The Green caldron - University Library

October, 1957 27
Native children of the Caribbean regions are skilled in the use of the cay-
uca. Often it is their only plaything, and children barely old enough to walk
can swim and paddle a cayuca. Since most land is goverment-owned,^^ a
family's most valuable possessions are usually their cayucas, and the skills of
cayuca building and upkeep are taught from childhood. Many hours of plea-
sure are afiforded the young child in learning to make and use cayucas—the
same cayucas that will play such an important role in his adult life.
To me the tropics will always be symbolized by a tanned youth with his
machete in one hand and his cayuca paddle in the other.
NOTES
^Wendell P. Roop, Watercraft of Amazonia (Woodbury, New Jersey, 1935) p. 107.
* Terence Quirke, Canoes the World Over (Urbana, University of Illinois Press, 1952)
p. 42.
^George M. Herbert, "All-purpose Boat of the Bayous," Nations Business, (Novem-
ber, 1951) p. 86-7.
* United States National Museum, Bulletin Number 127, Catalogue of the Watercraft
Collection in the United States National Museum (Washington, 1923) p. 205.
* Roop, p. 31.
*U. S. National Museum, p. 222.
Ubid., p. 223.
' Roop, p. 29.
' Quirke, p. 52.
" bohio, palm-lhatched native hut.
" Quirke, p. 49.
^Ibid., p. 49.
" Roop, p. 66.
" Ibid., p. 65.
^Quirke, p. 45.
" Roop, p. 33.
" Quirke, p. 45.
"Tracey Robinson, Panama (New York, The Trow Press,
" Roop, p. 38.
^ Quirke, p. 44.
1907) p. 106 (picture).
'^ Ibid., p. 49.
"^ Ibid., V. 2\.
^John and Mavis Biesarz, The People of Panama (New York, Columbia University
Press, 1955) p. 5.
^' Quirke, p. 25.
^ Ibid., p. 27.
'" Roop, p. 31.
'' Quirke, p. 31.
^ "Study Choco Indians, "Science News Letter, (August 15, 1953) p. 102.
^"Biesarz, p. 177 (picture)
^"Robinson, p. 106 (picture).
^^ yamki, root-like vegetable somewhat like the yellow sweet potato.
^^C. L. G. Anderson, Old Panama and Castillo del Oro (Boston, The Page Company,
1914) p. 4.
^ Ibid., p. 14.
^* conejo, spotted jungle animal which resembles large rabbit.
^Thomas Gann, Ancient Cities and Modern Tribes (London, Duckworth Company,
1926) p. 25.
^* corbina, sea trout
^^ Biesarz, p. 124.