The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-09-06


Americans, and perhaps a few OF
ID our field naturalists, to learn that
right at the back door Of the
Panama canal lies an almost unknown
jungle wilderness, unmapped and
practically uninhabited in the interior
except for a few very primitive In
dams. Virtually the entire eastern
portion Of the republic Of Panama ly-
Ing between the canal and Colombia,
roughly 300 miles long by from 80 to
100 miles wide, is unknown, and the
published maps Of this country, except
| for the Seacoast and the location Of
half a dozen small towns. are all
faxed, writes Lieut.. Col. Townsend
Whelen in Natural History.
1t was my good fortune to spend the
entire dry seasons December to June)
Of 1916 and 1917 exploring a Fart Of
this country. We found it necessary
to know something Of that portion of
1t nearest the canal, and it fell to my
lot, assisted by Companies E and II.
Twenty-ninth United States infantry,
to make preliminary exploration
with view to planning and expedit-
Ing its accurate mapping by the en-
gineer corps.
1t is because this little piece of jun
gle probably will remain virgin and
unspoiled for many years that I think
1t ought to be brought to the attention
Of our field naturalists. It is so easily
accessible, and yet only the borders of
it have been scratched by the scien-
list. No one yet knows what is in the
interior, what secrets it contains, what
new fauna and fora its exploration
will reveal.
In the Real Jungle.
In the Canal zone, which extends five
miles to either side Of the canal, prac-
tically all of the jungle forest has long
since been cut off, and in it's place has
grown up a dense, impenetrable sec
ond group Of small trees, palms, creep
ers, thorns, and coarse grass. But If
one cuts his way through this tangled
growth for about five miles In from
the canal he comes to the real jungle,
standing up like gigantic wall of
green verdure. Once in it all is diff
ferent, even the very climate itself.
Here one can wander at will, unim-
pedsd by therns and creepers. 1t is
even easier travelling here than in the
woods Of our own Northeast, because
nc y.,,1n 10 HdnWnv
timber. It Is like new world, world |
that one has not even read about.
From the blazing sun and sweltering |
heat of the second growth one enters |
what is almost an underground world,
cool ard balmy. Everywhere the giant
trees 90 up limbless for from 100 to
200 feet, and then spread out their
verdure, literally hiding the sky. Beau
tiful slender palms grow in great pro-
fusion in the semidarkness forming
the lower growth, impeding ones view
but not One,s progress. Scarcely ever
can one see more than so yards, and
never does the explorer get an extend
ed view, even from the tops Of the
|
tered the jungle it was with an indie
,cribable feeling Of awe and wonder,
and this feeling has never left me;
nay, it persists, drawing me, calling
ne to come back, more insistent even
han the "Call of the North"
UnexpIored Mountain Ranges.
That part of the jungle in which my
most intensive exploration was con-
lucted lies to the east OF the city Of
Colon, between there and the town of
Nombre de Dois, and extending from
he Caribbean coast inland to the head
waters Of the Chagres river system.
Between the Chagres basin and the
Caribbean coast rises the cordillera Of
,erro Bruja, mountain range that
starts about ten miles east of Colon,
md rises steadily, eliminating in the
,eak of Cerro Bruja 1920 feet) about
s miles south of the town Of Porto