The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1919-09-25

! BellO. East of Cerro Bruja peak the
Rio Piedras rises almost in the basin
Of the ChagreS, flows north around the
base of CerrO BrujO, then west, and
| emptieS into the sea half way between
Colon and Porto BellO. The Piedras is
one of the largest rivers of Panama,
but you will not find it on any map,
even its mouth having been mistaken
for lagoon of the sea when the coast
line was charted.
The Rio Grande, figuring largely on
existing maps, Is an Insignificant little
stream, several miles long, really I'M
worthy of a name. Beyond the valley
of the upper Piedras rises really inn
posing range Of mountains called Ger
70 SaximO, eliminating in a peak some
where south of Nombre de Dois, which
must attain an altitude of from 5000
to 5000 feet. l think / am the only
one who has ever viewed this range,
as it seems to be invisible from any
place where there is any trace of hui
man beings, and its presence IS bare
ly noted on only one old map, with no
indication as to its altitude.
Beyond Saximo neither l nor any
one else know what There are rumors
that the interior beyond is inhabited
by Indians Of the San Bias (Cuna-
Cuna) tribe, and that they are very
hostile to invasion of their country by
whites
Plant and Animal Life.
l must confess to absolute incom-
potency when it comes to a description
Of the flora of the jungle, incompe-
tency both scientific and linguistic. I
doubt If the jungle as a whole can be
described-it can only be marveled at.
1t is beautiful, appealing, terrifying I
never cease to wonder at the trees
giant moras, borigon, cavanillesia,
ceibas, rubber, and fig. The enormous
trunks with great buttressed roots rise
100 feet without a limb, and then
spread out literally to hide the sky.
Limbs, so high that one can scarcely
see them among the leaves, drop lianas
to the ground-long tangled lines like
the wrecked rigging of some masted
ship. Then there is the secondary
growth, hundred varieties of tree
ferns and palms, suited by nature to
grow in semidarkness, robbed Of the
sunlight by their giant neighbors.
The bird life is no less wonderful
than the vegetation. The Panama
jungle is alive with birds. The variety
and coloring are truly remarkable. On
the ground l observed several varieties
OF quail, tinamou, and pheasants. In
the low-bush area are wrens, humming
birds, thrushes, ant birds, and a va
riety Of other species either common
to the United States or unknown to
me. In the medium zone, half way to
the leafy ceiling of the jungle, dwell
doves, guans, owls, motmots, and tro-
gans. High up in the roof are parrots,
parrakeets, macaws, toucans, and
cotingas.
The mammal life Of the jungle Is
also very abundant. The ordinary
traveller, however, will see little of it
owing to several conditions which only
man with extensive hunting or col
lecting experience will realize. Among
the animals 1 observed were tapir,
deer, peccary, agouti, paca, sloth,
coati-mundi, kinkajou, anteaters, mon
keys, otter, puma, iaguar (spotted and
black), ocelot, squirrels, opossums of
many varieties, and rabbits.
Snakes were fairly numerous, the
harlequin snake, boa constructors, and
a very long and thin bright green tree
snake being the most numerous.