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 newly-found regions, boldly determined 
te seek the sea of which the Indians spake. At the 
head of a little band of men, guided by a Mexican, 
lb (225) 
