296 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 191 



very pleasant shew, it seems to be a Garden of Fruit inclosed with many high 

 trees; the chief est Fruits are Plantains and Bonano's. They thrive very well 

 from the foot to the middle of it; but those near the top are but small, as wanting 

 moisture. Close by the Sea there are many Coco-Nut-Trees, which make a 

 very pleasant sight. Within the Coco-Nut-Trees there grow many Mammet 

 (Mame) Trees .... The S.W. end of the Island hath never been cleared, but 

 is full of Firewood, and Trees of divers sorts. There is a very fine small Brook 

 of fresh Water, that springs out of the side of the Mountain, and gliding through 

 the Grove of Fruit trees, falls into the Sea on the North side. There was a small 

 Town standing by the Sea, with a Church at one end, but now the biggest part 

 of it is destroyed by the Privateers. The buccaneers under Sawkins lay here 

 from May 2-15, 1680. ['] There is good anchoring right against the Town, about 

 a mile from the shoar, where you may have 16 or 18 fathom Water, soft oazy 

 ground. There is a small Island close by the N.W. end of this called Tabogilla 

 [actually Urabd], with a small Channel to pass between. There is another 

 woody Island about a mile on the N.E. side of Tabago, and a good Channel 

 between them: this Island [Taboguilla] hath no Name that ever I heard. 

 [Dampier, 1717.] 



It is clear from the rather abundant literature concerning Taboga, 

 that from earliest times, together with Taboguilla and Otoque, it 

 was the vegetable garden and fruit orchard first for Old Panama, 

 and later to a lesser extent for the modern city. 



It is interesting to note the apparent changes over the centuries 

 in the character of the crops raised. In 1575, the principal crop was 

 corn. In 1685 Dampier states that the chief crop was plantains and 

 bananas, but also mentions coconuts and mames. At the present 

 time the principal crops are pineapples and papayas, which are grown 

 in clearings on the steep hillsides. The pineapples of Taboga are 

 famous for their quality, and it is local tradition that the original 

 plantings for the Hawaiian Islands came from here. 



The aboriginal occupants of Taboga were probably moderately 

 prosperous, since Badajoz looted them of a fairly substantial quantity 

 of gold. A few years ago, our workmen told us, a gold "Corona," 

 a plain band of gold about 1 inch in width, to be worn around the 

 head, was washed out of the bank of the creek. The finders divided 

 it equally among themselves by breaking it into three parts. Lo- 

 throp illustrates several gold specimens said to have come from 

 Taboga. 



With the aid of natives we were able to locate several midden 

 sites other than that underlying the village. 



TABOGA-1 

 Near the northeastern extremity of Taboga is a small cove, back 

 of which is located the station from which is operated a radar installa- 

 tion on the summit of the island. Above the station, at an elevation 



» "While we were here," says Riogrose (1684), "some of our men being drunk on shore, happened to set 

 fire unto one of the Houses, the which consumed twelve houses more before any could get ashoar to 

 quench it." 



