^^ ' . . « V'S^ ^^ « » • > *^% 'bv" 4O v . - 1 V<^ "^•i- '- ^ov^ :£^^^ "-n^r.^' oV'^^^Pi". '^'^.'^^ .^^-"^^ » '^^ LJ|i__S2~^^SCx jAv^ PANAMA OF PANAMA PACIFIC. OCCAA/ THE CANAL ZONE THE CANAL ZONE 57 amounts of gold to be found far to the south. With a party of two hundred men, he journeyed, through the jungle and across the mountains, at about two miles a day, and finally, on September 25, 1513, he first saw the Pacific Ocean. Four days later, on its shore, he took possession in the name of the King of Spain. Four years afterward he carried the complete parts of four ships across the Isthmus and re- constructed them on the Pacific side. Before he could sail down the coast in search of gold, a new Governor, Pedrarias, sent from Spain, unjustly tried him for treason and he was beheaded. By a Papal bull the Portuguese had been given rights to all the lands to the eastward of a line drawn between the Canary Islands and the west- ern coast line of Africa. This required all vessels to Asia to sail around Cape of Good Hope, the southern pioint of the African continent. The Span- iards having the right to all lands to the west- ward believed a shorter way could be found through the American continent, and every stream and river was explored to see if it might not lead to China. In 1517, Saavedra, a Spanish engineer, suggested that a canal might be cut across the Isthmus of Panama almost 400 years before the Canal was actually constructed, and ten years later he made plans for a canal from the head of the Chagres River to Panama but its construction was decided to be impossible. A road was built in 1521 between Panama on 58 FOLLOWING THE CONQUERORS the Pacific and Porto Bello, near Colon, on the Atlantic. Vast quantities of precious metals Avere carried across by relays of horses to Las Cruces and by boats on the Chagres River to Porto Bello. Gold was stored at Panama and sent to Spain once a year in great convoys of ships. The English adventurer. Sir Francis Drake, sailed around Cape Horn and attacked the treasure store house at Panama l)ut he was driven off, al- though he seized a treasvu'e train of mules on the Royal Post Road. Other attacks were made later on, and Henry Morgan captured and destroyed Porto Bello; in 1671 he destroyed the old city of Panama, which was later rebuilt six miles farther north and strongly fortified. After a time no more gold was brought from the mines of Peru, and Panama was quiet for many years. Then in 1849 gold was discovered in California. Thousands of Americans came to the Isthmus, were pulled up the Chagres River in log canoes to Las Cruces, and carried on the backs of mules and Indian porters to Panama en route to San Fran- cisco. The Isthmus route proved so much safer and easier than the long journey over the American desert to California that the Panama Railroad was built from Colon to Panama in 1855. It took five years to build it and it is said that it cost a hviman life for every tie that was laid. In 1879 the French Government authorized Ferd- inand De Lesseps to construct a canal across the Isthmus, but the revolutionists burned his supplies and the fever killed his workmen. He proposed to Ruins of Old Panama Citv. 59 6o FOLLOWING THE CONQUERORS dig to sea level, which would have been a greater depth of sixty feet than the present completed canal ; if he had worked for one hundred years with his tiny dirt cars, he could not have completed it. De Lesseps spent over $260,000,000 and 25.000 men died to help excavate about 82,000,000 cubic yards of earth. The United States had surveyed a route through Lake Nicaragua but before adopting it the French Canal Company agreed to sell to us for $40,000,000, and their offer was accepted. President Roosevelt was authorized to make terms with the Government of Colombia, and a treaty was signed at Washington ; but the Colom- bian Congress rejected it in 1903, resulting in the great disappointment of the residents of the Isth- mus. The Council of the city of Panama proclaimed an independent Republic, a government was organ- ized, and on December 18th a treaty was made with the United States granting to the United States, forever, a zone of five miles wide on either side of the Canal. The coast line of the zone and the islands in the Bay of Panama were ceded for the defense of the Canal. The cities of Colon and of Panama remained under the authority of the Panama Re- public. The United States Government paid Panama $10,000,000 and is to pay $250,000 yearly. Three problems faced the American : first, sani- tation, for while the French had built hospitals for the sick, no effort had been made to prevent sick- ness ; second, the Culebra cut through the moun- A Section of- thi- Ancon Hospital, Canal Zone. 61 62 FOLLOWING THE CONQUERORS tain range ; third, how to control the Chagres River. An Isthmian Canal Commission of seven men was appointed to I)nild the Canal. They took two Waterfront Markkt, Panama City. years to prepare qnarters and in the first year, 1904, thirty-five men died of yellow fever. It was found that this disease was carried from one person to another by the bite of a certain mosquito, which had become infected after biting a yellow fever victim; contact with a yellow fever patient does not carry the infection. The Americans cleaned up the cities in the zone, doing away with all cis- terns and rain barrels and screening all living rooms. THE CANAL ZONE 63 At the end of the first year there were only three deaths from yellow fever and thus when there were no patients to bite and the infected mosquitoes had died, the fever was wiped out. The same method was used in treating malaria. During the build- ing' of the Canal about 40,000 workers were em- ployed, the majority of whom were negroes from the island of Jamaica. They were very lazy, and several thousand peasants were brought from the northern part of Spain to speed up the work, and about six thousand American engineers and fore- men were employed. Food was brought from New Orleans and New York in refrigerator ships to Colon, and cars brought supplies every morning across the Isthmus to the hotels and camps. Everything belonged to the United States. Free services of doctors and dentists were provided. Limon IBay, at the Atlantic end of the Canal, was two thousand miles from New York and to make it a safe harbor for the entrance, a break- water was built to prevent the storms and tides from washing mud and sand into it, and a steam dredge is kept at work all the time to keep a chan- nel open so that vessels may reach the entrance in deep water. GATUN DAM AND LOCKS It was found that a channel could not be built below the bed of the Chagres River which has been known to rise twenty feet in a single night and which would overflow the banks and fill the channel with mud. 64 THE CULEBRA CUT 65 The Chagres River rising in the San Bias hills strikes the Canal line at Bas Obispo and zig-zags across it to Gatun, where the valley is only about a third of a mile wide. Here a dam was built which spreads the water out between the hills, forming a lake of nearly two hundred square miles. The surplus water runs ofif through a new outlet fur- nishing power to supply electricity to operate the Gatun locks that lift ships over the dam. There are six of these locks made in pairs so that one steamer can go up as another comes down. They are like a stairway of immense concrete tanks, each one thousand feet long and one hundred and ten feet wide. From the locks there is a clear channel from forty-live to eighty-five feet in depth for twenty-three miles through Gatun Lake to the Culebra Cut. THE CULEBR.\ CUT Here the channel is only three hundred feet wide for a distance of nine miles, extending from Bas Obispo to Pedro Miguel, reaching a depth in some places of three hundred feet, blasted from solid rock. The chief difficulty in building this cut came from landslides — one mass of soft clay lying on a sloping edge of slippery rock and when it is dug away at the bottom, it begins to slide down into the cut ; another caused by collapse of layers of rock which crumble with a side pressure against the bottom of the cut pushing it up 15 or 20 feet. This has proved the impossibility of digging a channel deep enough to build the canal at sea level. H 66 AN CON 67 .MIRAFLORES LOCKS The locks to bring ships to a level on the Pacific side are similar to those at Gatun. There is a single pair at Pedro Miguel which drops vessels about thirty feet, and two pairs at Miraflores (wonderful fiowers) which lowers them to sea level. From Miraflores the Canal is dredged out at sea level to Balboa, and here the Pacific Ocean has a tide of twenty-one feet which required retaining walls to be built to prevent flooding the country at high tide. Immense quantities of earth and rock were used to build up the flat country which has been raised in some cases to a height of nearly one hundred feet over several square miles. To protect the Pacific entrance from storms, a breakwater was built from the shore to the islands in Panama Bay. Ancon is the natural center of everything on the Pacific side. Here, or nearby, are the military head- quarters, the civil administration building'. Fort Amador, the great Hotel Tivoli and the government hospital, while within two blocks of the chapel is the line which bounds the city of Panama. It is a terminus of the railway and the focus of all the omnibus lines from the surrounding communities of Amador. Balboa, Quarry Heights and Pedro Miguel. It is beyond question an ideal place for a center of Church life and influence amongst our American citizens. The building sites committee of the Panama Canal is making plans for future development. Ground is very precious and there are ever so many 68 FOLLOWING THE CONQUERORS :y U AN CON 69 things the government must do with it and ever so many new buildings needed for the hospital and other improvements. A Strket Sckne. FOLLOWING THE CONQUERORS ALONZO DE OJEDA PRONUNCIATION Ojeda o-ha'-da protege pro-ta-zha' Ciienca koo-en'na Medina ma-de'na Fonseca fon-sa'-ka Guadaloupe ga-da-loop La Navidad la-na-ve-dad' Cibao se-ba'-o cacique ka-sek' Caonabo ka-o-na-l:)o' ALONZO DE OJEDA Before introducing the subject of this narrative, we should like to acquaint our readers with the history of the country which claims him as one of its most daring and warlike sons. Spain was at an early age called Hispania. It was also known by the name of Iberia, from the river Iber, now El:)ro. Its present name, Hispania, or Spain, is said to be derived from a Phcenician A\()id which signifies "abounding in rabbits,'' as these animals were formerly very numerous in that country. Spain was conquered by the Carthaginians about the year 238 before Christ, and afterward was long held b}- the Romans. These, in turn, were over- thrown by the Goths from the north. During the eighth century, a race of warlike sol- ders from northern Africa crossed the Strait of Gib- raltar, which is only eight miles wide, and drove out the Goths. These victorious infidels, followers of Mohamet, known also in Spain by the name of Moors, in a few years conquered the ct>untry, push- ing their rule so far north that for a time the French people had the proverb, "Africa begins at the Pyrenees.'" The Moors were among the ablest and most learned people of the time. They built great cities in Spain and ornamented them with hundreds of mosques, and beautiful palaces, the ruins of which 71 ''/2 FOLLOWING THE CONQUERORS are still standini^'. For some years thev held it as a dependency of the province of North Africa ; later it was g-overned by emirs or independent chieftains. Sjjain in the fifteenth century presents to our view a country where Catholic and Moor met in a fierce conflict. It was one vast school of w-ar. In the land of Isabella the Cross and the Crescent were fighting the final struggle for life or death. The war had lasted eight hundred years. On the second of January. 1492, in the same year that Columbus discovered America, the last of the Moorish kings yielded up the keys of that favorite seat of Moslem power. Alonzo de Ojeda was born at Cuenca about the year 1465. He belonged to a respectable family and w^as brought up as a page in the service of the Duke of Medina. Nothing" seems more natural than that during such prolonged wars, and whilst political afifairs were in such an unsettled state, the youth of the country were constantly drilled in hardy exercises and trained to arms. Every princely household was a military school. A chivalrous spirit pervaded the air and was transmitted from one generation to another. Chivalry, or knighthood, was a military institu- tion, which prevailed in almost every part of Eu- rope, but in France. Spain and Germany it attained its greatest purity. Those who were destined for chivalry were placed for education, at the age of seven years, in the cas- tle of their father or that of some neighboring noble, ALONZO DE OJEDA "JT^ where they received the appellation of page, or valet, until they arrived at the age of fourteen, v/hen they obtained the title of esquire and were admitted to the privilege of bearing arms. They were kept in active employment in the castle, being obliged to wait upon the lord and lady at home, and attend them abroad, and thus become accustomed to obe- dience and courteous conduct. Surrounded by noble and virtuous ladies and valiant knights, their first impressions were those of virtue, honor, and valor. From the ladies they learned the rudiments of re- ligion ; the lords instructed them in military exer- cises \\'ith l)hmt weapons. A cousin of Alonzo de Ojeda, who bore the very same name, entered the Dominican Order and be- came a distinguished preacher. He stood in high esteem at the Spanish court, and was besides a particular friend of Archbishop Fonseca. Through his influence our cavalier was introduced to the great and powerful bishop. He made such a good im- pression on the latter that he at once became a great favorite. History tells us that Christopher Columbus made four voyages to the New World. Among the noted personages who joined him on his second voyage in 1493, we find the name of Alonzo de Ojeda. He is described as a young cavalier about twenty-one years of age, small in stature, but of powerful strength and agility. His dark countenance, full of expression, was lit up by a daring eye. He possessed great skill in handling all kinds of weapons and was noted as an 74 FOLLOWING THE CONQUERORS admiral)le horseman. One of his biographers pre- sents him to ns in the following terms: "Ojeda. destined for a long time to be the admiration of the wild and roving youth who flocked to the New World, was bold of heart, free of spirit, open of hand, .fierce in fight, quick in quarrel, but ever ready to forgive and forget an injury." His name is first mentioned in connection with the island to which Columbus gave the name of Guadaloupe. On arriving there the explorers found some women and children and many dreadful re- mains of cannibalism ; the men w'ere at the time engaged in ])rocuring captives for their horrible banquets. The Spaniards were struck with terror at the sight of the human bones; skulls were used as vases and household utensils, and these objects convinced them that they were in reality in the abodes of the cannibals, the Caribs, of whom they had been told by the Hispaniola Indians. The party now sailed for the island of Hispaniola. On their way they passed many smaller islands where they made only a short stay, for all were anxious to meet their countrymen in the colony of La Navidad. There Columbus had made a settle- ment, built a fort, and left a colony of thirty-nine men (jn his first voyage. Near the mouth of a small river an exploring party found the corpses of two men with the arms fastened in the form of a cross. 1 he next day, not far from the same place, they saw two more dead bodies. The Spaniards could no longer distinguish their nationality, but suspicions were aroused. The ships sailed on in haste. It ALOXZO DE OJEDA 73 was quite dark when they anchored at some distance from the shore. No light was seen. Columbus fired off two of the heaviest guns. The report echoed far along the shore but no answ^er was returned. When the next morning came, they found that a dead silence reigned over the place that had been so full of life a few months before. The fortress was a blackened ruin. Remnants of broken ves- sels and furniture were scattered all around. Columbus now turned his thoughts to exploring the interior of the island of Hispaniola. From the natives he had heard of a rich region called Cibao. whose famous cacique was Caonabo, or the "Lord of the Golden House.'' Early in January. 1494, Ojeda, who was chosen to lead the enterprise, set out with a small party of courageous followers. When they reached the in- terior not an Indian was to be seen. On the evening of the second day the Spaniards came to a lofty mountain range. They slept on the summit. The next day they passed down the other side and entered the Indian towns, where they were received very kindly. Hospitality was showered on them. A few days later they entered the famous territory, but no one appeared to stop their progress. The Spaniards at first saw no signs of great wealth. Cibao in the language of the natives signi- fied a "stone." The mountains were scantily clothed with pines, but the sands of the mountain streams glittered with particles of gold. The natives skillfully separated these and handed them to the Spaniards without expecting any reward. The y^ 1"(JLL()\\1.\G Tlll£ CONQUERORS stones were found to be streaked and impregnated with gold. One of the party affirms that he saw a mass of rude gold, weighing about nine ounces, which Ojeda himself had found in one of the brooks. Not very long after this, Columbus appointed Ojeda commander of Fort St. Thomas. He set out for that place at the head of about four hundred men, sixteen of whom were horsemen. On reaching the Royal Plain, he heard that three Spaniards had been robbed by the Indians who had undertaken to carry them across a river. At the same time he learned that the culprits had been protected by their chief who shared the booty. Ojeda, as we have been told before, was a soldier of quick temper. He seized one of the thieves, ordered his ears to be cut off in the public square of the village, and then sent the offending chief, together with his son and nephew in chains to Columbus. The Spaniards were at length made aware that their greatest enemy was Caonabo, the fierce chief of the golden mountains. The erection of Fort St. Thomas in the very center of his dominions enraged him. He sent spies to find out the number of soldiers in the fort. These brought back the news that the garrison was reduced to fifty men, and that the cacique, or chief, had planned to strike a signal blow. Caonabo, the chief, assembled as many as ten thousand warriors and led them secretly through the forest, expecting to surprise the Spaniards ; but he found Ojeda within his fortress, which was built ALONZO DE OJEDA ']'] Upon a hill and nearly surrounded by a river. The warlike chief kept up the siege for thirty days and reduced the Spaniards to great distress. Ojeda diminished the allowance of food, and seizing his opportunity, made bold sallies which cost Caonabo the bravest of his men, till the Indian chief, con- vinced that storming and starving were equally hopeless, decamped at the end of thirty days. It was useless to think (jf making new settlements in Hispaniola as long as the fierce Caonabo retained his power and his hostile attitude. To make war on him in the midst of his mountain passes and strong- holds would certainly be a work of time and peril. Columbus was perplexed. Ojeda hearing of the difficulty, and following the bent on his daring nature, offered his services. He even promised to bring the chief alive and place him in the hands of the Discoverer of America. He went with nine cavaliers to seek Caonabo in the midst of his own people. He promised to bestow on him no less a gift than the Angelus bell of Fort St. Thomas, if he would come to Isabella and make terms with Columbus. This bell was the wonder of the whole island. When the Indians heard it ringing for mass, and beheld the Spaniards hastening towards the chapel, they imagined that it talked and that the white men obeyed it. They looked upon this bell as something supernatural, and said it had come from the skies. The chief had heard it at a distance in his prowling-s about the settlement, and had longed to see it. The 78 FOLLOWING THE CONQUERORS offer was too tempting, and Caonabo agreed to go, but insisted on taking a large army with him. One day in the course of their march, having halted near a small river, Ojeda produced a set of manacles of polished steel, so brightly burnished that they looked like silver. Caonabo was told to go to the river and bathe, after which he should be decorated with these ornaments, which had come from heaven, and which were worn by the mon- archs of Spain at court festivities. Afterward, mounted on the horse of Ojeda, he should return like a Spaniard to his astonished subjects. Dazzled l)v the glitter of the manacles, and flat- tered with the idea of mounting one of those proud war horses, he repaired to the river, and having bathed, he was assisted to mount behind the cava- lier and the shackles were adjusted. He anticipated no danger with his army around him. Ojeda made a few circles with his delighted cap- tive before the eyes of all the Indians and then set spurs to the horse while the other cavaliers closed around him, and, drawing their swords, threatened the chief with instant death if he made the least noise or showed signs of resistance. They bound him with cords to Ojeda to prevent his falling off, put spurs to their horses, dashed across the river, and set oft' with their prize. The daring Ojeda entered Isabella in triumph with his wild Indian. From that time Caonabo had the most enthusi- astic reverence for the brave Ojeda. In the i:)res- ence of Columbus, however, he did- not show the slightest sign of respect ; but when Ojeda entered ALOXZO I)l£ OJEDA 79 the room he rose at once to salute the man who had dared to carry him off in open day with all his warriors looking on. He continually cast angry and threatening" looks at the Spaniards, Ojeda ex- pected, and gloried in the destruction of La Navi- dad, boasting, moreover, that he had been prowd- ing around Isabella with the intention of striking a blow of the same kind there. The Indian chiefs had gathered around the Ijrother of Caonabo and resolved to attack the Span- ish Settlement. They invited all the tribes to join them. Columbus could muster only two hundred and twenty men, twenty of which were cavalry. The Spaniards were commanded by Don Bartholomew, the brother of Columbus, and by Alonzo Ojeda. He divided the army into small troops. Suddenly the infantry advanced from various sides. The sound of drums and trumpets was heard, followed l)y a deadly volley of firearms. The brave savages were terrified; a panic seized them. It seemed a mighty force was moving down upon them. To heighten the confusion, Ojeda and his horse- men appeared. The Indians stood in awe at the sight ; they even imagined that the horse and the rider formed one animal. Ojeda's troops charged furiously. They dealt fatal blows wnth lance and sword, trampling the Indians under foot. At the same time twenty bloodhounds, which the Spaniards had brought with them, w^ere let loose, and rushing upon the savages, tore them to pieces. It was a short battle and a complete victory for 80 FOLUnVIXG THE COXQUERORS the Spaniards. All parts of the island were thereby reduced to obedience. Ojeda had spent three years at Hispaniola. His reputation as a soldier of unrivaled skill and match- less bravery had greatly increased. He sailed with Columbus for Spain in 1496, but did not accompany him on his third voyage. His desire at this time was to fit out an expedition himself. He was encouraged l:)y Bishop Fonseca. who was still his patron, and who provided him with a commission, or certificate, conferring" military rank. A mere soldier of fortune, far from l)eing rich, he now looked about for means to fit out a little fleet. Some friends, who were wealthy merchants, helped him, and in a short time he had command of a squadron of four vessels. Among his first associates we find a very skillful navigator, Amerigo \'espucci, a merchant of Flor- ence, who sought in the New World for fortune which he could not find in the Old. In May, 1499, they set sail, and after a \"(jyage of twenty-four days they reached South America, sev- eral hundred miles south of the Orinoco River. They coasted northward and at a convenient harbor, Ojeda built a two-masted, square-rigged vessel. The Indians were friendly ; they came in numbers to see the Spaniards and supplied them with fish, venison and cassava in abundance. They desired to gain their protection against the cannibals of the Carribee Islands. The latter often entered their set- tlements near the coast and carried ofif people, ALOXZO DE OJEDA 8 1 whom they afterward devoured. Ojeda promised them aid. With a number of Indian guides he sailed on for seven days, when he came to the place of abode of this race. A great number appeared at the shore. They were hideously painted savag'es, and yelled boldly and defiantly. The commander ordered his men to put out the boats and provided each with a small cannon. Dur- ing the time arrows flew thickly and swiftly at the Spaniards. The cannibals even dashed into the water to meet their opponents. As soon as Ojeda opened fire, the savages stag- gered and trembled and soon took to their heels. When the Spaniards leaped ashore, however, they returned, and now a fierce hand-to-hand fight began. At the point of the sword the man-eaters were finally driven to the woods. The following day the shore swarmed again with naked, armed and painted savages. The Spaniards, fifty-seven* in number, rushed toward them and routed them with great slaughter. After taking a well-deserved rest of some three weeks, the party sailed for the mainland once more. They arrived at a vast gulf, or bay, which they entered and to their great surprise, beheld a village on its eastern shore. The latter attracted their attention. It consisted of some twenty large houses, which were shaped like bells, and built on piles driven into the bottom of the water, which in this part was quite clear and not deep. Each house was provided with a drawbridge and with canoes by which communication was carried on. 82 FOLLOWING THE CONQUERORS The village bore a striking resemblance to Venice, the Italian city ; therefore Ojeda named the city A'enezuela. or Little Venice, by which name it is known to the present day. The Spaniards continued their explorations and came to a port which the Indians named MaracaylK). Ojeda and his companions were here treated like angelic beings and every possible mark of kindness and veneration was heaped on them. Before departing, the commander ordered that a cannon be discharged. Amerigo Vespucci relates that at its sound the timid savages plunged into the water like so many frogs from a bank. When they saw that no harm was done them their fear van- ished, and they returned to bid their visitors a fond farewell. Ojeda sailed along the coast until he came to Point Gallinas. Here the condition of his vessels warned him to discontinue his voyage and to have the ships refitted. This being done, he rambled among the neigh- boring islands, seized a large number of natives whom he carried off with him on his homeward voy- age. The unfortunate Indians were sold in the slave markets and the money divided among him- self and his followers. In consideration of his services a grant of land was given him ; he was made governor of the prov- ince he had discovered, was authorized to fit out any number of ships not exceeding ten, at his own expense, and had the right to trade in all kinds of merchandise. ALONZO DE OJEDA 83 This commission was no sooner in his hands, than he began to fit out some vessels. Two of his friends opened their purses, and in a short time four ves- sels were ready. In 1502 Ojeda again set sail and the little squad- ron soon reached South America near the mouth of the Orinoco. Next they coasted along the northern border, reached the Republic of Venezuela, and finall}' cast anchor in the port destined as the seat of government. The native Indians had not been consulted; so one day when a party of Spaniards landed to obtain fresh water, a shower of arrows met them and obliged them to return to their ships. Ojeda provoked at this treatment, immediately landed, and gave the Indians such a thrashing that they sued for peace on any terms. The Spanish settlement Nourished and a fortress was built. Ofiicers dealt ovit provisions twice a day, but at last these grew scarce. The Indians became hostile. Ojeda, in several of the raids which he led on the Indian villages, collected a considerable quantity of gold which he locked up in a strong box, taking possession of the keys. Want increased and murmurs grew loud against the governor. Finally two of the officers seized him, put him in irons, and brought him on board the ship. The colonists followed, and in a few days the ships were near the coast of Hispaniola. One night when all was quiet and the officers and crew were enjoying a refreshing" sleep, Ojeda, the prisoner, confident of his strength and his skill as a swimmer, let himself slide down the side of the ship into the water. His 84 FOLLOWING THE CONQUERORS arms were free, but not his feet. The weight of his irons was about to sink him and he was obliged to shout for help. Quickly a boat was sent to his relief, and he was brought back half dead to his companions. Ojeda appealed to the King, and orders were im- mediately issued to restore his property. But the strong box was empty and there was little to restore. Ojeda was a ruined man. and for some years we lose sight of him. In 1508 we find him once more in Hispaniola with a rather light purse, but as yet an untamed spirit. On his last voyage, in 1502, Columbus has dis- covered the Isthmus of Darien. The fame of the riches of this region had spread to Spain and the King was anxious to plant colonies on its coast. Ojeda was selected for the enterprise ; but he was not to have the whole government to himself. King Ferdinand divided the Isthmus int(j two provinces, appointing Ojeda ruler of the southern division, while a brave and accomplished courtier, James de Nicuesa by name, was chosen to colonize the northern part. -. Both began to fit out a fleet. Ojeda at the time had no money, but he had friends who came to his assistance. A ship and two brigantines were soon ready, and accompanied by two hundred men. he set out to the New World. Nicuesa did not spare his means in fitting out a fleet. The island of Jamaica was designed by the court as the base of supplies for both provinces. Here the ALOXZO nE OJEDA 85 two fleets met and the quick eye of Ojeda at once noticed the superiority of Nicuesa's fleet ; he felt rather mortified on meeting his wealthy rival. Very soon the two governors were involved in a quarrel. Ojeda desired to settle the matter with his well-tried sword, but his rival would not accept the challenge. Happily, no blood was shed. In November, 1509, Alonzo de Ojeda sailed from San Domingo. He had on board Francis Pizarro. the future discoverer and conqueror of Peru, and Hernando Cortez would have gladly joined the expedition if sickness had not prevented. They reached the harbor of Cartagena in a short time. After landing, Ojeda, accompanied by some priests and a part of his force, prepared to take pos- session of the country. A large crowd of savages came forward to meet the Spaniards, and one of the missionaries read the document which had been pre- pared for the solemn occasion. Ha\ing finished. Ojeda trfed to gain their friendship, holding up some shining presents. The fierce red men were not so easily won : they assumed a defiant attitude and loudly sounded the battle cry. At this moment the worthy old pilot of the fleet came forward and warned the governor to leave the hostile shore at once, since its wild inhabitants were accustomed to fight like poisonous reptiles, using swords made of palm wood and arrows dipped in a deadly poison. But his advice was in vain for Ojeda had already brandished his sword. The Spaniards followed their leader and pursued the flying Indians for miles into the interior. Finallv thev came to a dense 86 • FOLLOW I. XG THE CONQUERORS wood where they found the savages entrenched. At the sight of the Spaniards the latter fled to the woods in terror. Coming to a village which had been deserted by the Indians, the Spaniards believing" themselves safe, divided into bands in a careless manner, roved from house to house and seized everything of value. Suddenly an army of Indians surrounded them ; they fought like lions, but being outnumbered, fell one by one beneath the heavy war clubs. Ojeda quickly collected a few soldiers about him and sheltered himself within a small enclosure. The ]:)oisoned arrows flew quickly; he warded them off with his shield. He then threw himself on his knees, and fought as well as he could. His com- panions were all slain, and the same fate would have befallen him. had not th^ good old pilot ar- rived with a few followers. Having heard of the peril of his commander, he resolved to save him or to die with him. At this moment Ojeda sprang forth like a lion, fought the Indians on l)oth sides, and disappeared. The pilot, de la Cosa, was wounded bv several arrows. Still, he defended himself until all his comrades except one were killed. Feeling that his death was nigh, he l)egged that his com- panion would fly from the scene of terror, and try to find Ojeda and bring him the news of the death of his faithful pilot. vSeveral days passed by ; the Spaniards who had remained on the ships in the harbor were alarmed. "What has become of the governor?" they asked each other. A party went out in search of him and his followers, but no trace of them could be found. ALOXZO DE OJEDA 87 One day some of the crew were coasting along the shores and came to a dense forest. All along the shores of the waters in the tropics mangrove trees are found. On the matted roots, at some distance, they spied something that looked like a human fig- ure. They left their boat, took a small canoe and drew near. They stood before their governor, who still bravely grasped his sword and buckler, but was speechless. Food and wine were given him in small quantities, and in a short time he recovered his senses. As soon as he was able to speak, he related to his astonished hearers the terrible encounter w^ith the Indians. After his escape he had pushed onward alone trying to reach his ships. His strength at last had given way, and finally he fell to the earth unconscious of all that happened. On his person not a single scratch could be seen, while his buckler showed the dents of some three hundred arrows. These hostile shores had no longer any attraction for the Spaniards, not even for the dauntless Ojeda. The sad fate of his companions cast a gloom over him. The party embarked, sailed across the gulf, and selected a suitable site for a settlement on the coast of Darien. Ojeda named it San Sebastian in honor of the saintly martyr who had been killed by arrows. He invoked the saint's protection against the poisoned weapons of the savages. The next work was to explore the country. The native Indians were, like most of their savage brethren, of a warlike nature; the Spaniards often had disputes with them, and were filled with terror 88 FOl.r.OWIXG THE CONQUERORS when, with hideous yells and wild shouts, they pur- sued them to the entrance of their town. As a rule misfortune never comes alone. Pro- visions grew scarce, the colonists became weaker, and the Indians increased in boldness. Ojeda repeatedly rushed forth at the head of his troops. His dauntless spirit w^as the only thing which never changed. Being remarkably swift of foot, he was always the first to make the Indians feel the weight of his blow^s. Washington Irving writes of him : "He slew more of their warriors with his single arm than all his followers together.'' The savages were led to imagine that he must have a charmed life, since they could never wound him. They formed a plot to test the truth and pre- pared a bundle of poisoned arrows. Some of their party lay in ambush while others approached the settlement. Ojeda pounced upon them and the lat- ter quickly retreated, while the former surrounded him. A volley of arrows flew at him; one entered his thigh; and with yells of triumph and joy the dusky savages ran back into the woods. The bold commander, who had never been wounded in battle before, now lay at death's door. In his agony he thought of a remedy. He called for his surgeon and, under pain of death ordered him to apply two iron plates which had been raised to a white heat to the two openings made by the arrow. The doctor hesitated for a while, but finally com- plied with his wish. Ojeda endured the frightful operation without a murmur. The wound healed, ;in(l we may imagine the astonishment of the dusky ALONZO DE OJEDA 89 savagfes when they saw him once more leading his faithful warriors against them. The colony of San Sebastian was at this time in a starving condition. From their fierce neighbors the settlers could expect no relief. Ojeda had or- dered provisions from San Domingo, but had re- ceived no reply. One day a ship was seen in the distance. All hearts were filled with joy at the thought of the expected aid ; they w^ere, however, doomed to sad disappointment. The vessel turned out to be the property of pirates. Nevertheless. Ojeda purchased some provisions for his starving colony from the captain, and finding that no other help arrived, he resolved to sail for Hispaniola him- self. Francis Pizarro was left in command of the town, and Ojeda boarded the vessel. The voyage was very stormy and daily disasters occurred. Ojeda, born to command, had never been ac- customed to obey. He soon had a quarrel with the captain which might have been settled very quickly with his sword had it not been for the crew. Being subdued by the latter, he was chained and kept under strict guard. A terrible storm began to rage, and the sailors were filled with fear and apprehen- sion. In the midst of this danger they remembered that their prisoner was not only a soldier but also a sailor, and promised to take ofif his irons on condi- tion that he would steer the vessel during the re- mainder of the voyage. He accepted, and took his plac€ at the helm ; but it is impossible for human skill to battle with the elements when they are let loose. The vessel was completely shattered, and 90 FOLLOWING THE CONQUERORS all the hardy pilot could do \\as "to run it ashore on the southern coast of Cuba." While the disheartened crew gave way to despair, Ojeda saw there was no other course open except- ing to push on to the other side of the great island and then, if possible, cross over the strait to Hispaniola. The party began their wearisome march. No path or road was to be met. It was the fearless spirit of Ojeda alone that led o\er plain and bog and mountain, through forest and marsh. They suf- fered intensely. Hunger and thirst gnawed to the very bone ; now^here was it safe to pass the night except in the branches of the trees. Several of the party were drowned in swimming the rivers, while others daily sank to the grave beneath the burden of their miseries. The worst was yet to come. The last ray of hope vanished when they came to a marsh so wide and extensive that it seemed bound- less. One day they had made very little progress in their march through the swampy woods. When evening came the resolute spirit of Ojeda for once gave way for a moment to despondency. There and then he made a vow to the Blessed Lady, that he would build a chapel at the first Indian village at which they should arrive, and would leave her picture there as an object of veneration to the chil- dren of the forest, if she conducted him alive through this frightful danger. After thirty days of toil and intense suffering, the wearv and famished travelers, led bv the craftv ALONZO DE OJEDA 9 I Ojeda. succeeded in crossing" the morass. They noticed a footpath and followed it. When they arrived at the Indian village to which it led, they were received with the greatest kindness. The simple Indians, seeing how exhausted they were, tried to console them in every way in their power. Alas, of the seventy men who had left the ship only thirty-five survived, and nearly all of these were half dead. The Indian chief, in fact the whole tribe, lavished the greatest kindness on them, and after some time they were once more restored to health. Ojeda at once prepared to fulfill his row. With the help of the Indians he built a chapel in the village and placed an altar therein. The painting of the Holy Virgin, which had been for so many years his most cherished and inseparable compan- ion on sea and on land, in danger and misfortune, was carefully hung above the altar. Then Ojeda began to instruct the Indians and ex- plained to them the truths of the Catholic faith. They listened very attentively and tried hard to understand the meaning of his words. All the Indians showed great veneration for the picture. They kept the chapel neat and clean and decorated it with flowers and all kinds of cotton hangings. We are told that a few years later the venerable Bishop Las Casas arrived at the village. He found the chapel well preserved and the picture regarded with fond veneration. Having heard much of this famous relic, he ofifered to g^ive the chief in exchange 92 FOLLOWING THE CONQUERORS a Statute of the Blessed Virgin which he had brought with him. The next morning the Bishop came to the chapel, said Mass, and baptized a num- ber of children. The chief did not appear, and the picture could not be found. On inquiring. Bishop Las Casas learned that the Indian had fled to the woods during the night, carrying oiT with him his beloved picture. Messengers were sent to assure him he would not be deprived of his treasure, but he refused to return. Only after the departure of the Spaniards did he venture back to the village. The picture was again replaced in the chapel. Ojeda was about forty-five years old when he died. Of the last years of his life very little is known; they were spent in poverty and obscurity in San Domingfo. ALONZO DE OJEDA 93 Bartholomezv De Las Casas ( Bar-t5'-lo-mu da las ka'-sas), a Spanish prelate, born in Seville in 1474. In his nineteenth year he accompanied his father, who sailed with Columbus, to the West Indies. Five years afterv^ard he returned to Spain, and pur- suing his studies, he entered the Dominican Order. He accompanied Columbus in his second voyage to Hispaniola. In 1510 he was ordained priest at San Domingo, and on the conquest of Cuba settled there, and distinguished himself by his humane con- duct towards the oppressed natives. In his efforts to convert and civilize them, he traversed the wilder- ness in various directions, sparing not time or labor or life itself when their interests were concerned. To defend their wrongs, he made several voyages to Spain and wrote many volumes. A rich bish- opric was offered him, which he declined; later he accepted one that was poor. In 1551, he returned to Spain and retired to the monastery at Valladolid, where he died at the advanced age of ninety-two. " Saint Dominic and its Venerable Bells " stands as a monument of which the spirits of its builders of nearly two centuries ago need not be ashamed. Saint Dominic is now an old tumble-down, aban- doned church, one of the many churches on which much of the energy and wealth of the pious com- munity of Panama, or Darien, was expended. In an angle, between the walls of Saint Dominic's is 94 FOLLOWING THE CONQUERORS a belfry of practical kind beneath whose time- stained bells the priests were wont to teach their flocks. What eloquent tales of by-gone days the now^ listless tongues of those silent, venerable bells might tell ! Though silent now, these bells are not abashed; they stand out from the ruins facing the public street, as though waiting for the touch of the vanished reverent hand that evoked such sweet music in the long ago St. Domtnic and Its Bells HTIO 6 s