his sanguine hopes of future and more extensive benefits from the expedition. All the people on the coast of the South Sea concurred in informing him that there was a mighty and opulent kingdom, situated at a considerable distance towards the south-east, the inhabitants of which had tame animals to carry their burthens. Anxious as Balboa was to visit this unknown country, his prudence restrained him from attempting to invade it with a handful of men. He determined to lead back his followers, at present, to their settlement at Santa Maria, in Darien, and to return next season with a force more adequate to such an arduous enterprise. None of Balboa's officers distinguished himself more in this service than Francisco Pizarro, or assisted with greater courage and ardour in opening a communication with those countries in which he was destined to act a most illustrious part.

Balboa's first care was to send information to Spain of the important discovery which he had made, and to demand a reinforcement of a thousand men. The first account of the discovery of the New World hardly occasioned greater joy, than the unexpected tidings that a passage was at last found into the great Southern Ocean. Notwithstanding Balboa's recent services, which marked him out as the most proper person to finish that great undertaking which he had begun, Ferdinand was so ungenerous as to overlook these, and to appoint Pedrarias Davila governor of Darien. He gave him the command of 15 stout vessels and 1200 soldiers; and such was the ardour of the Spanish gentlemen to follow a leader who was about to conduct them to a country where, as fame reported, they had only to throw nets into the sea

and draw out gold, that 1500 embarked on board the fleet.

Pedrarias reached the Gulf of Darien without any remarkable accident, and, to his astonishment, found Balboa, of whose exploits they had heard so much, and of whose opulence they had formed such high ideas, clad in a canvas jacket, and wearing coarse hempen sandals, used only by the meanest peasants, employed, together with some Indians, in thatching his own hut with reeds. Even in this simple garb, which corresponded so ill with the expectations and wishes of his new guests, Balboa received them with dignity. And though his troops murmured loudly at the injustice of the king, in superseding their commander, Balboa submitted with implicit obedience to the will of his sovereign, and received Pedrarias with all the deference due to his character.

Notwithstanding this moderation, to which Pedrarias owed the peaceable possession of his government, he appointed a judicial inquiry to be made into Balboa's former conduct, and imposed a considerable fine upon him. His enmity did not stop here. Jealousy of his superior talents led him to the most unjustifiable conduct; and though, at one time, he gave him his own daughter in marriage, in proof of reconciliation, yet he dreaded the prosperity of a man whom he had injured so deeply, and, in the end, brought him to trial for disloyalty to his king, got him condemned and executed.

During these transactions in Darien, Ferdinand was intent upon opening a communication with the Molucca or Spice islands, by the west. He fit. ted out two ships to attempt such a voyage, A. D. and gave them in command to Juan Diaz de Solis, who discovered the rivers Janeiro

1515.

and La Plata. In endeavouring to make a descent in this country, De Solis and several of his crew were slain by the natives, who, in sight of the ships, cut their bodies in pieces, roasted and devoured them. Discouraging and horrible as this event was, yet it was not without benefit; it prepared the way for a more fortunate voyage, by which the great design that Ferdinand had in view was accomplished. Though the Spaniards were thus actively employed in extending their discoveries and settlements in America, they still considered Hispaniola as their principal colony. Don Diego Columbus rendered the members of this colony prosperous and happy. But he was circumscribed in his operations by the suspicious policy of Ferdinand, who at length stripped him of all power, and bestowed it upon Rodrigo Albuquerque, his confidential minister. Don Diego repaired to Spain with the vain hope of obtaining redress. Albuquerque entered upon his office with all the rapacity of an indigent adventurer impatient to amass wealth; and by his tyranny the wretched and innocent race of Indians were quickly extirpated.

The violence of these proceedings, together with the fatal consequences which attended them, not only excited complaints amongst such as thought themselves aggrieved, but affected the hearts of all who retained any sentiments of humanity. From the time that ecclesiastics were sent as instructors into America, they perceived that the rigour with which their countrymen treated the natives rendered their ministry altogether fruitless. The missionaries early remonstrated against A. D. the maxims of the planters with respect to 1517. the Americans, and the repartimientos, or

distributions, by which they were given up as slaves

to their conquerors. The Dominicans, to whom the instruction of the Americans was originally committed, were most vehement in testifying against the repartimientos. Montesino, one of their most eminent preachers, inveighed against this practice, in the great church at St. Domingo, with all the impetuosity of popular eloquence. Don Diego Columbus and the principal people of the colony complained of the monk to his superiors; but they, instead of condemning, applauded his doctrine, as equally pious and seasonable. The Franciscans espoused the defence of the repartimientos, and endeavoured to paliate what they could not justify, alleging that it was impossible to carry on any improvement in the colony, unless the Spaniards possessed such dominion over the natives that they could compel them to labour.

The Dominicans, regardless of such political and interested considerations, would not relax the rigour of their sentiments, and even refused to absolve, or admit to the sacraments, such of their countrymen as continued to hold the natives in servitude. Both parties applied to the king for his decision, who determined in favour of the Dominicans, and declared the Indians to be a free people. Notwithstanding this decision the repartimientos were continued upon their ancient footing, nor could the repeated remonstrances of the Dominicans obtain any practical relief for the Indians; and in the end Ferdinand himself concurred in admitting the lawfulness of the distributions, and even conferred new grants of Indians upon several of his courtiers.

The violent operations of Albuquerque, the new distributer of Indians, revived the zeal of the Dominicans against the repartimientos, and called

forth an advocate for that oppressed people, who possessed all the courage, talents, and activity, requisite in supporting such a desperate cause. This was Bartholomew de las Casas, a native of Seville, and one of the clergymen sent out with Columbus in his second voyage to Hispaniola, in order to settle in that island. He early adopted the opinion prevalent among ecclesiastics with respect to the unlawfulness of reducing the natives to servitude; and that he might demonstrate the sincerity of his conviction, he relinquished all the Indians who had fallen to his own share in the division of the inhabitants among their conquerors, declaring that he should ever bewail his own misfortune and guilt, in having exercised for a moment this impious dominion over his fellow-creatures. From that time he became the avowed patron of the Indians, and by his zeal and authority he had often the merit of setting some bounds to the excesses of his countrymen. He remonstrated against the conduct of Albuquerque ; and when he found that vain, he set out for Europe, with the most sanguine hopes of opening the eyes and softening the heart of Ferdinand, by that striking picture of the oppression of his new subjects which he would exhibit to his view.

He easily obtained admittance to the king, whom he found in a declining state of health. With freedom and eloquence he represented to him all the fatal effects of the repartimientos in the New World, charging him with the guilt of having authorized this impious measure, which had brought misery and destruction upon a numerous and innocent race of men, whom Providence had placed under his protection. Ferdinand listened with deep compunction, and promised to take into serious