CULTURE OF PEOPLE OF SOUTHEASTERN PANAMA 9 



who propel their vessel lazily against the current, walking fore and 

 aft the deck with their long pole paddles and keeping step to a wild, 

 monotonous chant. These are known as Bungoes, trading between 

 the various river towns and accepting gold, rubber, vegetable ivory, 

 orguilla, and dye woods in exchange for an assortment of cotton 

 prints, knives, guns, notions and trinkets, implements and domestic 

 utensils, hardware and fishing equipment of metal. 



There are many rivers and streams flowing into the Caribbean 

 along the coast extending from the Canal Zone to the mouth of 

 Atrato River, but these are mostly short and swift streams navi- 

 gable for but a short distance from their mouth. The Pacific slope 

 has similarly many short streams terminating on its coast. Between 

 the Caribbean and Pacific slopes there is a large central plain lifted 

 up between the encircling mountains. In this plain several larger 

 rivers take their rise. As the central plain is considerably nearer the 

 Caribbean than the Pacific slope, these rivers extend practically 

 across the Isthmus. Chepo or Baj^ano River debouches not more 

 than 30 miles east of Panama Bay; further down the coast to the 

 southeast, emptying their waters into Darien Harbor, are the two 

 rivers, Savannah, which is really the extended northern arm of 

 Darien Harbor, and Tuyra River with its many tributaries, making 

 up the southern arm. Its chief tributary stream is Chucunaque, 

 extending almost due north toward the mountainous region near the 

 opposite, Caribbean, coast. The valley of Sucubti, a chief tributary 

 of Chucunaque, together with many other tributaries of Tuyra, were 

 thoroughly explored by the Marsh-Darien Expedition in 1924. 



Climate. — The climate of Darien is not a satisfactory one to the 

 white race. A reaction from the stimulation ascribed to the intense 

 light, combined with the continuous heat and great humidity, sets 

 in and paves the way for the peculiar tropical diseases that are bar- 

 riers against the settlement, even by natives, of the humid lowlands. 

 Another barrier to settlement are the obnoxious insects and dense 

 jungle vegetation. The mountain uplands, likewise the island cays, 

 are free from many of these disabilities. 



There are two distinctly marked dry seasons. The months of 

 January, February, and March are the most pleasant and have least 

 precipitation. April marks the beginning of the rainy season; 

 during July rainfall decreases again; from August to September 

 the climate is dry; the months of November and December again 

 have a heavy rainfall. The entire Caribbean or north coast of 

 Darien is much more subject to rainfall than is the south or Pacific 

 slope. The town of Colon on the north has an annual average of 

 196 rainy days, while at Panama City, on the southern slope, the 

 number of rainy days is but 141, 



