12 THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. 



Thus perished, in 1517, a good man, who had done 

 his country more valuable service than any other, 

 except Cortes — a victim of designing knavery — at 

 the age of forty-two years. Pedrairas, who was the 

 principal plotter against Balbao, succeeded him at 

 Panama, and after having committed many atrocities, 

 and causing more destruction of Spanish lives in his 

 mismanaged wars, than did Cortes in his conquest 

 of Mexico, finally, from jealousy, had Hernandes, 

 who conquered the territory of Nicaragua under 

 him, put to death. While there is judgment and 

 justice in heaven, why need we wonder that Spain 

 was never prospered in her American possessions, 

 after having treated the great discoverer as she did, 

 and afterwards executing, on such pretences, his just 

 and enterprising followers, to give power to the 

 treacherous instigators of the crimes ? 



Panama, when discovered by Balbao, was an 

 Indian village, which gave place to the city, the 

 ruins of which are now known as Old Panama, and 

 which was destroyed by the buccaneers, under Mor- 

 gan, in 1670. During the prosperity of the old 

 city, Porto Beilo was built on the Beautiful Harbor, 

 which its name implies, about twenty-five miles east 

 of Navy Bay, and was made the northern terminus 

 of a paved mule-road from Panama, which to this 

 day remains, at some points, in a state of tolerable 

 preservation, while at others all traces of it are swept 

 away. The most remarkable statements have been 

 made respecting this place, as a depot for the trade 



