. As the tide was out we drove along the flat grounds border- ing the Tmto. The river was on our right, while on our left was a range of hiUs, jutting out into promontories, one beyond the other, and covered with vineyards and lig trees The weather was serene, the air was soft and balmy, and the land- scape of that gentle kind calculated to put one in a quiet and happy humour. We passed close by the skirts of Palos and drove to the hacienda, which is situated at some little dis- tance from the village, between it and the river. The house is a low stone building, well white-washed, and of greal length- one end being fitted up as a summer residence, with saloons' bed-rooms, and a domestic chapel ; and the other as a bodega or magazine for the reception of the wine produced on the estate The house stands on a hill, amidst vineyards, which are sup- posed to cover a part of the site of the ancient town of Palos now shrunk to a miserable village. Beyond these vineyards' on the crest of a distant hill, are seen the white walls of the convent of La Rabida rising above a dark wood of pine trees Below the hacienda flows the river Tinto, on which Colum- bus embarked. It is divided by a low tongue of land, or rather the sand-bar of Saltes, from the river Odiel, with which it soon mingles its waters, and flows on to the ocean. Beside this sand-bar, where the channel of the river runs deep, the squad- ron of Columbus was anchored, and from hence he made sail on the morning of his departure. The soft breeze that was blowing scarcely ruffled the surface ot this beautiful river; two or three picturesque barks, called mysticks, with long latine saUs, were gliding down it. A little aid of the imagination might suffice to picture them as the light caravels of Columbus, sallying forth on their eventful expedition, while the distant bells of the town of Huelva which were ringing melodiously, might be supposed as cheef- mg the voyagers with a farewell peal. APPENDIX. 217 I cannot express to you what were my feelings on treading the shore which had once been animated by the bustle of departure, and whose sands had been printed by the last foot- step of Columbus. The solemn and sublime nature of the event that had followed, together with the fate and fortunes of those concerned in it, filled the mind with vague jat melan- choly ideas. It was like viewing the silent and empty stage of some great drama, when all the actors had departed. The very aspect of the landscape, so tranquilly beautiful, had aa effect upon me, and as I paced the deserted shore by the side of a descendant of one of the discoverers, I felt my heart swelling with emotions and my eyes filling with tears. What surprised me was to find no semblance of a seaport ; there was neither wharf nor landing-place — nothing but a naked river bank, with the hulk of a ferry-boat, which I was told carried passengers to Huelva, lying high and dry on the sands, deserted by the tide. Palos, though it has doubtless dwindled away from its former size, can never have been important as to extent and population. If it possessed ware- houses on the beach, they have disappeared. It is at present a mere village of the poorest kind, and lies nearly a quarter of a mile from the river, in a hoUow among hills. It contains a few hundred inhabitants, who subsist principally by labouring in the fields and vineyards. Its race of merchants and marin- ers are extinct. There are no vessels belonging to the place, nor any show of traffic, excepting at the season of fruit and wine, when a few mysticks and other light barks anchor in the river to collect the produce of the neighbourhood. The people are totally ignorant, and it is probable that the greater part of them scarce know even the name of America. Such is the place from whence sallied forth the enterprise for the discovery ' of the western world ! • We were now summoned to breakfast in a little saloon of the hacienda. The table was covered with natural luxuries pro- duced upon the spot— fine purple and muscatel grapes from the adjacent vineyard, delicious melons from the garden, and generous wines made on the estate. The repast was heightened by the genial manners of my hospitable host, who appeared to possess the most enviable cheerfulness of spirit and simplicity of heart. After breakfast v\re set off in the calesa to visit the convent of La Rabida, which is about half a league distant. The road, for a part of the way, lay through the vineyards, and wa« deep 218 SPAmSH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. and sandy. The calaserohad been at his \\dts' end to conceive what motive a stranger like myself, apparently travelling for mere amusement, could have in coming so far to see so miser- able a place as Palos, which he set down as one of the very poorest places in the whole world ; but this additional toil and struggle through deep sand to visit the old Convent of La Rabid a, completed his confusion — "Hombre!" exclaimed he, " es una ruina ! no hay mas que dos frailes !"— " Zounds I why, it's a mini there are only two friars there!" Don Juan laughed, and told him that I had come all the way from Seville precisely to see that old ruin and those two friars. The cala- sero made the Spaniard's last reply when he is perplexed — he shrugged his shoulders and crossed himself. After ascending a hill and passing through the skirts of a straggling pine wood, we arrived in front of the convent. It stands in a bleak and solitary situation, on the brow of a rocky height or promontory, overlooking to the west a mde range of sea and land, bounded by the frontier mountains of Portugal, about eight leagues distant. The convent is shut out from a view of the vineyard of Palos by the gloomy forest of pines which I have mentioned, which cover the promontory to the east, and darken the whole landscape in that direction. There is nothing remarkable in the architecture of the con- vent ; part of it is Gothic, but the edifice, having been fre- quently repaired, and being white-washed, according to a uni- versal custom in Andalusia, inherited from the Moors, it has not that venerable aspect which might be expected from its antiquity. We alighted at the gate where Coliunbus, when a poor pedestrian, a stranger in the land, asked bread and water for his child ! As long as the convent stands, this must be a spot calculated to awaken the most thrilling interest. The gate remains apparently in nearly the same state as at the time of his visit, but there is no longer a porter at hand to administer 'to the wants of the wayfarer. The door stood wide open, and admitted us into a small court-yard. From thence we passed through a Gothic portal into the chapel, without seeing a human being. We then traversed two interior cloisters, equally vacant and silent, and bearing a look of neglect and dilapidation. From an open window we had a peep at what had once been a garden, but that had also gone to ruin ; the walls were broken and thrown down; a few shrubs, and a scattered fi^-tree or two, were all the traces of ciiltivation tb?»t I APPENDIX. ^\^ remained. We passed through the long dormitories, but the cells Avere shut up and abandoned; we saw no living thing except a solitary cat stealing across a distant corridor, which fled in a panic at the unusual sight of strangers. At length, after patrolling nearly the whole of the empty building to the echo of our own footsteps, we came to where the door of a cell, being partly open, gave us the sight of a monk within, seated at a table writing. He rose and received us with much civil- ity, and conducted us to the superior, who was reading in an adjacent cell. They were both rather young men, and, together with a novitiate and a lay-brother, who officiated as cook, formed the whole coixmiunity of the convent. Don Juan Fernandez communicated to them the object of my visit, and my desire also to inspect the archives of the convent to find if there was any record of the sojourn of Columbus. They informed us that the archives had been entirely destroyed by the French. The younger monk, how- ever, who had perused them, had a vague recollection of various particulars concerning the transactions of Columbus at Palos, his visit to the convent, and the sailing of his expedition. From all that he cited, however, it appeared to me that all the information on the subject contained in the archives, had been extracted from Herrera and other well known authors. The monk was talkative and eloquent, and soon diverged frcgn the subject of Columbus, to one which he considered of infinitely greater importance; — the mirac- ulous image of the Virgin possessed by their convent, and known by the name of ''Our Lady of La Rabida." He gave us a history of the wonderful way in which the image had been found buried in the earth, where it had lain hidden for ages, since the time of the conquest of Spain by the Moors ; the disputes between the convent and different places in the neighbourhood for the possession of it; the marvellous pro- tection it extended to the adjacent country, especially in preventing all madness, either in man or dog, for this malady was anciently so prevalent in this place as to gain it the appellation of La Rabia, by which it was originally called ; a name which, thanks to the beneficent influence of the Virgin, it no longer 7nerited or retained. Such are the legends and reliques with which every convent in Spain is enriched, which are zealously cried up by the monks, and devoutly credited by the populace. Twice a year on the festival of our Lady of La Rabida^ and Mo SpAmSH VOYAGES OF MSCOVERY- on that of the patron saint of the order, the solitude and silence of the convent are interrupted by the intrusion of a swarming multitude, composed of the inhabitants of Moguer, of Huelva, and the neighbouring plains and mountains. The open esplanade in front of the edifice resembles a fair, the adjacent forest teems with the motley throng, and the image of our Lady of La Rabida is borne forth in triumphant procession. While the friar was thus dilating upon the merits and renown of the image, I amused myself with those day dreams, or conjurings of the imagination to which I am a little given. As the internal arrangements of convents are apt to be the same from age to age, I pictured to myself this chamber as the same inhabited by the guardian, Juan Perez de Marchena, at the time of the visit of Columbus. Why might not the old and ponderous table before me be the very one on which he displayed his conjectural maps, and expounded his theory of a western route to India? It required but another stretch of the imagination to assemble the httle conclave around the table; Juan Perez the friar, Garci Fernandez the physician, and Martin Alonzo Pinzon, the bold navigator, all hstening with rapt attention to Columbus, or to the tale of some old seaman of Palos, about islands seen in the western parts of the ocean. The friars, as far as their poor means and scanty knowledge extended, were disposed to do every thing to promote the object of my visit. They showed us all parts of the convent, which, however, has little to boast of, excepting the historical associations connected with it. The library was reduced to a few volumes, chiefly on ecclesiastical subjects, piled promiscu- ously in the corner of a vaulted chamber, and covered with dust. The chamber itself was curious, being the most ancient part of the edifice, and supposed to have formed part of a temple in the time of the Romans. We ascended to the roof of the convent to enjoy the extensive prospect it commands. Immediately below the promontory on which it is situated, runs a narrow but tolerably deep river, called the Domingo Rubio, which empties itself into the Tinto. It is the opinion of Don Luis Fernandez Pinzon, that the ships of Columbus were careened and fitted out in this river, as it affords better shelter than the Tinto, and its shores are not so shallow. A lonely bark of a fisher- man was lying in this stream, and not far off, on a sandy APPENDIX. 2^1 point, were the ruins of an ancient watchtower. From the roof of the convent, all the windings of the Odiel and the Tinto were to be seen, and their junction into the main stream, by which Columbus saUied forth to sea. In fact, the convent serves as a landmark, being, from its lofty and sohtary situation, visible for a considerable distance to vessels coming on the coast. On the opposite side I looked down upon the lonely road, through the wood of pine trees, by which the zealous guardian of the convent, Fray Juan Perez, departed at midnight on his mule, when he sought the camp of Ferdinand and Isabella in the Vega of Granada, to plead the project of Columbus before the queen. Having finished our inspection of the convent, we prepared to depart, and were accompanied to the outward portal by the two friar:;. Oiu* calasero brought his ratthng and ricketty vehicle for us to mount ; at sight of which one of the monks exclaimed, with a smile, "Santa Maria! only to think! A calesa before the gate of the convent of La Rabida!" And, indeed, so solitary and remote is this ancient edifice, and so simple is the mode of living of the people in this bye corner of Spain, that the appearance of even a sorry calesa might well cause astonishment. It is Only singular that in such a bj^e- corner the scheme of Columbus should have found intelligent listeners and coadjutors, after it had been discarded, almost with scoffing and contempt, from learned universities and splendid courts. On our way back to the hacienda, we met Don Rafael, a younger son of Don Juan Fernandez, a fine young man about twenty-one years of age, and who, his father informed me, was at present studying French and mathematics. He was well mounted on a spirited gray horse, and dressed in the Andalusian style, with the little round hat and jacket. He sat his horse gracefully, and managed him well. I was pleased with the frank and easy terms on which Don Juan appeared to live with his children. This I was inclined to think his favourite son, as I understood he was the only one that partook of the old gentleman's fondness for the chase, and that accompanied him in his hunting excursions. A dinner had been prepared for us at the hacienda, by the wife of the capitaz, or overseer, who, with her husband, seemed to be well pleased with this visit from Don Juan, and to be confident of receiving a pleasant answer from the good- humoured old gentleman whenever they addressed him. The 922 SPANISH VOYAGES OP DISCOVERT. dinner was served up about two o'clock, and was a most agreeable meal. The frufjs ani wines were from the estate, and we: 3 exceUent; ^he last of the provisions were from Moguer, for the djr.cent vi lage of Palos is too poor to furnish anything. A gentle breeze from the sea played through the hall, and tempered the summer heat. Indeed I do not l-now when I have seen a, more enviable spot than this country retreat of the Pinzons. Its situation on a breezy hill, at no great distance from the sea, and in a southern chmate,' produces a happy temperature, neither hot in summer nor cold in winter. It commands a beautiful prospect, and is surrounded by natural luxuries. The coimtry abounds with game, the adjacent river affords abundant sport in fishing, both by day and night, and delightful excursions for those fond of sailing. During the busy seasons of rural life, and especially at the joyous period of vintage, the family pass some time here, accompanied by numerous guests, at which tunes, Don Juan assured me, there was no lack of amuse- ments, both by land and water. When we had dined, and taken the siesta, or afternoon nap, according to the Spanish custom in summer-time, we set out on our return to Moguer, visiting the village of Palos in the way. Don Gabriel had been sent in advance to procure the keys of the village church, and to apprise the curate of our wish to inspect the archives. The vUlage consists principally of two streets of low white-washed houses. Many of the inhabitants have very dark complexions, betraying a mixture of African blood. On entering the vHlage, we repaired to the lowly mansion of the curate. I had hoped to find him some such personage as the curate in Don Quixote, possessed of shrewdness and mformation in his limited sphere, and that I might gain some anecdotes from him concerning his parish, its worthies, its antiqmties, and its historical events. Perhaps I might have done so at any other time, but, unfortunately, the curate was something of a sportsman, and had heard of some game among the neighbouring hiUs. We met him just saUying forth from his house, and, I must confess, his appearance was picturesque. He was a short, broad, sturdy little man, and had doffed his cassock and broad clerical beaver for a short jacket and a little round Andalusian hat; he had his gun in hand, and was on the point of mounting a donkey which had been led forth by an ancient withered handmaid! Fearful of APPENDIX. 223 being detained from his foray, he accosted my companion the moment he came in sight. "God preserve you, Senor Don Juan! I have received your message, and have but one answer to make. The archives have all been destroyed. We have no trace of any thing you seek for — nothing— nothing. Don Eafael has the keys of the church. You can examine it at your leisure. — Adios, caballero!" With these words the galliard little curate mounted his donkey, thumped his ribs with the butt end of his gim, and trotted off to the hills. In our way to the church we passed by the ruins of what had once been a fair and spacious dwelling, greatly superior to the other houses of the village. This, Don Juan informed me, was an old familj^ possession, but since they had removed from Palos it had fallen to decay for want of a tenant. It was probably the family residence of Martin Alonzo or Vicente Yafiez Pinzon, in the time of Columbus. We now arrived at the church of St. George, in the porch of which Columbus first proclaimed to the inhabitants of Palos the order of tEe sovereigns, that they should furnish him with ships for his great voyage of discovery. This edifice has lately been thoroughly repaired, and, being of solid mason- work, promises to stand for ages, a monument of the discover- ers. It stands outside of the village, on the brow of a hill, looking along a little valley toward the river. The remains of a Moorish arch prove it to have been a mosque in former times ; just above it, on the crest of the hill, is the ruin of a Moorish castle. I paused in the porch and endeavoured to recall the interesting scene that had taken place there, when Columbus, accompanied by the zealous friar, Juan Perez, caused the public notary to read the royal order in presence of the astonished alcaldes, regidors, and alguazils; but it is difficult to conceive the consternation that must have been struck into so remote a httle community, by this sudden apparition of an entire stranger among them, bearing a command that they should put their persons and ships at his disposal, and sail with him away into the unknown wilderness of the ocean. The interior of the church has nothing remarkable, except- ing a wooden image of St. George vanquishing the Dragon, which is erected over the high altar, and is the admiration of the good people of Palos, who bear it about the streets in grand procession on the anniversary of the saint. This group existed in the time pf Columbus, and now flourishes in 224 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. renovated youth and splendour, having been newly painted and gilded, and the countenance of the saint rendered pecu- liarly blooming and lustrous. Having finished the examination of the church, we resumed our seats in the calesa and returned to Moguer. One thing only remained to fulfil the object of my pilgrimage. This was to visit the chapel of the Convent of Santa Clara. When Columbus was in danger of being lost in a tempest on his way hon. from his great voyage of discovery, he made a vow, that should he be spared, he would watch and pray one whole night in this chapel; a vow which he doubtless fulfilled immediately after his arrival. My kind and attentive friend, Don Juan, conducted me to the convent. It is the wealthiest in Moguer, and belongs to a sisterhood of Franciscan nuns. The chapel is large, and ornamented with some degree of richness, particularly the part about the high altar, which is embellished by magnificent monuments of the brave family of the Puerto Carreros, the ancient lords of Moguer, and renowned in Moorish warfare. The alabaster effigies of distinguished warriors of that house, and of their wives and sisters, lie side by side, with folded hands, on tombs immediately before the altar, while others recline in deep niches on either side. The night had closed in by the time I entered the church, which made the scene more impressive. A few votive lamps shed a dim hght about the interior ; their beams were feebly refiected by the gilded work of the high altar, and the frames of the surrounding paintings, and rested upon the marble figures of the warriors and dames lying in the monumental repose of ages. The solemn pile must have presented much the same appearance when the pious discoverer performed his vigil, kneehng before this very altar, and praying and watching throughout the night, and pouring forth heart-felt praises for having been spared to ac- complish his sublime discovery. I had now completed the main purpose of my journey, having visited the various places connected with the story of Columbus. It was highly gratifying to find some of them so little changed,, though so great a space of time had intervened; but in this quiet nook of Spain, so far removed from the main thoroughfares, the lapse of time produces but few violent revolutions. Nothing, however, had surprised and gratified me more than the continued stability of the Pinzon family. On the morning after my excursion to Palos, chance gave me APPENDIX. 295 an opportunity of seeing something of the interior of most of their households. Having a curiosity to visit the remains of a Moorish castle, once the citadel of Moguer, Don Fernandez undertook to show me a tower which served as a magaziue of wine to one of the Pinzon family. In seeking for the key we were sent from house to house of nearly the whole connexion. All appeared to be living in that golden mean equally removed from the wants and superfluities of life, and all to be happily interwoven by kind and cordial habits of intimacy. We found the females of the family generally seated in the patios, or central courts of their dwellings, beneath the shade of awnings and among shrubs and flowers. Here the Andalusian ladies are accustomed to pass their mornings at work, sur- rounded by their handmaids, in. the primitive, or rather, oriental style. In the porches of some of the houses I ob- served the coat of arms, granted to the family by Charles V. , hung up like a picture in a frame. Over the door of Don Luis, the naval officer, it was carved on an escutcheon of stone, and coloured. I had gathered many particulars of the family also from conversation with Don Juan, and from the family legend lent me by Don Luis. From all that I could learn, it would appear that the lapse of nearly three centuries and a half has made but little change in the condition of the Pinzons. From generation to generation they have retained the same fair standing and reputable name throughout the neighbourhood, fiUing offices of public trust and dignity, and possessing great influence over their fellow-citizens by their good sense and good conduct. How rare is it to see such an instance of stability of fortune in this fluctuating world, and how truly honourable is this hereditary respectability, which has been secured by no titles or entails, but perpetuated merely by the innate worth of the race! I declare to you that the most illustrious descents of mere titled rank could never command the sincere respect and cordial regard with which I contemplated this staunch and enduring family, which for three centuries and a half has stood merely upon its virtues. As I was to set off on my return to Seville before two o'clock, I partook of a farewell repast at the house of Don Juan, between twelve and one, and then took leave of his household with sincere regret. The good old gentleman, with the courtesy, or rather the cordiality of a true Spaniard, accompanied me to the posada to see me off. I had dispensed but little money in the posada— thanks to the hospitality of 226 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERT. the Pinzons— yet the Spanish pride of nay host and hostess seemed pleased that I had preferred their humble chamber, and the scanty bed they had provided «me, to the spacious mansion of Don Juan ; and when I expressed my thanks for their kindness and attention, and regaled mine host with a few choice cigars, the heart of the poor man was overcome. He seized me by both hands and gave me a parting bene- diction, and then ran after the calasero to enjoin him to take particular care of me during my journey. Taking a hearty leave of my excellent friend Don Juan, who had been unremitting in his attentions to me to the last moment, I now set off on my wayfaring, gratified to the utmost with my visit, and full of kind and gratefxil feelings towards Moguer and its hospitable inhabitants. MANIFESTO OF ALONZO DE OJEDA. [The following curious formula, composed by learned divines in Spain, was first read aloud by the friars in the train of Alonzo de Ojeda as a prelude to his attack on the savages of Carthagena; and was subsequently adopted by the Spanish discoverers in general, in their invasions of the Indian countries.] I, AjLONZO DE Ojeda, servant of the high and mighty kings of Castile and Leon, civilizers of barbarous nations, their messenger and captain, notify and make known to you, in the best way I can, that God our Lord, one and eternal, created the heavens and the earth, and one man and one woman, from whom you, and we, and all the people of the earth were and are descendants, procreated, and all those who shall come after us; but the vast number of generations which have proceeded from them, in the course of more than five thous- and years that have elapsed since the creation of the world, made it necessary that some of the human race should disperse in one direction and some in another, and that they should divide themselves into many kingdoms and provinces, as they could not sustain and preserve themselves in one alone. All these people were given in charge, by God our Lord, to one person, named St. Peter, who was thus made lord and superior of all the people of the earth, and head of the whole human Hneage, whom all should obey, wherever they might live, and whatever might be their law, sect or belief; he gave APPENDIX. 227 him also the whole world for his service and jurisdiction, and though he desired that he should estabhsh his chair in Eome, as a place most convenient for governing the WDrld, yet he permitted that he might establish his chair in any other part of the world, and judge and govern all the nations, Christians, Moors, Jews, Gentiles, and whatever other sect or belief might b^. This person was denominated Pope, that is to say, admirable, supreme, father and guardian, because he is father and governor of all mankind. This holy father was obeyed and honoured as lord, king, and superior of the universe by those who lived in his time, and, in like manner, have been obeyed and honoured by all those who have been elected to the Pontificate, and thus it has continued unto the present day, and will continue until the end of the world. One of these Pontiffs of whom I have spoken, as lord of the world, made a donation of these islands and continents, of the ocean, sea, and all that they contain, to the Catholic kings of Castile, who at that time were Ferdinand and Isabella of glorious memory, and to their successors, our sovereigns, according to the tenor of certain papers drawn up for the purpose, (which you may see if you desire.) Thus his majesty is king and sovereign of these islands and continents by virtue of the said donation; and as king and sovereign, certain islands, and almost all to whom this has been notified, have received his majesty, and have obeyed and served and do actually serve him. And, moreover, like good subjects, and with good-will, and without any resistence or delay, the moment they were informed of the foregoing, they obeyed all the religious men sent among them to preach and teach our Holy Faith ; and these of their free and cheerful will, without any condition or reward, became Christians^ and continue so to be. And his majesty received them kindly and benig-; nantly, and ordered that they should be treated like his other' subjects and vassals : you also are required and obliged to do the same. Therefore, in the best manner I can, I pray and entreat you, that you consider well what I have said, and that you take whatever time is reasonable to understand and dehberate upon it, and that you recognise the church for sovereign and superior of the universal world, and the supreme Poatiff, called Pope, in her name, and his majesty in his place, as superior and sovereign king of the islands and Terra Firma, by virtue of the said donation ; and that you consent that these religious fathers declare and preach to you 228 SPANISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY. the foregoing ; and if you shall so do, you will do well ; and will do that to which you are bounden and obhged ; and his majesty, and I in his name, will receive you with aU due love and charity, and wiU leave you, your wives and children, free from servitude, that you may freely do with these and with yourselves whatever you please, and think proper, as have done the inhabitants of the other islands. And besides this, his majesty wiU give you many privileges and exemptions, and grant you many favours. If you do not do this, or wickedly and intentionally delay to do so, I certify to you, that by the aid of God, I will powerfully invade and make war upon you in all parts and modes that I can, and wiU subdue you to the yoke and obedience of the church and of his majesty, and I will take your wives and children and make slaves of them, and seU them as such, and dispose of them as his majesty may coromand; and I wiU take your effects and wiU do you all the harm and injury in my power, as vassals who will not obey or receive their sovereign and who resist and oppose him. And I protest that the deaths and disasters which may in this manner be occasioned, will be the fault of yourselves and not of his majesty, nor of me, nor of these cavahers who accompany me. And of what I here teU you and require of you, I call upon the notary here present to give me his signed testimonial. 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There is no denying that Mrs. Blake has, spartan-like, stood as a break-water to the surging flood Rector Dix has cast upon the so-called weaker eex with the hope of engulfing it. It is sad to see a gentleman in the position Dr. Dix occupies setting himself deliberately at work to not only bring reproach upou the female sex, but to make us all look with comtempt upon our mothers and sioters. And ttie worst of his case is that he has shown that spirit in the male part of mankind, which is not at all creditable to it, of depreciating the in- tellect, the judgment, the ability and the capability of the female sex in order to elevate to a higher plane the male sex. According to Dr. Dix the world would be better were there no more female children born. And he makes this argument in the face of the fact that there would be "hell upon earth" were it not for the influence of women, and such women as Mrs. Lillie Devereux Blake, esiieci&llj.— Albany Sunday Press. Mrs. Blake's was the"most interesting and spicy speech of the evening. She was in a sparkling mood and hit at everything and everybody that came to her mind.— TA^ Evening Telegram. N. Y. A stately lily of a woman, with delicate features, a pair of great gray eyes that dilate as she speaks till they light her whole face like two great soft stars. — The Independent, N. Y. * * * She advanced to the front of the platform, gesticulated gracefully and spoke vigorously, d fiantly and without notes.— A^ew York Citizen. * * * a most eloquent and polished oration. The peroration was a grand burst of eloquence.— Troy Times. Lillie Devereux Blake, blonde, brilliant, staccate, stylish, is a fluent speaker, of good platform presence, and argued wittily and well.— Washington Post. There are very few speakers on the platform who have the brightness, vivacity and fluency of Lillie Devereux Bleike.— Albany Sunday Press. She is an easy, graceful speaker, and wide-awake withal, bringing our fre- quent applause. — Hartford Times'. Mrs. Blake's address was forcible and eloquent. The speaker was frequently interrupted by applause.— iV York Times. The most brilliant lady speaker in the cily.— New York Herald. Has the reputation of being the wittiest woman on the platform.— /yaw An- tonio Express. Mrs. Blake, who has a most pleasing address, then spoke; a strong vein of sarcasm, wit and humor pervaded the lady's remarks.— Pawg'AA;e€j9ste News. For Sale by all Newsdealers and Booksellers JOHN yv, LOVELL CO., Publishers, 14 & 16 Vesey Street, New York. RE:oE:isrTX-.Y fxjblispied. Attractive new editions of the following celebrated works of Sir Edward Bulwer, LordLytton, By LORD LYTTON. 1 vd., 12010., large type, good paper, well bound, cloth, gilt, $1.00; also in Lovell's Library, handsome paper cover, 20 cents. This work is happiljr conceived and ably executed. 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There is no book in our libraries on which we could ao readily stake the fame of the old unpolluted English language ; no book which shows bo well how rich that language is in its own proper wealth, and how little it has been im- proved by all that it has borrowed "We are not afraid to say that, though there were many clever men in England during the latter half of the Seventeenth Century, there were only two creative minds. One of those minds produced the ' Paradise Lost ;' the other, 'The Pilgrim's Progress.' "—Lokd Macaulay. JOHN W. LOVELL CO., 14 & 16 Vesey Street, New York. NOVELS BY THE DUCHESS, Al] of which are now issued in Lovell's Library, ia handsome 12nio form, for VIZ : Portia, or By Passions Rocked^ Phyllis, Molly Bawn, Airy Fairy Lillian, Mrs. Geojffrey, Etc., Etc. The works by The Duchess have passed, and far passed, all competitors in the race for popularity and admirers. 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McCARTHY. 1 vol. 12mo., Lovell's Library No. 115, price 10 cents. *'A timely and exceedingly vigorous and interesting little ^o^^^^^^- JJ^® '^^U is worthy of attentive perusal, and will be all the more .interesting because it involveb in its production the warm sympathies, the passionate enthusiasm, and the vivid brilliancy of style which one is glad to welcome from the sou of the distinguished journalist and author." -Christian WORLD. ^„„vit tn "AH Irishiea who love their country, and all candid Englishmen, ought to welcome Mr. Justin H. McCarthy's Utile volume-'An Outlme of insli History Those who want to know how it has come about that as John stuart Mill long agopomtedout, all cries for the remedy of specific I"fti/"evance8 are now nTerged in the dangerous demand for nationality, will do well to read Mr Mccfarthy'a little boSk. It is eloquently written, and carries us from the earh^^^ 1 egends to the autumn of 1882. The charm of the style and the inipetuo^isness in the flow of the narrative are refreshing and stimulating, and. as regards his- toric impartiality. Mr.McCarthy is far more just than is MrFiroude -Graphi^^^ "A brightlv written and intelligent account of the leading e^ei.ts m Insh annala !^ Mr McCarthy has performed a difficult task with commendable good spirit and impartiality,' -Whitehall Review „,r.H;-n5. 157. 1.^8. I 161 I 162 More Words About the Bible, by Bev, Ji\n. S. Bush 90 Monsieur Lecoq, GaboriauPt.I..20 Monsieur Lecoq, Pt. II 20 An Outline of Irish History, by Justin H. McCarthy .......10 The Lero iis»e Ca«e, by Gaboriau. . 20 Paul Clifford, by Lord Ly) on, . .20 A New Lease of Life, by About. , 20 Bourbon Lilies 20 Other People's Money, Gaboriau.^') The Lady of Lyons, Lyiton...lO Aiaeline de Bonrg. 15 A See Quef'U, by W. Russel.. . . .XJ The Ladies Lindoree, by Mrs. Oliphant...; -.o.. .20 Haunted Hearts, by Simpson. ...10 Loys, Lord Bereeford, by The Duchesg 20 TTndor Two Daeg, Onida, Pt. I. .15 Under Two Flags, Pt. 11 15 Money, by Lord L'ytton 10 In Feril of Hi? 1 ife. by Gaborlau.20 I'.dia, by IV^ix Mtiller 20 Je L3 an d Fla>v<'L the Widower, by W. M. Thickeiay 10 R .maul c Adventures of a Milk- mf>id. by Thomas TTnrdv 10 David Cn^Perfield. D*cken8,Pt 1.20 D>v!dCop|.erfleld. i art If 20 Rif^-nxi, by Lord Lytton, Part I. .15 P r>7.i, by L^rd Lytton, Part II. 15 Pioiiide of Marriaee, Gaboriau.. 10 . Faith and Unfaith, by The Ducheai 30 163. Ti. Happy Mnn, by Lover... 10 1G4, Barry Lyndon, by Thackeray.... 20 1G5. Eyre's Acquittal . , 10 ItjO. Twe.'. / 'i hon^:.-\(\ Leagues Un- der th? Sea, by Jules Verne . . .20 167. Anti-Slavevy Days, by James Freeman Clarke 20 1G8 B^^Tity's Daughters, by The Dnchess .20 16?>. Bc\ond the tiuuti-e 20 1,0. Hard Times, by Char:'.3DickenF.20 ^:\. Tom Crinele"? Lrfr, bvM Scott.. 20 17?. Yanit.v Pair, by W.M."Thackeray.'.iO 174. Un,;er?ronnd Ru'r-ia, Stepniak..i;0 174. Middlemarch, by Elliot, Pt I... .'^O Middlemarch, Part II 20 175 Sir Tom, by Mrs. Oliphant 20 rrd iVIhara, by LordLyitou 50 1 V7. The Story of Ida 10 178. Madcap Violet, bv Wm, Black.. :;0 170. The Little Pilcrira... 10 180. Kiimeuy, by Wm. Bl:\ck. 20 181. Whist, or Bumblopn»i)y ?. , 10 152. The Beautiiul Wret', u, Blac'-....20 153. Her Mother's Sin. by B. M. C!;iy,20 181. Green Pastures and Pi:cadil'y, by Wm. Black. ...... I ,, 20 185. The Mysterious Islaud, by Jules Verne, Part I, .15 The Myst'i-rious Island, Pnrt II. . j5 The Mysterious island, Pai; IIIJ5 180. Tom Brown at Os:'ora, F.i t i..A5 '^'^ om Brown at Oxi oid. Part 1 1 . . 1 3 187. Thicker than Waicr, by J Payn.20 188. hi Silk Attire, by VVra. Blaoh. . .CO 189. Scott iKh Chief S.Jane Portcr,Pt.L20 Scottish Chiefs, Part 1 L .,..,.. .20 190. Willy Reilly, by Will Carleton. .,:0 101. The IMautz Family, by She: oy.iiO 193.' Great Expectations, by L jckens; 193. Pendeuni.s,by 'Ihcickeray, Pert L20 Peudeunis,by Thackeray,PartI ^20 104, Widow Bedott Papers. 20 195. Daniel Deronda,GtO Eliot,Pt. 1.20 Daniel Deronda, Part II .20 196. Altiora Peto, by Oliphant 20 1G7. By the Gate of the Sea, by David Christie Murray 15 198. Tales of a '1 ravclier, by Trvins:. . .20 li^y. Life and Voyages of Columbus, by Washington Irvinjr, Part I. .20 Life and Voyan^es of Coiumbus, -'' by Washingion Irving, Part 11.20 200. The Pilgrim's Progresi. . . , .20 201. Martin Chuzzlew it, by Charles Dickens, Part I. 20 Martin Chnzzlewit, Part IT 20 202. Theophras'us Such, Geo. Eiiot,..20 103. Disarmed, M. r.ttham-Edvvards..l5 2f'l. Eugei-e An'm by Lord Lytton 20 205. The -panish Gjpsy and Other ^ Poem?, by George Eliot .20 206. Cast Up by the :-e v Baker. . ......20 207. ]*! ill on the Floss, Eliot, Pt. I. ..15 Mill on the Floss, Part II 15 208. 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