VOl 'i9i5 XI1 ] Murphy, Birds of Trinidad Islet. 333 



board," he writes, "I went ashore and put some Goats and Hogs 

 on the Island for Breed, as also a pair of Guiney Hens I carried 

 from St. Helena. And I took possession of the Island in his 

 Majesty's name, as knowing it to be granted by the King's Letters 

 Patents, leaving the Union Flag flying. 



"The Water of the Island being very fine and good I empty'd 

 my Cisterns of their brackish St. Helena Water," continues the 

 astronomer's account. " The Watering place we used was a little 

 to the southward of the high Steep Rock, where the water run all the 

 time we were there with a plentiful stream, but the Shoar being 

 very rocky much endammaged our Cask." 



Halley's goats and hogs were destined to have an overwhelming 

 effect upon Trinidad, a subject to which I shall return below. The 

 astronomer's claim to the island did not prevent a subsequent 

 Portuguese attempt at colonization. In 1781 the English likewise 

 tried to found a settlement, an enterprise terminated within three 

 months, presumably by shortage of water. The ownership re- 

 mained in doubt until 1895, when a dispute between Great Britain 

 and Brazil regarding the possession of Trinidad as a possible coaling 

 station, was decided by an international court in favor of Brazil, 

 on the merits of original discovery by the Portuguese. 



Narratives of brief calls at Trinidad may be found among many 

 worm-eaten volumes of old voyages. For information regarding 

 pirates and buried gold Mr. Knight's 'Cruise of the Alerte' should 

 be consulted. The indomitable British sea-fighter and novelist, 

 Captain Marryat, once crossed the island's mysterious mountains, 

 and afterwards incorporated his experiences in his first novel, 

 'Frank Mildmay.' Whalers, which differ from merchantmen in 

 that they are never in a hurry, still stop at Trinidad and lie off- 

 shore while their crews lower boats and spend the day fishing in the 

 prolific coast waters. Among other visitors have been naturalists 

 of passing scientific expeditions, whenever they may have found 

 the sea sufficiently quiet to permit landing. 



Trinidad lies in latitude 20° 30' S., longitude 29° 22' W., at the 

 edge of the southeast tfade-winds. Its width is hardly more than 

 a mile and a quarter, a distance great enough, however, to require 

 at least one day's laborious and perilous journeying over the 

 single practicable mountain route. According to Prior, /. c, rock 



