The Boy Travellers in South America. Thomas Wallace Knox
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of geographical knowledge was imbibed in the first few hours of the voyage.
The Bay of Panama is about one hundred and ten miles long, and its width at the mouth is a little more than that distance. The course of the steamer carried her away from the peninsula, and before they had been long under way the latter was only dimly visible. It vanished with the sun, and by the following morning was far behind them. The placid waters of the Pacific Ocean filled the horizon, south, north, and west, but the mountains on the east were in full view. Smoke issuing from some of these mountains showed that they were volcanic, and the youths readily understood that they were approaching the region of eruptions and earthquakes.
Guayaquil, in Ecuador, was the first stopping-place of the steamer, four days from Panama. Frank suggested that it was a good time to refresh their memories, or add to their knowledge, of the history of this part of the world; Fred agreed with him, and thought they would do well to begin with Vasco Nunez de Balboa, the discoverer of the Pacific Ocean. The Doctor gave his approval, and the principal part of the second day at sea was devoted to that enterprising explorer. While Frank read from Balboa's biography, Fred took notes of the most important parts of the story, which were as follows:
"Vasco Nunez de Balboa was a Spanish nobleman, who dissipated his fortune, and ran away from home to avoid imprisonment for debt. He was born in 1475, and sailed for the New World soon after the return of Columbus from his fourth voyage.
"In 1510, Martin Fernandez De Enciso sailed for the colony of Carthagena, which had been established a few years earlier. He found in its harbor a brigantine which contained the remnants of a colony established farther down the coast, but abandoned in consequence of the hostility of the natives and the difficulty of procuring food. The leader of this party was Francisco Pizarro, whose name is known to every reader of South American history, in connection with the conquest of Peru.
"After a short delay in Carthagena, Enciso sailed for St. Sebastian, accompanied by Pizarro's brigantine. An hour or two before the vessel was to leave port some men brought a cask on board, and it was lowered into the hold with the rest of the provisions. When the ship was fairly out at sea the end of the cask was pushed out, and, instead of edibles for the crew, there appeared the form and figure of a man!
"The man was Balboa, who had been living in Carthagena. He had so loaded himself with debts in his new home that his creditors were about to arrest him and he was closely watched to prevent his running away. He determined to sail with Enciso, and caused himself to be headed up in a cask and carried on board in the manner described."
Frank and Fred had a hearty laugh over this part of the story. One of them asked the Doctor if this mode of travel was in fashion at the present time.
"Not often," was the reply, "but it is sometimes practised by those who wish to do exactly like Balboa, escape from their creditors. I have known of a man being carried on board a steamer at New York in a large trunk, which was ostensibly the baggage of his wife, and there have been instances of criminals escaping from prison by being shut up in boxes and carried out as merchandise.
"In the days of slavery the friends of freedom used to assist slaves to escape from bondage in a variety of ways. One of the favorite modes for a fugitive to cross the line from south to north was to be shut up in a box and sent as a freight or express package. I once knew a negro in Philadelphia who was sent in this way from Richmond to the Quaker City; he was about thirty hours on the way, and almost dead from suffocation when his prison was opened. Though his conveyance was conspicuously labelled, 'This side up with care!' he was twice left standing on his head for two or three hours. His name was Henry Brown; in memory of his adventures, and to distinguish him from other Henry Browns, he was ever afterwards known as Henry Box Brown.
"And now let us return to Balboa," said the Doctor. The hint was sufficient, and the narrative was resumed.
"Enciso was angry at the deception practised by Balboa in securing passage as a stowaway, but soon had reason to be glad he had such a bold adventurer on his ship. At first he threatened to leave Balboa on a desert island, but when the latter offered his services and promised to be a good soldier the leader relented. Expeditions like those of the Spaniards are not made up of the best materials of society, and events afterwards proved that Balboa was more than the average adventurer of the sixteenth century.
"On the way to St. Sebastian Enciso's ship ran upon the rocks and was lost, with all its cargo, only the crew escaping to the brigantine of Pizarro. Enciso did not know where to go; and while he was pondering upon the best course to pursue Balboa came before him and said he knew of an Indian village on the bank of a river called Darien; the country near the village was fertile, and the natives had plenty of gold.
"Enciso sailed for the village, which he captured with ease, and compelled the inhabitants to deliver up fifty thousand dollars' worth of gold ornaments. He established a colony there, and forbade any one to traffic with the natives for gold, under penalty of death. This arbitrary order was opposed by Balboa, who remembered the threat to leave him on a desert island; as the followers of Enciso were quite as covetous as their leader, the prohibition was easily made the basis of a revolt.
"Balboa managed matters so well that Enciso was forced to leave for Spain, while the former became governor, with absolute authority over all the colony. He immediately sent Pizarro to explore a neighboring province, but the expedition was unsuccessful; Pizarro was driven back by the Indians, who attacked him in great force. Balboa then headed an expedition in person, and while sailing along the coast he picked up two Spaniards in the dress of natives. They were deserters from another colony, and had been living with Careta, the chief of the province of Coyba; they had been kindly treated by this chief, but promptly offered to pilot Balboa to his village, which was said to contain great quantities of the precious metal desired by the Spaniards.
"Balboa accepted their offer and started for Careta's capital, accompanied by the deserters and one hundred and fifty soldiers. Careta received him kindly, and after a short stay Balboa pretended to leave. In the night he attacked the village and made prisoners of the chief, together with his family, and many of his people. Careta made peace with the Spaniards by giving up a large amount of gold, and offering the hand of his daughter in marriage to Balboa. The historians say she had much influence over Balboa, and on one occasion saved his life.
"Balboa promised to help Careta against his enemies, and in compliance with his promise he took eighty men and went on an expedition against Ponca, who was an enemy of Careta, and, what was more to the point with Balboa, was said to have a great amount of treasure. Ponca was attacked and his village was burned, but the victors obtained very little gold. Then they went to the neighboring province of Comagre, whose chief was friendly with Careta, and received them kindly. The chief came out to meet the strangers and escort them to the village, where he gave them food and comfortable lodgings, and did everything he could to make their stay agreeable.
"The people at this village were the most advanced in civilization that the Spaniards had thus far found in America. The chief's palace was a frame building, four hundred and fifty feet long and two hundred and forty wide, and it was divided into numerous apartments for the chief and his family and officers. Underneath it there was a cellar for storing provisions, and in one part of the building was a mausoleum, where the bodies of the chief's ancestors were preserved. Balboa examined this mausoleum, and found that the bodies were first dried by fire, to prevent decay, and then wrapped in great