the height from whose summit the desired sea might be
discovered. Balboa immediately commanded his squadron to halt, and
proceeded alone to the top of the mountain; on reaching it he cast an
anxious glance southward, and the Austral Ocean broke upon his sight[1].

Overcome with joy and wonder, he fell on his knees, extending his arms
toward the sea, and with tears of delight offered thanks to heaven for
having destined him to this mighty discovery. He immediately made a sign
to his companions to ascend, and, pointing to the magnificent spectacle
extended before them, again prostrated himself in fervent thanksgiving
to God. The rest followed his example, while the astonished Indians were
extremely puzzled to understand so sudden and general an effusion of
wonder and gladness. Hannibal on the summit of the Alps, pointing out to
his soldiers the delicious plains of Italy, did not appear, according
to the ingenious comparison of a contemporary writer, either more
transported or more arrogant than the Spanish chief when, risen from the
ground, he recovered the speech of which sudden joy had deprived him,
and thus addressed his Castilians: "You behold before you, friends, the
object of all our desires and the reward of all our labors. Before you
roll the waves of the sea which has been announced to you, and which no
doubt encloses the immense riches we have heard of. You are the first who
have reached these shores and these waves; yours are their treasures,
yours alone the glory of reducing these immense and unknown regions to
the dominion of our King and to the light of the true religion. Follow
me, then, faithful as hitherto, and I promise you that the world shall
not hold your equals in wealth and glory."

All embraced him joyfully and all promised to follow whithersoever he
should lead. They quickly cut down a great tree, and, stripping it of its
branches, formed a cross from it, which they fixed in a heap of stones
found on the spot from whence they first descried the sea. The names of
the monarchs of Castile were engraven on the trunks of the trees, and
with shouts and acclamations they descended the sierra and entered the
plain.

They arrived at some bohios, which formed the population of a chief,
called Chiapes, who had prepared to defend the pass with arms. The noise
of the muskets and the ferocity of the war-dogs dispersed them in a
moment, and they fled, leaving many captives; by these and by their
Quarequano gu