INFORMATION O H DARIEN 
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The best route to arrive at the village of La Palma is by 
water craft or by small seaplane down the Pacific Coast toward 
San Miguel Bay. All along the coast are small villages at which 
excellent natives can be hired. At the village of Chiman natives 
can be obtained to take parties in all of the areas that surround 
it for several miles in each direction. All these natives are 
trustworthy and know the country extremely well. The wages will 
be between $2.25 and $2.75 per day. One excellent guide’s name 
is Villereal. This village is supposed to be the one where Balboa 
planted his flag in the Pacific Ocean. 
There are several villages in or near San Miguel Bay at 
which natives can be hired, namely, Gonzalo Vasquez, Congo, La 
Palma, Corales and Garachine. At La Palma there is a German 
by the name of Johnney Wells who speaks English and can arrange 
for natives. There are several rivers near La Palma up which 
the guides will take you. Natives at Garachine state that other 
ornithologists visited there and Cerro Sapo in 1939. The lady 
who operates the small store there and a Lip, Frances can make 
all necessary arrangements. 
Inclosed is a map of that area showing the triangulation 
stations to which the natives guided the parties. This map 
should assist in locating these areas as the Arny renamed all 
the mountains in Eastern Panama and all the natives will know 
how to get to an area by just knowing the name of the triangu¬ 
lation station. 
The range of mountains called ’’Serrania de Maje" consists 
of the following mountains: Pico Colurana, 4,000’, very rockyj 
Chucanti, 5,300', very wet but good trail; Pechito Parroa, 1,800', 
good trail, good game. The trip into Columna takes approximately 
2g- days, Chucanti 2|- to 3 days, Pechito Parroa 6 hours. Excellent 
game and fowl can be found on all these trails such as Tapir, 
FJild Turkey, ?/ild Boar, and some small Deer. The natives on the 
coast near these hills know good trails to these points, especially 
those in Chiman. There is shelter built on top of Chucanti and 
possibly on the others. The shelter on Chucanti is located at 
Francisco, the azimuth station about 3600 feet along the ridge 
from station Chucanti. Water is within fifteen minutes of the 
shelter. 
