some lonely sea, locked up in the embraces of savage uncultivated continents, 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, intercommuning by this mighty sea, and carrying on commerce between their own islands and continents; but who might exist in total ignorance 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 Nuñez, therefore, called upon all present to witness that he took possession of that sea, its islands, and surrounding lands, in the name of the sovereigns 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 all these ceremonials and rejoicings in 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 the subjugation of their

land.

"The memorable event, 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 more 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 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."*

*Voyages of Companions of Columbus, p. 184 to 187. Mr. Irving refers to Vidas

de Espanoles Célebres, por Don Manuel Josef Quintana. Tom. ii. p. 40.

CHAPTER XXVI.

Of the voyage of Vasco Nuñez along the coast of the Pacific; the intimation received by him of the great empire of Peru; and his return to Darien on the 19th of January 1514.

From the summit of the mountain, Vasco Nuñez descended with his little band. Coming to the province of a warlike cacique, named Chiapes, a conflict ensued, in which many Indians were made prisoners, and the rest fled. The cacique afterwards brought to the Spaniards five hundred pounds weight of gold as a peace offering; and for it, beads, hawks bells and looking glasses, were given in return.*

"Friendship being thus established between them, Vasco Nuñez remained at the village for a few days, sending back the guides who had accompanied him from Quaraqua, and ordering his people, whom he had left at that place, to rejoin him. In the meantime 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 found 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 and

* Voyages of Companions of Columbus, p. 188, 9.

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 Blas de Etienza, who called them likewise to testify that he was the second."*

Ar

The party having returned to report their success, and Vasco Nuñez being rejoined by his men from Quaraqua, he now left the greater part of his followers to repose in the village of Chiapes, and taking with him twenty-six Spaniards, well armed, set out on the 29th of September for the sea coast, accompanied by the cacique and a number of his warriors. riving on the border of a vast bay on the day of Saint Michael, he gave to it the name of that saint. The tide being out, the water was then above half a league distant. After a while it came rushing in, and soon reached nearly to the place where the Spaniards had seated themselves. Upon this Vasco Nuñez 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 throwing his buckler on his shoulder, he marched into the sea until the water reached above his knees, and waiving his banner, exclaimed with a loud voice :†

"Long live the high and mighty monarchs Don Ferdinand and Donna Juanna, sovereigns of Castile, of Leon, and of Arragon, in whose 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 thereunto annexed; and of the kingdoms and provinces which do, or may appertain to them in whatever

Voyages of Companions of Columbus,

* Voyages of Companions of Columbus, p. 189. Mr. Irving, for this, refers to Herrera, Hist. Ind. d. i, 1. x. c. 2.

p. 190.

manner, or by whatever right or title, ancient or modern, in times past, present, or to come, without any contradiction; 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 sovereigns, 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.'” *

No one appearing to dispute his pretensions, Vasco Nuñez 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; ; and the notary having drawn up a document for the occasion, they all subscribed it. Then advancing to the margin of the sea, they tasted the water, which, finding to be salt, they felt assured that they had discovered an ocean. The ceremonies were conducted by Vasco Nuñez's cutting a cross on a tree which grew within the water, and making two other crosses on two adjacent trees, in honour of the three constituting the Trinity, and in token of possession; and by his followers cutting crosses on many of the trees of the adjacent forest, and lopping off branches with their swords, to bear away as trophies.†

While he made Chiapes his head quarters, Vasco Nuñez foraged the adjacent country and obtained a considerable quantity of gold. He was intent on exploring by sea the borders of a neighbouring gulf of great extent. The cacique Chiapes warned him of the danger of venturing to sea in that stormy season,

* Voyages of Companions of Columbus, p. 191. † Id. p. 191, 2.