74 The Ottawa Naturalist [Atigust 



where a hill rises to a height of about 600 feet auove the sea. On 

 both sides the oil-bearing sandstones are exposed dipping general- 

 ly to north and south and in the back streets of the town itself 

 outflows of asphalt are seen which represent the crude petroleum 

 which has been deprived of its volatile matter through oxydation. 

 This oil has originally been derived from the oil-sands in the 

 vicinity, some portions of the formation being fairly .satura^ted 

 with it. This anticline, like the others, extends across the island 

 to the east coast. 



The second anticline, going south, extends from the west 

 coast at Point La Brea, about 15 miles west of San Fernando. 

 On this is situated the famous Pitch lake, which is one of the m.ost 

 wonderful features of this island. Oil is also issuing from the 

 rocks along the course of the anticline at a number of points, and 

 deposits of as})halt are found at intervals. An old oil well near 

 the lake, though nearly choked up, is still discharging petroleum 

 by simple overflow. 



The third anticline extends from near Guaypo point, about 

 five miles south of the La Brea Pitch lake, eastward to the east 

 coast, and is well defined at a number of places. At the out- 

 crops on the Vv-est coast the strata are vertical for several hundred 

 yards and the blackish-grey sandstone is, in places, saturated 

 with oil which oozes out and forms a S'-um. along the beach, while 

 heavv outflows of the ashpalt are seen both along the shore and 

 at many points inland along the course of the anticline. Near the 

 west end a very strong English company, comprising Lord 

 Dundonald and others, has recently begun a systematic series of 

 borings for oil with every prospect of success. At or near the 

 village of Fyzabad, about 12 miles inland, there are other large 

 outflows of asphalt associated with thick black oil which forms 

 small pools, the surface over a considerable area being covered 

 with the oil and asphalt. 



The fourth and most southerly anticline keeps along the 

 south coast, terminating westward near the south-we.st corner at 

 Icacos point and sometimes extending out to sea for short 

 distances. It comes to tlie south-east corner of the island at 

 Guayaguayare near Point Galiota. At the western end pits 

 svmk for a few feet through the overlying sand into the oil-bearing 

 sandstone soon become partlv filled with oil which is derived from, 

 the sandstone formation below. This has not yet been tested by 

 boring, but the indications for finding oil in this place are un- 

 doubtedly very favourable. All along the exposed course of this 

 anticHne to the eastern point similar occurrences of oil are seen 

 and mud volcanoes are observed which indicate the explosive 

 nature of the contained gas in subterranean reservoirs, with oil 



