OUR TIOUSE-BOAT CRUISING IN THE FLOODED FOREST OF GATUN LAKE 
It was because of the flooding of the Gatun and Chagres valleys by the huge dam at the 
Gatun locks, thus causing abrupt changes in the faunal conditions, that an expedition was 
undertaken. 
The house-boat formed the base camp, from which trips were made by launch 
or small boat, sometimes along rivers which heretofore have been inaccessible, owing to 
shallow water. 
mosquitoes (see page 165). 
when using the interior waterways for 
travel, employ the dug-out, or cayuca, in 
which they are experts in poling or pad- 
dling the swiftest of streams (see page 
163). On the first coming of the lake it 
was easy to reach the construction towns 
along the shore in boats heavily laden 
with fruits and other products, but as 
the waters rose and the wind and waves 
began to interfere it was discovered that 
not one among them all knew how to 
handle a canoe safely under such condi- 
tions, so that now the lake is paddled in 
the stillness of the night or by dodging 
in and out through the flooded forests 
near the shore. 
Eventually, however, skilled canoemen 
will be able to buffet the waves, and then 
this picturesque craft will be seen from 
the great steamers gliding across the 
white-tipped surface, so seemingly insig- 
nificant to ships that have just come in 
The house-boat had sides of cheese cloth and copper screen to keep out 
from the turbulent waters of adjacent 
seas. 
DOOMED TO SLOW STARVATION 
Probably in no other country is there 
such an interesting area continuously 
covered with deep, still waters, where 
much. of the original timber is standing. 
Here one can find trees slowly dying, 
with great pendant termite nests filled 
with restless ant-like creatures, isolated 
and doomed to slow starvation (see page 
106). 
Here are trees that died on the first 
coming of the flood and others green and 
apparently vigorous, with roots and 
trunks under water for several years. 
On the decaying branches are many 
beautifully colored orchids—tillandsias, 
ferns, vines, and mosses—replacing for 
a time the lost foliage and tropic blooms, 
while upright stumps and floating logs 
162 
