of the volunteers from Hifpaniola, (1513) he was able to mufter only an hundred and ninety men for his expedition. But they were hardy veterans, inured to the climate of America, and ready to follow him through every danger. A thoufand Indians attended them to carry their provifions; and to complete their warlike array, they took with them feveral of those fierce dogs, which were no lefs formidable than deftructive to their naked enemies,

Difcovers the South Sea.

He

Balboa fet out upon this important expedition on the first of September, about the time that the periodical rains began to abate. proceeded by fea, and without any difficulty, to the territories of a cazique whofe friendship he had gained; but no fooner did he begin to advance into the interior part of the country, than he was retarded by every obstacle which he had reason to apprehend, from the nature of the territory, or the difpofition of its inhabitants. Some of the caziques, at his approach, fled to the mountains with all their people, and carried off or deftroyed whatever could afford fubfiftence to his troops. Others collected their fubjects, in order to oppose his progrefs, and he quickly perceived what an arduous undertaking it was, to conduct fuch a hody of men through hoftile nations, across fwamps and rivers, and woods, which had

never been paffed but by ftraggling Indians. But by fharing in every hard fhip with the meaneft foldier, by appearing the foremost to meet every danger, by promifing confidently to his troops the enjoyment of honour and riches fuperior to what had been attained by the moft fuccefsful of their countrymen, he infpired them with fuch enthufiaftick refolution, that they followed him without murmuring. When they had penetrated a good way into the mountains, a powerful cazique appeared in a narrow pafs, with a numerous body of his fubjects to obftruct their progrefs. But men who had furmounted fo many obftacles, defpifed the oppofition of fuch feeble enemies. They attacked them with impetuofity, and having difperfed them with much ease and great flaughter, continued their march. Though their guides had represented the breadth of the ifthmus to be only a journey of fix days, they had already spent twenty-five in forcing their way through the woods and mountains. Many of them were ready to fink under fuch uninterrupted fatigue in that fultry climate, feveral were feized with the difeafes peculiar to the country, and all became impatient to reach the period of their labours and fufferings. At length the Indians affured them, that from the top of the next mountain they fhould discover the ocean which was the object of their wifhes. When, with infinite toil, they had climbed up

the greater part of that fteep afcent; Balboa commanded his men to halt, and advanced alone to the fummit, that he might be the first who fhould enjoy a fpectacle which he had fo long defired. As foon as he beheld the South Sea ftretching in endless prospect below him, he fell on his knees, and lifting up his hands to Heaven, returned thanks to God, who had conducted him to a difcovery fo beneficial to his country, and fo honourable to himself. His followers obferving his transports of joy, rushed forward to join in his wonder, exultation and gratitude. They held on their courfe to the fhore with great alacrity, when Balboa advancing up to the middle in the waves with his buckler and fword, took poffeffion of that ocean in the name of the king his mafter, and vowed to defend it, with thefe arms, against all his enemies. c)

That part of the great Pacifick or Southern ocean, which Balboa firft difcovered, ftill retains the name of the Gulf of St. Michael, which he gave to it, and is fituated to the eaft of Panama. From feveral of the petty princes, who governed in the diftri&ts adjacent to that gulf, he extorted provifions and gold by force of arms. Others fent them to him voluntarily. To these acceptable prefents, fome of the cazi

c) Herrera, dec. 1. lib. x. c. I, &c. Gomara, c. 62, &c, P.. Martyr, decad. p. 205, &e.

ques added a confiderable quantity of pearls; and he learned from them, with much fatiffaction, that pearl oyfters abounded in the fea which he had newly discovered.

He receives information concerning a more opulent
country.

Together with the acquifition of this wealth, which ferved to foothe and encourage his followers, he received accounts which confirmed his fanguine hopes of future and more extenfive benefits from the expedition. All the people on the coaft of the South Sea concurred in informing him that there was a mighty and opulent kingdom fituated at a confiderable distance towards the fouth-eaft, the inhabitants of which had tame animals to carry their burdens. In order to give them an idea of these, they drew upon the fand the figure of the Llamas or fheeps, afterwards found in Peru, which the Peruvians had taught to perform fuch services as they described.

As the Llama, in its form,

nearly resembles a camel, a beaft of burden deemed peculiar to Afia, this circumftance, in conjunction with the difcovery of the pearls, another noted production of that country, tended to confirm the Spaniards in their mistaken theory with refpect to the vicinity of the New World to the Eaft-Indies. d)

d) Herrera, dec. 1. lib, x, c. 2.

Obliged to return.

But though the information which Balboa received from the people on the coaft, as well as his own conjectures and hopes, rendered him extremely impatient to vifit this unknown country, his prudence restrained him from attempting to invade it with an handful of men, exhaufted by fatigue, and weakened by difeafes. e) He determined to lead back his followers, at prefent, to their fettlement at Santa Maria in Darien, and to return next season with a force more adequate to fuch an arduous enterprize. In order to acquire a more extenfive knowledge of the ifthmus, he marched back by a different route, which he found to be no lefs dangerous and difficult than that which he had formerly taken. But to men elated with fuccefs, and animated with hope, nothing is infurmountable. Balboa returned (1514.) to Santa Maria, from which he had been abfent four months, with greater glory and more treasure than the Spaniards had acquired in any expedition in the New World. None of Bal boa's officers diftinguished himself more in this fervice than Francisco Pizarro, or affifted with greater courage and ardour in opening a communication with thofe countries, in which he afterwards acted fuch an illuftrious part. f)

e) See Note XXIV.

f) Herrera, dec. 1. lib. x, c. 3-6. Gomara, c, 64. P. Mastyr, dec, p. 229, &6.