THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 211 



men, guided by a Mexican, lie succeeded, after severe 

 privations and imminent dangers, in crossing the 

 isthmus that connects the nortliern and southern 

 portions of the continent. They had arrived at the 

 foot of a hill, from the top of which the Indian 

 assured him he would obtain a sight of the wished- 

 for sea ; Avhen, in the enthusiasm of the moment, 

 leaving his companions behind, the Spanish chief ran 

 to the summit, and beheld a limitless Ocean sleeping 

 in its immensity at his feet. With the spurious piety 

 common to the times — a piety that could consist witlj 

 the grossest injustice, the blackest perjury, and the 

 most barbarous cruelty — he knelt down and gave 

 thanks aloud to God for such a termination of his 

 toils ; then, having descended the clifis to the shore 

 of the Ocean, he bathed in its mighty waters, taking 

 possession of it by the name of the Great South Sea, 

 on behalf of the Iving of Spain. This was in the 

 year 1513 ; but it was not till seven years afterwards 

 that its surface was ruffled by an European keel 

 Then ]\Iagalhaens or Magellan, a Portuguese navi- 

 gator of great ability, in the service of Spain, having 

 run down the coast of South America, discovered the 

 straits which have since borne his name, through 

 which he sailed, and emerging from them on the 

 28th November, 1520, first launched out upon the 

 broad bosom of the South Sea. For three months 

 and twenty days he sailed across it, during which 

 long period its surface was never ruffled by a storm ; 

 and from this circumstance he gave to the Ocean the 

 appellation of the Pacific, which it still retains. The 

 immediate vicinity of the Straits, howevei', has been 



