REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 11 



closes evidences of what Mr. Bishop believes to be a Ilan dynasty naval base 

 or fortress, one of three which are said to have been built at that time, and 

 of vvhlih two only have been located. 



MAKSH-DARIEN EXPEDITION 



An expedition under the auspices of Mr. R. O. Marsh explored 

 during a part of 1924 the little-known Isthmus of Darien, in 

 Panama. A number of men representing several institutions and 

 various branches of science accompanied the expedition at the invi- 

 tation of Mr. Marsh, the Smithsonian Institution being represented 

 by Mr. John L. Baer, who was particularly interested in the 

 anthropological phase of the work. This expedition, like that of 

 Mr. Hoy mentioned in last year's report, had a tragic ending, so 

 far as the Institution was concerned, for while the party was pro- 

 ceeding up the Chucimaque River Mr. Baer was taken suddenly 

 ill, and, although hurriedly transported to the coast, he died within 

 a few days. 



A brief report of the work of the expedition, written by the head 

 curator of anthropology of the National Museum, reads in part as 

 follows : 



The route followed was from Balboa to San Miguel Bay, through Darien 

 Harbor, and up the Tuyra River to the village of Real. There a change was 

 made to smaller boats and the Rio Chucuuaque ascended to Yavisa, near which 

 a permanent camp was established. A visit was made to the Choco Indians, 

 who occupy the middle river valleys above tidewater, and to the Cuna, who 

 live in the higher river valleys and mountain district. The Choco have a 

 local government, live in large, well-built community houses, and subsist on 

 rice, bananas, plantains, corn, and yucca. They are expert fishermen, diving 

 into deep pools and catching certain kinds of rock fish in their hands. Their 

 religion is a fonn of primitive belief in the influence of good and bad spirits. 

 Mr. Marsh observes that they are a happy, careless, childlike people, friendly 

 if well treated, very Polynesian-like, wearing breech-cloths, but decorated with 

 beads, silver earrings, and wrist bands, and wreaths of gay flowers. 



The Cuna have a higher culture than the Choco, are monogamous, have 

 hereditary chiefs, families have separate houses, and large houses are used 

 for tribal meetings and ceremonies. They raise long-staple tree cotton, dye 

 and weave cotton into cloth and hammocks, grow corn, plantains, bananas, 

 yucca, coffee, chocolate, and sugar cane. They are adepts with the bow and 

 arrow and blowgun. 



The party proceeded up the Chucunaque River with great difficulty, owing 

 to barriers of drift logs, at last reaching the Cunas Bravos, who were regarde<l 

 as hostile. The Cunas Bravos are agriculturalists and exhibit a lower degree 

 of culture than the Cunas of the lower river. The chief of the Cunas Bravos 

 spoke good English, having as a young man shipped at Colon on an English 

 vessel, and in 12 years had sailed over half the world. It was at this point 

 that John L. Baer became 111. 



Activities were next transferred to the San Bias Indians, who inhabit a 

 long stretch of the north coast of Panama. These Indians, wlio number 

 approximately 40,000, have always kept aloof from the white man, realizing 



