DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC.

Otago Witness, Issue 3111, 29 October 1913, Page 72

DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC.

FOUR HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY,

A festival is at present in progress in San Francisco in celebration of tho discovery of the Pacific 400 years ago. as announced in the cable messages on Saturday morning, all vessels within range were notified by wireless to dip their Hags in honour ot the occasion, thus showing in marked and appropriate lorm the great advance Western civilisation has made since the new world was first brought to the knowledge of the old, and the marvellous strides accomplished in ocean transit.

At a meeting of the Royal Geographical Society on April 28 a paper on ’‘The 400th Anniversary of the Discovery of the Pacific Ocean” by Vasco Nunez do Balboa,” by Sir Clements Markham, was read, in the absence of the author, through illness, by Dr Clanvil Corney. The paper stated that Balboa was one of the last of. the Spanish conquerors, one who overcame by far tho greatest difficulties by the most praiseworthy methods, whose l.fe was as romantic as his death was deplorable and sad. It was impossible lor any man who achieved greatness to have begun in more depressing and apparently more hopeless circumstances. Two great expeditions had been sent from Spain and San Domingo to form colonies on the coasts from Carthagena to Vera.gua. Both were mismanaged, their leaders were dead, survivors were scattered along the coast, dying of fevers and starvation; tho miserable remnant in the fort at tho Gulf of Darien came away in a rickety, leaking craft, but were sent back. The problem was to turn this disastrous mess into a thriving colony without outside help. Few would attempt it; fewer could succeed. And who was tho coming man? A penniless fugitive with no authority, no official appointment of any kind, one who was in Encisco’s ship, headed .up in a cask to escape from his creditors. Thus Vasco Nunez de Balboa was first heard of.

KncLeco landed, him among the forlorn people at the fort in the Gulf of Darien, and then departed. Balboa was recognised at once as a born loader. Ho had a magnetic influence over men, who were led to feel confidence in him. Even the fierce Francisco Pizarro, who was older and actually in charge, at fence became his follower. Balboa’s first care was to gather together the scattered remnants of the former expeditions. He fed the hungry, nursed the sick, allotted lands, and helped to build huts for the able-bodied, and things began to improve. The supply of fcod was the main difficulty. The misconduct of predecessors in the robbery and cruel treatment of the natives formed the main obstacle. Balboa had to gain their confidence and to overcome their suspicions. Ho succeeded with the natives just as he had done with his own countrymen. H;s conciliatory address won over the warlike tribes who had been burning under a sense of cruel injuries unavenged. At fhst_ he had to wander far to gather in provisions, but later .markets were well filled at the gates of the fort

Balboa, had one little craft at his command, and this he sent to San Domingo with an urgent request for help and for recognition. The admiral, the son of Columbus, responded to both requests. Two vessels were despatched laden with provisions, and Balboa received from the Audiancia of San Domingo the appointment of alcade, mayor, or chief magistrate, of the colony he had created. Ho then gave his attention to the discovery of the isthmian region. Ho became intimate with the native rulers, and established most friendly relations with them. It was while visiting and collecting information frem the friendly chiefs of Darien that he received the startling nows of the vast ocean on the other side of the mountains. With a few followers, and guided by his native friends, ho forced his way through the dense forest and climbed the heights until the wide expanse of ocean burst upon his astonished gaze. The story was that, descending the western slopes, he rushed into the sea waving the flags of Castile and Arragon over his head. The name of the Pacific Ocean was due to the young son of the chief of Comogre. who gave Balboa the information of its existence. He said that the other great ocean was always smooth, and never rough like the Caribbean Sea. From the time of his discovery the aim of Balboa’s life was to navigate the Pacific. Ho entreated the Emperor to allow him to complete the enterprise. The answer was the dcspa'ch of an incompetent, violenttompered, unprincipled gold-seckcr, wijh influence at Court, to supersede him. Pedrarias brought with him Bishop Quevedo, a good man, able to appreciate Balboa’s work, but he also brought a gang of adventurers of the worst type. It was due to Quevedo’s intervention that Balboa was at least allowed to undertake the launch of ships on the Pacific. He had seen wise policy reversed, and friendly natives turned into enemies, and he had written a despairing letter to the Emperor. A port was formed at a place called Ada, and hero materials were landed and. a road constructed over the mountains to the now shores. A chief, Coreta, Balboa’s father-in-law, supplied carriers, and the materials for the new vessels were convoyed across to the shores of the Gulf of San Miguel. Four ships were prepared, and 200 men were ready to embark, when Balboa received an urgent message from Pedarias to come to Ada as his advice was wanted on a question of importance. Unsuspicious of any treachery, Balboa set out, and just outside Ada was arrested and bound by his former friend and follower Pizarro. .His was not even a judicial murder, for the judge, Espinasa, protested. It took place in 1517, when ho was 42 years of age. Balboa’s death was the greatest calamity that could have befallen the natives of South America. The ships and men were prepared for the rich discovery of Peru, but the restraining hand of the greatminded, large-hearted man was wanting, and the country was left a prey to blcodyminded adventurers, whose one thought was gold, and' who were quite pitiless as to what methods wore adopted in the carrying out of their designs.