THE CASTLE OF GOLD

short sea

The famed Cathay of Columbus' dreams led that daring, but disappointed navigator to make a fourth and final attempt in the year 1502, to discover a route to the East. After being buffeted about for days by contrary winds in the Caribbean Sea, his small and leaky boats threatening to go to the bottom at any moment, he at last sighted land in the vicinity of Cape Gracias a Dios, Nicaragua. Doubling this cape on the 14th of September, in the year above-mentioned, he landed and explored a region to which he gave the name of Cerabora. Here he ran across numerous specimens of gold ore, and by questioning the Indians, ascertained that the precious metal existed in large quantities in a district to the east of there called Veragua. He secured numerous ore samples, and obtained a rough description of the mines.

Continuing his voyage, he sailed along the coast of what is now Costa Rica, and Panama, passing on his way the famous Chiriqui Lagoon in the Province of Bocas del

Toro, called by the Indians, Aburema, and which quite deceived Columbus for a time into believing that he had at last discovered the much sought for passage. While voyaging down the coast he encountered numerous storms which imperiled his boats, and on one occasion forced him to seek shelter at a small island. Here he found fruits, fish and game in abundance, which led him to give the place the name of Puerto de Bastimento, meaning a place of supplies.

coast

After a few days' rest at this point, Columbus organized a small expedition, and on the 23rd of November left the haven, but was obliged to put in to the again three days later owing to a tempest which narrowly came to swamping his ships. This place he aptly termed Retrete, meaning a place of retreat. Here he stayed until the 5th of December, when he decided to turn back over his course. He kept a westerly direction for fifteen days, which brought him on the 7th day of January, 1503, to the mouth of a river called in the Indian tongue Quiebra, but to which Columbus gave the name of Belen. This river today forms the natural boundary line between the Province of Colon, and that of Veraguas. Towards the interior could be seen a broken mountain range which Columbus named San Cristobal. Near this spot, a short while later, the Adelantado D. Bartolome Colon, founded the first establishment on Isthmian soil, but it did not endure long, being destroyed by the Indians under a chief named Quibian.

At this point Columbus again changed his plans and sailed back toward the east, stopping at the present site of Porto Bello (1), and going as far as the islands in the Mulatto Archipelago, which lie in the Gulf of San Blas. After som further journeyings back and forth, ever on the look-out for a natural opening in the barrier before

(1) Variously spelled Puerto Belo, Portobelo, and Porto Bello.

him, he decided to return, the bad state of his ships, making such action imperative.

History credits Columbus as having first set foot on the soil of what is now the Republic of Panama, on November 2nd., 1502, somewhere in the vicinity of the Chiriqui Lagoon. Thus we have two important dates in Isthmian history nearly coincidental as to the day and month; the discovery, and the declaration of independence of the Republic of Panama, Nov. 3rd., 1903.

"In the Name of God."

Accounts of the newly discovered country, and the samples of gold having in due time reached the court of Spain, the fanciful name of Castilla del Oro, or Castle of Gold was conferred upon all that region extending from Cape Gracias a Dios, to the Gulf of Urabá, and in year 1510, Diego de Nicuesa was sent over from Santo Domingo to govern it. He took along with him colonists to the number of 700, but during the voyage a tempest arose, wrecked some of his ships, and caused the loss of 400 of his men, while the others were in desperate straits. In the tempest the ships became separated and some of them reached the coast near the mouth of the Belen River, while others brought up at the mouth of the Chagres River. After collecting his men, Nicuesa left the Belen River and went to the port of Bastimento, and when he had doubled Manzanillo Point, he shortly landed and said: "We will remain here in the name of God." This was the site of the town of Nombre de Dios, called into prominence at the present time chiefly from its having been one of the earliest settlements on the Isthmus, and ono of the most unhealthful spots in Panama. In this enterprise Nicuesa perished miserably along with the bulk of his followers.

Before Nicuesa's time, two other hardy navigators had added considerably to the store of knowledge concern

ing Spain's new possessions. One of these, Rodrigo de Bastida, headed an expedition that visited various parts of the Spanish Main, and discovered in 1501, a year in advance of the arrival of Columbus, that part of the coast lying between Cape Tiburon, on the Gulf of Urabá and the port of Retrete. The other, Alonso de Ojeda, explored the whole northern coast of South America, and gave the country adjacent to the Gulf of Urabá, the name of Nueva Andalusia. He founded a town in the eastern part of the Gulf, naming it San Sebastian. He grew tired of the resistance offered by the neighboring tribes of Indians and very soon abandoned the colony, leaving his lieutenant, Francisco Pizarro, afterwards famous as the conqueror of the Inca empire, in possession of the pl ce. Ojeda later distinguished himself as the founder of several places in Venezuela.

The Story of Balboa.

Many a child at school has fallen down on a hard history lesson, but rarely a dullard so great as to fail in the recital of Balboa's exploit. History accords it but a brief mention, albeit it is entitled to second place in the New World discoveries. Balboa fared forth adventuring at a comparatively early age. At 25 he voyaged with Bastida to the Spanish Main, and on his return to Hispaniola, the Hayti of the present day, he took up the pursuit of agriculture. His bent did not at all lie in this direction, and his principal harvest was a lot of bad debts. To escape these, and an occupation distasteful to him, he concealed himself one night in a cask, and bribed some of the crew of a ship lying in the harbor to take the cask on board. This ship happened to belong to an expedition commanded by one Bachiller Enciso, then fitting out for a voyage to the South American coast. Balboa was at this time a man of very pleasing appearance, and later, when at sea, his presence on board became known, he

made such an earnest appeal to the Commander, that the latter reversed his earlier decision to throw him overboard. Balboa's representations of the richness of the country, and the fact that he had bee; there before in company with Bastida, led Enciso to head his course for the Gulf of Urabá, and the colony of San Sebastian. Before reaching the mainland one of his ships became wrecked and through this accident, lost all the horses and pigs he had brought with him. Still greater misfortune awaited the expedition, for on its arrival, the town of San Sebastian was found to have been burned by the Indians, and the colonists that were there scattered.

Balboa, nothing daunted, promised Enciso that if he would accompany him, he would take him to the western. shore of the gulf, where another town could easily be founded, and where the Indians did not use poisoned arrows. The offer was accepted, and together with their men they marched into the territory of an Indian chief named Cemaco, whom they defeated and took prisoner. At the town of this chieftain, they founded Santa Maria la Antigua del Darien, in honor of the celebrated image at Seville, Spain. This place is noted for its having been the site of the first Episcopal See, and the oldest church on the American continent. Enciso was at the head of this new colony, but it did not last long owing in a large measure to an interdict received from the Crown of Spain prohibiting the traffic of gold with the Indians. About this time, too, Balboa and Enciso had a falling out, and the former, gaining the ascendancy, sent his fellow-explorer back to Spain in irons.

Balboa Seeks the Temple of Gold.

The whole country of the Castilla del Oro was now in Balboa's charge, and one of the first of his acts was to despatch Pizarro to explore the interior. About the same time he sent out a company of men collect the sur

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