Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-12
Ian of escape with which every school boy is

ee Luclsco. whose name IL closely
inwreught with early colonial doing. in this
section, came first TO Carthapepa. which even
tnen was thriving town. In its harbor he
found brigantine which contained the dis
eouraged remnant of spanish colony that had
been driven by the hostility Of the Ind,ans from,
their settlement little farther down the cost
lts leader was no less a parsonage than Fran
cisco Pizarro, who had not vet entered unon
his career of bloodshed IN Peru. Encisco soon
after sailed for St. Sebastian and took Pizarro
and his brigantine with him. Just before the
vessel was to leave port some men brought on
board an ordinary cask. supposed TO contain
provisions. that was lowered into the hold with
the rest of the cargo, but hardly had the shore
faded from sight before out popped the head
Of this cask, followed by the figure of
SPANISH CAVALIER,
high-ruhed and gauntleted. in GOLDEN
broidered satin waistcoat, velvet breeches and
top boots. no less a parsonage than the spend
thrift nobleman. Don Balboa
At first Encisco was so angry at the decep-
tion practieed upon him that he threatened to
put tho stowaway ashore on desert island.
but relented when Balboa swore eternal allie
glance and promised to be 4 good soldier in
tho murderous expedition then on the tapis
On the way to st. Sebastian Encisco's ship ran
ppon the rocks and was lost with all its cargo.
but most of the crew escaped TO PiZsrro's
origantine. While in this sorry plight Balboa
bethought himself of an Indian village on the
heard the land was fertile and the natives pos
sessed plenty Of gold and he offered to con-
duct the adventurous thereto.
RICH csrrURE
They easily captured the city Of Darien and
compelled the inhabitants to deliver I'D more
than fifty thousand dollars worth of golden
ornaments, after which Encisco established a
colony there and forbade ANYBODY but himself
TO traffic with the natives. Under penalty of
death. This too arbitrary order caused a split
IN the hitherto peaceful party. for Encisco's
followers were quite as covetous as their leader
Headed by Balboa they Joined in making this
bone of contention the basis of a revolt: and so
well did Balboa manage matters that he was
soon appointed governor of the colony with
absolute authority over IT, while Encisco was
recalled to Spain in disgrace
Inc new governor sen. PiZarro to explore
the nelghboring provinces and after that
worthy had been driven back by the Indians he
headed similar expedition himself While
cruising along these coasts of Colombia he
picked up two Spsniaris in the dress or rather
the undress. of Indians. who proved to be de-
serters from another Spanish colony and had
long been living in an interior province under
the protection of a great cacique named Garcia.
Though the latter had spared their worthless
lives and treated them With unvarying kind
ness they did not hesitate in Offering 10 pilot
Balboa 10 the Indian village. which thew de-
cIared TO contain great store of the precious
rartal so ardently desired 10y the adventurers.
When the expedition reached Careta's capital
which lay about twenty miles above the mouth
OF the Caledonia river. near the present town
called Careto the chief received them in good
faith and entertained them freely with the best
his Kingdom afforded as long they chose to
stay. Finally Balboa. who had onlv $50 SOL
diers, pretended 10 leave having spied ont the
land 10 his satisfaction. but the same night he
returned. attacked the city and made prisoners
OF the kind cacique. his family and mobiles
Csreta at length made peace with the vipers he
had nourished by yielding up a large amount
OF gold and giving his young and beautiful
daughter in marriage to Balboa.
Having promised TO help the father-in-law
agains. his enemies Balboa went to p neichbor-
ing province and destroyed Punehos village
where he had hoped to find good deal Of gold.
but was disappointed Then he went on to the
territory of Comagrc. a chief who was Caretas
friend. and there the rascals found better luck
Comagrs himself came out to meet tn en- es-
corted them to his village and loaded them with
Kindness. His people were more advanced in
civilization than any the Spauiards had vet
seen in America. The chiefs residence was a
frame building $50 feet long by $50 feet wide.
divided into numerous apartments. Under
meath the whole was a great cellar for storing
provisions and in one part was a mausoleum.
where the bodies of Comagres ancestors were
preserved The corpses we're first dried bv fire
to prevent decay and then wrapped in great
quantities of cloth, which interviewer with
threads OF gold and silver and fastened here
and there with native emeralds and humps of
gold.
The sight of these rich bundles hanging all
around room was more than enough TO excite
Spanish cupdity to such a pitch that no
amour: of Indebtedness to their hospitabie
entertainers could
SAVE The DEAD
from Dissertation. To prevent this and satisfy
Balboa's demands the chiefs eldest son brought
four thousand ounces OF gold and directed it to
be divided among the guests. OF course tn ey
got into row over its distribution. when ia e
disguised savage sprang between the disput-
ants. dashed the scales to the ground and ex-
claimed: why do you fight for such trash as
this? IL you want gold go beyond those noun
talns! There Is a great sea on which sail YES
sells like your own. The streams that flow into
1t are filled with gold and the people who live
on its shores eat from plates of gold"
The hasty words made deep impression on
Balboa and he Immediately demanded to know
all about the great sea-" The young chief
offered TO conduct them TO il if they Wished to
go. OF course they wanted to if gold was so
plentiful, and Balboa hurr led off 10 Darien TO
prepare for the expedition.
FINDING THE SEA.
Nearly two hundred men responded TO his
cali for volunteers. and on September 1. 1913.
he set out with a brigantine and ten canoes.
Reaching the domain of his father-in-law he
tarried while, and from that point the inland
march began.
After many battles in which the simple ma
tives were always routed with fear at the first
discharge of ire-arms-they believing the
strange weapons TO be thunder and lightning in
human hands-the adyenturers reached the
foot OF the mountain, from whose sun nit the
guide assured them that the ocean was visible
Determined to have
THE FIRST GLIMPSE
Of it himself. Balboa ordered a halt here and
went into camp that mis- sick and wounded fol-
lowers might have needed rest At the first
peep of day he prepared to ascend
with sixty picked companions. 1t was high
noon before they emerged from the dense for
esi and stood at the base of a stony peak that
crowned the mountain top. Bidding the rest
remain behind until he gave them a signal
Balboa pushed forward alone until he reached
the summit, and there below HIM, stretching
away to the horizon. lay the mighty sea- whose
shining waters had never before been beheld
by the eye of white man. FANNIE Il. WARD.
CARNEGIE UNIVERSITY.