The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY. LEVIN. FRIDAY, SEPT. 26, 1913. VASCO NUNEZ-NAVIGATOR

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 September 1913, Page 2

The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY. LEVIN. FRIDAY, SEPT. 26, 1913. VASCO NUNEZ-NAVIGATOR

Eouit hundred years ago (either today or yesterday, the exacT dati} is uncertain) Vasco Nunez de 13albuo discovered the Pacific Ocean and Panama. To-day, no doub't there will be great celebrations on the uewly-completed canaTHiat is to connect east and west, and incidentally bring New Zealand two weeks' closer, in point of time, to the Old World markets. It is believed that it will be practicable to-day, to run the first steamer through the canal, though "the official opening will be delayed for several months to come. New Zealand, in that day, will be brought into closer touch with the absolutely insatiable markets of all The Americas. Lately we have been reading a little of the history of the adventurous Spaniard who discovered the isthmus. Nunez was a bankrupt Spanish farmer, and his home separation process came on lines apart from those advocated by the Chronicle's correspondent in Kiniberley road, for he separated himself from his farm and stowed away in a cask on board a vessel sailing out < f his native town. His success as a plougher of the sea was as pronounced as his failure had been behind the wooden plough, and his crowning success came on Ist September, 19L5, when lie started from Santa Maria del JJarien with 190 meu, to find the Pacific. He took with him a pack of bloodhounds, which inspired such terror that he drove all the opposing Indians before him, until he reached the foot of a mountain, whose summit commanded a view of the new sea. Of his 190 men, only 67 had enough strength left to commence the ascent, and all of these abandoned it before the top was reached. Then Nunez started alone to climb the last few hundred feet, and when he reached the top and saw the sea his first act was to commence singing the Te Deum. It was Magellan who became convinced that if he sailed far enough down the east coast of South America he must either find a strait or the termination of the land. He discovered the strait which bears his name, and was the first that crossed the Pacific. This was seven years after its discovery by iSiiinez.