Ho time was lost on the run back to Balboa, where we ar- 
rived at seven o^clook the morning of the 30th. Here Captain Picking 
and I had a conference witlri Admiral F, H. Sadler vfhich should be con- 
sidered as confidential# Althougythe Navy has permission from the 
Ecuadorian coveranent to establish air and submarine bases in the 
Galapagos no move until r oal -ly ncessary. Any pio- 
neering in the IslandSj^iTould, of necessity, devolve upon the Smith- 
sonian if undertaken at all >/ This Y^uld permit the location of the 
laboratory on what mkj be '■ the most favorable site in 
the Islands ^ This # Captain Picking insists, is on thg^swth sb 
North Seymour Island vdiere it fronts Indefatigable ##netvTeen the 
two islands is a comparatively narrow channel which, by virtue of 
reefs or a chain of islets and shoals across each end, lias been trans- 
formed into a wonderfully well protected, landlocked basin, entirely 
free from swel^j#^ an|hor 
alongside o l^^^wo uid p 
c on veni ent . ani 1. i ,1 e o i r fibr e # Through either reef there is an^ opening 
sufficiently large for the passage of fairly good-sized vessels, even 
tliough the maximum depth at mean low water is only 2-l/4 fathoms. Captain 
Picking feels certain that iksxKxwxii it will be a very simple matter 
to increase this depth with the aid of a diver or by blasting. On his 
survey chart he has designated this perfectly calm, safe harbor as the 
South Channel Basin, and he has kindly furnished me a ju u y I^racing 
giving details of this basing c^fe 
' — It- ’ge haf>ponod "- that - »"X g e t to s oo thio p artieni rar 
^ ymich G 'ft fit ft in Picking ' diooovere"d-” ' just befere ' eui ** d e- 
jnrt''ir'" fr~m— ''' •*~h" ■ .i 
) afifl '""CBeTSYayg ; — OT i llw atrongth of his poooinmonda ' fei o H.v ' I 
f would— urge, uni us s other utpiis id e rations sheul’d" ‘ t:Futw’e ' rg ‘ h" ’ the advantag» » s , 
, that th e ^iupiTS^d lab ' OTalory"b(j""lwaLbd lieie . ^There is a considerable ^ 
P|j}/i^sarea or^^^d ashore suitable for the construction of buildings and 
1 ^ a *^gunite'^ watershed, which, in the usual wet season, should 
collectjillfcipaiMK suffidient vmter to last a small establishment through » 
the dr^ t»a]f* i t O ' l* the iiroag * This place Captain Picking 
recommendii^Jl to the Navy. ^ Aomiral baaler say that we 
w»4dtid-tTg" "f — to~ looato h i ore v if " 1:op*t*te — & a@ end , of th i s .particular 
a 3<' “e * a i.r* 
Although vmter could be hauled from Freshwater Bay, Chatham 
Island, ^0 miles away, it is believed that an oil-fired evaporator 
v/ould be much more economical# ^ At Freshwater Bay a small dam would 
lesev 
C:> 
I* w 
twe 
V/* O' 
have to be constructed so that a flexible pipe line could be laid out 
a short distance offshore to enable one to take on water without 
landing. Freshwater Bay, unfortunately, is on the south side of 
Chatham Island.^^^he southern exposures of all the islands are gener- 
|ally bad landing places because of the prevailing T/inds. 
On llay 1st I visited the National Museum of Panama, examined 
the collections, and encouraged Dr# Mendez to collect curstaceans 
both for his institution and for ours. At present there are only two 
crustaceans on exhibit in that institutioh, though there is a very 
comprehensive representation of Panamanian shells, birds, and reptiles 
I am sending him certain scientific literature that he desired. Need- 
