Some years ago the Indians reported to me that they had yellow fever among their people, and requested my help. As their territory came directly up to the Canal Zone, it was important for us to know whether or not this was really true. A party of sanitary officials, consisting of Dr. Carter, Major Lyster, myself and others, went down on a steamer to investigate. We went by appointment to the principal town. The Indians were very glad to see us, and received us most hospitably. It was a very picturesque scene as we approached the landing. The whole population was drawn up on the beach in their gala attire, to do us honor. The women, who had probably never before seen a white man, were dressed very much as described by the earlier explorers in the middle of the seventeenth century; a skirt of some bright material and a scarf of brilliant red around the shoulders; gold ornaments in great profusion; nose rings, ear-rings, heavy bracelets on the upper arm and around the ankles. A most peculiar custom among the young women was that of binding very tightly around the calves of both legs a band of beadwork, from four to six inches broad. Some had the same band on the upper arm. This band had been worn so long and was so tight that it had made a deep, permanent depression in the muscular tissue; enough I should have thought to cause some lameness, but in no case could I see that it interfered with locomotion. The early explorers also refer to this custom. Another custom which I have seen referred to and which attracted our attention among these Indians, is the manner in which the women smoke their cigars. I saw many of them putting the lighted end in their mouths and smoking the cigar by drawing the air through it that way. After seeing the display of gold ornaments I could well understand how Balboa collected such large quantities of gold as he describes, in his expeditions through the country. I estimate that the women I saw on this occasion averaged in their rings and bracelets ten or fifteen ounces of gold apiece. The conquistadors, no doubt, when they entered a town seized all this gold. The Indians, as I have said, received us very cordially, and brought to us all their sick, and apparently wanted us to give some medicine to everyone in the village. This we cheerfully did, giving them the best advice we could, but when evening came, they politely notified us of their national custom with regard to white men spending a night on shore. We took the hint and returned aboard our steamer.