red pyramids, or another
Cuzco, with the temple of the Sun, encircled with a frieze of gold.

[1] From Parkman's "Pioneers of France in the New World." By
permission of the publishers, Little, Brown & Co. Ponce do Leon
was born in Aragon, Spain, about 1460, and died in Cuba in 1521.
Before making the exploration here described, he had been in
America with Columbus in 1493; been governor of the eastern part
of Espanola; been transferred to Porto Rico as governor, and
empowered to conquer the Indians. He returned to Spain in 1511 and
in February, 1512, was commissioned to discover and settle the
island of Bimini. This island, one of the Bahamas, was in the
region in which tradition had placed the Fountain of Youth. After
his expedition to Florida here described, he was occupied with
Indian wars in Porto Rico and Florida, and finally died from a
wound received from an arrow shot by an Indian.

[2] Parkman comments on this tradition of the Fountain of Youth
as follows: "The story has an explanation, sufficiently
characteristic, having been suggested, it is said, by the beauty
of the native women, which none could resist and which kindled
the fires of youth in the veins of age."

THE DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC BY BALBOA

(1513)

THE ACCOUNT BY MANUEL JOSE QUINTANA[1]

Careta[2] had for a neighbor a cacique called by some Comogre, by
others Panquiaco, chief of about ten thousand Indians, among whom were
3,000 warriors. Having heard of the valor and enterprise of the
Castilians, this chief desired to enter into treaty and friendship
with them; and a principal Indian, a dependent of Careta, having
presented himself as the agent in this friendly overture, Vasco Nunez,
anxious to profit by the opportunity of securing such an ally, went
with his followers to visit Comogre....

Balboa was transported by the prospect of glory and fortune which
opened before him; he believed himself already at the gates of the
East Indies, which was the desired object of the government and the
discoverers of that period; he resolved to return in the first place
to the Darien to raise the spirits of his companions with these
brilliant hopes, and to make all possible preparations for realizing
them. He remained, nevertheless, yet a few days with the caciques; and
so strict was the friendship he had contracted with them that they and
their families were baptized, Care