294 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 191 



Because of the lack of suitable anchorages along the mainland 

 of the Isthmus, and because good water was not readily available 

 there, Taboga early became a key point for the trans-Isthmian traffic. 

 Balboa scarcely had reached the Pacific before Taboga began a colorful 

 history matched by few spots of equal size in the New World. 



The principal stream of water on Taboga flows through the only 

 relatively level area on the island, that lying immediately back of 

 the cove and beach. The present village occupies this area on both 

 sides of the stream, the houses being built about as close together 

 as possible. Since this is the only logical living site on the island, 

 it was here also that the principal aboriginal settlement was located. 

 Under the present village lie the remains of the old colonial Spanish 

 town, and below that the midden deposits of the Indians. A cross 

 section of this deposit is exposed where the ramp from the beach as- 

 cends to the first narrow street on the village level. The church 

 appears to be built over approximately the middle of the Indian 

 village site. While this site would be naturally the most productive 

 location for archeological research, it is impracticable to dig in it 

 because of the buUdings which cover it. At the present time the 

 surface of the ground under and around the houses is littered with a 

 mixture of Spanish and Indian sherds. 



Information concerning the Indians inhabiting Taboga at the time 

 of the Conquest is almost nonexistent. Because of the early settle- 

 ment of the island by the Spaniards and its limited area, it is probable 

 that the bulk of the natives were killed or driven away early in the 

 16th century. 



After raiding Parita and the Azuero Peninsula in 1515, Badajoz 

 and his surviving followers fled to Chame and thence to Taboga 

 Island, being the first Europeans to land there. After nursing their 

 wounds for several weeks in the security of the island, they returned 

 to the mainland. Beyond the fact that the island received its name 

 from Taboga, the chief who resided there, and that the Spaniards 

 obtained 22,000 pesos of gold from the natives, we learn nothing from 

 the early chronicles. It is probably safe to assume, however, that 

 Badajoz obtained the gold by force and that his visit virtually brought 

 to an end the aboriginal occupation of the island. 



In 1519 Pedrarias, then Governor of Panama, after taking posses- 

 sion of the south coast, brought his force of 400 men to Taboga, from 

 whence he established the old City of Panama. It is to be presumed 

 that the Spaniards already had a settlement on the island, for in 

 November of 1524 Pizarro sailed from Taboga on his epoch-making 

 voyage of discovery which led to the conquest of Peru. 



In 1545, Pedro de Hinojosa, dispatched by Pizarro to capture 

 Panama and place it under his control, outfitted and repaired his ships 



