The San Francisco call., 1896-03-27
The Doctor Gives Many Interest.
ing "reminiscences of the
Expedition.
LIVELY SPORT WITH SHARKS.
Sickness of the Party-Progress Of the
Canal Thirty Cents a Day
for Labor.

AO.-Iu6 NUMEROUS dIlQ OOAcS VI
fishes which Dr. Gilbert and his assistants
collected while in Panama have not yet
been opened, as the six barrels of alcohol
needed to preserve them have not cone.
DIR. Gilbert and his observation-disclosures.
Pierson 97, MacGregor '97, and Stark
special-left for Panama December 6, 1895,
and arrived at the university March 10,
1896. All of the member are bronzed by
their contact with the tropical sun, and all
can tell interesting "reminiscences of their
trip. DR.. Gilbert gave an interesting de-
scription to CALL reporter.
Yes" said the doctor, 'this was my
third trip to Panama. In 1880 was max
ing census of the fishes of the coast for
turned by way OF Panama. In 1881 l re-
turned to gather specimens for the Smith
sonian Institution. 1 was also then con-
nected with the Indiana University. l was
in Panama during the winter of 1881 and
collected some very valuable specimens
and some new species and made my field
notes. I took my collection to the Indiana
University for study and classification,
and unfortunately the whole collection,
with my classification and field notes, was
destroyed by fire.
During the thirteen years interval
none of the species were rediscovered, so 1T
was determined to make this last expedi-
ton, which was only possible through the
generosity of Timothy Hopkins. The trip
cost $1,000, although a proportionate re-
turn will be made by the museums receiv-
ing duplicate specimens. The present ex-
pedition was the most successful. Only
165 varieties were collected in the second,
while in the last about 275 were secured.
We rediscovered all the new species, with
many more besides. We were discovering
new fish up to the day we left.
''On the day of our departure we saw in
the market new variety of shark about
six feet long. All our fish had been packed,
but we purchased alcohol and carried this
valuable specimen home as personal bag
gage.
I'VE took along about ten gallons of the
juice of the hava tree, a poison which
kills the fish if poured in the water in large
quantities. We would pour some OF this
fluid in the tide pools. which would stir up
the fishes in the depths, so that they would
come to the surface, where we would
catch them with dipnets. Many valuable
specimens were secured in this manner.
We obtained permission to use dynamite
from the Governor and killed the fish in
that way. We used an electrical hand
dynamo to transmit sparks to an electric
cap imbedded in the dynamite, and thus
discharged it at the proper time. The
fuse method is unreliable and dangerous.
For skeleton collections the dynamite
method is useless, for it breaks the fishes
bones, although no external wound is
given. We made a good collection of
skeletons.
1--WE were somewhat affected by the
tropical sun, and none of US were wholly
well during the entire trip. Mr. Mac.
Gregor was sick for two weeks with the
malarial fever, and Mr.. Stark was sick
one week. The rest were none too well.
The medical attendance was good. Our
hotel offered fair accommodations and
was cool, because of the proximity of the
beach. Our laboratory, which we fitted up
in house near by, was very warm.
'The sickness of our party came at an
inopportunc time, as we were planning an
expedition to the Atlantic: coast. How
ever, did get as far as the top of the
ridge, where the canal makes the big cut.
A new company is working on the canal
now, and hopes to demonstrate the possi-
bility of its construction and thereby in
fuence capital to invest. Labor is very
cheap, and the company employs about
1000 men, who receive about 80 cents day
in Colombia money. which equals about
80 cents in gold. Prices are high, how
ever, as foreign goods pay duty of 10 per
cent.
1.-The Bay of Panama is a very pretty
sheet of water, although its low shores are
not as picturesque as the high, rocky
shores of San Francisco Bay. In the
middle are some islands, high rugged and
picturesque, around which we used to fish
in boat. 1t was very exciting, as, after
we had exploded the dynamite the sharks
would rush in great numbers for the
fish and dash the spray over the
boat. The frigate birds would swoop
down, and seize the fish. Our boat was
clumsy, and often we would be going for
very fine specimen several feet off only to
see it grabbed by bird or swallowed by
shark. We worked with dipnets, and
often had a very hard time to yet our
share of the spoils. Sometimes the bay
was rough and the fish would be dashe d
on the rocks, and it was very dangerous to
approach the rocky shores, and we mar
rowly escaped swamping several times. 1t
was exciting at times and had its pleasures,
most of it was hard work."
1
The TnfercoUeninfe Debnfe