JUNGLE ISLAND 



OLD ROADS TO A NEW ISLAND 



A narrow mountainous strip of land running 

 nearly east and west joins North America to 

 South America. It is called the Isthmus of 

 Panama. Almost ever since the time when 

 Columbus landed there, it has. been one of the 

 great highways of the world. 



Balboa, who struggled across the Isthmus 

 through mountains, swamps, and jungles, not 

 only found the Pacific Ocean. He brought back 

 pearls and gold, and every vSpanish explorer 

 returned with news of the golden ornaments the 

 Indians wore. The Spaniards wanted the gold for 

 themselves. They took it away from the Indians, 

 who could not protect themselves against the 

 Spanish guns, and made the Indians bring more 

 gold from the mines and treasure houses. Peru, 

 on the western coast of South America, furnished 

 most of the gold, but there were also pearls from 

 the little islands off the coast, and furs from the 

 animals that ranged the great forests. 



But not even the most determined gold hunter 

 could live on the yellow metal. It had to be 

 sent back to Spain regularly to pay for the cargoes 



