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CHAPTER X. 
PUNTA ARENAS.-EXCURSION TO THE ISLAND OP SAN LUCAS.- 
ARRIVAL IN THE BAY OP PANAMA.—NOTE ABOUT SOUTH-AMERI¬ 
CAN PILE-BUILDERS.-A GEOGRAPHICAL PUZZLE ABOUT THE 
COCOA-NUT.-EXCURSION TO THE BAYANO RIVER.-REFLECTIONS 
ON THE RUINS OP OLD PANAMA. 
The ‘ Guatemala,’ leaving Corinto on the 11th of June, 
at midday, when the rain came down in torrents, 
dropped anchor off Punta Arenas, in Costa Rica, after 
a run of twenty-four hours. Punta Arenas looked 
more cheerful than it did last time I visited it,—the 
white lighthouse standing out boldly from a back¬ 
ground of dense tropical vegetation. A large cargo 
having to he taken on hoard, Captain Dow and I 
profited hy our detention at this port hy making, at 
dawn the following day, an excursion to the island of 
San Lucas, for the purpose of collecting specimens. 
We had a pleasant ramble on the shore, and picked up 
seven species of seaweeds, which were afterwards de¬ 
posited in Dr. J. E. Gray’s rich collection; whilst my 
friend caught, amongst many other things, a fine 
