THE DISCOVERT 



13 



feeling in his soul, it will come bubbling to the 

 surface when he sees for the first time the 

 Pacific. The discoverers were men of iron, but 

 they were moved. Balboa wading waist deep 

 into the water, sword and shield in hand, and 

 claiming the great sea for Spain — Spain that 

 to-day can claim nothing there — was he not 

 pathetic in his earnestness? And the stanch 

 Magellan, he who after many struggles finally 

 burst through the straits that bear his name, 

 shed tears as the majestic waters swam into his 

 ken. Stout conquerors they were, but in the 

 presence of the Southern Ocean small wonder 

 that, for the moment, they felt themselves the 

 conquered. 



They were brothers of one blood — Columbus, 

 Balboa, and Magellan, Courage and grim de- 

 termination were theirs, and all were such stuff 

 as heroes are made of. Once through the 

 straits Magellan headed across the wide sea, 

 and nothing could make him change his course. 

 Starvation and disease went with him, but he 

 never swerved. For more than ten thousand 

 miles he sailed without knowing if he should 

 ever again see the mainland rise up from the 

 ocean's rim. Three months and twenty days he 

 fought down fear, and in all that time never 

 a glimpse of any land, save two small unin- 



Effeft of tke 

 South i^ea 

 upon H^ 

 discoverers. 



Magellan 

 around the 

 world. 



