David S. Parker p AN AM A |CM*\ C A N A L ^ Morgan E. Goodwin, Press Officer Governor-President F^ ^

« M Publications Editors Charles I. McGinnis V 17^/^ t ^Ar Willie K. Friar, Jose T. Tufion Lieutenant Governor B^^ ^» ^F^r Writers Frank A. Baldwin Eunice Richard, Fannie P. Hernandez, Panama Canal Information Officer Official Panama Canal Publication and Franklin Castrellon

Review articles may be reprinted without further clearance. Credit to the Review will be appreciated.

The Panama Canal Review is published twice a year. Yearly subscription: regular mail $1, airmail $2, single copies 50 cents.

For subscription, send check or money order, made payable to the Panama Canal Company, to Panama Canal Review, Box M, Balboa Heights, C.Z.

Editorial Office is located in Room 100, Administration Building, Balboa Heights, C.Z.

Printed at the Panama Canal Printing Plant, La Boca, C.Z.

XTiis special edition features arti- cles on Panama reprinted from The

Panama Canal Review, which be- gan publication May 5, 1950. These

articles, for which there have been

many requests for reprints, have

been selected from issues published

between 1965 and 1973. Orders for

this special edition should be sent to The Panama Canal Review, Box M,

Balboa Heights. Each copy comes in a special envelope with a gift card,

which will be inscribed as you re- quest. Single copies, regular mail arc $1 each, airmail $2. Check or money

order should be payable to the Pan- ama Canal Company.

Contents

LATIN AMERICA

First Appeared

Panama 4 August 1969

Portobelo Awakens 7 Fall 1971

Real Panama Hat 11 November 1970

Seviche 13 February 1971

Panama's Money Trees 16 May 1970

Orchids 19 May 1970

AH About the Mola 22 August 1970

Modish Molas 26 Fall 1972

Cane Cages Come in Many Shapes 30 February 1971

From Panama's Primitive Past Comes the Chaquira 32 November 1969

Mobile Masterpieces 34 Fall 1972

A Bird Watcher's Paradise 37 May 1969

It's More Than Pot Luck at La Arena 39 August 1968

The Pollera 46 Spring 1973

Down in the Darien 50 Fall 1971

Taboga 54 Spring 1972

Panama—Focal Point of History 58 November 1965

Flowering Trees 61 February 1971

The Panama Canal 65 First Printing

THE COVER—Credit for our cover goes to Don Goode for the photograph of the Cuna woman, of the San

Bias Islands; to Kevin Jenkins for the photograph of the pollera-clad young Panamanian and the aerial view

of Panama City; and to Mel Kennedy for the aerial view of Gatun Locks. The photograph of the porthole cover was provided by "The Port of Long Beach." Artwork is by Carlos Mendez.

Special Edition
THE HOLY GHOST ORCHID, the national flower of Panama, appears to have a perfectly formed white dove nestled

in each waxy-white cup-shaped blossom. This fragrant orchid blooms from July to September and can be found at low to medium

elevations in shaded areas, but commercial collecting has made it increasingly rare in Panama.

The Panama Canal Review
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PANAMA IS SMALL, old, and most

of the year, green, lush, sundrenched,

rain-washed and beautiful. As a residential area or as a crossroads for those who have come and gone since the Spanish conquest more than four centuries ago, it has meant many things

to many people. To persons who today

live and work on this narrow neck

of land that joins two massive conti- nents and separates two mighty oceans, Panama is home—a happv home.

In its essential aspects, Panama has much in common with other Latin American nations, sharing a common cultural heritage, traditions and language.

The pattern of home and community

living for a U.S. citizen on the Isthmus

is similar to that of an average town

or city in the United States. Each res- ident carves out his own interests at his own pace. He works and plays at more or less the same vocations and

hobbies as in the U.S., with the advantage of more leisure to pursue hobbies

and sports. Usually, there are enough

daylight hours after work to enjoy nine

holes of golf, play two sets of tennis, go

horseback riding, or do a little fishing.

The climate is tropical and the

relatively high but even temperature

permits year-round enjoyment of out- door activities and water sports. The

two oceans hugging the Isthmus offer swimming, boating, skin diving, surfing, water skiing and have produced record

shattering gamefish. A total of 528

pleasure boats registered in the Canal

Zone reflects the large number of lei- sure-time sailors in the community.

White sand beaches stretching for miles

invite sun worshipers, particularly such

Pacific side beaches as Rio Mar and

Santa Clara which compare with the

finest in the hemisphere.

Sport Center Panama is one of the leading sport centers in Latin America and offers such

spectator sports as horse racing every weekend and on holidays. From Dec- ember to February fans jam the National Stadium to watch the Panama

Professional Baseball League in action. Bullfighting may be seen from January

to April at the Plaza de la Macarena

in sub'irban Panama Citv. The Panama

Open brings some of the world's top professional golfers and attracts thousands

Special Edition
NATIVE DANCERS—Cuna Indians from the San Bias Islands perform a native dance for a Canal Zone audience. The women are wearing molas and wrap-around skirts.

-*

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YOUNG ANGLER-Fishing from the rocks on the Fort Amador causeway, this young

angler may bring in a delicious corbina, red snapper or a kingfish mackerel.

CAYUCO RACE—Explorer Scouts paddle their cayucos through the Canal nearing the end of an annual ocean-to-ocean race sponsored by the Canal Zone Boy Scouts.

to the Panama Golf Club. Basketball games are popular, and less known by

U.S. citizens is cockfighting, a spectator

sport that features wagering.

Hunting

For the hunter, the primitive jungles

offer a chance to stalk jaguar, ocelot, puma, deer, wildcat, and wild pig. Bird

hunting enthusiasts may search out wild

turkey, duck, quail, and wild dove. The

entire country is a bird watcher's paradise, but the big exotic creatures are found in the deep forest. Church, civic, fraternal and social

activities form an important part of the

daily life. For the men there are Masonic organizations, Elks, Knights of Columbus, veterans' organizations, Lions

and Rotarv, Canal Zone Pacific Power

Squadron, and baseball leagues. There

are judo clubs, bowling and Softball leagues, gun clubs, camera clubs, theater guilds and many other social and

sport groups to occupy all interested members of the community during the evening hours and on weekends.

The Balboa Women's Club and the

Cristobal Women's Club, the InterThe Panama Canal Review
American Women's Club, Order of the Eastern Star, veterans' organization auxiliaries, Pen Women, church groups, and other social and cultural organizations offer a wide range of doings for the ladies.

Many Activities

Appealing to the hobbyists are several organizations to satisfy the spare time

pursuits of most enthusiasts. The Canal

Zone Gem and Mineral Society, Isth- mian Numismatic Club, Panama Shell Club and bottle collectors hold periodic

exhibits which attract community interest. There are also opportunities to studv art, music, history, archeology,

and other subjects. Persons interested

in pre-Columbian and colonial history of Panama and artifacts mav join the Archeological Society of Panama or the Friends of the National Museum of Panama. A Canal Zone symphonette

and chamber music group offer the musically inclined a chance to fulfill their interests.

Good roads permit residents to travel to most parts of Panama and on weekends and holidays manv persons head

for the Interior, famous for its rich, green mountains, crystal clear waterfalls and inviting beaches. A number of U.S.

citizens own summer homes in a pictur- esque valley called El Valle de Anton,

home of "golden" frogs and square trees, which provides a cool respite from the heat of the city.

Contrasts On a long weekend, one may venture

further north to Panama's province of

contrasts, Chiriqui, where a short drive through varied landscapes takes us from

the tropical climate of David, the principal city, to the lovely and cool mountain

village of Boquete or to the breathtaking

hamlets of Cerro Punta and Volcan.

Here there are excellent fruits and vegetables, trout fishing, beautiful flowers and magnificent mountain scenerv.

TABOGA—Tamarind trees provide cooling shade for strollers on beautiful Taboga Island, one of the favorite resorts near the Canal Zone for swimming and boating.

About 1 hour by car in the opposite

direction from Panama City is Cerro

Azul. Here a man-made lake at 2,500

feet above sea level offers boating,

swimming, fishing, and other recreation. A sweeping view of the rolling green mountains and of the lake is well worth

the 25-mile drive. For a very special weekend there is Taboga, the "Isle of Flowers," a tropical resort about 12 nautical miles from

the city. Here there are no honking

autos nor exhaust fumes to pollute the clean sea breezes that mingle freely with

the bouquet of sweet jasmine, oleander,

and a mvriad of wild flowers. A modern

hotel, white sand beaches, and pictur- esque houses skirting the shore make

Taboga one of the favorite resorts.

Islands Bocas del Toro and the San Bias

Islands beckon from the Atlantic side of the Isthmus. At Bocas, the climate

and beaches are unsurpassed and the

fishing is superb.

On the San Bias Islands, accessible by air or boat, life goes on much as it did when Columbus discovered America. The Cuna Indians live in settlements

scattered through 365 islands and maintain their tribal customs and ceremonies.

This is where the mola, a decorated

cotton panel, embroidered, and perfor- ated to show underlying colors, is worn

by San Bias women. Two molas make

a blouse with the addition of shoulder

pieces and short sleeves. Many Canal

Zone residents own at least one mola, not

for wearing, but framed and displayed on a wall. Rare is the American in Panama who

does not partake of the merriment of Carnival which starts 4 davs before Lent and closes at dawn on Ash Wednesday.

Manv persons also attend and participate in the many rural fairs held on the Isthmus during the dry season—usually

from mid-December to mid-April.

Night life in Panama is as gay as one

wishes to make it. He mav dine under

the stars in one of the manv tropical restaurants, luxury hotels in the city or

at an attractive motel-type inn located

near the airport. Excellent food, both

continental and native dishes are served. Panamanian dishes and seafood to match

those of any country are served at openair restaurants on the shores of Panama

Bay. Home barbecues are popular on

the Isthmus and beach parties are held

frequently during dry season.

Gardens

For picnics, in the Canal Zone there

is Summit Gardens, which has been

called one of the most remarkable tropical gardens in the world. Here the

visitor can enjoy nature in its fullest tropical splendor walking through the 300 acres of native and imported tro- pical plants. The zoo at the gardens

also is an attraction for both children and adults. The pattern of children's lives differs

little from that of those in an average town in the United States. Thev attend

schools in the Canal Zone, from kinder- garten through junior college, which

compare favorably with the finest in the United States. Plenty of recreational and character building activities are provided bv Boy Scout and Girl Scout

troops on both sides of the Isthmus. A summer recreational program spon- a sored bv the Schools Division keeps

them busv during the summer months. So does Scout camp. Several riding clubs J give voung horse enthusiasts an opportunity to display their equestrian skills. A large number of swimming pools ac- commodate children of all ages. Teen

clubs serve as a gathering place for youngsters after school and after athletic events and provide a setting for evening dances. Courses in SCUBA

diving, judo, swimming, weight-lifting

and ballet are available at the YMCA.

Children's activities include bowling,

roller skating, baseball, football, tennis, amateur theater productions, driver's training, soap-box derbies, volunteer work, Bovs' State and Girls' State and

working as student assistants for the Panama Canal organization. One of the most exciting events is the ocean-to- ocean cavuco (native canoe) race by the Explorer Scouts each April.

6 Special Edition
ONCE THE MARKET PLACE OF

the Americas and the Caribbean

port through which the inestimable

treasure of the Incas found its outlet, Portobelo is about to awaken after a long

sleep of more than two centuries. The site of many a bloody buccaneer

raid and the final resting place of Sir Francis Drake is to be restored and re- built at a cost of $6.5 millon through the

efforts of a group of historical monument

experts from the Organization of American States working with the Panama

Government Tourist Bureau and AID.

Plans for the restoration of the his- toric old town and its system of fortifica- tions will include the establishment of a 22,500-acre national park, according

to Dr. Alfredo Castillero C, director of

Historical Tourism in the Panama Tourist Bureau and director of the History

Department of Panama University.

Within the park area, the old town will be restored. This will include reconstruction of the old forts, churches, and public

buildings and the reinforcement of the foundations of the old ruins. The work

should be completed in about 4 years. Land access to Portobelo was opened

not long ago with the completion of a modern asphalt highway connecting the town with the Transisthmian Highway.

For the first time in history, Isthmian

residents were able to travel to the old

fortress town by car instead of going by

sea. Engineers from the OAS already

have started their surveys and have set aside sites along the beach to the east

of Portobelo for construction of modern

tourist hotels. The history of the little town, with the magnificent harbor discovered by Co- lumbus in 1502, has been turbulent. Founded by the Spanish more than 300

years ago as a replacement for Nombre

de Dios, which was difficult to defend,

it became one of the strong fortresses along the Atlantic coast and the third strongest in Spanish America. It was named originally San Felipe de Porto- belo and old records say that by 1618

there were 130 houses in the main town,

not counting the suburbs, "the governor's house, the king's houses, a monastery, a convent, a plaza, and a quay."

The main city will rise again, according to the restoration plans. It was well

built originally of stone and brick and

most of the ruins of the official buildings

still remain along with the official Cus- toms House which is nearly intact. The

earlv town had suburbs, one of which was set aside for freed slaves. The build- ings were chiefly of cane with palm

An artist's conception of the plan for the restoration of the town of Portobelo is shown by

Janine Lizuain, secretary in the Historical Department of the Panama Tourist Bureau.

The Panama Canal Review
Maria Elena Hart, secretary in the Historical Department of the Panama Tourist Bureau,

holds a picture showing how the Royal Customs House in Portobelo will look when it is restored under the plan for restoration of historical sites.

The Customs House as it appears today, roofless but with its walls still standing sturdily.

It was built in 1630 and served until the end of the Spanish colonial period in 1821. It was often crammed with chests of gold and silver.

thatch, all of which disappeared long

ago, without a trace, into the jungle.

Jungle Outposts

It was but an outpost in the jungle

after all. No man alone dared travel the

royal road from the city's gate after

nightfall. In the streets, snakes, toads,

and iguana were frequently seen. The

native wildcat prowled in the suburbs

and, besides carrying off fowls and pigs,

sometimes attacked human beings. But Portobelo was a market town as well as a fortress. It came to life at least once a year during the trading fairs which lasted from 40 to 60 days. The

flood of gold that poured through the

trails across the Isthmus, after Pizarro began his plunder of Peru, was traded

for goods from Spain and Europe. The

fair began when the fleet of merchant

ships and galleons arrived in port from

Cartagena and Spain loaded with goods

to be traded for gold and silver. The

goods were shipped to South America

and even to the Philippines.

Bustle and Excitement

The town took on an air of bustle and

excitement at the time of the fair. The

houses were crowded with people, the square and the streets crammed with

goods, the Customs House with chests of gold and silver, and the port filled with

vessels. Portobelo became the emporium

of the riches of the two worlds and the most important commercial depot of that period. In the square facing the Customs

House, merchants erected cane booths

and tents made of sails from the ships

while all available space was filled with

goods. With the fleet of merchant and

warships came nearly 6,000 soldiers, merchants with their clerks and porters, buvers of all nationalities and, of course, the sightseers. So crowded was the little town that it appeared to be in the possession of a mob.

The Customs House, built in 1630

during the administration of Alvaro de

Quiriones, served until the end of the Spanish colonial period in 1821. The

Council of the Indies had ordered the Customs House to be built in the most

convenient spot with one entrance and

one exit only to help prevent fraud. A royal tax collector was on hand to collect the royal fees. Because of the wealth stored at Porto- belo and its use as a trading center, its fame spread over the Spanish Main.

Although Portobelo was substantially

built and protected by four strong fortresses and several minor batteries, the

8 Special Edition
town was repeatedly taken by the British and other marauders. The first to attack was the English pirate William Parker

in 1602, and the last was Adm. Edward

Vemon of the British Navy, who cap- tured the town in 1739. He caused the most damage when he blew up and

dismantled the fortress. The most savage of all the scores of

raids was made by Sir Henry Morgan,

who according to Esquemeling, the Dutch historian, attacked for the first time in 1668 and killed or wounded a majority of the inhabitants. At that time

the garrison consisted of 300 soldiers and the town was inhabited by 400

families.

17-Cannon Line

The main forts, which are to be totally restored by the Tourist Bureau are La

Fortaleza de Santiago and San Felipe,

both dating from 1600; Fort San Geronimo, which is located within the pres- ent town; and the famous Fort San Fer- nando, built about 1753, across the

beautiful bay. This fort has a 17-cannon

line that somehow has escaped most of the ravages of time. High above San

Fernando, a second platform of cannons

points toward the sea and atop an even

higher crest stands Casa Fuerte, Portobelo's prime lookout and vantage point,

which gives a superb view of the complex of forts below. San Felipe, once known as Todo Fierro or the iron fort, was built in 1600

at the entrance to the bay and was partially destroyed by raiders. At the time

the Panama Canal was being built, the

site was turned into a quarry, and it was said that what the English pirates started to do, the Americans completed.

The fort of Santiago de la Gloria was

built in 1604 within the town limits while Santiago was built on the coast road leading to the town. The Fort known as Farnese or Famesio is on the south side of the harbor and not too far from the island where history says Drake

is buried. All in all, there are about 12

fortifications to be restored.

The Parish Church

The parish church of San Felipe,

which was still unfinished when it was

dedicated in 1814, is one of the oldest buildings in the town still in use. It replaced a smaller church of the same

name, the ruins of which still remain.

The most interesting thing about San

Felipe church is that it houses the image

of the Nazarene of Portobelo, a hand- some effigy of Jesus bearing the cross,

One of the old Spanish cannons of Fort San Fernando, its carriage rotted away years ago,

points out toward the entrance to the bay of Portobelo. Two modern yachts can be seen

at anchor in the distance.

The Panama Canal Review 9
IIS 1

The ruins of the original church of San Felipe in Portobelo. This

church, also known as the Hospital Chapel, will be rebuilt under

the plans for the restoration of the town of Portobelo.

The new church of San Felipe, which houses the famous image of the Black Christ, stands stark against the brilliant blue sky of Portobelo. Services were first held here in 1814.

The Black Christ, one of the most revered images throughout Panama is surrounded by

candles for the annual "Feast of the Black

Christ" celebration.

hewn from wood of southern Spain more

than 300 years ago. Called the "Black

Christ," it has become one of the most

revered images throughout Panama and

the focal point of an annual church festival which draws thousands of visitors each October. Legend has it that the image of Christ came to Portobelo aboard a sailing ship

bound for Cartagena, Colombia. When

the galleon sailed from Portobelo, a

fierce storm sank it. The boxed image

floated free and was washed up on a nearby beach. There it was found by

the townspeople and taken back to Portobelo.

"Feast of the Black Christ" The annual celebration of the "Feast

of the Black Christ" began in 1821 when

a cholera epidemic ravaged the Isthmus. The Portobelo residents made a vow to celebrate a feast day of the Black Christ each October 21 if the town were spared.

The epidemic bypassed the town. The present day town of Portobelo

has only slighdy more than 500 citizens and they have developed a personality

of their own. They are descendants of the Spanish and Indians and the Spanish

and African slaves, with a third group

made up of people of distinct African

ancestry. Dr. Dulio Arroyo, retired dean

of the Faculty of Law at the University

of Panama, and a native of Portobelo,

savs members of this group "carry in their blood centuries of tradition." Among these traditions are primitive

dances with a definite African flavor, called "congos," which they perform

wearing costumes fashioned from the bark of the palm tree and decorated with

multicolored feathers.

Congo Dances

The congo dances have become a part

of Panama's folklore and they are pre- sented at most typical Panama dance

exhibitions. Congo dancers can be seen mainly at carnaval time when "congos"

from neighboring villages come to Por- tobelo to roam the streets and perform

their lively dances. Although there has been a slight tourist boom since the completion of the highway connecting the town with

Colon and Panama, the carnival celebration and feast of the Black Christ are about the only times when present day

Portobelo comes to life. But it is only a matter of time, the Panama Tourist Bureau says. As soon

as the town is rebuilt and the hotels completed, Portobelo will become a

tourist mecca. Once again, Portobelo, the old market center, the scene of so much adventure and strife, will take its place on the map and help in the economic revival of the Gold Coast of the Isthmus.

10 Special Edition
REAL IWawut

flat

By Jose T. Tunon

RICH OR poor, young or old, no man

or woman of Panama's interior is ever caught without a "montuno" hat—well, hardly ever. For the distinctive native hat is as much a part of the national

attire as the well-known "montuno" outfit is for men and the now internationally

famous "pollera" is for women.

Except that sex makes no difference

in the use of the hat. At first glance, there is nothing out of the ordinary in the appearance of Panama's "montuno" hat. The crown is of normal size, about 6 inches high, and

raised or flat depending on the locality

where it is made. The wide brim is circular. But the fiber and the weaving are unique.

The raw material is the shoot of a palm tree that grows wild in the high

mountains of Code and Veraguas Provinces, in an area some 100 miles west

of Panama Citv. In Panama it is known

as "bellota," elsewhere in Latin America as "bombonaje" or "jipijapa." Inci- dentally, it is the same fiber that is used

in Ecuador to make the once-famous

"Panama" hats.

Descendants

In the Code and Veraguas mountains

of central Panama live the "cholos"-

descendants of the fiery Indians and the proud Spaniards. It is their women who

have preserved the art of hat weaving

from generation to generation.

Nimble fingers at work, Victoria Dominguez of La Pintada prepares the fibers for the miniature montuno hats which are given

as souvenirs in Panama City.

A farmer at the San Sebastian Fair at Ocii proudly wears his "Sunday best" montuno hat which is woven of white fiber. For everyday he wears a montuno hat of rougher fiber.

A traveler hiking the winding mountain trails of El Cope and El Harino,

above Penonome, is apt to come upon

the glow of rustic lanterns burning in the homes of the "cholos" before daybreak. The women are weaving the finer "montuno" hats. For the work must be

done between 4 and 8 in the morn- ing—when the moisture in the air is highest to render the fiber softer and more pliable. The rest of the day, the

materials have to be kept wrapped in damp cloth. The painstaking weaving takes manv

early morning hours, but when the hat

is finished, it is a real piece of native art. The strands are obtained bv splicing the "bellota" shoot with a needle. Then

the fibers are left out in the damp morning air to acquire the required consis- tency before being wrapped in damp

cloth for storing. Using head shaped

wooden blocks, the women patiently

interweave as manv as 15 strands of

fiber to fashion a hat. Two Styles

There are two distinct styles of "montuno" hats. One is the "ocueno," named

for the region of Ocii where it is most

popular. The "ocueno" hat is woven

of white fiber, except for a 1 -centi- meter wide black strip around the edge

of the brim. The other is the "pin- tao" (a corruption of "pintado" or spot- ted) hat, its name deriving from the "pintas" or designs obtained from inter- weaving white and black fiber strands Each design is up to the weaver's

imagination; hence, the variety is almost

limitless. Look at a collection of "pintao"

hats and vou will wonder at the artistic

The Panama Canal Review 11
touch of these women from the mountains of Panama. The designs—some in concentric circles, others in spirals,

in squares, cross-shaped or simply in dots—evidence a sense of refinement and

exquisite care. The crown of the "pintao" hat is flat instead of raised as in the "ocuefio" style. Regardless of the color, all the fiber that goes into a "montuno" hat comes

from the same "ballota" palm. The

black strands have been dyed with a

special clay that is a zealously guarded

secret of the "cholos." The jet black

color imparted to the fiber is indelible.

Hat Bands

No matter its style, the "montuno"

hat is usually adorned with a delicately woven cord of black or multi-colored thread or wood that serves as a band.

The weaving of the cord is another home

craft transmitted from generation to generation among the women of Panama's countryside, particularly in the area of Ocu. It involves an ingenious

technique: pins are stuck around the hole at one end of an ordinary spool of sewing thread—one pin for each of the

colors in the finished cord. The colored

strands then are interwoven around the

pins and the finished cord emerges

through the other end of the spool. In Ocu the weaving of cords for use as "montuno" hatbands is a pastime for most women—from the richest matron to the humblest girl. When should one wear an "ocuefio"

or a "pintao" hat? Mrs. Dora Perez de Zarate, an authority on Panamanian folklore, explains the difference, from a woman's standpoint.

"The 'campesina' in Ocu or Veraguas

prefers her hat plain, rounded, with no

special adornment or particular shape

to the brim. She wears this hat with her

daily attire and also, when she pleases,

with her lace 'pollera'. . . . The people

of Herrera Province . . . the Province of Los Santos and of the rest of the country .. . wear the 'pintao' hat only with

their 'pollera montuna' (the common

'pollera'); the headdress is different when a lace 'pollera' is worn. . . ."

The Important Thing

And what about the men? They have

an everyday, working hat of a rougher

nature, and for holidays and festive occasions wear similar hats but these

are better made. Regardless of the style, the important thing is to wear a "montuno" hat. Why?

Writer Roman B. Reyes put it this way:

"The 'montuno' hat is indispensable

to dance the 'tamborito.' It is an emblem

of masculine enthusiasm and of courting, a prerequisite for his gestures of

tribute and admiration to the woman

who shares with him the pleasure of native dancing." Panama's "montuno" hat industry is very old. No one really knows when it began. Knowledgeable persons such as Elias Vega, an expert hatter in Peno- nome, say it goes back to pre-Columbian

times. A distinguished American educator

played an important part in an interest- ing chapter of the history of the native hat industry in Panama. He was Federico E. Libby, who was employed by

the Panama government in 1914 as Inspector General of Education. He

spoke Spanish fluently, having worked

in Puerto Rico for a long time. Libby was convinced that the rural school had

to be adapted to the environment of the students in order to train them in useful

crafts. When Libby heard of the hat

industry in the Code highlands, at La

Pintada and Ocu, he brought an expert

hatter from Ecuador, Francisco Lara, and established a school in Penonome to teach the weaving of Panama hats.

Hatters School

Few persons realize it, but Panama

hats made in the Penonome Hatters School were sold in the United States and in Germany and were worn by

members of Panama's most prominent

families. Graduates from this school, which

operated for 20 years, spread throughout central Panama, mainly in Cocle and

Herrera Provinces, resulting in a marked

growth of the native hat industry.

mm

A Panamanian beauty wears a "pintao"

hat distinguished by the black fiber.

Thus, an American left the imprint

of his work on the "montuno" hat craft of Panama.

In recent years, the Panama Govern- ment and the United Nations, through

SENAPI (National Service of Crafts- manship and Small Industries), have

boosted the industry. In La Pintada,

SENAPI has established small shops for

fiber weaving where expert instructors teach residents the secrets of working

with materials from native plants. There

are many learners and both the quality

and the variety of the articles are

increasing.

Still, the most authentic "montuno"

hats—and the finest— are those woven in the glow of rustic lanterns by the skilled fingers of "cholas" in the highlands,

between 4 and 8 every morning.

A wedding in Ocu. All the guests and the bridegroom wear the "ocuefio" or white montuno

hats. The bride is attired in a white pollera wedding dress and wears gold combs in her

hair which are family heirlooms. The flags are used to add gayety to the occasion.

12 Special Edition
Oxxlixxary Oa.x><

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•

SEVICHE

Shrimp seviche, served with saltines, tops the list of favorite Panama hors d'oeuvres. Its fame also has spread to the United States where it is served at cocktail parties and dinners.

By Fannie P. Hernandez

ONE OF the most popular and well- known hors d'oeuvres in Panama is a raw fish dish that is becoming more and more popular at the most discriminating

restaurants. Called seviche, this zippy Latin

American appetizer also is spelled se- biche, cebiche, or ceviche—depending

upon the locale. Basically, seviche is made of any

good quality white fish, shrimp or scal- lops "cooked" in citrus juice. Several

countries claim the origin of this ingenious way of serving fish not cooked in the customary manner. Peru, Ecuador,

and Panama, all refer to it as their very own.

Centuries ago, however, the Japanese were dipping raw sardines in soy sauce and popping them into their mouths,

and Sashimi, fish marinated in soy sauce and lemon juice, has been a favorite Japanese dish for about 2,000 years. Sashimi could very well be the forerun- ner of seviche. Lemon juice for preserving fish was

introduced into Japan from China or another area of Asia where citrus fruit had its origin. As Japan is surrounded

by waters swarming with fish, this food

has been an important item in the Japanese diet since ancient times.

Spirited Appetizer

Whoever first hit upon the idea of cooking by marinating in citrus juice deserves credit for a favorite hors d'oeuvre being offered at cocktail parties and dinners, not only in Latin

America, but in many cities in the United States and other countries where

hostesses have discovered the excellence

The Panama Canal Review 13
of the tasty, spirited appetizer. The idea has caught on and spread like the fire of the nippy hot peppers that enhance

the flavor and aid the cooking process. From its probable humble source in Japan, to its enthusiastic acceptance in Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, and Panama,

the respectability of the raw fish appetizer hag extended to well-known res- taurants in New York City. Immediate

acceptance and continued popularity of seviche may be due to the fact that it

is not only pleasing to the palate but

also nutritious and simple to prepare. Any food which can be prepared ahead

and served the following day, or even

days later, is bound to win the approval

of today's busy hostess.

The Marinade

Variations in the flavor of seviche

depend upon the particular citrus juice or combination of juices and the other

ingredients used in the marinade. The

marinade juice could be lemon, lime,

or sour orange, or a combination of two,

or even all three juices. The acid in the

citrus juice and the action of salt called

for in recipes prevent the growth of micro-organisms in the fish, softening

the fibers as they penetrate. The en- hancing ingredients—hot peppers, green

peppers, garlic, and onion—give seviche

its pleasing gusto. Each Latin American country has

given seviche its own touch of indi- viduality by adding its own particular

garnishes. In Peru, seviche is served with slices of cold sweet potatoes or com-on-the-cob, while in neighboring

Ecuador, it is accompanied bv popcorn, potato chips, nuts, or the giant

kernels of corn native to that country.

Panamanian hostesses serve seviche

with buttered saltine crackers or in dainty pastry shells. It is also served in a large crystal bowl with the guests

helping themselves, either by spearing

it with toothpicks or filling the pastry

shells. In Mexico, seviche is accompanied by slices of raw onions and

served on toasted tortillas.

Favorite Recipes

Following are a number of favorite recipes for making seviche. Depending

on how it is served, 1 pound of fish is enough for four to six servings.

Here is a version of seviche which

Japanese housewives were making hundreds of years ago. They call it sashimi

and serve it with horseradish or very

strong mustard. (Note the omission of hot pepper.)

2 pounds fish fillets 2 cups lemon juice

ii cup soy sauce H cup thinly sliced onions

ii teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon salt Remove the skin from fillets and slice

Vs inch thick. Mix the other ingredients

and pour over the fillets which have

been placed in a glass bowl or platter. Let it marinate overnight.

Peruvian Seviche

The Peruvian cook cleans the fish and lets it soak in salt water for 10 minutes and then removes it and

pats it dry.

1 pound fresh fillets of corhina, red snapper, or any good quality whitefish

juice of three lemons

juice of three sour oranges or limes one medium onion, thinly sliced

salt and pepper to taste a pinch of cayenne pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 hot pepper, chopped fine 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (coriander)

Cut fish into pieces and place on a

platter. Place the thinly sliced onions on the fish. Then add the remaining

ingredients, covering with the juices. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours

before serving. Serve on bed of lettuce and garnish with cold sweet potato or corn-on-the-cob.

Enjoying an appetizer of corhina seviche in the DeLesseps Room at Hotel El Panama

are Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Bissell of Balboa. Corhina seviche is served at most hotels and restaurants throughout the Republic of Panama.

14 Special Edition
Ecuadorean Seviche

In Ecuador seviche is served with

potato chips, popcorn, sweet potatoes or kernels of com that are about an inch

long and almost as broad. Ecuadoreans

usually combine three citrus juices plus

vinegar in their seviche. 2 pounds whitefish

juice of 6 limes, 3 lemons, 3 sour oranges,

or enough to make 2 cups juice 4 teaspoons salt % teaspoon black pepper

Yt cup vinegar 2 medium onions sliced very thin 2 or 3 red or yellow hot peppers, slivered Cut fish into bite size pieces and place

in a bowl. Pour juice over it. Add salt and pepper and vinegar. Let stand about 6 hours in refrigerator. Pour boil- ing water over the onions and drain. Add to the fish. Add slivered hot peppers and let set overnight.

Here is another version of Ecuadorean seviche using lemon juice only: 3 potinds corbina, washed thoroughly and

dried with paper toweling

juice from about 25 lemons

2 onions (medium size) chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1 aji chombo, (hot pepper) cut into small

pieces

Cut the fish into bite size pieces and

place in glass bowl with one cup lemon

juice and one teaspoon of salt. Let it set for 15 minutes and then drain, squeezing the fish gently. Add the remaining

lemon juice or enough to cover the fish. Add the chopped onions and stir with

a wooden spoon. Let set for 15 minutes.

Then add the aji and the remaining salt. Let it set for 30 minutes, cover and

place in refrigerator. It may be eaten

in about 2 hours. (Segundo Franco).

Shrimp Seviche

2 pounds shrimp

approximately 10 lemons

1 hot pepper

1 chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt Put raw shrimp in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove and place in cold water immediately. Remove shells and

clean shrimp. Place in a glass bowl with

the lemon juice, the onion, pepper, and

salt. Let it set for 1 hour and serve. (Franco).

Here is another variation of shrimp

seviche: 2 pounds shrimp, cooked and cleaned % pound onions, chopped

% bottle French's mustard

I'n teaspoon salt % cup olive oil H cup lime juice

1 hot pepper, chopped

Cut shrimp into pieces. Add remaining ingredients and marinate for about

8 hours. (Mrs. Stanley Fidanque).

Panama's Corvina Seviche

1 pound fillets of corvina

juice from a dozen limes, more if necessary 3 medium size tomatoes, chopped fine 3 onions, chopped fine 2 hot peppers, remove part of it after it has

set about 2 hours

1 green pepper, chopped fine

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste Place corvina fillets on a platter. Mix

the remaining ingredients and spread

over the fish, making sure it is completely covered. Let it set for a few

minutes and then turn the fillets over

so both sides of the fish are well marinated. Cover platter and place in refrig- erator. Turn the fish several times. Can

be eaten after 8 hours.

Scallop Seviche

1% pounds scallop (Panama Bay scallops

preferred)

1 hot pepper

1 tablespoon vinegar

ii teaspoon oregano

% cup lime juice (or more if needed)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, mashed

2 teaspoons mustard pickle

3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons catsup

salt and pepper to taste Clean scallops and put in a colander. Pour boiling water over them and let drain. Mix the onion and hot pepper

(chopped very fine), garlic, mustard

pickle, oregano, and vinegar. Put scal- lops into this mixture and let marinate

for 30 minutes. Then add salt, pepper,

olive oil, catsup, and lime juice. The

lime juice should cover the mixture. Place in a glass container, cover and let stand in refrigerator 24 hours before

eating. (Stir with a wooden spoon from

time-to-time. Some metal spoons will

tarnish from the acids.) (Mrs. Robert

Rupp.)

Here is La Fonda Del Sol's seviche,

reprinted with permission from Carte

Blanche Magazine. It is a specialty of

this New York restaurant and one rec- ommended for home-experimenting

with the South American way to "cook" fish.

1 pound firm-fleshed, fresh, raw, whitefish, boned; or scallops

1 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup lime juice % cup orange juice 2 tablespoons ketchup

!i teaspoon salt

1 cup finely chopped red onions

1 red pepper

% of a small yellow hot chili pepper, grated

or finely minced

1 green pepper

lettuce 1/3 cup canned corn kernels 3 or 4 sprigs cilantro, also known as co- riander or Chinese parsley

parsley

About 5 hours before serving, remove

all skin and dark meat from fish. Slice across fish (or scallops) making strips

about \Vz inches long by % inch wide, no thicker than Va inch. Place fish in bowl; pour about % cup lemon juice over fish. Cover with plastic wrap and

marinate at room temperature about 1 hour. Stir occasionally; let marinade

reach all pieces. Meanwhile, prepare

other marinade. Combine remaining Vi cup lemon juice, lime and orange juices

with ketchup, salt, onion, and finely

chopped red and green peppers; reserve two slices of peppers for garnish. Add

hot chili pepper, if available, to this mixture. Drain and discard first lemon marinade; cover fish with seasoned marinade, using airtight container (onions

emit a powerful aroma). Refrigerate

4 hours. Tum fish occasionally. Serve

seviche over a bed of lettuce leaves on

a chilled platter. Include chopped vegetables but drain most of the juice

from fish. Garnish with sliced red and

green pepper circles, com kernels,

finely chopped cilantro, and parsley.

Provide toothpicks. Makes about 50 bite

size servings.

The Panama Canal Review 15
R

THE OLD ADAGE that money doesn't grow on trees doesn't hold true for Panama. It does, and probably in your own back yard.

Two enterprising brothers saw the green shimmering in the trees years ago and now slowly but surely are cashing in on a relatively untapped

Panamanian resource—dried plants that can be used for table arrangements.

The pair, Davis and Sydney Stevenson, both U.S. citizens born and reared

in Panama, operate the Tropical Plant Products Co. on a 50-acre farm in the Pedregal area between Panama City

and Tocumen Airport.

The products literally grow on trees and vines. They are the large curly

cecropia leaves, acacia pods, ferns, hops, sea oats, sea grape leaves, wood

roses, palm sprays, ginger lillies, the handsome heliconias which grow wild

along the roads, and dozens of miscel- laneous flora eagerly sought by florists in temperate climates where tropical

plants are rare.

1 mkMtwf* m<nmj

To date, neither brother has taken

a salary nor any profits from the farm

operation. All earnings are returned to the company in the form of land purchases, salaries, seedlings, machinery,

and raw materials. But they see a lucrative future not only for themselves, but for the Pan- amanian economy as well. All the raw

materials including seedlings, plastic

bags, paper collars for the bags (these are printed with the name of the plant

and are stapled over the bag opening),

cardboard boxes for shipping, and

many other small items, are bought

in Panama. Even farm machinery not manufactured in the Republic is pur- chased through local companies.

Bankrupt

The future was not always as bright

as it now appears, however. When the operation was first starting in 1960 it came close to failing. Less determined men might have given up. Following

the first harvest, a Florida distributor ordered $8,000 in dried plants. But T*W44

A collection of dried Panama

plant life transformed into an attractive table arrangement is held by Mrs. Gladys Burdick of the Curundu Flower Shop.

With the help of 10 men and women

who harvest, dry, fumigate, and package the marketable foliage, the Ste- venson brothers are working toward a half-million-dollar a vear industry. It may be the largest export company of dried tropical plants in Central and

South America.

Already the "product of Panama"

label printed on the packages can be

seen in nearly every State of the continental United States. Airfreight So far this vear thev have shipped

to the United States approximately

250,000 wood roses and about 200.000

other plants. Everything is sent air- freight from Tocumen Airport to the nationwide distributor. Horticultural

Sales in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Tropical Plant Products has grown

from 10 to 50 acres since the farm

started 10 vears ago. Although it was a struggle for them in the earlv vears. the Stevensons now feel there is a vast market for tropical dried plants, not

only in the United States, but Europe.

England, and Japan. Thev plan to in- crease the size of the farm to 200 acres, which will provide jobs for 50 persons.

before the shipment was paid for the wholesaler went bankrupt and the ac- count was never settled. Except for the farm itself, and the energies and

business sense of the Stevenson brothers, the company was just about out

of business. Slowly they brought it out of the doldrums. Stockholders who invested

in the original venture are being repaid

their original investment, plus interest. Davis, who takes care of the administrative side of the company, said the

obligation to the stockholders will be

totally repaid in another 2 or 3 years. While Panama's weather provides an

ideal growing season, it also creates something of a problem. Harvest time on the Stevenson farm is at the beginning of the dry season. But if the rainy season ends late, as it did this year, unseasonal storms damage the plants. Dry

season rains in January destroyed 10

to 50 thousand wood roses. But every- thing considered, nature is generous to persons who till Isthmian soil. The U.S. Department of Agriculture

requires that before being shipped to the United States, all plants must be

16 Special Edition
,

:3<*¥V

With his homemade, plywood collection box

strapped to his back,

Jeronimo Garcia snips seed pods from

the vine with his right hand and flings them accurately over his shoulder into the box.

A closeup view of the seed pod shows why it is called a wood rose.

It is actually the seed pod of the Ipomoea Tubi rosa vine which produces a bright yellow

flower during the latter part

of rainy season.

Approximately 100 dozen wood roses are in

this wire box about to be placed in a gas-heated drying room

by Ricardo Torres. Although the

plants are almost dry when picked, further drying is necessary and assures better coloration.

Just prior to fumigation

the plants are sorted and packaged.

Mrs. Maria de los Santos Molina,

who lives nearby,

earns extra money during

harvest season.

£ )

The Panama Canal Review 17
T \w vlooii Kent I* Al/w<*u* A fewowkt

Surrounded by the lushness of Panama,

David Stevenson, left, and

his brother Sydney, inspect a new batch of wood roses before the plants are packaged and

fumigated. Their efforts mav eventually turn into a $500,000 a year industry.

Packaged in plastic

and labeled, the finished product is ready to be flown

to Florida

for distribution. So far

this year approximately

450,000 dried plants have been shipped out

of Panama.

fumigated to destroy unwanted and

possibly dangerous insects. Fumigation

is one of a series of processes carried out between the time a plant is picked

and the time it is shipped to the airport.

Wood Roses

In the case of the popular wood roses, a team of harvesters moves through the rows of vines carefully selecting and

cutting the flowers. They are then put

into shallow boxes with wire bottoms

and placed in a gas-heated drying room. Although the plants would dry naturally, the artificial method does a faster job and results in better color. The plants spend 48 hours in the chamber and then are moved to the sort- ing table where each plant is inspected

for color, size, and general quality. The

best of the plants are then hand bagged

(a dozen to each perforated plastic bag),

stapled closed and moved to the fumigating room where menthol bromide

gas kills the insects. After this necessary procedure, the plants are placed in card- board cartons for trucking to the airport. Braniff International and Pan American World Airways fly the packages to Florida. An average shipment consists of 50 cases which contain 4,000 dozen

wood roses. Besides the pleasant climate of Pan- ama, there are other advantages for businesses in the Republic. Davis points out that the Isthmus has excellent accessibility to world markets; the invest- ment climate is good because it is a

dollar economy, and the business community is a progressive one. Also, there

are certain guarantees for foreign busi- nessmen; ability to move dollars in and

out of the country without restrictions, and a liberal dividend tax. On The Ground

The Stevenson farm does not produce

all the items that Tropical Plant Products exports to the States. Some of the

dried plants such as the white cecropia

leaves are provided by suppliers who

simply pick the leaves off the ground

and take them to the farm. Other flora supplied in the same manner include

sea oats, sea grape leaves, heliconia,

and roval palm sprays. Panama, like other tropical countries, has a wealth of items that can be dried

and made into attractive arrangements

for the home or office. Anybody can do it. All it takes is the right plant, a

little imagination, and a vase.

18 Special Edition
"ROSE IS a rose is a rose is a rose," said Gertrude Stein, noted author and poet. And that was fine, for a rose does look

like a rose no matter what the size, shape

or color.

If Gertrude had said this about

orchids, she would have been in trouble. Under no given set of circumstances can an orchid be an orchid be

an orchid be an orchid. In the first place, orchids represent

the world's largest family of flowering

plants. At present there are more than

30,000 different species and the number is increasing as new hybrids are developed.

In the second place, in spite of the general popularitv of orchids, few per- sons can give a fairly accurate description of what distinguishes an orchid

from other similar or allied plants.

Paul H. Allen, who wrote the book

"The Orchids in Panama," said that

in the American tropics, any plant found

growing on a tree is called by the natives

a "planta parasita" or parasite plant and

hence all parasites are automatically

presumed to be orchids. Orchids are air plants, not parasites.

Orchids By Eunice Richard

They grow well with lots of air, water and plant food but never take suste- nance from another plant. The roots do

not penetrate the living tissue of the

host plant or extract nourishment from

it as do true parasites such as dodder

and mistletoe. Other plants such as bromeliads and

aroids are frequently found on the trunks and branches of trees along with orchids. During the drv season, orchid growers sometimes water their collections with a hose using a fine sprav twice a dav. In the rainv season, spraving mav

sometimes be skipped; orchids can die bv too lavish or too limited watering.

Most tropical orchids are known as epiphvtes, a term meaning to "live upon" some supporting bodv, usually

a tree or a rock. But there are other orchids known as terrestrial. These grow

in the ground and, in the tropics, are

far less numerous than the epiphvtic

type. Of the terrestrial orchids there are two classes—those with green leaves and

stems which behave like most other

plants, and those which are saprophytic

or living wholly upon decaying plant

Orchids do not require elaborate arrangements to bring out

their beauty as the above photo

shows. A single spray

of the scorpion orchid produces a graceful

display. A simple black teapot below is used by Mrs. Mary Linden

to create an interesting

vanda arrangement. A hint of

of the Orient comes

through in the display at right by Mrs. R. Arosemena.

1 v£&

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mfe

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The Panama Canal Review 19
matter. Epiphytic orchids are sometimes

apparently terrestrial growing upon the ground in beds of moss and other plants. In temperate regions almost all orchids

are terrestrial.

Well Guarded Secrets The preface of a book on orchids bv

Walter Richter, a German orchidologist, savs orchidologv is a cult and its secrets are well guarded bv its "high priests."

He said their verv name summons up

visions of strange lands and high adventure, and only those persons who are prepared for a life of rigorous sacrifice can hope to enter its orders. Whenever the uninitiated is confronted with literature dealing with

orchids, he is soon lost in a labvrinth of

scientific and Latin terms. It has been

said that man either understands orchids

or he does not, and he who was not

celebrated Spanish voyage around the world under navigator Malaspine from

1789 to 1794. Nee visited Panama and

is known to have collected plants on Ancon Hill. Several of the most com- mon tropical plants were first described

from specimens obtained by him there. During the early davs of the Canal

construction, workers arriving in Pan- ama from the United States scarcelx could fail to take notice of the more

conspicuous plants such as the orchids. Some of the earlv orchid collectors were Mrs. D. D. Gaillard, wife of the

division engineer in charge of the Central District; Mrs. H. H. Rousseau,

wife of a member of the Isthmian

Canal Commission; and Mrs. Maurice

Thatcher, first chief of Canal civil

affairs. Although theirs were amateur

collections assembled in a haphazard

wav, thev were of considerable interest to visitors. One scientist reported that

is a thing of the past, the interest among

local orchid growers has not diminished. Members of the Canal Zone

Orchid Society on the Pacific side of the Isthmus and of the Gold Coast Orchid Societv on the Atlantic side take

their orchids in their stride as part of

a way of life. Most of them, while not

scientists or naturalists, have learned

the language that identifies most species

and are adept at producing fine hvbrids. Some of the fine local collections were started b\ Harry A. Dunn, former

medical chief technologist at Gorgas

Hospital, who was one of the pioneers

in the orchid growing business in the Canal Zone. Before retiring in 1963, he

had one of the finest orchid collections on the Isthmus.

Orchid Enemies

Writing in the American Orchid

Societv Bulletin in 1948, he said he had

Mrs. Alice Clark, at left, sprays some of her orchids with a fine stream of water, part of an orchid growers ritual which keeps the plants in the pink

of condition. At right, opposite page, this orchid, the Lockhartia Micrantha, looks more like a spider than a plant. It is growing in a piece of tree fern and is owned by

Mrs. Elizabeth Mercier. At the

far right, Canal Zone Police Capt. George E. Martin examines

a vanda growing in his orchid garden in La Boca.

bom with the sixth sense required for caring for these extraordinarv flowers

will never acquire it. That may be so, but the orchid lovers

living on the lush Isthmus of Panama

have not been cowed bv the apparent

pitfalls of orchid growing.

The local aficionados have gone

blithlv ahead and acquired some col- lections that would be famous anvwhere

in the world. Apprcximatelv 300 orchid

species may be found growing wild in Panama and many of them are in local orchid collections. Manx' others that have been introduced into this region

are now grown by orchidologists on

the Isthmus.

Spanish Voyage

Orchid collecting in Panama is not new. One of the first botanical collectors on record to visit Central America and

Panama was Luis Nee, botanist of the

he had obtained specimens which were

found to represent species previoush

unknown to science. The late C. W. Powell, a construction days employee of the Panama Canal, is credited with providing scientists with

the first major part of their knowledge

of the orchids of the Republic of Panama.

World Renown

The Powell orchid garden, which

existed in Balboa from 1914 until the beginning of World War II, was known

to orchid growers all over the world. The garden was sponsored bv the Missouri Botanical Gardens of St. Louis. It contained more than 7,000 plants rep- resenting nearlv all of the species of orchids known to grow in Panama. Manx

of the plants were sent b\ Poxvell to Missouri for classification. Although the Powell orchid garden

been collecting orchids as a hobbx- for the past 15 years, but even at that time

the roadside collection of orchids had

become a thing of the past. The enemies

of the orchid were the lumber companies that cut the trees on xx'hich the

plants grexv, and the native farmers

xvho burned the jungle to make wax

for their crops. In addition, orchid col- lectors had sought and collected in most

of the accessible places close to home

and it became necessary to go furthei

afield in the search for rare plants.

Dunn took a 10-dax trip each xear to Chiriqui Province in western Panama

and collected as manx- as 1,500 orchid

plants of about 30 genera and 54

species. It xx-as his opinion that the Province of Chiriqui xvas the finest place in the world to get orchids, mainlx

because the area includes three varieties of climates—tropical, temperate,

and cold.

20 Special Edition
Panama, in occupying the narrow

land bridge linking the two major divi- sions of tropical America, has flora indigenous to both north and south. Residents of Panama and the Canal

Zone thus have the opportunity of see- ing a remarkably representative cross- section of the orchids of the New World.

The Dunn collection was broken up

when he left the Isthmus in 1965. But

Mrs. Alice Clark, who lives with her husband and familv at the top of Ancon Boulevard, got her start in the orchid business when her sister-in-law gave her five orchid plants from the Dunn garden.

Since then, she has traded, purchased,

and produced plants that cover two

trees, fill one greenhouse, and grow

along the side of the hill behind the house in a profusion of white, vellow,

and purple. Most of those that are in bloom through most of the vear are the

parts of Panama including Ancon Hill and islands in Gatun Lake. She has imported some from the Far East and

the United States. Canal Zone Police Inspector Capt.

George A. Martin is another veteran

orchid grower. He started his collection

of plants in 1950 when he was living on the Atlantic side and has obtained some from the Gatun Lake region.

Although he began with native blooms,

he has branched out into the hybrids

and the imported plants, manv of which

he obtained through trading. Trading.

he says, is as good a way of making

friends in out of the way places of the world as being a ham radio operator.

Captain Martin, Henrv Tooke of Los

Rios, and most other orchid collectors here have a number of the large flowered hybrid cattlevas. It is difficult to persuade the average individual that

In Panama, the Holv Ghost orchid

blooms not in the Easter season as one might expect, but in August, midwav

in the rainy season. New growth starts with the first heavy rains of the vear

in Mav. The Mariposa, or butterfly orchid, is another beautiful species native to Pan- ama. It grows from sea level to 2.000

feet on the espave trees along the banks

of rivers. Orchid Cures

Orchids have been used for medicinal

purposes. They cure very common ail- ments and not as one mav think, onlv

exotic diseases. According to orchid

expert Walter Richter in his book The

Orchid Wohld, a drug known undei

the name of "salep" is made from the dried bulbs of certain species of

terrestrial orchids. The drug is important for the treat- ment of serious intestinal illness in chilvanda hybrids and the bamboo orchids,

both of which are terrestrial or ground

orchids. Her garden is on the side of the hill and is in the line of march for tourists taking the Ancon Boulevard

route to tour the Canal Zone.

Orchid Eaters Many visitors arrive at her house

thinking it is part of the old Powell

botanical garden. Although her garden

is constantly putting on a show, she seldom loses any of the exotic blooms

to human thieves. Orchid-eating deer

are her trouble. They sometimes come down from Ancon Hill and eat a whole

stand of vandas in one night. Mrs. Clark savs she has learned to know Panama as well as manv far awav

places through the hobby of orchid col- lecting. She has collected orchids in El

Valle, El Volcan in Chiriqui Province, Cerro Campana, and many other

there are others. And vet 80 percent

of the wild orchids are small to minute.

Fragrant

The hybrids can be produced bv

sowing the microscopic seeds and bringing the plants to maturity under precise modern methods, which takes about

2 years. Some of the varieties are quite fragrant.

The most celebrated of the Panama

orchids is the Peristeria data commonly

known as the Espiritu Santo or Holv

Ghost orchid—the national flower of the Republic of Panama. It is a terrestrial tvpe that inhabits the lowland forests. From a cluster of green bulbs, a few

narrow leaves rise and a flower stalk 3 or 4 feet high bears a raceme of fragrant white waxv flowers resembling

miniature doves which give it the popular name.

dren but the production is small because

attempts to cultivate salep producing

plants for commercial purposes have

been unsuccessful and the world sources

are becoming exhausted. The roots of some orchids are used

against inflammation of the joints and

the flowers of another against dysentery.

Orchids are used for many varied medicinal purposes. Some species from

Mexico are used as fever cures and

for coughs, and some are even good

for the treatment of wounds. The bulbs

of another are eaten in Jamaica to aid digestion. The bulbs of the Japanese terrestrial orchid are a remedy

for toothache. No orchid is known to be poisonous

although the Chinese have been known

to extract alkaloids from some species

and the leaves of others can cause

inflamation of the skin.

The Panama Canal Review 21
By Georgia Conn

FOR THE CUNA Indians of the San

Bias, 1970 may be the "Year of the Mola."

The diminutive Cuna women, shy

when it comes to displaying themselves

in their colorful costumes, become aggressive hawkers of their cloth molas,

which are the most sought after tourist item in Panama.

The rectangular, intricately designed

panels are worn bv the Indian women,

young and old alike, but the North

Americans who sometimes seem to over- flow the small Cuna communities on buying sprees have other ideas. They

have taken to framing them for wall hangings, for dressmaking, pillow covers, curtains, hats, head scarfs, bikinis, place mats, clothing patches, and in the Canal Zone the newest fad among teen- agers is to put them on T-shirts and

jackets.

The market for molas has reached

fantastic proportions and the commercial demand for them in the United

States cannot be met. Orders for thou- sands are received by local wholesalers,

but only hundreds at a time can be supplied. On the islands most visited by

tourists the Indian women spend all of

their spare time hand sewing the molas

although sewing machines have come

into use on a few islands.

f: ,;iiuffliii

The design and workmanship of the unique needlework panels have

changed from generation to generation

during their approximate 100-year his- tory. Among the molas currentlv being

made, however, there is a tendency to reproduce manv of the stvles and

techniques of the past. Much Conjecture

Although there is no documented

evidence concerning the details of the

origin of the mola there is much conjecture. The literature on the Cuna Indian

abounds with all phases of their culture and frequently describes in general terms what the Indians were wearing

throughout various stages in history.

It is known that the Cuna Indians

practiced the art of body painting during the 16th and 17th centuries. The women were in charge of the painting

so it follows that they were to become

the "artists" of the society. Using a wooden stick gnawed at the end to the

softness of a brush and working with

pigments of brilliant colors made from

berries and clays, they covered their entire bodies with designs. It is easv

to imagine that their abstractions of plant and animal forms had much of the same linear quality that we find in the mola designs of today.

While the men of this period enjoyed

\sms

comparative nakedness, the women had

a tradition of modesty. Cotton was cul- tivated and a homespun-type of cloth was woven for clothing. The women of the 17th centurv were described as wearing skirt-like garments that were

tied behind, but no upper garments. The

skirts were made of handwoven cotton

or occasionally of old clothes obtained

through trading.

One explorer in the 1680's reported

the women as wearing cotton clothing

"curiously embroidered," but since this period preceded the arrival of commercial needles and thread, and the Cuna

Indians did not weave or inlay designs

in their cloth, one could theorize that the garments were handpainted in a technique somewhat related to body

painting.

Nakedness

There is little information available on the Cuna dress for the vears between

1700 and 1850. But a trend away from

nakedness had definitely begun by 1700,

and bv 1850 the women were reported

as wearing handpainted, wraparound

skirts which were worn under kneelength blouses, usually dark blue and

decorated with a band of red at the bottom.

The women still engaged in weaving

at this time but they took much more

^g^jljj

22 Special Edition
delight in being able to secure pieces

of fabric or old clothes, usually of gaudy

colors, from passing traders and prefer- red to use these since they represented such prized articles. Trading Ships

A generation or so prior to the close of the 19th century the ingredients of the mola which we know today were

the geometric designs and the different colors of cloth. What remained was the

integration of these elements. In this case, opportunity was the mother of in- vention. With the coming of the highpowered looms and the development of

color-fast chemical dyes in Europe, fac- tory-woven cloth in a variety of bright

colors and prints soon found its way via trading ships to the San Bias Islands. As the traders brought in more colorful cloth the women began to decorate

the hems of their basic blue and red

tunics with simple applique. Needles,

thread, and scissors also were easily

procured items from the trading ships

of the late 1800's. The particularly in- tricate Cuna "applique" technique itself appears to have been an indigenous

development. Actually, the term "applique" is not technically accurate in this case. The term "cut work stitchery"

would be more descriptive, for the Cuna

method began by cutting slots and outlines of figures in the top layer of cloth, turning under the edges and allowing

the color of the cloth underneath to show through. It is only applique in the

sense that layers of cloth with designs

cut into them are "applied' to a bottom

layer. New Art Form

The women, apparently carried away

with their new art form, gradually widened the decorated hem until by the

early 1900's it included the whole area below the armpits. The yoke and sleeves were usually white, although one finds

in early photographs that a completely

incongruous printed fabric was often used to "top" the artistic needlework,

a practice which continues to this day.

It was during this time that a blue,

factorywoven cloth suitable for wrap- around skirts became available and fash- ionable, and so the blouse was shortened

to hip length in order that the skirt could

show. Skirt styles have not changed

basically since. The cutwork panels which formed

the back and front of the earlv blouses were usually of two or three layers of

cloth. Red, orange, and black became

the favorite basic color choices. The

designs were most frequently geometric, continuous-line compositions with

about an equal distribution of background and foreground colors. When

figures did appear they were highlv

stylized and abstract. This same style of the early 1900's

is still being produced today.

As the mola grew in size, it also grew

in complexity. The brilliantly colored

cloth of good quality that was available had the same effect on the women of San Bias as a large box of crayons has on a small child. By the 1920's the Cuna women were known to have one of the most striking costumes among the indigenous people

of the Americas. No visitor failed to re- port the colorful apparel and he usuallv

tried, with success, to obtain an example

of this remarkable folk art. Hardy Visitors

Visitors were few and hardy in those

davs, usuallv limited to scientists, Pan- ama Canal employees, and adventurous

tourists. But the mola of this period was

relatively crude compared to what it would become in the next generation.

The parallel spaces in the cutwork was

often % to 1 inch wide and in some of the photographs taken prior to 1930 one

can even see evidence of the stitches. The unique geographical location oc- cupied bv the San Bias Archipelago,

located off the Caribbean shore of east- ern Panama, is no doubt responsible for the Cuna having a longer history of contact with Europeans than any other Indian group of the Americas.

Beginning with Columbus, who in 1501 gave the San Bias Islands their name, there has been an unending

stream of explorers, exploiters, buccaneers, would-be settlers, surveyors for the railroad, builders of the Canal, missionaries, U.S. military forces, scientists, and tourists. And yet, from earliest re- corded times, the Cunas have resisted integration with other groups and have

The author holds a "bird" mola blouse with a background of appliqued triangles.

managed to retain their own integrity.

The increased exposure to other cultures, however, did have the effect of creating new inspiration for mola designs. Any subject was fair game for translation into their unique visual vernacular. In 1938, the islands were

opened for dav tourists and it was not long afterward that the mola became

an elaborate masterpiece of four or five lavers of cloth and as many colors. Wide Repertoire

From the 1950's to the present, the wide repertoire of subject matter in- cluded such nonindigenous items as pro- duct labels, magazine pictures, calendar

art, pictures from children's storybooks, Christian iconography (following the

arrival of missionaries), and illustrations of current events, as well as interpretations of their own folklores and scenes from everyday life. These professionalprimitives had reached the epitome of fusing originality with borrowed ideas. Add to this an ever increasing supply

of materials and a growing enthusiastic market of tourists, private collectors, in- terior decorators, fashion designers, gift shop owners, and museums and the re- sults could be termed the heyday of the molas.

The Panama Canal Review 23
Clusters of thatched

roof huts cover the San Bias Islands where the Cuna live

in small communities

(Continued from p. 23)

With so manv hands busy sewing

molas to meet these demands the question of quality arises. Are all molas

works of art? Probably not. In a primitive societv, native crafts are originally

made for utilitarian purposes, whether

ceremonial or practical. Art is not a

profession as it is in Western civilization but a social duty. When everyone not onlv can but must produce, it follows

that the clumsier hands are going to produce inferior work.

Anybody's Guess

Recently, the mola has experienced

a further lessening of quality due to a speeding up of the length of time spent on sewing each panel. It is estimated

that the average panel takes from 4 to 6 weeks to complete. How much of this time is spent in actual sewing hours,

however, is anybody's guess. The women

spend every free moment sewing and

they usually have several pieces of needlework going at one time. But despite the fact that for a while

it looked as though there would be

enough of these brilliant panels to cover

the earth, at the rate that molas are leaving the islands the supply will eventually diminish. And although a few of the very complex and good quality molas are still being made, it is at an ever

decreasing rate. There are still some old but good ones to be found but this sup- ply is also on the wane, and once they

are gone-like the Old Masters, they

will never be replaced.

The time spent, the care taken, and

the quality of materials used all combine to make the mola an outstanding

achievement among folk art today.

There is such a tremendous variety on

the market that the prospective bwyer

could easily become confused. Here are

a few guidelines.

First, styles may vary from very

simple, two-laver designs to the ulti- mate in complexity with four or five layers of cloth and intricately embroidered detail. So, examine the mola for number of layers of cloth. A Clue

Second, notice the quality of fabric used. If you can, try to determine if it has been worn and washed. This would

give vou a clue to its durability. There

are some very old molas which were made with quality cotton and have sur- vived countless washings and wear with

little or no fading. But thin and even

synthetic material is often found in the molas currently being produced.

Third, examine the width and evenness of the lines and spaces The more

carefully sewn molas may have spaces

no wider than !s inch. And there was a time when a good mola was one that had no space greater than one Y* inch without some work on it. In addition,

good stitching does not show on the top

layer, onlv on the bottom.

Fourth, besides the more frequently seen "slot" technique used for filling in background areas, there are other more

time-consuming techniques. These in- clude filling large areas with tinv dots, a modified Greek-kev motif, and sur- rounding the edges of figures with a saw-tooth pattern or one that resembles

tinv gears, to mention a few.

Fifth, color and subject are largely a matter of personal taste. There are those collectors who find the subtle tones of the old, closely keyed panels

highly desirable. On the other hand, some prefer the ones made with vibrat- ing and bright colors. Also, clashing

colors are often used to achieve striking

effects. As far as subject matter goes, the variety is infinite and whether vou

prefer an Adam and Eve wearing top

hats, a portrait of a famous person such

as General MacArthur, or perhaps an amazing reproduction of a sardine can

label, is entirely up to you.

Prices

Prices on the San Bias Islands begin

at $2.50 for a very ordinary mola panel.

A whole blouse, right out of a Cuna

woman's wardrobe, can usually be pur- chased for from $5 to less than $10.

In Panama City and Colon, prices begin

at around $5 a panel and increase according to quality.

Collectors' items begin at approximately $25 and sometimes reach $100.

In the United States it is difficult to find any of the San Bias needlework for less than $10. The panels are frequently sold framed which increases the price consi- derably. In a May issue of the New

Yorker magazine, an article describing

a new gift shop stated that mola wall hangings sold at $40 to $45 each, and

mounted on a 20 x 24-inch piece of Formica, $75.

There are many theories regarding

what the future of the San Bias Cuna

Indians of Panama might be. Their re- luctance to join the 20th century may

preserve them and their art. And, per- haps, these Indians, with their fantastic imaginations, marvelous innate sense of design and color, and their skill, will continue sewing in spite of creeping

civilization.

Mrs. Corin has taught art in the Canal Zone and recently completed

her master of arts thesis in art education on the mola.

2A Special Edition
W:

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THE MOLA achieved art status when Dr. Louis Hoover

head of Illinois State University Art Department, decided

to devote the remainder of his life to helping the Cuna

artists. Dr. Hoover first collected more than a thousand

quality molas from all the areas of the San Bias. These

molas formed a background or research group for study,

classification, and development of nomenclature. After many trips into the Cuna country and long talks with

the tribal leaders it was possible to begin to understand

the stories being told by the molas.

In December 1968, the Hoover Collection was unveiled for the art world. The Center for Inter-American

Relations in New York held an exhibit and turned all its

facilities over to the collection and printed an extensive

catalog. The exhibit next opened at the Pan American

Union in Washington, D.C. where the Ambassador of Pan- ama held a formal reception attended by President Nixon.

Following these beginnings the collection has been

sought bv museums and galleries all over the United

States and Canada. Molas as art are now accepted and

as a result higher quality molas are being avidly sought.

This should lead to the ultimate realization that a mola

as a tourist souvenir and as an art object are two separate

entities. The Hoover collection has made it possible for anthropologists and sociologists to study the "writings" of the Cuna in great detail. One mola in the Hoover collection

is identical to a third millineum Mesopotamian drawing. Recent indications are that designs such as this were

transmitted down through the ages by grass weavings

until the molas offered a better medium.

W. D. Barton, Islandia.

.-Vi'4'.^"^?';^"?

The Panama Canal Review 25
Wot**,

w

Photographs by

Arthur L. Pollack

HAT DO PEOPLE DO WITH

molas?

While the Curia women in Panama's

San Bias Islands are doing exactly

what they always did with them—

wearing them as blouses—mola fanciers

in Panama and the Canal Zone are fashioning them into everything from

purses to lampshades.

And there is no generation gap where

their use is concerned. They are found on the seat of teenagers' jeans as well

as the skirt of mother's party dress. Grandmother may have a mola-decorated knitting bag while her granddaughter carries a mola shoulder bag.

The traditional mola which is proving

so popular with amateur as well as professional designers, is rectangular in shape and consists of three to five lavers of various colored cotton cloth. The

intricate designs are fashioned by cut- ting through the layers of cloth to the

color desired and the edges of the design are sewn so that the stitching can- not be seen. The technique has been

described as "reverse applique" or "cutwork stitcherv."

Mrs. Sherry Holland, of Diablo, models a skirt which she designed to be worn opened up the side or the front.

26 Special Edition
The Cuna seamstress makes no pre- liminary drawing but starts out with a picture idea and develops the design

as she goes along. A good mola may

take a month or two to make.

Custom-made molas may be or- dered—at a slightly higher price. Just show the inventive folk artists of the San Bias a picture or sketch of the subject you want depicted and you'll have

a mola that is not only personalized, but

a unique conversation piece. Of course, the results are sometimes surprising.

A likeness of your family dog, for example, mav be so highlv stvlized that he'll come out looking like a giant anteater. But no one else will have a mola like it. Until recently molas were simply

framed on a background of colored burlap and hung on a living room or den wall, but they are now being given new dimensions by imaginative people

with a propensity toward individualism. On these pages are some of the inter- esting ways molas are being used by

Isthmian residents with a flair for fashion.

Zindy Wiggs and her colorful shoulder bag attract the attention of the Deakins twins, Tim and Tom, as she strolls down the street in Gamboa.

Viveca Kochman, Canal Zone College student, wears a brightly colored traditional mola blouse with white bell-bottomed pants.

Mrs. Earl R. McMillin, of Gamboa, models mola-covered shoes. At left is a handbag featuring the same colors as the shoes.

The Panama Canal Review 27
Mrs. Charles Griffiths, wife of the Commander of the U.S. Naval

Forces Southern Command, who collects items with a

turtle motif, holds a turtle made from a mola which was given to her by a friend as a souvenir of Panama. On the floor are a few others from her collection. At right: A unique piano bench

cover made by Mrs. William H. Beeby, of Balboa Heights.

The Classic Cuna CostumeTHE CUNAS USE TWO MOlas to a blouse, one in front and one in back, usually of the same

design and color. They add sleeves and a yoke edged with borders of a blending color. The early Cuna blouses were

knee length and were decorated with

a band of red at the bottom. As

colored cloth became more common

and as island traders brought in needles, thread and scissors, in ex- change for coconuts, the women ex- panded their decoration, shortened

An attractive San Bias seamstress wears

the typical everyday costume of the women of the Islands.

the blouse to waist length, and

gradually developed the technique

of cutting outlines of the desired

figures in the top layer of cloth allowing the next layer to show the

design.

Not unlike fashion-conscious women all over the world, a San Bias lady discards a blouse when the

colors get dull or when she feels the need for a change in wardrobe.

Having discovered that tourists will buy almost anything made of molas, she usuallv offers the used

blouse for sale or rips it apart and

sells the two molas separately. Seri- ous collectors are alwavs on the

lookout for these as they know that the Indian women save the best ones for themselves and the used

molas, though faded, are often su- perior in design and in needlework.

28 Special Edition
Quite different from the traditional Cuna blouse is this one made bv Mrs. Holland. Around her waist is a mola necktie.

Thirty molas were needed to make this banquet-sized tablecloth which Capt. Julius Grigore, USNR, took with him when he left

the Canal Zone following his retirement.

Anne Castles, Canal Zone College student, wears a bikini which she made

from two molas.

The Panama Canal Review 29
Cane Cages

Come in

Many Shapes

By Jose T. Tunon

/^^URNING waste materials into I I something attractive and sale- ^mdr able is the dream of every

potential entrepreneur. That dream

coupled with imagination has turned

the hobby of making reedlike bird- cages into a profitable home industry

in Panama.

A small group of Panamanian farmers near the highlands of El Valle de Anton

spend much of their spare time collect- ing the raw materials and forming them

into intricate birdcages of various

sizes and designs—miniature houses,

churches, fire stations, airplanes, heli- copters, pagodas, and recently, one

7-foot model of the Thatcher Ferry

Bridge was made.

The cages are not made of reed, but

from the stem of the sugarcane and from

the hard center strip of coconut palm

leaves. The farmers most active in this small industry are from El Copecito and El Espino, communities approximately 60

miles west of Panama City near the entrance of El Valle—the home of the rare golden colored frog and the strange tree with a square trunk.

Oldest Industry

Growing sugarcane is perhaps the

oldest and most widespread industry in the Republic of Panama and in the last 20 years it has grown into a major export

industry.

The farmers use every part of the cane. From it they make a sweet refresh- ing juice called guarapo. In the old days

it was sometimes left to ferment and the

result was a fairly strong drink the natives called cimarron. Guarapo also is boiled until it has the consistency of molasses or until it sugars. This brown

sugar is molded into blocks and used to make sweets and candies. Until recently, families in the Interior sweetened their coffee with sugarcane molasses or the brown sugar. As the industry grew additional refining was necessary to sell the sugar on the world market. Another industry which uses the sugarcane as raw material is the important rum industry of Panama. Although

the rums are not widely exported, they

are considered bv many rum drinkers as among the best in the region.

After the juice is extracted from the

cane, the fibrous residue, or bagasse, is used for fuel. In some areas bagasse is

Heriberto Sanchez shows the coconut leaf

fiber used to join the pieces of sugarcane stem and to reinforce the birdcages.

At top: Holding a helicopter, one of his more difficult designs, and surrounded by other

cages which attest to his skill as an artesan, is Julio Torres of El Espino. Above: Heriberto Sanchez makes a star-shaped cage on the porch of his home in EI Copecito.

30 Special Edition
made into wallboard. The leaves also are used, for cattle fodder. What is left

is the slender stem, or viruli, of the sugarcane blossom which for many

years has been used all over Panama

for making kites and more recently the birdcages of El Valle.

Construction

Viruli is easy to handle and is fairly strong. The pieces may be cut or broken

at any desired length. Strips of coconut

leaf fiber are used to join the pieces of stem to reinforce the bird cage construction. Though fragile looking, the cages are durable and withstand the weather even if hung outside for years. One of the manufacturers of the bird- cages is Heriberto Sanchez. He is an ex- pert and some of his creations are true works of art. His tools include a machete

for cutting the coconut palm leaves, a

well sharpened penknife for extracting

the fibers from the leaves, and an awl

for making holes in the stems to place

the fibers. Most of the cages Sanchez makes are

in the form of a house or a church. But

his pride and joy is a model of the Thatcher Ferry Bridge. For the base he

used two 7-foot lengths of white cane

(of the same family as sugarcane) often used for building the rustic native huts

of the Interior. He sold the bridge cage

to Miss Marsha Collins of the Canal

Zone. It was so big it had to be divided

into three sections so it would fit in the car. According to Sanchez, the best time

to cut viruli is in November when the sugar cane is in bloom. A 13-year-old

nephew, Enrique Quintero, helps him to cut the cane and to make the birdcages.

The boy's real ambition, however, is to go to school in Panama City and learn

to be an airplane mechanic. The money

he earns goes toward his education.

Filled With Cages

Another artist at making birdcages is Julio Torres, an 18-year-old youth from

El Espino. His father has a grocery

stand on the side of the road. Torres has

a bohio in front of his father's place and

it is practically filled with cages of all kinds. His creations average about 2 feet

in length and 1 foot in width. In the cages are little bars for the birds to perch on. He sells the simple cages for $1.50 to $2 and the more complicated

ones for $3. Others, depending on the work involved, cost a little more. It takes from 1 to 2 days to make a cage, depending on the size. A cage in the form of a house, pagoda,

tower, or airplane takes about a day to make. A helicopter takes a little longer.

Marsha Collins, center, of Diablo Heights, with the help of her sister, Cristina, right, and

Carmen Graciela Lee, displays the model of the Thatcher Ferry Bridge which she bought

from Heriberto Sanchez. In the background is the real Thatcher Ferry Bridge which

crosses the Panama Canal. A fishing boat with cranes and net throwers takes much longer to make and

sells for $3.50. Torres, who has a grade school education, makes his living on the birdcages. Since business is not very good during the rainy season, he

makes most of them in November and

has a large supply ready when the dry

season sets in and visitors go to the area.

Heriberto Sanchez shows the intricate work

involved in fashioning a star-type cage.

On some Sundays he earns as much as $35 selling birdcages.

An effort is being made by the National Artesan and Small Industries Service (SENAPI), sponsored by the United Nations and the Panama Government, to find other markets for the cages.

A building material with many uses, viruli

is also used to make picture frames.

Heriberto Sanchez cuts the fully developed

slender sugarcane stem, the material from which the cages are made.

The Panama Canal Review 31
'%(§>$& [r©0&(S3«MrS>

(9\B$S>

y' 31$ CWAQ

Mr. and Mrs. Dionisio Santos and their infant daughter with chaquiras which they brought from their home in Veraguas

Province to sell in Panama City. He is wearing a ceremonial hat and a chaquira which the Guaymi men wear on festive occasions.

32 Special Edition
THE CHAQUIRA

AN INDIAN warriors' ornament has made its way from the primitive envi- ronment of the mountains of western Panama into the world of feminine

fashion, and it is winning women's

fancy.

The ornament is the chaquira, a shoulder-wide collar of brightly colored beads arranged in geometric designs now used bv women for both daytime

and evening wear. It is also still worn

todav bv the Guavmi Indian men, whose ancesters were the formidable

fighters the conquistadors rated among

the most skilled of all the warriors in the Western Hemisphere.

No longer the fierce warriors of yore, the present-day Guaymies, some 35,000

in all, live under the laws of Panama in the provinces of Veraguas, Chiriqui, and

Bocas del Toro. Their children attend Panama schools, but they still keep

aloof from people not of their own cul- ture and retain many of their aboriginal customs and practices.

The chaquira was first mentioned

by European historians in documents

dating back from the early part of the 17th Century. It was quite different from today's ornament. The colors were

dull and it was not so tightlv beaded as modern-day ones. It was fashioned of pebbles, pieces of bone, seeds, and sea

shells which the Indians colored with

homemade dves.

Sold In Shops

The brightlv colored beads and varied designs of the chaquiras now being sold

in the shops reflect the Indian's presentday ability to buy beads of whatever

shape, size, or color needed.

Fray Adrian de Santo Tomas, who

ran a mission in 1622 in what is now

the town of Remedios, Chiriqui Province, described the chaquira as the ornament worn by Guavmi men during

their major festivals—a sort of emblem

of Guavmi nationality.

The Spanish conquistadors found

three distinct Guavmi tribes in western Panama; each named after its chief; each spoke a different language. The

three big chiefs were Urraca, who ruled

in what is now Veraguas Province:

Nata, in the territory of the Province

of Code; and Parita, in the Azuero

Peninsula. Of the three, Urraca is the most

famous. He not only defeated the Spaniards several times, but was the only one among the rebel Indian chiefs who

Mrs. Ginny Arias, of Diablo, adjusts the black and white

chaquira which she

is wearing with a

black dress.

forced a captain of the Spanish Empire,

Diego de Albitez, to sign a peace treaty. This was approximately 1522.

His Feats A measure of Urraca's temper is provided bv the account of his feats after Albitez's successor betrayed and

imprisoned the Indian chief. Sent in chains to Nombre de Dios on the Atlantic coast, probably for transfer to Spain—according to historian Bartolome de las Casas—Urraca escaped

and made his way back to the mountains, vowing to fight the Spaniards unto death. And he fulfilled his vow.

In his last years, Urraca's name was

so feared bv the Spaniards that they

avoided combat with his men. When

Urraca died in 1531, surrounded by

friends and relatives, he was still a free man. He probablv was laid in his grave with a chaquira covering his shoulders. After Urraca's death, the other Indian

chiefs carried on the fight against the white invaders, taking refuge in the

steep mountains of Veraguas and the Tabasara Range where the Spaniards'

cavalry could not maneuver. By the 18th Century, the Guaymies

were divided into two large groups:

those of the tropical forest (in the highlands of Veraguas and Chiriqui) and

those of the lowlands (along the Atlantic coast, from Rio Belen to Bocas del Toro). Thev never surrendered, fight- ing until the collapse of the Spanish

domination in the Americas.

In Oblivion

When Panama broke away from Spain

and joined Colombia in the early 19th Centurv, the Guaymies remained in oblivion in their mountain villages.

Slowly they are now being incorpo- rated into the national fold. Guaymi

teachers and law-enforcement officers help the effort. At the last graduation

of the Felix Olivares High School in David, Chiriqui, an honor graduate was

a Guaymi student, Miss Matilde Salinas.

Her ambition: to studv medicine and

to return to the mountains to work

among her people.

Other voung Guaymies are leaving

their mountain homes in increasing

numbers to work in the banana plantations in Chiriqui and Bocas del Toro. They bring back new things and new

ideas which they share with their elders —transistor radios among them.

While the chaquira remains a symbol

of the Guaymi culture, it is no ionger

a treasured warrior's ornament fash- ioned painstakingly by female hands

within the closeness of the familv circle, but a vastly sophisticated commodity

to which mass production techniques

are being applied. Its production is an

established source of income for the Guaymies.

Small Shops

In olden times, it took perhaps as much as 4 months to fashion a single

chaquira. Today, in much less time,

dozens of the collars are produced in small shops to fill orders from the cities. And men now work side bv side with women turning out the ornaments. Along the Inter-American Highway

near Tole, the town closest to the Tabasara Range, Guaymies and boys from

Tole peddle chaquiras of all sizes and

colors, starting from about $6. In fash- ionable Panama City shops, the collars

sell for $15 and up. Perhaps the very masculinity that the chaquira symbolized centuries ago is the

intangible lure that has made it an orna- ment prized bv women in modern times. The noted U.S. historian and archeologist Samuel K. Lothrop, in his "Ar- cheology of Southern Veraguas, Pan- ama," rated the Guaymi warriors thusly: "In the opinion of many, the natives

of Veraguas should be ranked with the famous Araucanians of Chile as the out- standing fighters of the New World, a judgement shared by Spanish veterans who had served in both regions."

The Panama Canal Review 33
ITIOBILE

mASTERPIECES

By Vic Canel

The artwork on Panama buses and "chivas"

is a colorful expression of individuality

FREE LOVE," "HOT PANTS,"

"Mr. Big Stuff," may sound like

titles for X-rated movies, but they're

not.These, along with many proverbs,

sayings and catch phrases, are names

given to their vehicles by imaginative

Panamanian bus operators as an ex- pression of their individuality. Usually

lettered on the rear of the bus in Old

English script with fancy flourishes and

capricious curlicues, the names are a part of the colorful decorations that makes Panama's buses unique.

The more elegantly decorated buses

have brightly colored paintings inside and out, ball fringe on the windows,

religious figurines and fanciful touches which may include gaily dressed dolls or crocheted items. Perhaps as a tribute to Panamanian

womanhood—or to womanhood in general—a girl's name is often painted on

each of the side windows.

Naming buses is said to have started when the first self-propelled public conveyances made their appearances in the cities, during the second decade of the century. Those early vehicles,

called "chivas" (goats) were nothing more than sedans or pickup trucks with the after end removed and re- placed by a wood and tin body. They

accommodated six or eight passengers on lateral benches and the entrance was

at the rear. The name "chiva" is said to be

derived from the fact that the solid wheel vehicles jumped like mountain

goats when driven over Panama's cobblestone streets. Samuel Lewis, a retired Panamanian

journalist and publisher, recalls that among the early pioneers of public

transportation in Panama, circa 1911, was a Jamaican chiva operator who for reasons known only to himself, per- mitted no women aboard his rattletrap conveyance. He would drive down the

street soliciting passengers and shouting: "Men Only!" But apparently his male chauvinism was no obstacle to success. Mr. Lewis says he prospered

and soon bought a second chiva. Operators gave chivas pet names to distinguish them from those of their competitors. Their efforts at originality

produced some fairly spicy names and,

at one point, the mayor of Panama

ordered names removed from all public conveyances. The custom was later revived however and extended to the

larger buses. Some of the first chivas were chaindrive Ford pickup trucks operated by

East Indians in turbans. Hindus were

the principal operators of bus transportation in Panama before World War II. In the beginning, there was no or- ganized transportation and no large

fleet operators. But enterprising indi- viduals ran their own jitney service to take employees to work. Among the first was a Canal employee named Harry

Conley who had a small bus in which

he took coworkers from Ancon to the Administration Building and back during the 1920's. But a great majority of bus operators in the years that followed were East Indians. During World War II, when the number of workers in the Zone in- creased with the employment of additional personnel for defense projects,

concessions were granted to some 20

bus operators to provide service in the Canal Zone, including military reserva34 Special Edition
A bigger than life-size

portrait of Franco Nero, star

of Italian Western movies,

peers menacingly at

tailgating motorists from

the rear of this Chorrera

bus. The actor also is

featured in the interior

decorations which include a

cartoon reproduction over

the mirror that says "Love is ... to travel with Franco Nero every day."

The fancy sign on the rearview mirror says

"I will always be for you."

m

$> *

T

mhihdo figjy

Teodoro "Billy" Madrinan has specialized

in painting scenes on buses since the 1940's.

tions. Most of the concessionaires and

their drivers were Hindus.

Gas and tire rationing and the unavailability of spare parts combined to make this service something less than

efficient. But it was not until 1952 that the services were consolidated and a

single concession granted. The principal stockholder was an East Indian

merchant, Gursan Singh Gill, who

owned two oriental stores in Panama

City, and most of the drivers, of course, were Hindus.

Eventually, Gill bought out his five partners and sold out to the present

operators of the Canal Zone bus service. The 70 or 80 chivas still seen in Pan- ama are destined to disappear as the country streamlines its public transportation system and consolidates inde- pendent operators and cooperatives

into two principal organizations, a coBus paintings portray everything from comic strip characters to figures of Greek

mythology. This bus, named "Prometheus

in Chains," features a painting of the titan atop the Caucasus as well as a scene of Panama City's Balboa Avenue.

The Panama Canal Review 35
operative known as the Cooperativa de

Transporte Metropolitano, and a cor- poration called Corporacion Unica de

Transporte.

The evolution from the eight-pas- senger chivas to the gaily painted 50- passenger buses of today was gradual.

Chivas made from cars and pickups were used until the early thirties. Then,

in 1934, a Colombian, the late Froilan Arce, got the idea of buying 32-ton chassis and motors and building the bodies locally. Those chivas remained in service

until after World War II. Then, in 1946,

the first "busitos" made their appearance. These are the small, 16-passenger

blue buses which at that time sold for $3,600 complete or $900 for the chassis and motor only. In 1960, local operators began to import 24- to 30-passenger buses and,

as the city grew and the demand for public transportation increased, 40- and 50-passenger buses costing $9,000-

$10,000, were placed in service. But throughout, the chiva has sur- vived and is patronized by faithful passengers who usually ride the same

one each day and know each other as well as members of a car pool.

Among the principal routes served by today's chivas—mostly of 1952 vint- age—is the one extending from downtown Panama along Balboa Avenue to the shanty town called Boca la Caja,

east of Paitilla Airport. The ride to the

end of the line costs 10 cents, but the chiva will take you as far as Santo Tomas Hospital for only a nickel. One driver on this route, Juan Antonio Olivares, has been behind the wheel

of chivas for 32 years. In addition to the Chiva he drives on the Boca la Caja route, he owns a small busito. As

a small fleet owner—five buses or less- he belongs to an organization called El Tercer Grupo ( the third group )

, made

up of small independents who are not

affiliated with either the cooperative or the corporation.

So there are basically three types of buses in Panama—the venerable chivas, the "busitos" and the larger buses. Though the earlier chivas were painted

with bright and imaginative designs, most of the surviving ones are plain.

The greatest profusion of artwork is now found on the larger buses. There

are paintings of pastoral scenes, reli- gious motifs, well-known landmarks

such as the bridge that spans the entrance to the Panama Canal, the ruins

of Old Panama, likenesses of film and

TV personalities and even comic strip characters. A random sampling of buses along busy Via Espaiia or Central Avenue during rush hour can be

an amusing pastime. One bus is named

"Marshal Dilo"—phonetically honoring

the character portrayed by James

Arness in the TV series "Gunsmoke."

Others are named "The Fugitive" and

"The Untouchable." Still others bear

phrases and sayings such as "Let's Forget the Past"; "God Forgives, Not I"; "Forgive Them Lord"; "It's All In The

Game"; and "What You See Is What

You Get." A few of the signs are in English.

Many of the buses have been lettered and decorated by Teodoro "Billy" Madrinan, a former employee of the Pan- ama Canal Dredging Division, who

began specializing in the art back in the forties. Billy says the custoi of painting

scenes on buses got stai .ed when one

bus operator conceived the idea and it was later noted that tourists were

stopping to photograph his bus. The

idea caught on quickly and soon operators were competing for originality.

As they did, the decorations became

more and more elaborate. The cost of bus decorations' varies according to how elaborate they are. A simple scene on the back of the bus

may cost anywhere from $15 to $25.

A complete job, with paintings inside and out, lettering of names, phrases

and girls' names in the windows can

cost up to $120.

Many Panama bus riders are likely

to view with nostalgia the passing of

this charming custom as the Panama

Government prepares to modernize its public transportation system with shiny new buses which have large picture

windows, but, alas, no expressions of

individuality.

Some "chivas" do double duty. Those that come from

the interior carrying produce, passengers and chickens are popularly called "Chivas Gallineras" (Chicken Chivas).

Paintings of Panama's famous flat arch bridge and its historic cathedral along with a couple in typical dress help to publicize some of the

country's tourist attractions.

36 Special Edition
More different birds are found here than in all of

North America north of Mexico-approximately 850 species

Paiaaite tci BitJ Waick«**

By Fannie P. Hernandez IN THE earliest dawn, before the sun

has emerged through the paling skv,

a sleek, black, yellow-eyed, male grackle

nestled in a mango tree breaks the

silence with a serenade to the new

morning. His tune is of long drawn

out notes, cheerful, throatv, subdued,

vet loud enough to awaken anvone in the vicinity. The female, brown and

smaller, quietlv chatters back from a nearbv palm frond. The handsome fellow singing with

all his heart is also known as a clari- nero—one of the abundant bird fauna

inhabiting the Isthmus of Panama. An

ornithologist's paradise, there are more

different birds found here than in all of North America north of Mexicoapproximately 850 species.

Best Months

Though the abundance of birds is evident throughout the year, April and

earlv Mav are especiallv favorable for bird watching. It is the beginning of rainv season, a time when not onlv the

native species but also the North American birds in migration mav be observed. South American species fixing to Central America also can be seen.

It is estimated that 6 billion birds, adults and voung, moving at night

from Canada and the United States, migrate to southern United States. Mexico, Central America and South

America each winter. A large number of these are seen in Panama.

Besides the striking grackle which mav be seen most anvwhere except the dense forest, are the birds of the tan- ager familv noted for their brilliancv

of plumage. Thev are blue, vellow,

green, and red. The crimson and black

species locallv called "sangre de toro"

is usually seen at the edge of the jungle

or along the roads in the Interior. At this time of the year, the lovelv musical notes of the Panama thrush tanager mav be heard ringing out from

the jungle. One of Panama's most

beautiful birds, this tanager is dark slate with a rose-red stripe on the sides of the forehead broadening in front of the exes. The male has a loud sweet

whistle of notes in different pitches.

Related to the tanagers are the honeycreepers, the family of small song birds which abound in the humid, heavilx' wooded areas of the Isthmus Bright

shades oi blue and green predominate

in the males and vellow is prominent

in some species. One of the most bril- liant is the red-legged blue honeycreeper. The male is deep sapphire blue with

a turquoise crown. Part of the underwing is yellow and flashes out brightly

when the bird is in flight. The female

is olive green with underparts of paler

and brighter green. The honeycreeper

rarely sings in full daylight, but in the breeding season, the male sings a weak,

unmelodious song at dawn.

Grassquits

Common and comical to watch in the open fields are the small blue-black

grassquits that leap verticallv several

feet and alight again in the same spot, uttering a fexv short notes during the jump.

On a spotting tour, a birder max

also observe on the Panama countrx side barred ant shrikes, sparrows, Panama

robins, which resemble their northern

relatives, hummingbirds, woodpeckers,

saltators, wrens, the "pico-gordo," the

thick-billed euphonia, xvhich has a

sxveet canarv-like sound, and flvcatchers, which probablv outnumber them all. Busx little seedeaters are verv nu- merous at the end of the drxr season and the mangrove warbler is alwavs to be found in the swamps. Of special in- terest to the bird watcher is the oropendula which suspends his long hanging

nest from the branches of large trees. The male sings a long-draxvn, far-carrv- ing liquid gurgle as he bows forward

into an inverted position, raising his wings above his back. Doves are abundant and verv tame

in the fields, gardens, and along the

roads. A flock of ducks is not a rare

sight.

Along The Shore

Shore birds, practicallv all migrants,

are abundant. Sea birds also are numerous and breed in immense numbers on

the islands in Panama Bax\ Laughing

gulls, roval terns, brown pelicans and

frigate birds are usually seen along the

shore. Another large familv of birds is that

of the kingfisher ranging in size from a small songbird to a croxv. Thev are found near the water and feed on small

fish xvhich thex' catch bx' plunging into the water. They nest in holes in trees and banks. The motmots, related to the kingThe Panama Canal Review 37
(Continued from p. 37)

fishers, are beautiful birds of green, blue and russet with graduated tails bare about an inch above the extremities,

forming racket-shaped tips. The bird

itself preens off the barbs. Motmots

are found in the deep forests or dense

thickets, often sitting in one place for a long time. A fairly common bird in woods and

undergrowth is the squirrel cuckoo,

somewhat like the widely distributed

long-tailed members of the family.

A slow, melancholy call, like a whistle

of variaticns is heard in the savannas

It is the northern striped cuckoo, called

"tres pesos" by the Panamanians. These

birds call to each other bv the hour

bringing music to the open fields Where there are cattle, the tick bird

or "garrapatero" is surelv to be found

as he feeds on insects on cattle.

Toucan

A frog-like croak which mav be heard more than half a mile across the open comes from one of the most striking

and distinctive of all tropical birds—

the toucan, a large jungle bird. It has an enormous, slightlv curved vellowish green bill, nearlv as long as its bodv

and verv thick. The brightlv colored toucan roosts in holes in trees and feeds on fruit. A favorite of bird watchers and nonbirders too, is the family of parrots rep- resented by several species on the Isth- mus including parrakeets and macaws.

Their plumage is highlv colored and

variegated, with green being the pre- dominant color. Parrots are noisv birds with harsh voices and usually nest in hollow trees, the large species inhabit- ing the deep forest. They remain quiet

during the day but can be heard

squawking earlv in the morning and

before dark.

Showiest Parrot The macaw, the large, magnificent,

blue and yellow or scarlet bird, is the

showiest member of the parrot familv.

It has a powerful hooked beak which

it uses to crack palm nuts and is ex- tremely noisv. Fairlv common, macaws

are usuallv seen in pairs and frequent

the tops of trees. One of the most common and wideh

distributed birds of the Isthmus is the

parrakeet. Watchers mav observe the orange-chinned parrakeet at sunset go- ing from tree to tree keeping up a shrill chattering as it feeds. The Veragua

parrakeet is apple green passing to bluish green on top of his head with

greenish blue wings, vellowish below.

The bill is horn color. The smaller "pe- nco" is bright vellowish green with a patch of bright orange on his chin and

upper throat. These beautiful little creatures are often caught and sold as cage

pets. Panama, host to manv species common

to both North and South America besides its own particular birds, offers a veritable field dav to bird watchers.

38 Special Edition
Ifs More than Pot Luck at

LA ARENA

AN ART practiced milleniums ago in the storied lands of Egypt, Chaldea and

Crete is opening new horizons for the

village of La Arena, some 250 kilo- meters southwest of Panama City.

Work in ceramics has been known

in La Arena, a community of less than 3,000 population, from time immemorial.

Most of the residents now engage in cattle raising, which is the main occupation in the Azuero Peninsula in southwestern Panama, or in agriculture. But even before the time of the conquistadores, what is now known as La Arena was the place where first the In- dians and then the settlers supplied

themselves with clay utensils: bulging

tinajas to keep the water cool on warm

days; round pots to cook the daily

meals, and a variety of other utensils

all made in La Arena. Of course, the baking and the finishing were primitive,

but customers in those days were not

as exacting as now. From the very beginning, women

took over pottery work in La Arena for reasons no one can explain. Their primitive ovens can still be seen in the

outskirts of the village.

During the thirties, a young woman

from the nearby, progressive city of

Chitre, Miss Diana Julia Chiari, was

appointed a schoolteacher in the vil- lage. She quickly became enthusiastic over ceramics, which she learned from

the village women. Every day after school, she studied books on potterv

and ceramics, and soon she became

more adept than her instructors. She

turned the tables—teaching the residents how to improve their techniques, how

to apply decorations with clays of various colors and artificial coloring, the method for building indirect heat ovens and generally improving the quality of their ceramics. The glazing process, in its primitive form, was another forward method taught by the young

teacher to the people of La Arena.

Miss Chiari, by then a key community

leader, turned her energies to having a pottery school established in La Arena. One of Panama's presidents, Dr. Juan Demostenes Arosemena, turned the young teacher's dream into reality by

founding the National Pottery School in La Arena. Miss Chiari was the first principal.

Diana Julia Chiari was married years

later to Victor Gruber, an American,

and moved to the Panama Canal Zone. But she never forgot the village of La

Arena. She took friends from Panama

and the Canal Zone on weekend trips

to La Arena to see the work done there. Another Canal Zone resident, Mrs. Theresa Lutz, visited La Arena, accompanied by an official of the Canal Zone

schools. They were amazed at the work

turned out from the little pottery school despite the lack of modern facilities and with only a firewood oven. On her

return to Balboa, Mrs. Lutz aroused the

interest of Mrs. Emily C. Bolton, then

president of the Balboa Women's

Club, in La Arena's potterv school. The result was that the Club donated to

The Finishing Room at La Arena. With vegetable and synthetic hues, workers apply the various decorations which grow brighter with time.

The Panama Canal Review 39
the school a fine ceramics electric oven. The only condition stipulated by the Balboa women was that the oven should

be used exclusively for the benefit of the community. Even today, the oven

donated by the Canal Zone ladies is

still the best piece of equipment in the oven room of the ceramics center in La Arena. A little over three years ago, the Ministry of Agriculture of Panama,

with United Nations assistance, established in neighboring Chitre the National Handicraft and Small Industries Service—SENAPI—for the purpose of encouraging the development of small

industries in various communities of the

central provinces of the Republic. It has become a large organization, di- rected by Pedro Bolafios of the Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce and

Industries of Panama, and Jean Barroux

of the International Labor Organization.

From the outset, SENAPI centered

its attention on La Arena. Panamanian

and United Nations experts were as- signed to the town to help the National

Pottery School progress scientifically

and to serve as a model for other communities which might develop ceramics

as a small industry. The National Pottery School became the La Arena

Center under SENAPI in Chitre.

The project is supervised by Pana- manian and United Nations experts: Ivan Zachrison, a Panamanian artist who has specialized in ceramics, and

George Cuielle, a French expert in ce- ramics who also is with the United

Nations. They taught the first 16 stu- dents who reported to the Center. Currently they are training more than 30 other apprentices. The ceramic

pieces are designed by Alberto Chan

and Rene Diaz, both Panamanians, and

Malcolm Benjamin, another U.N. expert

from the United States. One of the most important phases of the project was to develop the La

Arena Center as a cooperative. This was the job of Franz Helm, a Germanborn authority on cooperatives from the United Nations.

Cuielle points out that top-qualitv

clay is abundant in Panama, especiallv

in the central region. "It is a good in- dustry for the inhabitants of the re- gion," he remarks. "The raw material is quite available and costs them nothing.

They have only to manufacture a variety of utensils for which there is a Fifteen-year-old Luis Calderon, the youngest of the workers at La Arena, utilizing a

tiny hand-lathe.

40 Special Edition
La Arena now

stopping point

for travelers

demand, and they have a means of livelihood assured."

The La Arena ceramics shop is on

a par with the best, thanks to the help

of Panamanian and United Nations ex- perts and the equipment furnished by

the world organization. It is supplied

with indirect heat ovens, including the

first one using wood, others employing gas, and the electric oven donated by the Balboa Women's Club. An air compressor facilitates the enameling process which precedes the baking. In a finishing room, residents create bright adornments along the lines of the Indian designs found in the Conte Site in Cocle province.

All types of fine vessels, dishes, and

decorative pieces are turned out in a lathe room. Everything from simple

dishes to amphoras of pre-Columbian

design are produced in this room. Several of the amphoras which are replicas

of those found in the Conte Site, complete with designs, have been displayed

by SENAPI in the Panama Pavilion at Hemisfair in San Antonio, Tex. They

have attracted considerable attention and already European and United

States importers are showing an interest

in the ceramics from La Arena.

The impact of the La Arena Center

(the official designation of the cooperative project in SENAPI is "La Arena

Ceramics Industries") has been tre- mendous in the three short years since

its establishment. Its direct sales in 1967 amounted to $16,000. These are handled in the Center offices in La

Arena and through SENAPI in Panama

City and Colon, the Canal Zone and

other areas of the Republic.

The Center's influence touches most

residents of the town. Brothers Victor and Ernesto Murillo are typical examples. The former lives in the center of town and spends his spare time decorating and turning on a lathe vessels and pots. Ernesto owns an indirect heat,

firewood oven on the outskirts of town.

Mateo Batista removes from the gas-electric kiln a newly baked pot. The oven was donated

to Cooperative Ceramic Industries of La Arena by the Balboa Women's Club in 1963 when

the center was still called the National Pottery School.

He built it under the direction of a Peace Corps volunteer. Both brothers learned the art in the La Arena Center and in a few months after striking out on their own, Ernesto had saved enough

to buy a small $1,000 delivery truck.

The annual impact on the town from

the ceramics industry is estimated at more than $20,000, since other families besides the Murillos work at it during

their spare time.

The results at La Arena have been

so encouraging that SENAPI officials organized another ceramics shop in Chitre under instructor Toribio Ruiz

Avila, a native of La Arena. Ruiz al- ready is training the first five of a group

of 20 young men from La Pena, Veraguas Province, 254 kilometers west of Panama City.

"The talent for ceramics of these young people is marvelous," Ruiz

says. "After two weeks training, they were fashioning delicate clay figures."

The young men will form the nucleus

of the La Pena Center.

Ruiz was a student under Mrs. Gruver, whom he recalls affectionately. "All I know, I owe to her," he said, recalling his school days.

The La Pena Center is being

equipped with a $16,000 donation from

the Panama National Lottery. Labor for the building is being furnished bv resi- dents of the town. The Center will specialize in fine ceramics, copying the pre-Columbian gold huacas. Because of

their small size, there will be no diffi- culty in shipping these items to principal markets in the United States and Europe.

Thanks to the dedication of a young

teacher imbued with the ambition to help others, a small town in Panamaaided by the Government and by the United Nations—is now pulling itself up bv its own bootstraps. La Arena has become a stopping point for travelers and visitors, most of who come away

carrying a fine ceramics piece decorated with Indian motifs and labeled,

Made in La Arena—Panama.

The Panama Canal Review 41
cA jewel cAmong, the "SslanaA of PearlA

42 Special Edition
By Louis R. Granger

LUSTERED OFF the south

coast of Panama lie

a group

of more than 100 islands that during the next decade are ex- pected to give a bit of competition to the sun and fun

islands of the Caribbean.

Well-known to the boating and fish- ing crowd of Panama and the Canal

Zone, the Pearl Island Archipelago in the Gulf of Panama is stepping into the

limelight thanks to

a group of Panama

businessmen and the Panama Government, all bent on putting the island jewels on every island hopping tourist's itinerary.

Gabriel Lewis, president of the Pearl

Island Development Corp., is the lead- ing force behind the project and this month will officially open Contadora

Island to tourism. Already more than $1 million has been

spent to develop the island into

a luxury

resort, and approximately $800,000 more will go into the construction of a 50-room modern hotel and 16 two-bed- room cottages to be ready in January

1972. Now available are 10, two-bedroom, centrally air-conditioned trailers; a restaurant and cocktail lounge; and a small rental store for sporting goods and

the usual beach and water necessities.

13 Beaches

Although the island is only 2 miles long and % of a mile wide, it has 13 beaches and plenty of room for privacy.

An airfield nearly 3,000 feet long serves the island, and the corporation owns

three twin-engine planes for shuttle service from Paitilla Airport. The fee is $10 per person round trip, but property owners are given a discount.

It'sa 15-minute trip by air and

approximately 1 to 2 hours by powerboat. The island lies at the northern end

of the archipelago approximately 35

miles from Panama City. There are nu- merous anchorages for deep-draft vessels and the island has a gas diesel fueling

pier.

Once the island gets into full swing,

Contadora will be

a paradise for the out- door types, as well as for the naturalist. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Peterson who

operated

a sailing school at Fort Lauderdale, Fla., are resident managers of the operation and offer skindiving and sail- ing classes. Natives from the surrounding islands will conduct pearl diving

expeditions for the more adventuresome

visitors. Pearling was

a lucrative busi- ness around the Pearl Islands until the

With many tropical beaches

and jungle trails, Contadora

Island officially opens for tourism this month. On

opposite page pretty Karen

Hughes,

a visitor from

Iowa, writes her favorite

island's name in the sand,

and strolls along the beach

in the photo below.

In left photo, Gabriel Lewis,

right, developer, chats

with Frank Morrice whose

company holds the

exclusive sales rights to island property.

Below is

a trail leading

through untouched jungle.

The Panama Canal Review 43
A paradise for beachcombers and skindivers, the Pearl Island Archipelago gives up

treasures from its past to sharp-eyed visitors. Here Mr. and Mrs. Lewis display some of the items found among the islands. Clustered in the foreground and in photo below are

pearls found just off Contadora this year.

1930's when apparently a combination

of over-fishing and disease decimated

the beds. But pearl oysters mav be making a comeback. Lewis has collected nearly

100 pearls of various sizes off Contadora

in 10 feet of water at low tide. ( Pacific- tides average approximately 14 feet.

)

Golf Course

Tennis courts, a 9-hole golf course, and volleyball courts will be added to round out the sporting activities. Lewis has preserved much of the

island- forest of guayacan trees, thorny

cedars, oaks, and typical island growth,

and has let it be known that a good way

not to be invited back to the island is to

kill one of the black iguanas that inhabit the island. This species grows to about

5 feet and like the rest of the familv are harmless to humans.

Indian pottery and 19th Century

bottles have been found on Contadora

during the construction and clearing.

And on a nearby island Lewis found two

large diving helmets abandoned or lost by pearl divers. Lewis plans to retain the natural beauty of the island and not crowd any

of the residents or visitors. Actually

there is no need to pack Contadora with

people. He owns seven other islands in the archipelago which he plans eventually to develop. "It all depends on how

well the public accepts Contadora,"

he said. Part of the island has been subdivided

for homesites and additional building

sites will be set aside after the hotel is completed. "The reaction has been fantastic," said Lewis. "Already the entire subdivided section has been sold."

If Lewis' own reaction to Contadora

when he first saw it is any indication of how others will feel, then the island is bound to be a favorite.

Like a Dream

Just 2 years ago in November Lewis was fishing alone in a small boat when

he had engine trouble. He put into Contadora for help. "I found the island to be like a dream," he said. After repairing the engine, Lewis returned to Panama

City. "Immediately I started asking

questions and found that it was owned

by the Pinel family who had been in the pearl business years before." Fortunately, the owners were willing to sell. Lewis set-up a 5-year program and in February 1969 the first bulldozer started

to clear an area for the airstrip. Since then a work force of about 70 men has been kept busy. The Panama National

Guard provided some heavy equipment

to widen the runway. During the next dry season the airfield

and all the roads including one that

circles the island will be blacktopped.

That project is expected to be finished

in February 1971 along with a water

system supplied by three artesian wells, and an electrical plant with three generators supplying 1,000 kw. Comunicaciones, S.A., will install 80 telephone

lines for island communications and 6

lines to Panama City by March 1971,

Lewis said. No Crazy Ideas

Original building sites sold for $6 a square meter for waterfront lots and $4

for inland property. The only building

restriction is that plans be approved by

the management and that the houses

"fit in" with the community. "No crazy

ideas," Lewis said. Lot owners, he ex- plained, can purchase two-bedroom, air- conditioned mobile homes from the Pan- ama Tourist Bureau for nothing down

and $128 a month for 8 years. Trailer

lots, however, must be landscaped.

To Lewis, the archipelago will be- come the next major tourist area. "These

islands will be booming soon. The Government is backing their development

and is giving a lot of cooperation. There's a great potential here. "Panama has an excellent opportunity

to develop a strong tourist industry. We

have what everybody wants—sun, good

beaches, some of the best fishing in the world, and clean, clear water," he said.

Sales Rights

Lewis is not alone in this venture. Frank Morrice III, a partner of Ford,

Sosa, Morrice, S.A., insurance and real

estate, has the exclusive sales rights to

island property. And like Lewis, Morrice first went to Contadora for a reason

other than business.

"I heard about the island and went

there to see about buying a lot. I fell in love with it right away," he said. Lewis

and Morrice became good friends and

Lewis offered him the sales part of the

business. Lewis is a family man, the father of

five boys and one daughter, and has a

close relationship with his business

associates. He is general manager of the

successful family-owned enterprise of Corrugado Panama, S.A., which manufactures banana packing boxes. He has the easygoing manner of a man who is sure of himself and knows

exactly where he is going.

Morrice feels much the same way

about the future of the Pearl Islands as Lewis, but admits that it takes someone

like Lewis to make it work. "Gabriel is the pioneer; he's the Robinson Crusoe

of the Pearl Islands."

44 Special Edition
LITTLE IS KNOWN and less is re- corded of the Pearl Islands except that they were once the center of important

and lucrative pearl fishing, an industry

which to various degrees continued for more than 400 years. The first known written reference to the islands occurs in a letter to the King

of Spain from Vasco Nunez de Balboa,

dated January 20, 1513. Balboa had not discovered the Pacific Ocean—that was

to be in September—but had heard many

stories from the Indians about the great

"South Sea" that stretched to the horizon

from across the Isthmus of Panama. He told the King: "The Indians state there is another ocean 3 days journey

from here . . . they say the other ocean

is very suitable for canoe traveling as it

is alwavs calm ... I believe there are many islands in that sea . . . they tell me

that there are pearls in abundance of great size, and that the native chiefs possess baskets filled with them, as do

even common Indian men and women."

Since then these islands with their graceful white sand beaches, craggy

cliffs, good natural harbors, and a wide

and abundant variety of wildlife have

led unruffled lives while their tropical cousins in the Caribbean were groomed

for the tourist trade. Sun and Rum

As the Caribbean islands boomed with

pleasure seekers by the hundreds of thousands soaking up the sun and rum,

the "Islands of Pearls," as Balboa called them, patiently waited for the limelight.

From 1901 until 1968, when Gabriel

Lewis, president of the Pearl Island Development Corp., bought Contadora

Island, it was owned by the Pinel family

who used the island for its pearl fishing

fleet. The Pinel's bought it from great- grandchildren of Felix Moreno who took

title to the island and several others in the late 18th Century. Moreno's daughter inherited it on his death in 1836

when the island was called San Francisco de Asis de Contadora.

Jose Pinel of Panama City, who is en- gaged in the real estate business, was

a child during the pearl fishing days of

his family. He said Contadora and

several other islands had fresh water

necessary for the fleet. Pinel believes

that Contadora may have been the

island that was used as the countinghouse for pearls and mother-of-pearl

shell during the Spanish occupation. The

Spanish word contador means counter; accountant; or auditor, and contaduria is translated as accountant's office, accountancy, and auditorship.

The Pinel family remained in the pearling business—both for mother-ofpearl and pearls—until 1931 when the demand for mother-of-pearl diminished.

Most of it was sent to Germanv while the

pearls were sold mainly in Paris, London, and a few other European capitals.

Only a few pearls were ever sold in the United States, Pinel said.

Pearl Fishing

Although the Colombian Government

had established conservation practices on pearl fishing prior to the turn of the century (Panama became independent

from Colombia in 1903), the production

of pearl oysters diminished markedly in the 1930's. According to Dr. Paul S. Galtsoff of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, who con- ducted a survey of the pearl oyster resources of Panama in 1950, the years

of forced inactivity from 1939 through

1943 had no beneficial effect on the

oyster population. "In 1944-45, when the fishery was

officially resumed, the divers found the

pearl oysters extremely scarce. They also reported seeing, on several formerly

productive grounds, many dead or dving

oysters," said Dr. Galtsoff. There are no records available of the number of pearls and their value taken from Panama Bay during the Spanish

occupation, but it probably was considerable. Modern-day records on pearls

and mother-of-pearl shells were not maintained until 1908, and even then

the records were onlv sketchy.

According to the Panama Bureau of

Statistics and Census, the best year was

1924 when pearls and shell valued at $57,524 were taken from the bay. The

last year of record keeping was 1938

when it was reported that only 3 carats

of pearls valued at $275 were collected. But the year before, 339 carats with a value of $10,818 were taken.

At top of page is an aerial photograph of Contadora Island taken earlier this year.

It shows the runway, half a dozen beaches and some of the roads. A 50-room hotel and 16 modem cottages will be constructed near the beach at right center. The

U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office chart shows some of the northern islands in the archi- pelago including Isla Contadora, below

Isla Pacheca and to the right of Isla Saboga. The islands are approximately 35 miles from Panama Citv.

The Panama Canal Review 45
HHBHU

By Jose T. Tunon

THE APPAREL OF SLAVE WOMen and nursemaids during the Spanish colonial era of the Isthmus has

become, with the passing of time, the

national costume of Panama and one of the most beautiful and most admired

typical dresses of the world. From its humble beginnings in the

servants' quarters of the wealthy of Old

Panama, the pollera gradually invaded

the refined drawing rooms of high society, becoming a prized possession of

all Panamanian women, from the rustic maidens of the countryside to the highborn ladies of the aristocracy.

There are those who claim that the

pollera had its beginning in Spain be- cause of its similarity to the modest

dress worn by women in the small towns

of Spain in colonial days. And still others

will insist that the pollera originated

with fashionable ladies of Old Panama.

The idea most accepted, however, is that the dress was inspired by the gar- ment worn by the black slaves, later becoming the dress of the women of the populace, evolving into what it is today, the national costume for women

and a svmbol of Panamanian nationality.

There are three classes of polleras: the formal dress known as the pollera

de gala; the pollera montuna, the every- day dress; and the wedding pollera,

originally from the Ocii area. According to Panamanian folklore, the all white pollera was worn by the nursemaids, while other female servants wore the brightly colored calico skirt that became the pollera montuna, the everyday dress. The Formal Pollera The formal pollera for festive occasions and holidays is made of fine white

linen, cambric or voile. At least 12 yards

of material go into its making. It must

be pure white to form a background for the blended tints of embroidered designs of flowers, birds, garlands or other combinations of designs, preferably of native origin and feeling. Exquisite designs are made in cross-stitch or by the use of a more elegant needlework

known as "talco en sombra," which is characteristic of Panama. It consists of two pieces of material sewn together.

A design is made on one piece of the

fabric, and the design is then carefully cut out and its edges hemmed with tiny

invisible stitches. The formal pollera consists of the blouse (wider than the montuna blouse), the skirt and the petticoat or petticoats,

as one to three are worn under the gown. The blouse of all three polleras

is white and worn off the shoulder. For

the formal dress, the blouse has a neck- band at the top of the bodice made of the traditional "mundillo," the fine handmade bonelace made in the Interior, and

edged with lace. The band has openings

in the front and in the back, where wool

pompons are placed. The neckband is in- terwoven with wool of the same color as the pompons. Two ribbons, called "gallardetes," hang from the waist, one in front and one in the back, and match

the color of the wool. The heelless shoes,

soft slippers in velveteen or satin, also are of the same color as the wool pompons No stockings are worn. A beautifully embroidered ruffle of

fine wide Valenoian lace is attached to the mundillo band and falls to the middle of the bodice. Another ruffle is added

under the first one and this falls to the

waist, or to a little lower than the waist. Both of these ruffles are exquisitely embroidered or worked in "talco." The blouse has push-up sleeves with

an embroidered ruffle, also trimmed in

lace.The skirt of the formal pollera is always made of fine white material, fine enough for the handwork on the petti- coats to show through. It is loose, full and long, reaching the ankles. The skirt

is two piece; the upper section comes

to the knees and is separated by an in- sertion of mundillo lace, with the material gathered in such a manner that it can be spread out and be admired.

Twice as much fabric goes into the lower part of the skirt, making a circle.

Above: The intricate handwork on

the petticoat of the white wedding pollera

is displayed bv Miss Marilyn Escobar who is seen at right lighting a candle

in Panama's famous

Church of the Golden Altar.

46 Special Edition
The Panama Canal Review 47
Participating in the folkloric dances

held at Old Panama during the dry season

is Miss Marta Vega

wearing the montuna.

Golden chains, including the typically Panamanian "cadena chata," and other gold jewelry, such as coins in filigree frames, are worn with the formal pollera.

The elaborate jewelry and combs, encrusted with pearls, are as impressive

from the back as from the front.

The edge of the skirt is trimmed with

about 25 yards of lace, 4 or 5 inches

wide. The magnificent skirt is gathered

at the waist and tied by four narrow

ribbons, two crossing in the front and

two in the back, running through the button holes of two gold buttons at either side of the waist. The petticoats are handmade of very

fine white linen, as elaborate as the

48 Special Edition
Framed by the modernistic sculpture which stands in front of the Pacific- Atlantic Bank in Panama, Leyda and Marilyn Escobar

display the magnificent skirts of their polleras. The unusual metal sculpture is by Adolfo Arias, Jr.

skirt, with laces, outwork and embroidery. Usually two are worn with the

pollera. sometimes three. The hairdress is an important part of the pollera. The hair is parted in the

center and tightly pulled back behind

the ears, forming two braids. The braids

are covered with several pairs of "tembleques," the glittering sprays of flowerlike filigree ornaments made of gold and

silver and pearls, their flexible stems

"trembling" as the wearer moves. Two

kinds of combs are worn, one crested with elaborate gold work, called "de

balcon" as they resemble the design of balcony railings. These are placed

toward the back of the head on either

side. The others are called "de perlas"

because the gold work is encrusted with

pearls. These are worn a little to the

front of the head. Earrings are large, of various shapes, in gold or silver, with

rosettes of pearls or coral. Several gold chains around the neck,

from four to eight, are part of the jewelry worn with the formal dress. These include coral and pearl rosaries, gold coins in filigree frames on plain

gold chains, a gold cross on a chain or

a narrow black ribbon, gold cords with

religious emblems, scapularies, and the "cadena chata," the flat chain with a gold fish at the end. It is absolutely

Panamanian in significance and, according to legend, in the old days, when a

The Panama Canal Review 49
Culinary

Capers

^i*~?

ffflA

THE SKILLS AND STAMINA OF

some of the best roadbuilders of

this hemisphere will soon be put to the

test in the dense jungles of the Darien

Province of Panama and northwestern

Colombia where construction of a 250-

mile highway will supplv the link now

missing from the Alaska to Argentina

intercontinental road system.

Culinary Capers invites Review readers to go along on an armchair journey

with these forgers of progress and makers

of cement ribbons to savor the region's

primitive nature before it is swept away

by the near-magic of 20th century

ingenuity. Adventurers' tall tales of the Darien

tell of headhunters who blow poison

darts from the treetops, of swarming

blood-sucking insects, of bottomless morasses, of ferocious jaguars, and wild

boars. Let us have a look at the Choco

Indians and the vital sources which have

sustained them on a jungle-river-based

economy.

Roadbuilders

The roadbuilders and their bulldozers

will cross one of the world's largest

swamp areas, jungle rivers, hills and

valleys, and penetrate wilderness un- touched even by Indian paths, to bring

change, at last, to an area where Spanish

explorers established their first mainland

colony. Cutting through the dark green masses of tangled vines, creepers and a myriad of forest growths, we shall see the Chocoes' shelters, taste their food,

and feel the pulse of their silent primeval

world before thev retreat deeper into the wilds or opt to join the modern age. Defying change, we find the coppercolored Chocoes living today in the wildest, most primitive existence, very much

as the Spaniards found them early in the 16th century. Scattered along the banks

of the many rivers that crisscross the Darien, far from the comforts and problems of civilization, they seem to be in complete harmony with their surroundings. Proud, peaceful, honest, but sus- picious of outsiders, they live a day-today existence in which there are few

economic pressures. Ignoring govern- ment procedures and regulations, Chocoes usually make their own laws. They are the Indians most often maligned in stories about the Darien. Possibly because of their savage appearance,

they have stirred the imagination of the

mythmakers. They are, however, more

friendly than their Cuna cousins. Both men and women go about practically nude. The male has a muscular frame, an abundance of straight black hair and

wears earrings. The rest of the attire of the Choco man consists of a small

C-string and a generous coating of dark

bodv paint made from the dye of a native berry from the genip tree. They

also use a red paint made from achiote, the orange-red seed pod which is com- monly used to give color and flavor to Panamanian cooking.

The Kitchen

The Chocoes are semi-migratory and

dwell independently in small one or two

family groups. They build their shelters along the banks of rivers which serve as

their highways and source of livelihood. The dwelling is a platform raised on

posts several feet above the ground.

Overhead is a roof of thatched palms, the

joints tied with vines. There are no protecting walls. To reach the Choco house, one climbs up a ladder made by cutting notches into a pole or a log. At night, the family turns the steps to the underside

of the log to bar dogs and other un- wanted callers. At one end of the floor, which is made of flattened-out split cane,

is the "kitchen." It consists of a cement

or clay platform approximately a yard

square. Three logs placed spoke fashion

rest on the square and the cooking pot

sits over a small fire burning at the hub. A calabash tree provides the kitchen

utensils. Scooped out small calabash are

for drinking and eating or used as spoons, though ordinarily the Chocoes

use their fingers to eat from the com- mon kettle. Another one with a hole cut into the top and a piece of oily twisted bark stuck in the hole serves as a lamp. And still another good-sized calabash with holes punched into it is a colander. Long seed pods serve as

graters.

Practically Nude

Choco women wear only a simple

knee-length sarong, their ink black hair

falling on copper shoulders, their breasts, bare. Both men and women have a great fondness for adornments. They

wear quantities of glass beads around

their necks or draped over their shoulders, and on special occasions, flowers in their hair. For additional beautification, thev paint the lower part of their faces Down in the Darien

50 Special Edition
and their bodies, often making intricate designs with different colors of paint. Scattered about the floor and hanging

from the posts of the dwelling and those supporting the roof over the "kitchen"

are baskets, earthen pots, bows and

arrows, spears, knives, and other handmade hunting and fishing and household

items. The baskets are made of strips

from the fronds of a palm tree which are

light on one side and darker on the other. The Choco women weave them turning

the strips and making an attractive twill pattern. Earthen pots are slowly being

replaced bv "pailas," the cast aluminum

or iron pots found in Panamanian

kitchens.

Sleep on Floor

The Chocoes sleep on the floor of the

shelters. Their beds are the bark of trees which women have made soft by beating

under water. There are no bed covers. A wooden block serves as a pillow. There

is no protection from the excessive heat, the insects or frequent downpours, and

the Darien is one of the world's rainiest regions. The shelters are easily replaced

making it possible for the Chocoes to disappear deeper into the wilderness as the construction gangs near them. Navigating their long narrow dugout canoes, thev will select another spot on the same

river or another stream which will pro- vide laundry and bathing facilities and

also serve as the fish market and water

supply. Fish are caught with nets, spears or

The Pan-American

Highway System

The circle encompasses

Darien wilderness where the

last 250-mile link in the Pan-American Highway

system, to be constructed

in the near future, will permit motorists of the

1980's to drive from Alaska

to Argentina and open up

what has been called "a treasure box of long

hidden wealth." Fertile valleys will be revealed when the walls of the green

jungle are broken by

the road through this untamed stretch of land.

bows and arrows. If not consumed immediatelv, thev are smoked and dried. The rivers also provide turtles and cai- man, favorite foods of the Chocoes. They

shoot the turtles with rifles or swim

under water and catch them with their hands, tossing them ashore. A wooden

wedge is driven between the head and

shell to prevent it from getting away

before it reaches the cooking pot. To

save the turtle for a future meal, it is tied near the water. The forests furnish wild game which

provides the Chocoes protein food. Born

hunters, they use bows and arrows to

hunt the jungle animals. The tapir, peccary, deer, armadillo, iguana, and

monkey are favorite jungle fare. Jungle trees provide balsa for making

rafts and the bark of certain trees is used

to make remedies for snake bite, skin ail- ments, malaria, etc. Other trees furnish

fruit and dyes for painting their bodies. Palm fronds are used for the roofs over

their shelters and the juice of the green coconuts provides "milk" for the Chocoes.

Chocoes cultivate mainly corn, rice, yucca, potatoes, yams, beans, and otoe and grow plantains, bananas, pineapples,

A Choco boy and his river.

Long, narrow dugout canoes

transport food on the waterway

which also provides drinking

water, fish, and laundry

and bathing facilities.

The Panama Canal Review 51
>DARIEN VICTUALS

papayas, guavas, aguacates, and other

hints and nuts. Then- diet is rich in vitamins and high in roughage.

Iguana Stew

A favorite dish is Iguana Stew and for

this a gravid female is preferred and

prepared in this manner:

Skin the iguana, removing the insides and saving the eggs, including the yellow ones and the heart and liver. Dis- member the iguana by cutting it down

the spine, dividing the halves into three

pieces and the legs in two. Place the meat in a pot of heated coconut oil and

brown it lightly. Drop in hot pepper and

garlic to taste, and brown a little longer.

In another pot, boil the eggs in their

shells for half an hour with chili pepper.

( Iguana eggs, boiled for 10 minutes and

then sun dried have a cheese-like flavor and are relished by all Darienites.) Drain

and add to the meat along with the diced

liver, heart, and yellow eggs. Cook until the broth has all but disappeared. Serve with rice and beans.

Turtle Stew

Turtle is an excellent food source of the Ohocoes and a typical meal may be

portions of turtle fried in its own grease. However, a more savory dish is Turtle Stew prepared like this: Clean and cut up the neck and legs of the turtle and steep in lemon juice,

garlic, onion, green pepper, salt, and

pepper for a few hours. Remove from

the marinade and fry lightly. Then add

the marinade and one cup coconut milk

and cook until the meat is tender.

Turtle Egg Omelet

Turtle eggs are considered a delicacy

in Panama and some say they are more

nutritious than hen's eggs. They are eaten raw, cooked, mixed into pancakes

and made into a butter-like spread.

Turtle Egg Omelet is made much the same as the common hen egg variety,

using oil for cooking.

The flesh of jungle animals and birds such as tapir, monkey, ibis, peccary,

venison, and agouti are common fare in the Darien. The flesh of these is often smoked before cooking. Fresh meat,

however, can be boiled, roasted, or barbecued. It also is salted and dried

in the sun for several days. Monkey

meat is usuallv smoked for 24 hours

before cooking, but a Darien housewife

in a hurrv to feed her hungry familv mav simplv boil the meat in salted water until it is tender.

Monkey Stew

Monkey Stew is made by frying salted, smoked monkey lightly in hot oil, adding

diced onions, then water and achiote. The stew is cooked until the meat is tender and sauce has thickened. These meat dishes are often served with rice which has been cooked in coco- nut juice with the addition of onion and

salt, or com rolls (bollos) made by

grinding and boiling green corn which

is then formed into balls and wrapped in com husks and boiled.

Chocao de Guineo

A banana-coconut dessert may round

out the meal. Chocao de Guineo is made

by cubing six bananas and boiling them

in one cup of water, adding a piece of

fresh ginger root and gradually adding one cup coconut milk and a little flour

for thickening. It is stirred constantly

until the desired thickness is achieved.

More coconut milk is added when

it is served. Plantains may be used

instead of bananas. (Coconut milk is made by squeezing grated coconut to which boiling water has been added.)

Most of these recipes were collected by Panamanian anthropologist, Dra. Rei- na Torres de Arauz, and are included in the Darienita's Dietary compiled by

James A. Duke of the Baftelle Memorial

Institute.

Queen in her kitchen, this Choco lass stirs the contents in the cooking pot which

sits at the hub of three logs placed spoke-fashion at one comer of the dwelling. Note how she has embellished her beauty by painting the lower part of her face.

Chocoes are fond of adornments. In addition to painting an elaborate design on his face, this youth wears

a chain around his neck and a flower in his hair.

52 Special Edition
At right: The collection of baskets was made by the boy's mother

who used strips of palm fronds which are light on one side and

darker on the other. By turning the strips as she weaves them

she achieves an attractive twill pattern. Below: A primitive drill made by the Chocoes proves to be an interesting toy for

Patrick, left, and Richard, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Grimison

of La Boca. They are making holes in a calabash just as the Chocoes do to make a colander.

At right: High off the ground, the Choco

shelter has a split cane floor, a thatched roof and no walls. A notched tree trunk serves

as steps to the dwelling. At night the trunk

is turned to the underside to keep out unwanted callers, dogs, cats, and

wild animals. Below: This chic Choco

belle enhances her beauty by painting

flowers on her cheeks, butterfly wings above

her lips and an intricate design on the lower part of her face.

The tepee-like structure on the

right is the chicken

coop. Chocoes'

protein food is mainly from the jungle where they

use bows and

arrows to hunt game. They also keep chickens and pigs to supplement food from the jungle

and the rivers.

The Panama Canal Review 53
Tabo

Architectural drawing showing some of the 55 modern cabins to be constructed on the adja- cent island of EI Morro as a part of the hotel complex that will include the Taboga Hotel.

CLOSELY LINKED TO THE

colorful history of Panama, the picturesque island of Taboga has known

the fury of marauding pirates, the intol- erance of the Conquistadores, the boldness of the Gold Rush adventurers, and

the glory of producing a saint. Through

it all the island has remained unsullied. An idyllic hilly island in Panama Bay,

reminiscent of Capri, Taboga is only

about 12 nautical miles, or an hour bv

launch, from Panama City. Its proximity

and its white sand beaches have made

it a prime candidate for further development by the Pepublic of Panama Tourist Bureau.

Plans are now afoot to build a hotel complex which would include the pres- ent Hotel Taboga and 55 modern cabins

to be constructed on El Morro, a small adjacent island. It would be administered bv the Hvatt International Hotel

chain. Balboa

Although Vasco Nunez de Balboa, the

first Spaniard to set foot on the small dot of land, called it St. Peter's Island, the Indian name of the ruling cacique

prevailed and nearly 450 years after its founding, the island still maintains the

simplicity and flavor of bygone days.

Typical of the Spanish colonial set- tlements in the New World, the little town of Taboga sprang up around the church. Its narrow streets, now paved,

54 Special Edition
are barely wide enough for the passage

of the few vehicles on the island. The absence of traffic noises and ex- haust fumes to pollute the clean sea breezes and the magnificent view of

velvet sea and ships from far-off lands waiting to enter the Canal have made

Taboga a favorite weekend retreat for Panama and Canal Zone residents and

a year-round tourist attraction. Quiet rural lanes fully skirted by a

profusion of bougainvillea and hibiscus blooms in red, white, and pink, accentuated by the fragrance of roses and

sweet jasmine, give Taboga the atmos- phere of an eternal garden and the name

"Island of Flowers."

Spanish Conquest

During the Spanish conquest, Taboga's inhabitants were virtually elimi- nated. When a decree by Charles V put

an end to slavery, only about 700 slaves remained in Panama and its environs; the majority of these had been brought

from Venezuela and Nicaragua. Among

them were a handful of native slaves who became the settlers of Taboga.

A new village was founded in 1524

hy Padre Hernando de Luque, dean of

the Panama cathedral. He built a comfortable house on the island and re- mained there most of the time. It was

Padre Luque who provided funds and

blessed Francisco Pizarro and Diego de

No traffic noises disturb the

quiet of Panama's historic

"Island of Flowers"

El Morro played an important role in world shipping a little over 100 years ago when the

Pacific Steamship Navigation Co. established its Panama headquarters there. Many forty- niners en route to California spent their "waiting" days in Taboga boarding houses.

The Panama Canal Review 55
-'afr ti *WuJ|;

: -i^A-^-b:

Sp

Taking advantage of

low ride, visitors walk

over to the

island of El Morro,

where the U.S. Navv

had a "mosquito hoat"

training base during

World War IF.

= «*'

An ancient anchor frames a scene of narrow flower-bordered lanes curving past small white

houses and Taboga's historic church, where the little town sprang up during the Colonial era.

Almagro before they set off from Ta- boga on their conquest of the flourishing fnca Empire.

In addition to his church duties, he

raised fruits and vegetables on the fertile soil of Taboga, devoting much of

his time to his pineapple plantations.

Padre Luque's pineapples could well be

the progenitors of the pineapple patches

that pepper the island today.

Taboganos still recall the venerable

priest by referring to a crystaline pool

in the folds of Picacho del Vigia, the highest point on the island, as the

"Bishop's Pool."

Santa Rosa de Lima

They remember, too, that Santa Rosa de Lima, the first saint of this hemisphere, was conceived in Taboga. According to Don Manuel Penuela, for many years a municipal official in Taboga, the parents of the young girl who

was later to be canonized, had lived in a charming house on the beach, now

owned by Senora Abigail Pacheco de

Diez. Taboga's wholesome, healthy atmos- phere has been recognized since colonial days when Panama City residents flocked to the island during epidemics

or for a respite from the city heat. On

several occasions, Taboga has been unofficially the summer capital of Panama,

especially during the terms of President

Belisario Porras. The Panama Tourist Bureau operates

a modem hotel on the island, which is the headquarters of numerous water

56 Special Edition
sports activities held during the year. Pleasure boats from Panama and yachts

from all parts of the world may be seen anchored in front of the hotel throughout

the year. Hotel Chu, a two-story wooden struc- ture built on the beach after the turn of the century, offers adequate but not lux- urious comfort and spectacular vistas of Panama Bay.

Facing Hotel Taboga and linked to the island at low tide bv a sandbar, is El Morro, a small rocky islet, where

at the end of the 17th century the Spaniards established a fort to defend

Taboga.

Three Cannons

During the wars of Independence in Latin America, it was the three cannons on El Morro, manned by 10 Spanish

soldiers, that fought off the attacks of John Illingworth, in 1819. During a second attack, however, the invaders

took Taboga, the inhabitants fleeing to the hills. Three of the invaders were

killed and buried by the villagers, who

marked their graves with wooden

crosses. With the passing of the years,

cast iron crosses embedded in a mortar

base, replaced the wooden markers. To

this day, Taboganos in the vicinity of "Las Tres Cruces" never fail to light a candle in memory of the three who

dared to disturb the peace of their little island. A little over 100 vears ago, El Morro

played an important role in world shipping. The Pacific Steamship Navigation

Co., an English company with ships plying between England and the Pacific ports of South America, extended its route to include Panama. Aware of the abundance of supplies and potable water and general healthy conditions on

the islet, the company purchased El Morro. They built workshops, a ship

repair facility, supply stores and a coal- ing station and brought over hundreds

of Irishmen to work in the supply base.

It was at about this time, too, that the

49'ers discovered the healthy aspects of Taboga, many of them spending their "waiting" days in boarding houses there. A trace of Anglo-Saxon names can still be seen on sparkling white tombstones

in the cemetery.

The Golden Age

Taboga was the seat of government

for all the islands in the Gulf of Panama,

including the Perlas Islands. Islanders prospered and it was the Golden Age of Taboga. Prosperity continued until several years later when the Pacific Steam

transferred its shops to Callao, Peru. Taboga Island had an important role

in the construction of the Canal. In 1883, during the French effort to construct a Panama Canal, they built a 25-bed sanatorium on Taboga for ailing

and convalescing employees of the company. A few years later, in the grim

battle with disease, the French built a 50-bed, $400,000 sanatorium on the

island. This building was taken over by the United States in 1905 as a rest and

recuperation center for Canal construction workers. It served this purpose

until January 1915, when it became a vacation resort for employees and

their families and was known as Hotel

Aspinwall.

The Aspinwall was converted into an internment camp for German prisoners

during World War I. After the war it was once again a hotel and recreation center and was the hub of Taboga's

social life until 1945. The Aspinwall is gone but many an Isthmian still recalls

this hotel on the beach at Taboga and

the part it played in social activities of

that bygone era. Mosquito Boats During World War II, the U.S. Navy

had a "mosquito boat" training base on

El Morro. The heroic record of these boats in the Pacific theater of war

proved the efficiency of the officers and

sailors on El Morro.

Today, a modern aid to aerial navigation, at the top of Picacho del Vigia,

guides all aircraft to the Isthmus. Numerous legends and romantic

myths have been woven into the tradi- tions and folklore of the island. Among

these is the celebration of a water festival on July 16 in honor of the Virgin

of El Carmen, the patron saint of Taboga. A number of boats, usually led by

the most luxurious yacht of the Panama

Yacht and Fishing Club carrying a statue of the Virgin, sail in a procession

around the island. The procession in- cludes pleasure boats of all types and

sizes and pangas, the flat-bottom canoes used by the fishermen, all beautifullv decorated for the occasion with the occupants singing praises to their patron

saint. According to Taboga lore, many

years ago, a pirate ship attempted to attack the island and as the invaders

neared the beach, an enormous army

headed by a beautiful woman appeared,

ready to meet the onset. The pirates were terrorized by the vision and fled back to their boat. One who did make

it to the beach was even more mortified when he learned that there was no such armv, much less a beautiful woman

leading it. To this day, Taboganos are convinced that it was the Virgin of El Carmen who saved them.

A popular swimming

hole is the "Bishop's

Pool," named for Father

Luque, the founder of

Taboga.

~ ~—' V* -

1 1- >.- »

1

; -,

|»v

• - w

Taboganos often light

candles before the three

crosses which mark the

graves of invaders who

attacked the island in

the early 19th century.

The Panama Canal Review 57
Ruins of several churches and public buildings destroyed by Henry

Morgan and his buccaneers in 1671 still stand in Old Panama.

A new city of Panama was built within massive walls 2 years after the destruction of Old Panama. Portions of the old wall may still be seen at Las Bovedas and along the shoreline of the city.

The Isthmus

Rich in Historical Events Due To

Its Unique Geographical Position

FROM THE MOMENT of its discovery, the unique

geographical position of Panama has given the Isthmus

a history of real romance and charm—richer in historical events than most parts of the two continents it joins.

Since the days when Columbus was investigating every

nook and corner of the Caribbean coast of Panama, look- ing for a way to India, the Isthmus has occupied the center of world interest. Footsteps of many men from

many nations have trod its soil, always in search of

a road across this narrow neck of land. One of those to continue the search was Vasco Nunez

de Balboa, who forced his way in 1513 through the

jungles and mountains and reached a mountain top in Darien from where he discovered the Pacific Ocean.

Three years later, Pedro Arias de Avila, who was the

Spanish governor of the colony already established on

the Caribbean side of the Isthmus, pushed his conquest

to a native fishing village on the Pacific and founded

the old city of Panama, where it remained for 154 years. Today, its ruins stand just east of the city.

Soon after its discovery, this narrow neck of land

became the strategic point of the New World's commerce.

For three centuries Panama was the treasure chest of the

New World, the port of embarkation for the expeditions

in search of gold and silver, and the port of return to Spain. It was here where the Spanish galleons arrived

with merchandise for distribution. Ships laden with

treasures for the King of Spain arrived from Peru, their rich cargoes transferred to the backs of mules, carried

across the Isthmus, and loaded on ships bound for Spain.

Fourteen years after the founding of Panama City and

Nombre de Dios, Spaniards of the colony explored the

Chagres and the Rio Grande Rivers, studying the

possibility of using the two rivers to make a canal. The city of Panama ceased to be a mud-hut village and

in a few years it became a colonial city with buildings,

churches, and a cathedral. At the height of its importance, Panama was known as the richest and most

luxurious city in the world. Prosperity continued until the city was destroyed by the romantic English buccaneer

Sir Henry Morgan, in 1671. In 1673, a new walled Panama was founded some

6 miles from the old site. For almost 200 years the old

58 Special Edition
forest stone-paved highway from the

capital to Portobelo, on the Caribbean

side, was the thoroughfare over which

much of Spain's commerce passed. Portobelo was a busy commercial

city where traders came from Europe

to trade with merchants from Peru, Chile, and Mexico. During the 40 days of

its fair, Portobelo vibrated with humanity—slaves unloaded cargoes from the Spanish galleons in the port, while

hundreds of mules, laden with native products and treasures collected during

the year to send to Spain, passed through

the narrow streets of the town. Gold

and silver bars were piled up like fire- wood in the Royal Treasury Building

ready to be used as a means of exchange

between the trader from Spain and the buyers from America. Portobelo was

the victim of buccaneers and English

aggression several times.

It was not until the 18th century that the flood of Peruvian treasure began

gradually to subside and the importance

of Panama began to wane. Spain was

emerging from her "Golden Age." Other

countries were making forced efforts to participate in the New World trade. The assaults and cruelties of the

pirates and the threats of the British to establish themselves in America's vital points disrupted the Panama-Portobelo

route. Traffic stoppage brought poverty

to Portobelo. Commercial life in Panama

became nil, but they maintained the churches, the convents and way of

life. Thus, the colonial era and Spanish

power in Panama came to an end. Then came the revolutionary move- ment bringing a reawakening in the provinces that stirred up the struggle

for independence. Politically, commercially, and geographically Panama oc- cupied, at this time, an isolated position as a much-neglected part of the Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada, composed of the present countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. In 1821, the Panamanians declared independence from Spain, and

united their lot with La Gran Colombia. Bv terms of the incorporation Pan- ama expressly reserved the right to secede. And when Gran Colombia split into three parts in 1830, a separatist faction in Panama wanted independence, but after some hesitation Panama

attached itself to New Granada.

Simon Bolivar had predicted great- ness for the Isthmus of Panama because

of its strategic position between two

oceans. In 1821, hoping to draw the new republics closer together, he invit- ed the provisional governments of Peru,

The Golden Altar of St. Joseph's Church was salvaged from the old city of Panama, which was destroyed by Henry Morgan in 1671, and was moved to the new city, built 2 years

later. The altar, constructed of native mahogany and plated with gold, is an important

tourist attraction.

The Panama Canal Review 59
The Search For A Way Across

In sharp contrast to the ruins of Old Pan- ama is bustling modern Panama Citv with

a skyline marked by many high rise apart- ment buildings.

Argentina, and Chile to an international congress to be held in Panama. However, unsettled conditions prevented

the conference at that time. It wasn't

until 1826 that the congress convened

with representatives of Colombia, Peru, Central America, and Mexico and

drafted a treatv of perpetual union. This first attempt to achieve unitv among the nations of the Western Hemisphere is known as the Panama

Congress.

Panama continued as a department

of the United States of Colombia for a period of 82 vears—from 1821 to November 1903. During these vears manv

projects for a Panama Canal were

placed before the Governments of La

Gran Colombia and later Nueva Granada. The most interesting events in the

history of Panama since her separation

from Spain are those connected with

efforts to build a canal from the Caribbean to the Pacific. Bolivar approved

the idea in theorv, as had others. The search continued for a route

across the Isthmus. At various times,

England and France showed great in- terest in this waterway route. The Government of the United States did not begin to consider the matter until 1835. At this time, President Jackson was

asked bv the U.S. Senate to consider

negotiating with Nueva Granada and

the Central American Republics in respect to such a canal. Nothing came of this at the time.

It wasn't until the western frontier of the United States became part of the United States, a result of the Mexican

War, and the need for making the new

possessions more accessible from the Eastern States, that the franchise to construct a railroad was secured from

the Nueva Granada Government. A

vear later, in 1849, the gold rush of the "fortv-niners" to California gave impetus to the land route and the Panama Railroad was born. In those davs there were no railroads uniting the east and west of the United

States. Because of the Indians inhabit- ing the central part of the United

States, it was dangerous and almost

impossible to cross the country. The

safest way was via the Isthmus of Pan- ama. The sailboats and steamers carry- ing the adventurers to the Isthmian

ports brought riches to Panama again.

The Isthmian towns came alive again—

hotels and transportation facilities were

organized for the travelers. Life and

splendor came to the Isthmus once

more. Panama was experiencing years of abundance similar to the happy times

of the Portobelo fairs. The construction

of the railroad brought development of Manzanillo Island where Colon stands

todav. Workers were brought in. First came the Irish workmen who soon were

overcome bv the climate. Malaria and

vellow fever also put an end to the Chinese, who replaced the Irish. Ja- maicans were brought in to complete

the work on the construction of the

railroad. The famous Panama Railroad was opened to traffic in 1855.

In the United States the great water- wav project still hung fire. Between

1857 and 1863 an almost unbroken

series of factional disturbances agitated

New Granada. Several times the safety of the Panama Railroad gave new

impetus to the plans for a canal. In Mav, 1876, Colombia granted a concession for the construction of a canal bv wav of Panama to Lt. Lucien

Napoleon Bonaparte Wvse, an officer

in the French Armv. This concession

he sold to a group of French financiers,

who persuaded the builder of the Suez,

Count Ferdinand de Lesseps, to join

them.

In 1881, the French organized La

Compagnie Universelle du Canal In- teroceanique. Disease, mismanagement.

extravagance, corruption, and technical incompetence have been ascribed as the causes of the French company's failure, and in 1889, after 8 years of work, the companv went bankrupt. A new com- pany was formed in 1894 but did no

work.

The U.S. Government then entered

into negotiations with Colombia to take over the project; but the treaty between

the two governments, known as the Herran-Hay Treaty, was rejected by the Colombian Senate. For Colombia, the canal was important but not decisive. For Panama

it meant life or death. Colombia's re- jection of the treatv meant the end of Panama's onlv means of economic sal- vation. Without a canal there would

surelv be an economic crisis. There were visions of the dark days of poverty and misery that existed before the construction of the Panama Railroad.

It was during these negotiations that Panama decided her destiny, and on

the 3d of November, 1903, she declar- ed her separation from Colombia and

became a republic. Panama had made

many attempts to free herself—53 uprisings in 57 years. On the 18th of November 1903, the Hay-Bunau Vari11a Treaty was signed between Panama

and the United States. Five vears elapsed between the French collapse and the beginning of the U.S. effort to build the canal. American engineers found much of the work done by the French usable,

especially in Culebra Cut. But they

changed the plan for the canal from

sea-level to a lock-type canal. Before starting the construction

work, the Americans considered of ut- most importance the improvement of

sanitary conditions on the Isthmus. Thev

brought immediate changes: muddy

streets were paved and proper sewerage systems were installed. Within

2 vears thev eradicated yellow fever and reduced fatalities from other dis- eases. Sanitarv precautions were established and enforced, making Panama

one of the healthiest countries in the hemisphere.

Ten vears later the Panama Canal was built. The dream and prophecy of manv had been realized. Since then Panama has prospered and taken her

place among the free nations of the world. Her position between the two

mightv oceans shall always be the most

important factor toward an even more

brilliant future.

60 Special Edition
Flowering Trees

A spectacular display of color at the height of

the dry season brightens the Isthmian landscape

By Willie K. Friar ID YOU know that water pistols grow on trees? They do in the tropics, and Canal Zone

children learn at an early age where to get a supply. They are to be had, for the plucking, from the nearest African

tulip tree, the unopened -buds of which

squirt forth a stream of water when

squeezed or pierced. Because of this peculiar characteristic, the tree is called the fountain tree.

It is also known as the flame-of-theforest because of its fiery red blossoms. The African tulip is just one of the many

unusual flowering trees growing on

the Isthmus. Those who are acquainted with the ways of trees find the tropical flowering ones not only beautiful but their unusual characteristics and behavior fas- cinating. Their habits and fruits seem

strangely different from those of trees found in the temperate zone. They exhibit little of the rigid behavior of the northern trees and often bloom whenever they feel like it, with

little regard to the calendar.

Blossoms Change Color

Some change the color of their petals

between morning and evening while

others switch colors from day to day, or

the blossoms exhibit one color on the

tree but change color completely when

they fall to the ground. Some bloom all over the branches or up and down the

trunks instead of among the leaves. Some have blossoms that hang upside

down and others bloom only after dark. Newcomers to the tropics often are amazed to discover that a plant that was a small shrub in their hometown

in the United States is a giant tree in the tropics. Which brings up the ques- tion—where is the dividing line between

a tree and a shrub?

The blossom of the African tulip tree seems to cast a glow around the face of Miss Elaine Almstead, Canal Zone College student, as she admires its fiery beauty. This ever-blooming

tree is often called flame-of-the-forest because of the profusion of brilliant red blossoms.

The Panama Canal Review 61
Typical of trees introduced on the Isthmus from the West Indies is the breadfruit tree, outstanding for its warty, yellow-green

fruit. Captain Bligh carried breadfruit trees from Tahiti to the West Indies in 1793

after an earlier effort failed due to the mutiny on the H.M.S. "Bounty." A large

impressive specimen of the tree is lo- cated on Gorgas Rd. near Gorgas Hospital.

Environment is usually the determining factor in whether a certain plant

will become tree-like or remain a shrub,

and residents of a certain area generally call a plant a tree if it has that ap- pearance when grown locally. In other words, a plant might be a shrub in Texas and a tree in Panama.

Early Explorers

The early explorers of Panama were

so impressed by the strangely beautiful

trees they found on the Isthmus that they went to great effort to collect spec- imens to take back to Europe. This was no easy task as the small trees had

to be protected from the salt spray at sea and still be carried onto the deck

daily for exposure to the sun. Few sur- vived the trip and the change of climate

but today there are tropical trees in herbariums in some European countries

that were started in this way. Most people know of Capt. Bligh's

experiences told in "Mutiny on the Bounty" when he attempted to trans- port breadfruit trees from the South

Pacific islands to the West Indies. The

mutiny caused the failure of his first efforts but 6 years later he succeeded in transporting not only the breadfruit

trees but other valuable trees aboard

the Providence and introducing them

in the West Indies where they are found today.

In this way, as well as by other means, many colorful trees seen on the Isthmus have been introduced from

other countries. Some of the ornamental

trees seen around Gorgas Hospital were

brought here from the French West

Indies by the Sisters of St. Vincent de

Paul who were in charge of the hospital

Enjoying the fragrance of the sweet smelling flowers of the cannonball tree is Miss Judy

Tompkins, Balboa High School student. The flowers, which grow right out of the bark, have no connection with the foliage at the top of the tree. They are followed by the novel

cannonball-like fruit that dangles from the branches.

at the time of the French effort to dig

a Canal. The sisters carefully tended their plants and small trees and protected

them from the voracious leaf-cutting ants by placing ceramic rings filled with water around them. This saved the

plants but unknowingly the sisters pro- vided an excellent breeding place for the Aedes aegypti mosquito which

later research revealed was the carrier of yellow fever. There is, of course, no spring in the

tropics as it is known in the temperate

zone, only the change from the rainy

to the dry season. But the array of blos- soms, which suddenly appear on many

trees, rivals the splendor of spring in the temperate zone. Rose van Hardevelt, author of "Make

the Dirt Fly," expressed the feelings of many others when she wrote about the

first dry season she experienced after coming to the Canal Zone with her hus- band who was working on the construction of the Canal.

"Life, instead of being a succession

of hours of rain and moments of frantically scraping off mold and trying to dry out, became liveable again.

"On the hillsides eastward now ap- peared here and there single, tall, beautifully shaped trees that had not been

noticeable before in the mass of dripping greenness that covered every inch

of space on the slopes. And then, so suddenly that it was startling, these

trees burst into bright yellow blossoms. Like huge, golden bouquets, they lifted their beauty to the blue sky. Then an- other color appeared among the blos- soming trees, a deep purple, and then

a glowing crimson."

Memorable Experience

Transiting the Canal at this time of the year is a memorable experience

with brilliant spots of color brightening

the jungle on both sides of the water- way. Some trees begin to flower in the middle of the dry season and some just before the dry season ends, but almost

all the trees bloom for only a brief period. There are actually some trees in bloom in the Canal Zone throughout the year but the spectacular exhibitions come during the dry season. Someone has said that Washington's

famed Japanese cherry trees would be

completely overshadowed if some of the Isthmian flowering trees could be

concentrated along one avenue or road. But the local trees are more or less "loners" and don't often grow close together.

62 Special Edition
However, one beautiful vista during

the dry season is a long-range view

of a portion of Gatun Lake from the Trans-Isthmian Highway about 15

miles from Cristobal. In this area, the green of the jungle is studded with

bright yellow splashes of color pro- duced by the blossoms of the tree known locally as the guayacan; their color visible from planes overhead as well as from the road. The tree, considered by many as the most outstandingly beautiful tree in the

local forests, has large showy yellow

blossoms which are born in terminal

clusters when the tree is leafless. Unfortunately the blossoms remain on the

trees only a few days before they shower

down like yellow snowflakes. Several

of these trees are located on Ancon Hill and across from the Governor's house.

Wassail Bowls

The wood of this beautiful tree is much valued commercially. It is olive- brown, very hard, takes a high polish

and is considered one of the best woods

of Panama. It makes beautiful salad or nut bowls and is believed to be the wood that was used by the English in making their traditional Christmas Wassail bowls more than 4 centuries ago. Some of the beams of the cathedral

of Old Panama are said to have been

made of this wood and have remained

sound although exposed to weather for 250 years.

It also was once considered to have

curative powers but is now little used

as a medicine. Around 1700, it was

thought to be the penicillin of that day.

An Englishman in Jamaica at that time wrote of how the medicine was con- cocted and used. He said, "Take 12

ounces of shavings of wood and two of bark and five quarts water—boiling

away one quarter part, strain." In some

circles this remedy was considered

dangerous unless taken 40 days in the

dark, and with an exact diet of raisins and almonds with biscuits. The roble (a form of oak), is a close

relative of the guayacan and is almost

as beautiful. Near the end of the dry

season, these trees are so densely cov- ered with nearly white to rose-colored

flowers that they form giant bouquets.

In their shades of color they resemble

Japanese cherry trees. Several of these

trees grow in Ancon and there is a

large one in the Old Corral area there. The Jacarandas

Other conspicuous flowering trees of

the dry season are two species of

Floating in a finger bowl is the flower of the ilang-ilang, one of the most fragrant of the

flowering tropical trees. Hostesses often place the flower in bowls and when a guest pinches

the bud it gives forth a lovely scent. The ilang-ilang is also used in the making of perfume.

jacaranda, the various species of cassias, royal poinciana, and the African

tulip tree. The jacarandas are handsome trees with large blue, violet or purple flowers

in showy clusters. A good specimen of jacaranda is growing in Balboa Heights

at the intersection of Prospect Street and Heights Road.

The flowers of all species resemble

IV 1

Staging an impromptu water battle using African tulip buds are Lyn Bouzard, left, Julie Gallin, and James Bouzard. The buds, when pressed or pierced, spurt forth a stream of water. When they open they form beautiful fiery red blossoms.

The Panama Canal Review 63
o{\\\Q>

little bluebells and look like a blue

plush carpet under the tree when they

fall to the ground. Curative powers

have been attributed to the jacaranda

and some of the Indians of Panama have

used the bark to treat skin diseases. Both types of the jacaranda growing

in the Canal Zone have purple blos- soms. One type with flowers along its branches is usually found around local towns and the other, which has large terminal clusters of blossoms in a crown

around the upper part of the tree, is found in the jungle. One of the former

is located opposite the Governor's house

at the corner of the road leading to Quarry Heights.

The royal poinciana or flame tree, a

native of Madagascar, is extensively

planted in the Canal Zone as an orna- mental tree. It is large and spreading

and is not very attractive except when

it flowers; then it becomes a mass of bright red blossoms. An exceptionally

outstanding poinciana grows near the

First Baptist Church in Balboa Heights.

African Tulip Tree The African tulip tree, a native of

tropical Africa, is tall with a narrow crown and has large dark-red flowers which grow in clusters like the common

lilv-of-the-vallev. It is seen all over the Isthmus but some particularly good

specimens may be found along Barne- bey Street in Balboa and near the

Cristobal Administration Building.

Ilang-ilang is a flowering tree that disproves the often-heard statement

that "in the tropics the flowers have no

smell." Its fragrant perfume permeates

the surrounding area and is usually rec- ognized before the tree is seen. Not a conspicuous flowering tree, its droopy

vellow blossoms with strap-shaped petals are strange in appearance. Isth- mian hostesses sometimes place them in finger bowls and when the guests pinch

the buds the fragrance fills the room.

In Malaysia they are used to make a perfume base. Another fragrant flowering tree seen about the Isthmus is the frangipani.

Some say that only the bloom of the

jasmine, with which it is often confused, can compete in sweetness of

scent. Yet perfume-makers have never

profitably extracted the frangipani scent

and the commercial frangipani perfume

is still made by mixing oils to imitate the odor.

Frangipani Perfume

Interestingly, it appears that the tree was named for the perfume instead of the other way around. Frangipani per- fume was created by a man of that name in Rome in the 12th century. It was a favorite scent of Italian rovaltv two centuries before the discoverv of the western hemisphere. That earlv European explorers thought the smell

of the frangipani flowers resembled

that of the perfume is one explanation of the origin of the name of the

tree. Another is that the word comes

from the French, "frangipanier," which means coagulated milk. The tree has

a milky-latex-like stickv juice which

exudes from the bark when cut. The large waxy flower of the frangipani is composed of five overlapping

petals, which spread in star-fashion. There are both white and red frangipani in the Canal Zone which bloom the vear-round but bear the greatest number of flowers just before the rainy season. In Hawaii, these blossoms are popular for making leis. Toward the end of the dry season,

in April, the cordia, another fragrant

tree, which has white flowers, may be

seen almost everywhere in Panama. Unfortunately the flowers soon turn brown

and since they remain on the trees for several weeks present a rather dirty appearance.

Showy Flowers

At least 25 species of cassias are grown in the Canal Zone. Most have

large showy flowers, but the most con- spicuous are the golden shower along El Prado in Balboa; the pink and white

shower, which has masses of pink and

white blossoms along the branches; and

the bronze shower with pendulant

grape-like clusters of bronze flowers.

In addition to the red or flame poinciana, there is the yellow poinciana tree.

It has a long flowering period which

usually begins in April. An especially beautiful vellow poinciana grows near

the Civil Affairs Building on Gaillard Highway.

A good look at a variety of flowering

and other interesting trees may be had

by taking a trip through the Balboa

area. One such trail starts at the Goethals Memorial Monument at the

foot of the Administration Building hill,

passes the Balboa Railroad Station, curves up the hill to the Administration

Building, continues along Heights Road

to the Governor's house and then continues left toward Gorgas Hospital to the Tivoli Guest House. Along this route may be seen the following trees: cuipo, star apple, pink

and white shower, golden shower, yellow cassia, screw pine, Chinese banyan,

sausage tree, guayacan, pride of India,

African tulip tree, calabash, date palm,

ilang-ilang, bamboo palm, coconut

palm, Panama hat plant, breadfruit

tree, and royal poinciana. These trees are all plainly marked so that the signs

may be read if one drives by slowly.

Summit Gardens

A great deal of the beauty of the

local scene, not only during the dry

season but the year around, is the result of plantings from Summit Gardens,

which was established to introduce

plants from different parts of the tropical world and disseminate them in

this immediate area.

Plants have been received from such

faraway places as Madagascar, the Phil- ippines, Australia and New Zealand,

Hawaii, China, and Burma, to name a few countries. Every Canal Zone townsite has been beautified by trees grown

in the gardens.

Walking tours of the gardens are conducted during the dry season by

Roy Sharp, supervisor of grounds for the Pacific area of the Canal Zone,

affording tourists as well as local res- idents a good opportunity to see the many flowering trees close-up in all their glory.

TjfflWllEPBI

8^5^ 1|

mm ui

MiA^SS^^te-1 ^ '9?^ 4*4^'

The sudden shower of blossoms from a flowering tree provides "golden snowflakes"

for Jeanne, 3!4-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. Dale Bishop, of Los Rios, who

finds them as much fun as the real thing.

64 Special Edition
L

There are currently an average of 40

transits of the Panama Canal daily and

operations are on a 24-hour-a-day basis, every day of the year. A ship going

from Atlantic to Pacific starts its trip

at the Cristobal anchorage where the

pilot boards the ship. The ship pro- ceeds 4 miles south through a dredged

sea level channel to Gatun Locks. At Gatun the ship is raised 85 feet

in three steps to the level of Gatun

Lake. The locks are simply hydraulic

elevators with numerous large valves to control the verv large and fast flow of water bv gravity. No pumps are used. Fresh water flows from the lake to the

sea at the rate of 3 million gallons per minute, in and out of the locks, through

concrete tunnels large enough to take a

freight train. Ships are assisted through

the locks by large towing locomotives,

a unique feature of the Panama Canal. From Gatun Locks the ship travels 24 miles across Gatun Lake following

generally the bed of the old Chagres

River, the same route over which gold

and silver flowed many years ago. During the entire transit the pilot has control of the movements of the ship, rather than being merely an adviser to the

ship's master as he would be at Suez

and all other waterways. This unique

feature of the Panama Canal is due to the difficulties of navigating a ship

through the waterway, particularly in approaching the locks and tying on to locomotives.

At Gamboa the ship passes the en- trance of the Chagres River to Gatun

Lake and starts the 8-mile run through

Gaillard Cut and the Continental Divide. At the end of the Cut the ship takes one 30-foot step down at Pedro Miguel

Locks— sails across Miraflores Laketakes two more steps down at Miraflores Locks to sea level—follows a dredged

channel out past Balboa harbor—under

the bridge—and then out into the Pacific Ocean.

Total transit time for the average ship

from deep water to deep water is about

8 hours. Total time in Canal Zone

waters for the average ship is about

15 hours.

The Panama Canal Review 65
Above: The giant container ship "Tokvo

Bay" moves through Caillard Cut. At left: The bridge that spans the Panama Canal

at Balboa in silhouette at sunset. Below

left: The Administration Building, built in 1914 at Balboa Heights, the headquarters

of the Panama Canal. Below rightr Two

Italian cruise ships at anchor in Gatun

Lake, awaiting transit of the Canal. At

right: Miraflores Locks.

66 Special Edition
The Panama Canal Review 67
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