Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-30

bt1ltt came with a subpoena and ordered him
home for trial.
Nasco was good soldier Never in his life was
he disloyal to the King and rarely did he lisobey
the orders of superior officer. But he had been
hearing from his Indian friends about an open sea
beyond the mountains of Darien, and he would
make desperate effort to reach it before going
home in disgrace.
IN the first of September, 1913, he set out with
hundred and ninety fighting men and a
thousand friendly Indians. The Spaniards went
up the Gulf of Darien in a brigantine and nine
canoes amid indescribable hardships losing a
third of the men on the way. At the limit of
navigation Balboa left ninety men with the boats
and pushed on through the Jungle With him was
Leoncico, drawing full pay a soldier for IN
every fight the dog proved himself than
equal to fighting man.
Somewhere on the Pacific side of that sthmus
is lofty peak that should today bear the name
of Mount Balboa; which is, being interpreted
"the Mount of Vision At its base, worn with
fatigue and fever, the explorers found that they
had to fight for the privilege of ascending the
Pisgah from which Balboa expected to see the
uncharted ocean. They fought and quickly won.
Then the weary leader took his dog and climbed
to the peak alone
Hewas thirty-eight now but looked much older
as the result of the arduous life in this unlovely
land of hunger and heat. Life had brought him
fulness of adventure, but little gain. But it was
now too late for repining Back to Spain he
would go, back to the dungeon and the chains that
had dropped from Columbus only few years be-
fore. These would be his reward for all that he
had wrought in the New World.
He came to the summit of the peak, and found
vision other than that of tangled underground
all round and an expanse of blue overhead. IN
~ It.
tree and climbed until his shaggy head over
topped the jungle. Then the pent-up fountain
Of religious emotion overlooked in an outburst of
thanks to God; for there it was the restless roll
ing sea! And it was his ocean-his and the Kings
Like Moses on Pisgah's lofty height, he lifted up
his voice in an eager prayer, Il pray Thee let me
go over!'
The discoverer of the Pacific Ocean clambered
down to Leoncico and joyfully returned to camp.
With voice that had the ring in it, he called
them to come and And one of those who
answered that call was young Lieutenant named
Francisco Pizarro.
There prayer meeting that September
day four hundred years ago upon the Mount of
Vision; for never there Spanish adventurer
who forgot to pray in moment of excitement.
There a priest to chant the "Te Deum
Laudamus, and Balboa himself
poured forth his humble and devout PRAYERS before
Almighty God spiritual sacrifice with thanksg
that had pleased his Divine Majesty unto
day the victory and praise of great thing hir
ing of small wit and knowledge of little exper
and base parentage.
He also asked the Blessed Virgin to look upon him
favor and allow him to subdue these lands for the
of the Holy Name and the increase of His true reli
He forgot all about the court of Ferdinand and hi
standing before it prisoner at the bar.
On September 80 he reached the waters edge, S
where on the Bay of San Miguel, surrounded by his
Solemnly he drew his sword from its rusty sh
graspei the banner Of CASTLE and Aragon, and W
into the Pacifc-ust the school histories re
With the salt waves tapping about him. he declared
the and all the shores that its waters might t
belonged to the crown of Spain forever 1t was mi
OATH technically correct but it cut out for the Ct
Of Spain job much too big for any potentate who
it.