THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 



When the astonishing sagacity and enterprise of 

 the Genoese had discovered the confines of a new 

 world across the trackless Atlantic, it was without 

 hesitation concluded, not only by himself, but by 

 ' all Europe, that the new land formed the extreme 

 eastern shore of Asia; and hence the name of Indies, 

 by this mistake, was given to these islands, which 

 has been perpetuated even to the present time. 

 Aware of the round form of the earth, the geogra- 

 phers of that age could well conceive the possibility 

 of reaching India by a westerly course; but, igno- 

 rant of the magnitude of the globe, they had formed 

 a very inadequate idea of its existence, being totally 

 unaware of the vast continent, and still vaster ocean, 

 which separated Asia from the Atlantic. But as, 

 impelled by an insatiable thirst for gold, the unprin- 

 cipled Spaniards pushed their career of robbery and 

 murder farther and farther into the continent, they 

 began to hear tidings of a boundless sea, which 

 stretched away to the south and west, beyond the 

 horizon of the setting sun. Balboa, one of the reck- 

 less spirits who sought fortune and fame at all ha- 

 zards in the newlv-found regions, boldlv determined 

 to seek the sea of which the Indians spake. At the 

 head of a little band of men, guided by a Mexican, 



