16 BULLETIN 134, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



along the Tuyra and lower Chucunaque, at Yavisa, Chepigana, 

 Pinogana, Real, and Molineca, which finally led to the establishment 

 of a complete chain of well garrisoned forts across Darien, but 

 which were subsequently abandoned and are to-day in ruins. These 

 towns are now inhabited by Negroes and half-breed Indians. 



The discovery of gold in California in 1849 marks the beginning 

 of another phase in the racial history of the Isthmus. Thousands 

 of gold seekers took the Panama route and crossed the Isthmus from 

 Porto Bello to Panama by way of the " Gold Road " and the Chagres 

 River. Later followed the attempt by the French to build an 

 Isthmian canal, which together with the prior building of the inter- 

 oceanic railroad from Panama City to Aspinwall (Colon), brought 

 thousands of Asiatics, southern Europeans, and Negro laborers to 

 the Isthmus from the English, French, and Dutch West Indian 

 possessions. Many of these laborers remained in Panama and set- 

 tled either in the towns adjacent to the canal or along the coast. 

 Their children intermarried or mingled with the Indian natives, pro- 

 ducing consequently a high degree of hybridization. The Asiatics, 

 represented by the Chinese and Japanese chiefly, and a smaller 

 number of Hindoos, do not intermarry to the same extent as did 

 the West Indians, though there is some hybridization of Oriental, 

 Indian, and Negro in towns adjacent to the Canal Zone. The Ori- 

 ental is the trader or merchant, an occupation that has been followed 

 to some extent by the Negro along the great rivers of the interior. 



Along the northern side of the Tuyra river there are extensive 

 tidal forests. In these forests there are many varieties of useful 

 trees. Among them is the " cocobola " (Dalbergia ?'etusa), the hard- 

 wood of which is utilized in the making of handles for machetes 

 and knives. The Chinese have engaged in this industry as they 

 have in other trades, such as that of gold-beaters for the Tule for 

 whom they shape earrings and other ornaments. They are essen- 

 tially traders, and along with the Negro trader buy up the Indian's 

 supply of turtle, ivory nuts (Phytelephas), and other products such 

 as coconuts. 



POPULATION: THE NATIVE TRIBES. 



Tribal boundaries; linguistic stocks. — Pinart assumed that all o'f 

 the Indians of Panama belonged to the Carib linguistic stock. He 

 also believed that no difference existed between the tribes of the 

 Venezuelan coast and the Cuna and Guaymie from the standpoint 

 of physical characteristics. This assumption has been disproved 

 both as to linguistic affiliations and with regard to physical types 

 so far as the Cuna tribes of Darien are concerned. Pinart correctly 

 defines the boundaries of the former habitat of the Cuna as extend- 

 ing over most of Darien, including the northern portion of the 



