The pocket guide to the West Indies, British Guiana, British Honduras, the Bermudas, the Spanish Main, and the Panama canal . cable, areconveyed by a system of telpherage along a jetty known as Brighton Pier, whence the pitch is shipped to all partsof the world. It is possible to pick up masses of the pitchand to mould it into shapes without soiling ones hands, thepitch being mixed with grit and not pure; and almost as fastas it is dug out, fresh material works itself in by naturalpressure from the sides and from below. The lake is atpresent leased to the New Trinidad Lake Asphalt Co. Ltd.,who
The pocket guide to the West Indies, British Guiana, British Honduras, the Bermudas, the Spanish Main, and the Panama canal . cable, areconveyed by a system of telpherage along a jetty known as Brighton Pier, whence the pitch is shipped to all partsof the world. It is possible to pick up masses of the pitchand to mould it into shapes without soiling ones hands, thepitch being mixed with grit and not pure; and almost as fastas it is dug out, fresh material works itself in by naturalpressure from the sides and from below. The lake is atpresent leased to the New Trinidad Lake Asphalt Co. Ltd.,who export on the average about 200,000 tons of pitchannually. Mr. Arthur W. Sewall, the Chairman of the Com-pany, and the majority of the Board are Philadelphians,while Mr. H. F. Previte is the London director. Theorigin of the deposit has caused no little discussion, butthe best opinion seems to be that the asphalt is a carboni-ferous deposit formed under the influence of petroleumwhich has escaped from the oil sands beneath. The lake ) GUAYAGUAYARE BEACH, TRINIDADA delightful drive in buggies can be enjoyed on the sands. THE PITCH LAKE AT LA BREA, TRINIDAD It is quite safe to walk on the pitch, over which runnels of water trickle TRINIDAD 235 itself, owing to the absorption of the suns rays, is one ofthe hottest spots in the world, while it is peculiarly subjectto sudden showers of cold rain. The white employees ofthe company used to reside on Brighton Pier, which con-sequently resembled a lake village. Now, however, thewhole forest has been cut down and they are accommodatedin a group of charming houses which looks quite like agarden suburb. Near by are seen the huge oil tanks. Apeculiarity of the spot is the presence of a singularlyunattractive breed of pelicans. There is a tradition thatthe village of a tribe of the Chaimas occupied the spotwhere the Pitch Lake now is. These Indians offended theGood Spirit by destroying the humming-birds, which wereanimated by the souls of t
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidpocketguidetowes00aspi
