Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-23
STUDY CANAL ZONE
Scientific Work Being Done by
Party From Smithsonian.
FORESTS OF Ell B0QUETE
Prof. Pitter Describes Them as Mag
nifcent-Covers Homes of
the Ancients.
FORESTS OF Ell BOQUETE

Some account OF the scientific work
being done in the Panama Canal Zone by
the Smithsonian party now there has been
received by Secretary Charles D. Wal
colt in letter from Prof. II. Pitter, in
charge of the botanical work of the ex-
petition The letter Is dated from Guile
bra
He says the party has just returned
after q six-week expedition to Chiriqui.
Tho region was rich not only in botanical
specimens. but remains Of all sorts, many
OF which had been previously described in
an Interesting paper by Prot. Holmes of
the bureau Of ethnology. In the course
OF the letter he says:
THE forests OF Ell Boquete are simply
magnificent. and / wish could find Eng
iish words to give you even a short de-
scrtption. One of the dominating species
is a giant elm. which I never met in other
parts OF Central America OF course, it
10 very difficult to get botanical samples
of these trees. but l have been rather
successful in that line. and hope to be
able to fill gaps in the United States
national herbarium.
Cold at the Summit.
1--WE assembled the Chir1qui volcano and
the Cerro de Ia Horqueta, which found
to be respectively 1874 and 2.26s meters
data subject to revision) high. The for
mer is entirely located in the semi-arid
region of the Pacific. At about, 1.SOO
meters the oaks have become the domi-
mating element of the forest. and they re-
main so up to about 5000 meters, al
though mixed still in the lower belt with
a gregarious persea very closely related to
the common alligator pear. On the side
we assembled the upper limit of the oak
- ~ %nrl1 ~ i
that surrounds the main peak on its
northeastern flank.
I'VE camped at the bottom Of an old
crater north of the peak, March II. at
am: the temperature was about 81 de-
grees above zero. every drop Of water
was CONCEALED and the ground covered
with fine white frost. That day we
assembled to the summit. The volcano is
absolutely extinct and the highest peak Is
on the northern side of the ridge cor
responding to the most recent crater,
where sulphur is still found and the veg
citation very scarce.
I'VE had intended to spend few DAYS
a our upper camp and to explore the up
per part of the mountain as thoroughly
possible But on returning to the
camp we were greeted with the news that
there was not drop of water left and
that a careful search of the neighboring
Forges had failed in revealing a new sup
ply Of It. Under such circumstances the
only thing TO do was to so home"
Has Collected Many, Specimens.
He says his collection of botanical spec-
mems consists so far of about 600 plants.
The letter deals extensively with the dry
savannahs of the region and Prof. Pitter
says lie has never seen the effects of at
.mospheric erosion more marked. In con
clusion he says:
In the chronological line there is still
much to be investigated in Chiriqu. At
E1 Boquete we were shown caves dug In a
low cliff along a creek. and others. of a
distinct character exist in a high cliff on
the opposite side of the valley. They
have never been explored that I know.
There are at the same place and all over
Chiriquj no end of unopened graves. and
they are not OF one and the same type as
the one described in Ait. Holmes very in
teresting work on the Antiquities of the
fhiriqui. Among the Indians of the
western part OF this province the native
languages are extinct, but there are wild
or semi-wild tribes around Remedies,
about which we know very little"