BY JAMES BALDWIN
Upon a Peak in Darien-First Story
Famous Stories Retold: Story 2 of 30
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Balboa’s Adventure: Vasco Nunez de Balboa, hiding from debt collectors, stowed away in a barrel of provisions and became the leader of the expedition.
Alliance with the Indians: Balboa formed an alliance with a powerful Indian chief and married his daughter, receiving gold and slaves as gifts.
A good book we like, we explorers. That is our best amusement, and our best time killer
- Roald Amundsen, Explorer
Vasco Nunez de Balboa's Thrilling Quest for Gold
Embark on a thrilling voyage back in time, as we delve into the captivating tale of Vasco Nunez de Balboa, a name synonymous with daring adventure and relentless ambition. A tale of gold-lust that led to a groundbreaking discovery, this is a story that reveals a significant chapter in the annals of exploration. The intricate web of his exploits promises to reveal more than just a tale of conquest and exploration— it's a testament to humanity's ceaseless quest for the unknown. Join us, as we journey through a narrative laden with courage, intrigue, and a pivotal revelation that changed the world forever.
The Spanish Arrival to the New World and the Lure of the Indies
In the wake of Columbus's groundbreaking voyage, a surge of Spanish explorers set their sights on the New World. Enchanted by the promise of riches and glory, these adventurers journeyed to the far reaches of the Caribbean, including Haiti, Cuba, Porto Rico, and the smaller islands in their vicinity. Convinced that these lands were the fringe of the Asian continent, they referred to them as the Indies. However, as their geographical understanding evolved, these islands came to be known as the West Indies, distinguishing them from their far eastern counterparts, the East Indies.
Darien: The Land of Promise and Its Golden Secret
Nestled to the southwest of Cuba, a long coast named Darien by Columbus held an allure that was irresistible to the Spanish explorers. Today, we know this region as the Isthmus of Panama. Tales of gold in Darien sparked a fervor among the daring young men who had traversed the ocean in search of adventure. The cry, “To Darien! To Darien!” echoed among them, and soon, two ships set sail for this fabled land of promise. The journey was as thrilling as the destination, with fair winds, calm seas, and the anticipation of golden treasures waiting at the end of their voyage.
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Vasco Nunez de Balboa: An Unconventional Journey to Darien
Among the eager explorers was a particular young man named Vasco Nunez de Balboa. With a reputation for audacious adventures and lavish expenditures, Balboa found himself in debt and evading capture in Haiti. With quick thinking, he arranged to be hidden in a barrel among the ship's provisions, successfully smuggling himself aboard the vessel bound for Darien. His unorthodox arrival wasn't well received initially by the ship’s captain, but Balboa’s charisma and bravery soon won over the crew. His knowledge of the Darien coast proved invaluable, ensuring a safe harbor for the explorers and cementing his role as a pivotal figure in the pursuit of Darien's golden secret.
Rising Leadership and Tensions in Darien
As the Spanish settlers sailed toward Darien, their voyage was characterized by a sense of unity and shared purpose. However, this harmony was disrupted when a stowaway named Vasco Nunez de Balboa was discovered aboard. Balboa, despite his initial introduction as a debtor hiding in a barrel, soon proved to be a charismatic and effective leader. His pleasant demeanor and clear decisiveness quickly earned him the respect and admiration of his fellow sailors.
Recognizing his leadership potential, the settlers chose Balboa as their commander, rejecting their previous captain. Balboa led the group to a safe harbor in Darien, where they established their settlement. However, as the settlers began to interact with the local indigenous population, tensions began to rise.
The Revelation of the South Sea: A Discovery Beyond Imagination
Balboa's leadership extended beyond the realm of human relations and into the realm of exploration. Upon hearing tales from the natives about a vast body of water rich with gold, Balboa was inspired to search for this fabled sea. After an arduous journey through dense forests and over intimidating mountains, Balboa and his men reached the peak of the tallest mountain.
What they saw from the peak was a sight no white man had ever before seen or even heard of - a vast sea, stretching as far as the eye could see. This was the South Sea, later known as the Pacific Ocean. Balboa swiftly claimed it in the name of the King of Spain, setting the stage for future expeditions and conquests.
Balboa's Triumph and Tragedy: The Cruel Twists of Fate
Balboa's discovery of the South Sea marked a major triumph in his career as an explorer. However, his success was short-lived. Back in Darien, a new governor had arrived, bringing with him a cruel and oppressive regime. The governor's ruthless treatment of the indigenous population appalled Balboa and he sent word to Spain about the governor's actions.
While he waited for a response from the king, Balboa began preparations for his next voyage across the South Sea. However, before he could embark on his journey, the governor ordered his arrest, accusing Balboa of treachery. In a tragic twist of fate, the man who had risen from a stowaway to the discoverer of the South Sea was executed, marking a brutal end to a life of daring adventure and exploration.
Conclusion
As we disembark from this riveting journey into the life and legacy of Vasco Nunez de Balboa, we are left with a profound understanding of the man and the era he lived in. His relentless pursuit of gold led to an unexpected revelation—the Pacific Ocean, changing mankind's geographical perception. The stirring tale of Balboa is a testament to human courage, ambition, and the relentless quest for the unknown. His tragic end serves as a somber reminder of the fierce struggles and fatal power plays in a time of exploration and conquest.
After Columbus had shown the way to America a great many Spaniards came over. They came to Haiti and Cuba and Porto Rico and the smaller islands near them. Like Columbus they believed that these lands were near the eastern coast of Asia. They believed that they were a part of India, and therefore spoke of them as the Indies. Afterwards, when their mistake became known, these islands were named the West Indies and the true islands of India were called the East Indies.
Far to the southwest of Cuba, Columbus had discovered a long coast which he named Darien. It was the neck of land which we call the Isthmus of Panama, but he supposed that it was a part of the mainland of Asia. A few years later some Spanish sailors visited Darien and carried word back to Haiti that there was gold there. Now at that time a Spaniard would go to the end of the world for gold, and therefore this news caused great excitement among the young men who had come across the ocean for the purpose of adventure.
“To Darien! to Darien! ” was the cry; and soon a company was formed and two ships were made ready to sail to that land of promise.
The voyage was a delightful one from the start. The sea was calm, the wind was fair, and the vessels sped swiftly on their way. Soon the pleasant shores and green mountains of Haiti were lost to view. Only little rocky islets could be seen. The ship was heading straight into the Caribbean Sea.
Then, what was the surprise of the crew of the larger ship to hear strange rappings in the hold! A voice also was heard, like that of some one calling for help. What could it mean? The sailors could not see any one, and yet the sounds could not be mistaken.
“Please help me out!” The voice seemed to come from among some barrels in which provisions were stored.
“A man is in one of the barrels,” said the captain. Soon the barrel was found and opened. Out of it leaped a young man, richly clad in a velvet cloak and a silk doublet embroidered with gold. He was a handsome fellow. His eyes were keen and bright, and his face had a determined look, like that of one who is used to having his own way about things. At his side hung a long sword, and in his belt was a dagger.
Several of the men knew him; and so he did not need to say that his name was Vasco Nunez de Balboa. They knew that he was a dashing adventurer, always doing and daring, and always borrowing and spending money. But why was he in the barrel?
“The truth of the matter is this,” he said; “I am in debt to almost everybody in Haiti. The officers were looking for me and would have taken me to prison. So I persuaded one of my friends to put me in a barrel and send me on board with the salt beef. And now here I am, bound with the rest of you for the rich coast of Darien.”
The captain was very angry. He threatened to put Balboa ashore on one of the rocky islets. “Shame! shame!” cried the rest of the party. “Let him go with us. He will be a great help.” And so the captain grew kinder and agreed to take him.
Balboa’s manners were so pleasant, and he proved to be so able and brave, that soon nearly all on the ship looked up to him as their leader. When they reached Darien and began to seek for a good place to settle, Balboa gave them much help. He had been on the coast before, and he guided them to a safe harbor.
The captain proved to be so overbearing that the men at last refused to obey him. They chose Balboa to be their commander, and the captain was glad to go back to Haiti in one of the ships.
Balboa made a treaty with a powerful Indian chief who lived in a grand house and ruled all the country around. He married the chief’s daughter; and at the wedding feast the chief gave the Spaniards a great quantity of gold and many slaves.
The Indians did not care much for gold. They did not know that it was worth anything. When they saw the Spaniards molding it into bars and quarreling over it, they were astonished. “If you think so much of that yellow stuff,” they said, “why don’t you go where there is plenty of it?” And then they told Balboa that far to the south, on the other side of the mountains, there was a great sea, and on the shores of the sea there lived a people who had so much gold that they used it to make cups and bowls and even pans and kettles.
Balboa made up his mind to go at once in search of that sea. With two hundred men and a pack of bloodhounds, to chase unfriendly Indians, he set off toward the mountains. The distance was not great, but the country was very rough, the forest was almost impassable, and the party had to move slowly. After many days they came to the highest ridge of the mountains. Balboa climbed to the top of the loftiest peak and looked around. South and west of him he beheld a great sea. It was so near that it seemed almost at his feet ; and it stretched away and away into the distance until it seemed to meet the blue sky.
No white man had ever beheld that sea before none had even so much as heard of it. The Spaniards afterwards called it the South Sea, because in going to it across the isthmus it seemed to lie south of the land; but we know it as the largest of all the oceans, the mighty Pacific.
From that peak in Darien, Balboa looked down with mingled feelings of awe and exultation.
“With eagle eyes
He stared at the Pacific, —and all his men
Looked at each other with a wild surmise —
Silent, upon a peak in Darien.”
Balboa had no idea that he had discovered an ocean. He supposed that the great water was merely a gulf or bay washing the coast, perhaps of India, perhaps of China. He hastened to get down to the shore. He stood on the beach, and as the waves broke about his feet he raised his sword in the air and declared that he took possession of the new-found sea in the name of the king of Spain.
Balboa with his men soon returned to the other side of the isthmus. He sent word to Spain of the discovery he had made. But ships and men and a new governor were already on their way to Darien; for word had reached the king that plenty of gold was to be had there.
The new governor was an old man, as fierce and heartless as a tiger. No sooner had he arrived in Darien than he began to oppress and kill the Indians. Thousands of them perished through his cruelty. Balboa was grieved to the heart; he felt pity for the poor savages. By the first homeward[1]bound ship he secretly sent complaints to the king about the governor’s doings. Then he set to work getting ready to explore the South Sea.
Four small ships were taken apart at Darien, and Balboa caused the pieces to be carried over the mountains. At the shore on the farther side these pieces were again put together, and the ships were launched upon the sea. They were the first European vessels that ever floated on the Pacific.
But they were not yet ready to sail. They still needed a few bolts to strengthen them and some pitch to stop the leaks. While Balboa was waiting for these things the governor sent for him. The old tiger had heard of the complaints that had been sent to the king.
Balboa was ready to obey orders. He recrossed the mountains and was met by the officers who had been sent to arrest him. “You have plotted against me, you have tried to turn the king against me,” said the savage governor. “You shall die the death of a traitor.”
Before the sun went down, the brave, dashing
handsome Balboa was dead.
