UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA LIBRARIES Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2009 with funding from University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/panamacanalrevie1975pana PANAMA C^l CANAL HevIeV SPRING 1975 DAVID S. PARKER WILLIE K. FRIAR Governor-President Editor, Engli.'ih Edition JOSE T. TU5JON H. RICHARD L. HUNT Editor, Spanish Edition Lieutenant Governor Writers Vic Canel, Fannie P. Hernandez, FRANK A. BALDWIN Franklin Castrellon, Dolores E. Suisman Panama Canal Information Officer OFficial Panama Canal Publication AND Pandora G. Aleman Review articles may be reprinted without further clearance. Credit to the Review will be appreciated. The Panama Canal Review is published twice a year. Yearly subscription: regular mail $1, airmail $2, single copies 50 cents. For subscription, send check or money order, made payable to the Panama Canal Company, to Panama Canal Review, Box M, Balboa Heights, C.Z. Editorial Office Is located In Room 100, Administration Building, Balboa Heights, C.Z. Printed at the Panama Canal Printing Plant, La Boca, C.Z. Contents Our Cover Photographing a galleon under full In the Wake of Drake 3 sail might sound simple but getting the Transit of "Golden Hinde" shot of the Golden Hinde, which appears on the cover, was not revives interest in the audaci- an easy task. Intent on capturing the ship with her ous Elizabethan. sails unfurled, the photographer fol- lowed her on a launch as she left Balboa on her Some Fancy Shirts From way to California. As soon as she was free of the tug, Far-off Shores 9 which had towed her through the Canal, A short shirt tale. her crew set about the task of putting up the sails. But there were no strong winds and The Age of Aquarists 13 the sails hung limply. Capt. Adrian These fishermen give them an Small, master of the ship, decided to start the small engine aspirin and bring 'em back to help maneuvei the vessel into a better position to catch alive. the wind. Of course, with the first throb of the motor, the 16th centuiy atmos- phere vanished in a puff of grey smoke A Horse in the House 19 from the exhaust. B[i hand or icith net, feeding Finally, after much e.xertion on the part of the captain and crew, the ship a seahorse requires finesse. was in just the right position, the wind filled her sails, the engine was shut More Than A Book of Numbers 22 down, the scene was perfect, but only for a moment. The 20th century in- Phone directories reflect chang- tervened again when a small plane ing times from construction began flying back and forth directly above the ship. days to present. At last, the plane flew out of sight but a tropical rain shower caused another Culinary Capers 26 delay. The Isthmus was fast fading into the A riot of rice recipes. background as the ship moved along under full sail. Hurriedly the photogra- Shipping Notes 29 pher focused the camera just in time to spot several small boats sailing in be- tween the Golden Hinde and the launch. Nata 32 Responding to much yelling and waving of hands, Oldest totvn on the Isthmus the small boat owners moved out of range and the photographer cap- enters the industrial age. tured the scene on the cover onlv seconds before an ominous black cloud appeared overhead. Credits: Photos by Don Coodc (p. 5 "Colden Hinde" and p. 11 traffic controller j, Kevin Jenkins The cover photograph, as well as all (p. 6), Mike Goode (p. 11 Panamanian dancing others in this issue, unless otherwise couple). Sketch p. 4 by Capt. Adrian Small. credited, are by Arthur L. Pollack. 2 Spring 1975 In ike of Dtaktf WilUe K. Friar The "Golden Hinde" lies at anchor off Portobelo in the area where it is believed that Drake was buried. The galleon also stopped briefly at Nombre de Dios. IT WAS A STRANGE SIGHT-A small 16th century galleon sailing serenely past the modern gargantuan tankers and container ships lying at Drake s Drum anchor off Balboa waiting their turn to transit the Panama Canal. Drake he's in his hammock an' a thousand mile away, her sails set The small sailing ship, (Capten, art tha sleepin there beloiv?) taut, was the Golden Hinde, a replica of the ship on which Sir Francis Drake Shmg ativeen the round shot in Nombre Dios Bay, circumnavigated the globe. An dreainin arl the time d Plymouth Hoe. From the time the Golden Hinde the Island, i/arnder lie the ships, anchored off Portobelo early in Decem- Yarnder lumes ber 1974 until she completed transit of Wi' sailor lads a-dancin heel-an'-toe. the Canal, she attracted unusual interest the shore-lights fiashin, an the night-tide dashin. on the Isthmus, where Drake has always An been an important part of the local He sees et arl so plainly as he saw et long ago. history. Henry Newbolt Drake's victories over the Spanish along the Las Cruces Trail are well known and a lively interest in locating to San Francisco where she will be on liminary designs were produced about the lead casket in which he is supposed permanent exhibit, took the short cut 5 years later following considerable re- to have been buried at sea near Por- through the Panama Canal. The in- search. Although often reported in the tobelo has continued through the years. surers of the ship, which is valued at a press as "an exact replica," this would An island in the vicinity is still known million dollars, took a dim view of be impossible as little is known about as Drake's Island. havinCT her go through the Strait of the original Golden Hinde. It was on the Isthmus that Drake, Magellan. After studying every scrap of his- after climbing to the top of a tree and Plans are to berth the ship at Fisher- torical evidence available, including viewing both oceans, fell on his knees man's ^Vharf in San Francisco to com- manuscripts which described Drake and and asked God to give him "life and memorate Drake's voyage and his land- his ship and viewing paintings of the leave to sail an English ship in the South ing on the west coast of America in 1579. period, Norgaard came to the conclu- Sea." His prayer was answered later The Golden Hinde replica was de- sion that the Golden Hinde was a classic when he succeeded in circumnavigating signed bv Chris Norgaard, a Califomian, example of a mid 16th century warship. the world on the Golden Hinde. for a consortium of San Francisco busi- It is i)elieved that the ship was built in On his trip in 1577, Drake took the nessmen including Albert D. Elledge, France and was bought by John Hawk- Golden Hinde through the treacherous president of a tugboat and harbor tour ins, Drake's uncle. waters of the Strait of Magellan and line, and Art Blum, public relations Norgaard was greatly influenced by harassed Spanish ships along the Chilean consultant. Nuiio da Silva, the Portuguese pilot and Penivian coasts before arriving in The idea to build such a ship for San captured bv Drake, who became his California. The replica of the ship, en- Francisco germinated in the mind of na\igator, He had a high opinion of the route from England where she was built. Art Blum, at least 10 years ago. Pre- ship and wrote: "The Capitana (flag- The Panama Canal Review 3 It was reported that she was also used and transfer it to the hold of the Golden The replica was as a restaurant and Pepys wrote of Hinde while the ships stood off the coast visiting the ship in 1662 and noting that of Peru. When Drake released the cap- built to the timbers were rotting. About this tain, he gave him a number of gifts in- 1 time the decision was made to break up eluding a gilt corselet and 600 pounds commemorate the ship. The only relics remaining of iron as well as a letter of safe conduct ^ today are a chair of polished oak made in case he should encounter other | from the ship's timbers, which is in the English ships. Drake's landing Bodleian Library at Oxford, and a table Drake's cabin is the most uncomfort- in the Middle Temple in London. able part of the ship during rough on the coast of From the information concerning the weather. Beneath it is the Great Cabin, Deptford berth of the original ship, complete with a beautifully carved oak California Norgaard estimated the Golden Hinde's table capable of seating 10 people. Since dimensions to be 75 feet on the water- the furniture was recorded as being the line; 102 feet overall (not including the finest of the period, hand-carved replicas in 1579 bowsprit); maximum breadth 20 feet; in English oak were commissioned for extreme draft 13 feet, her mainmast the ship. 80 feet tall, her foremast 71 feet and On the poop deck is a "round house" her mizzenmast 36V2 feet. The replica in which Drake spent many hours paint- ship) is in a great measure stout and carries a total of 4,150 square feet of ing with his young nephew, John Drake. strong. She has two sheathings, one as sail and displaces 290 tons. The main deck, in front of the Great ' perfectly finished as the other. She is fit for warfare and is a ship of the French pattern, well fitted out and furnished with \er\' good masts, tacke and double sails.