Oxford Democrat., 1913-10-07
CHAPTER III.

" East Indies he crulsed along
the isthmIan coast fcOm Sep
tember, 1902, to January. 1903. enter
Ing and naming the harbor of Porto
Bello on Nov. 2. 1902. and visiting
Nombre de Dios on Nov. o, In what Is
now the republic Of Panama.
Columbus. however. was not the dis
coverer Of Panama, as a Spanlard.
named Rodrigo de Bastides. had pre-
ceded him to this coast, In 1901. 50 that
the period of the Spanish In Pnnamn
dates from that year. Bastides visited
Nombre de Dios. where eight years Ia
ter the first Spanish settlement on the
lsthmus was planted. In 1909. as
base for the search for gold.
Vasco Nunez de Balboa had been
with Bastides on his trip Of exploration.
and he became the head Of the new
colony ut Panama. For few years
the mountains with their dense jungle
growth stood as barrier to explora'
tions farther inland. but the stories OF
the marvellous wealth Of the inhabi-
tants on the other side. told to Balboa
by the Indians. so excited his cupidity
that. in 1913. he gathered band OF l9o
men and started across.
Balboa discovered the Pacific on
Sept. 25. 1913. Calling his men to him.
they had q religious ceremony. claim
Ing all they surveyed rs the dominions
Of his majesty the king Of Spain.
Gold he found in abundance and
pearls Of fabulous size and value. Aft
er FIVE months absence he returned to
Nombre de Dios by more direct
course and found that he had been sue
ceeded as governor at Nombre de Dios
by soldier named Pedrarias. Be
tween them hatred sprang up which.
In 1917. resulted in the untimely and
unjust execution Of Balloon on trumped
up charges. Prior to this. Balboa had
made other trips to the Pacific. carry
Ing across with Incredible labor the
parts of ships which were rebuilt In
the Pacific In 1911 the Americans
found cannon Of immense weight
about halfway across. which evidently
had been abandoned by Balboa. and
an anchor of great size also has been
found.
Pedrarias in 1915 had sent exploring
parties to the Pacific side to select
site for settlement on that coast
The San Francisco exposition there
fore In 1915 will be exactly 400 years
after this event. 1t was not until 1919
that the settlement was started. and
the founding of the city Of Panama
dates historically from that year.
With the founding Of town on the
Pacific side began the interoceanir
traffic which ever since has empha
sized the need Of easier and swifter
communication between the Atlantic
and Pacific At huge expense OF Ia a,
Dor and life a paved road was con-
structed from Nombre de Dios to Pan
ANA. portions Of which may be seen IN
the canal zone today.
II may be noted that Panama was
founded full hundred years before
the landing Of the pilgrims at Plym
outh. Nombre de Dios was town
ninety-eight years before the FIRST Eng
lish settlement in North America. at
Jamestown, In 1907. st Augustine.
Fla. the oldest town in North America.
was not founded until forty six years
after Panama.
After nearly a century at Nombre de
Dios the Spanish In the year 1884
found Porto Bello q healthier site for
q settlement and moved bag and bag
gage to that incompatible port.
Porto Bello ut once became the depot
Of Spanish treasure accumulated from
Peru or other South and Central Amer
lean countries and brought across the
isthmus from Panama with incredible
hardship. From this port the Spanish
galleons ran the gantlet Of English
pirates to Spain. Drake had been one
of the most intrepid of this crew. Hen
~ Morgan. century later. was an
other.
In 1868 Henry Morgan collected a
motley crew Of sea vagabonds with the
object of capturing Porto Bello. The
operations of the English buccaneers
usually were plain piracy. but they
justified themselves In their own minds
by the Quarrelsome state OF the re-
lations that existed between England
and Spain.
Porto Bello was captured after
fight not surpassed in history for In
humanities. The treasure they found
here whetted their lust for gold. with
the result that three years later a still
bolder enterprise. that Of traversing
the isthmus and taking Panama. was
planned In 1871 Morgan started up
the Chagres river with 1.6O0 men. and.
after abandoning that stream. they
struck out overland to Panama. Nine
days were consumed In the Journey.
with hardships from hunger and the
labor Of penetrating the jungle the
like of which have not been exceeded
by soldiers anywhere.
A desperate defense was unavaillng.
The city was captured, but found to
be barren of treasure. as the Spanish
had loaded ship with their gold and
silver before the attack began, and the
ship could not be found. It was an
unwise move, because the infuriated
pirates proceeded to torture the people
and to murder hundreds, finally burn.
ing Panama to the ground. Toduy
tourists 60 out to see tower and 9TH
er ruins Of the famous old city Of Pan
anna. Panama was rebuilt on short
promontory In the Pacific and. al
though captured again by the pirates
In 1880. has remained on the new site
to thia' time
Panama in 1921 caught the spirit Of
revolt and accomplished Its freedom