Oaptaia fiekiag fosle oertaia tijftt It id 11 ho a vary siisfile aatt^r to imroas© 
-■tJii® {|®pt3a with th® mid of a <SiT®r or by blasting* -On his survey elmrt he 
has designated this p®rf®otly oala, saf® S^arbor as tira South Chsanel Basin, 
-and h« i-ms kindly furnished m a trading giving details of this basin. (Pho- 
tographic copy of traolag of the survey chart of this basin is appended.) 
Isl'ior® there is a considerable area of slightly sloping land si#lt- 
ablo for 1210 oonstruotioa of buildings and perhaxis also a "guaite” watershed 
which in tli® usual wet season aay oolloct sufficient water to last. a sssall 
establiste»at tifirough 'the whole of tli© dry season. This plaoe Captain ?lak- 
Ing has also reeomeaded to the Jlavy as the best and safest liarbor in the 
Islands. 
Altliough the past rainy season in tlio Gelapagos tos one of tto 
wettest in the awaory of m&ny of the present residents (the Witteers, on 
Charles Island ®tac# 1032, say tise wettest), Itierc is no adequate, poma- 
nant supply of fresh water to be had except In the stream entering Fresh- 
•mter Bay on Ch*th«a. From this place water would have to be hauled to tl:so 
laboratory site selected (sixty .mile® one wmy to tJie South CJmar»l Basin). 
A small dan would h&v® to be built cm this stream: to Impound the water, «id 
a flexible pip© line laid to a buoy offshore to enable one to take on water 
without laad,tag. .. Freshwater Bey, unfortunately. Is on the south side of 
ChathuBa Island, mad. the southern exposuros of all Urn island® are generally 
bad landing piaoes. because of the prevailing idarf®. 
The Savy is of the opinion timt ®a oil-fired evaporator would be 
sore ©oonoialo..sl and practical la th© lo$i^ run (rouglily one gallon of diesel 
oil produo.e8 twelve gallons of water). ■ ' 
la omolusion, whatever laboratory base is established la the 
Islands .aliould be located, on the SoutJi Chasaol Basin* Her© a .small dock 
should be installed, as well, as an ©vaporator for fresh mter. The labor- 
atory should have attached to it a motorboat witii a cruising radius suf- 
ficient to reach Balboa, as well &a tlie coast of touador, in case of 
necessity. I also would reoosiaend the.t, if it can b® obtained, a heuseboat 
typo of yacht witli seagoing hull should b® converted into a floating lab- 
oratory and md© available to ttm pro jsot, la addition to the shore base 
tha.t my be established* 
Respectful if , 
Waldo L. Bohaiitt, Cfuratcr, 
Division of Marine Invertebrates. 
