TRINIDAD AND BERMUDEZ ASPHALTS 



21 



in the wards of La Brea and Guapo, in the County of St. Patrick, on 

 the western shore of the island. They are about 28 miles in an air line 

 from Port of Spain, the seat of government, the chief harbor and only 

 port of entrance, and lie on the north shore of the southwestern 

 peninsula, the point on which they are situated being apparently pre- 

 served from destruction by the sea, which is elsewhere rapidly wearing 

 away the coast, by the bituminous deposits which exist along the shore 

 and even some distance from it, and which from their toughness resist 

 the action of the waves better than the soft rocks of this region. The 

 pitch deposits are found scattered over the point, but can be divided 

 conveniently into two classes, according to their source. 



The main deposit is a body of pitch known as the pitch lake, situated 

 at the highest part of the point. Between this and the sea, and more 

 especially toward La Brea, are other deposits, covered more or less and 

 mixed with soil. The pitch from these sources is classified as " lake 

 pitch " and " land pitch." 



By far the largest amount of pitch is found apparently in the pitch 

 lake, a nearly circular area of 114.67 acres, 138-feet above sea level. 

 From the lake the ground falls away on all sides, except, perhaps, a 

 slight ridge to the east and southeast, in fact, it seems plain that this 

 deposit lies in the crater of a large mud volcano which has been filled up 

 with pitch. 



In past times the pitch very probably continued to collect until it 

 overflowed the rim of the crater, particularly toward the north, and 

 thus perhaps became the source of some or all of the land pitch deposits 

 now found between the lake and the sea. 



Photo, G. 11. Toothaker, Phila. Commercial Museum. 

 Boeder of Lake. 



