^°NJ".°73r^^' TABOGA, URABA, TABOGUILLA ISLANDS — STIRLING 295 



at Taboga from whence he conducted his negotiations with the govern- 

 ing officials on the mainland. Dm-ing all of this time there is no 

 mention of Indians on the island. 



In 1575 Dr. Alonso Criado de Castilla stated that "Five leagues 

 from the City of Panama was the island of Otoque, and three leagues 

 from Panama was the island of Taboga; both tilled and cultivated by 

 some inhabitants of Panama who planted and harvested corn." 

 This would seem to indicate that the aboriginal population had been 

 replaced in the main by mestizos and Spaniards. 



In 1610, in reply to queries sent out by the Spanish Crown, the 

 following item is of interest: 



The districts about Panama formerly had many pueblos of Indians, but only 

 three remained. That of Chepo was eight leagues to the east .... Chepo had 

 40 Indian inhabitants, ruled by their own governor, constable, and two mandadores. 



On Isla del Rey [in the Pearl Islands] to the east, 18 leagues from Panama and 6 

 leagues from Tierra Firma was another pueblo which usually contained 500 Indians 

 but then only 12. The third village of natives was on Isla Taboya [Taboga] 4 

 leagues south of the City with but 12 inhabitants, who were very poor like those 

 of del Rey. None of these Indians paid tribute, and all spoke the Spanish lan- 

 guage, having entirely forgotten their own. [Anderson, 1938, p. 281.] 



Reference to this pathetic remnant is the last contemporary men- 

 tion of the Taboga natives. It is certain that the Indians had no 

 part in the hectic events that took place on and about Taboga during 

 the next two centuries when it was a key point in the activities of 

 the buccaneers and other freebooters who roamed the South Sea and 

 repeatedly burned and sacked the town, which was always promptly 

 rebuilt on the same spot beside the clear stream which here flows 

 into the cove. 



In 1671, when Morgan sacked Old Panama, the Spanish refugees 

 fled by boat to Taboga and Taboguilla. It was not long after this 

 that Captain Searles was sent to capture the Spanish treasure ship 

 Trinity; he captured it at Taboga. The ship was poorly equipped for 

 defense, but Taboga was stored with "several sorts of rich wines" 

 with which Searles' men "plentifully debauched themselves." By 

 the time they had sobered up, the Trinity had escaped. 



Even as late as 1819 Captain Illingsworth and his group of Chileans 

 landed on Taboga, where they looted and burned the village. 



A number of early descriptions of the island have been left us by 

 the more literate of the buccaneers. That of Capt. William Dampier, 

 written in 1685, would serve very well to describe the Island today: 



The 24th day we run over to the Island Tabago. Tabago is in the Bay, and 

 about 6 Leagues South of Panama. It is about 3 mile long, and 2 broad, a high 

 mountainous Island. On the north side it declines with a gentle descent to the 

 Sea. The Land by the Sea is of a black Mold and deep; but towards the top 

 of the Mountain it is strong and dry. The North side of this Island makes a 



