Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-07-23
CHAPTER tII.
The Spanish In Panama.

0 y the 1Ouflu dlIeinpl
made. To lind passage to the
East Indies lie eruised along |
the isthmian coast from Sep
tember. 1862. to January. 1908. enter
ing and naming the harbor OF forto
Relic ON Nov. .. 1862. and visiting
de Dios on Nov. 8, in what Is
now the republic of Panama.
Columbus. however. was not the ais
covarer Of Panama. as Spaniard.
named Rodrigo de Bastides. had pre-
coded him TO this coast. in 1901. so that
the period Of the Spanish in Panama
dates from that year. Bastides Elsiten
Nombre de Dios. where eight years Ia
ter the first spanish settlement on the
isthmus was planted. in 1909, as a
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 at Panama. For few years
the mountains with their dense jungle
growth stood as barrier to explora.
lions farther inhind. but the stories OF
the marvellous wealth of the inhabl-
tants on the other side. told to Balboa
by the Indians. 50 excited his cupidity
that. in 1913 he gathered band OF iSo
men and started across.
Balboa discovered the Pacific on
Sept. %. 1913. Calling his men TO him.
they had religious ceremony. CLAIM
| ing all they surveyed as the domlniohs
Of his majesty the king of Spain.
Gold be found in abundance anc
pearIs of fabulous size and value. AIT
or FIVE months absence he returned Z
| Nombre de Dios by more direc
| course and found that he had been sue
| ceeded as governor at Nombre de DO
by a soldier named Pedrarias. Re
| tween them hatred sprang up which
i'm 1917. resulted in the untimely AM
unjust execution OF Balboa ON trumpe'
| M charges. Prior to this. Balboa ha'
made other trips to the Pacific, carry
| ing across with incredible labor tn
parts of ships which were rebuilt i
the Pacific. In 1911 the American
found a cannon of immense weigh
, about halfway across. which eyidentl
had been abandoned by Balboa. an
an anchor of great size also has bee
found. as
Pedrarias in 1918 had sent expiorin
parties to the Pacific side to select
E. site for d settlement on that eoaS
The San Francisco exposition Their
fore In 1915 will be exactly 400 yea
: after this event. 1t was not until ID
that the settlement was started. al
= the founding OF the city of Panau
dates historically from that year.
With the founding of u town on Il
> Pacific side began the interocean
traffic which ever since has emPh
= sized the need of easier and swift
communication between the Atlani
and Pacific. At huge expense OF
- Dor and life a paved road was &C
structed from Noulbre de Dios to Ia
n anna. portions OF which may be seen
x the canal zone today. ...r
20 1t may be noted that Panama W
is founded full hundred years befe
IS the landing of the pilgrims at Ply
10 outh. Nombre de Dios was to-
n ninety-eight years before the first Fl
fish settlement in North America.
jamestown. In 1907 st. Augusta
III Fla. the oldest town in North Ameri
was not founded until forty-six ye
after Panama. ~.-..
After nearly century ut Nomore
Dfos the Spanish in the year 1
found Porto Bello healthier site
a settlement and moved bag and b
gage to that incompatible port.
Porto Bello ut once became the de
of Spanish treasure accumulated n
Peru or other South and Central An
lean countries and brought across
isthmus from Panama with ineredl
hardship. From this port the Spar
galIeons ran the gantlet Of Eng
pirates to Spain. Drake had been
Of the most intrepid Of this crew. 4
~ Morgan. century later. was
other.
In 1868 Henry Morgan collecte
motley crew 81 sea ragslbonds with
object 81 capturing Porto Bello.
1.. '.1. .| TIE Erelish bucean
.. 81. .'0'I piracy but