200 Naturalist at Large 



for the tremendous variety of species. In fact, on every 

 visit I found a bat or two that had not been taken pre- 

 viously, and I suspect the same thing would happen if I 

 returned there tomorrow. 



The caves were incredibly noisome and hot, and I was 

 certainly a mess at the end of each sortie. I recall that one 

 day I rode back on top of the launch because I was in no 

 wise fit company for the ladies inside. The Governor joined 

 me on the roof, and we sat looking at the scene of exquisite 

 beauty which unfolded itself as we passed bend after bend 

 of the Chagres River. The little clearings were not con- 

 spicuous, and great stretches of untouched tropical forest 

 billowed away on either hand. The guayacan trees were 

 in bloom and the whole scene looked as if some giant had 

 passed over it with an overflowing bucket of molten gold, 

 big blobs representing giant forest trees and little spatters 

 the lesser trees poking their heads up through the roof of 

 the jungle. This is one of the most spectacular shows staged 

 by nature anywhere in the world. It is a pity the bloom lasts 

 only a few days. 



Looking out at this scene, the Governor said to me, "If 

 only this country wasn't cursed with malaria." That re- 

 mark set me thinking. There we were, riding on the river 

 whose very name is synonymous with pestilence. I sup- 

 pose there are millions of people who have heard of 

 Chagres fever and who have never heard of the Chagres 

 River. 



If only malaria had not come to America, how different 

 everything would have been. Is it not a fair assumption 

 that when Alexander's army brought it from India to 

 Greece the light of Greece waned? It is not unreasonable 



