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amid the pines and palmetto barrens and Cypress swamps of south- 

 ern Georgia. Recent heavy rains had inundated the countryside. 

 Clearing weather, as we raced on through Florida, gave us glimpses 

 of sandy shores, of water hyacinths, huge palmettos, scarlet Hibis- 

 cus flowers, and a sandy bog vegetation similar in many respects to 

 that of Cape Cod. The palatial yacht, Nourmahal, was awaiting 

 us at Miami, and in remarkably short time we were under way past 

 the long breakwater and out into the broad Atlantic. 



Next morning mirage-like palms outlining the low coast of Cuba 

 appeared far off to the right. We skirted this low coast for a 

 whole day, and on the second day the land gradually became more 

 elevated, ending in the high mountains of southeastern Cuba. 

 These were covered with a luxuriant vegetation — especially the 

 cavern-like lower cliffs, which gave the impression of stalactites 

 and appeared inviting to the botanist. Nightfall and a choppy 

 Caribbean Sea in the narrow passage between Cuba and Haiti dis- 

 pelled any further interest in the Cuban coast. 



In the morning the deep blue waters of the Caribbean were 

 claiming our interest. We spent much of the following two days 

 on the upper deck observing flying fishes, birds, and the enormous 

 sharks which occasionally drifted past. Late in the afternoon ap- 

 peared the mountains of Panama, and the steel-work of ship yards 

 indicated our proximity to the city of Colon. Very soon we took 

 on a pilot crew and were proceeding through the locks, an opera- 

 tion carried out with astounding rapidity. The murky green wa- 

 ters of Gatun Lake are a decided contrast to the flashing blue of 

 the Caribbean. Projecting stumps and little islands, through 

 which only an experienced pilot can find his way, are strewn about. 

 We were passing through in the dry season. The skeletons of 

 trees alone remained, and brush fires burned incessantly along the 

 parched hillsides. Only on Barro Colorado Island (which has a 

 biological laboratory that we were to visit on our return) did we 

 get a glimpse of the huge undisturbed tropical forest with bright 

 lavender flowers now and then appearing in enormous masses. 

 Darkness was falling, and the myriad-lighted village of Chagres, 

 the precipitous black slopes of Culebra Cut, and the long locks of 

 Miraflores passed like visions. Daybreak found us at the docks 

 of Balboa. 



Chapin, Dr. Townsend and I paid a visit next morning to the 



