Reptiles in the West Indies 131 



he said that he doubted the luncheon story. I said, "Fine, 

 but I should hate to be in your shoes," and grabbed at 

 his telephone. This called his bluff completely, and bid- 

 ding good-bye to my host I seized my bags and threw them 

 into Allison's launch. 



I waved to Stabler, pushed my way down the steps of 

 the quay, and jumped aboard. On the quay were a crowd 

 of the most pitiful-looking convicts I have ever seen: loaded 

 with chains, they were being taken out to an island prison 

 in the harbor. After Gomez's death the prison was finally 

 dismantled and abandoned, the frightful terrors there hav- 

 ing been revealed to the world. We went quickly out to 

 the launch, got aboard, hoisted the gangway, and started 

 the engines. We had not gone far when there was a good 

 deal of sudden activity on a small Venezuelan man-of-war 

 anchored not far away. She whistled frantically but ob- 

 viously had no steam in her boilers. Fortunately she re- 

 frained from firing on us. We felt distinctly more com- 

 fortable, however, after we had turned the point and left 

 the mouth of the harbor. 



A visit to Cartagena followed. Then came the Canal 

 Zone and Barro Colorado Island, where more repairs to a 

 troublesome engine gave me needed time to prepare our 

 annual report. After this visit we went on to Cienfuegos 

 Harbor. I disembarked for Soledad and thus ended a mem- 

 orable and most delightful voyage. 



