14 allan hancock pacific expeditions vol. 12 



Bahia Honda^'^ 



Bahia Honda is one of the most attractive of the customary stops 

 made by Hancock Expeditions on the mainland, although not one of the 

 most profitable from the phycological standpoint. As approached from the 

 sea, it seems at first as if no entrance to the bay exists, for beautiful 

 wooded points converge and overlap wooded islets within. Behind these, 

 in the distance beyond the bay, rise high wooded hills. Even from the 

 outside there are visible one or two simple huts. On close approach a 

 channel opens out, and on following it through one enters a large, com- 

 pletely sheltered bay and excellent anchorage. There is a small settle- 

 ment on the left of the entrance within. This, consisting of three or four 

 board houses and several more of simple thatched construction, is most 

 beautifully situated on the shore under cocoanut palms and other trees. 

 It seems to exist by fishing and by boatmaking, but certainly was not 

 prosperous. Particularly good dugout canoes were seen here, and others 

 built up on the sides into sloops, and, finally, small sloops planked through- 

 out. 



The shore of the bay showed small sandy coves alternating with rocky 

 points, but muddy shores are common below the rocks and especially 

 near the settlement. Mangrove thickets appear in places on the mud banks. 

 A small stream, very interesting for its flora of the striking aquatic 

 phanerogam Pistia, enters the bay near the village. The wood also pro- 

 duced many interesting vascular plants of which few could be collected, 

 but several orchids were seen in flower, and particularly numerous ferns. 



Collecting of marine algae near the settlement was hopeless because 

 of the muddy shore. However, one of the little islands near the entrance 

 proved somewhat better. In high, sun-heated tide pools loose mats of 

 Cladophora, Lyngbya confervoides, and Centroceras were abundant. Still 

 higher on the rocks exposed to splash from the waves there was a goo3 

 growth of Bostrychia Calliptera. The flora below was in general of crusts 

 of Hildenbrandia and small turf-forming species of algae, and larger 

 marine algae were lacking, although some drifting Sargassum was seen 

 and some crustose Lithothamnieae and Janias were present. The rocks 

 seem to be unfavorable for the attachment of large algae. Some dredging 

 was done, chiefly outside the bay, but no significant amount of algae was 

 secured. 



IsLA Taboga, Panama^s 

 There lie in the Golfo de Panama two groups of islands. The outer 

 of these are the larger and more important, and comprise the Is. Perlas 



'^'^Ibid., p. 162, pi. 82, figs. 174, 175. 

 'i-^Ibid., p. 163, pi. 83, fig. 177. 



