y-break he assembled his scanty band,
and began to climb the height, wishing to reach the top before the heat
of noon.

About ten o'clock they came out from the thick forest through which they
had been struggling ever since day-break: the change from the closeness
of the woods to the pleasant breeze from the mountain, was delightful.
But they were still further encouraged. "From that spot" exclaimed one
of the Indian guides, pointing to the height above them "may be seen the
great sea of which you are in search."

When Balboa heard this, he commanded his men to halt, and forbade any
one to stir from his place. He was resolved to be the first European who
should look upon that sea, which he had been the first to discover.

Accordingly he ascended the mountain height alone, and when he reached
the summit he beheld the wide sea glittering in the morning sun.

Balboa called to his little troop to ascend the height and look upon the
glorious prospect; and they joined him without delay.

"Behold, my friends," said he, "the reward of all our toils, a sight
upon which the eye of Spaniard never rested before."

He now took possession of the sea-coast and the surrounding country in
the name of the king of Spain.

He then had a tree cut down, and made into the form of a cross, and
planted it on the spot from which he had first beheld the sea. He also
made a mound by heaping up large stones upon which he carved the names
of the king of Spain.

The Indians saw all this done, and while they helped to pile the stones
and set up the cross, they little thought that they were assisting to
deprive themselves of their homes and their country.

You remember the noble reproof of Canute in the "History of England," to
his flatterers, when they assured him that even the waves of the sea
would obey him: but this arrogant and weak minded Spaniard waded into
the waves of the great Pacific Ocean, up to his knees, and absurdly took
possession of it in the name of the Spanish monarch.

[Illustration]

Balboa was some time employed in fighting with the Indian tribes that
inhabited the sea-coast, and in hunting them with blood-hounds.

He soon made these helpless people submit. From them he got some
further accounts of the rich country which the Indian prince had
mentioned, and which proved afterwards to be Peru.

He now quitted the shores of the Pacific Ocean on his return across the
mountains of Darien. His route homewards was differe