42 TRINIDAD. 



Bay ; the early part of the morning is the best time, before the 

 sea-breeze sets in. A heavy sea breaks all along the shore, 

 from Rio Grande to Toco, the few landing places being only 

 small openings amongst the breakers; and even these are not 

 practicable at all times. The Bay of Toco is safe, with good 

 landing." 



During the prevalence of the northerly winds, from Novem- 

 ber to May, a heavy surf breaks constantly along this coast, 

 and it becomes difficult, and even dangerous, to attempt 

 landing, except at Maraccas Bay, and then only in canoes ; 

 vessels also that anchor in the bay will often find it a 

 hazardous task to leave their anchorage, the wind being right 

 ahead and the entrance narrow. The depth of water along 

 the northern coast varies from three to twenty-five fathoms, 

 with a good bottom. 



The eastern coast is very shallow, with a heavy surf through- 

 out, but particularly at Matura and the Cocal, the depth of water 

 varying from three to ten fathoms. The only anchorages and 

 landing-places are at Forest Point, Cumana, three miles and a 

 half from Point Galera, and in Balandra and Salibea Bays. The 

 former of these two bays is small but safe, and the water bold 

 enough to receive trading schooners and droghers; the latter 

 hardly merits the term of bay, but a vessel might find tolerable 

 shelter within it under cover of a small rocky island. To the S. 

 of Point Manzanilla is a small harbour, completely rock-bound, 

 with a good landing at the mouth of the Lebranche river. This 

 harbour, formed by rocky islets, is of sufficient depth for any 

 vessel not drawing more than nine feet of water ; and, although 

 very small, it is the best on the east coast, and, with some little 

 improvement, would afford an available anchorage to droghers. 

 Off Point Manzanilla is a sunken rock called the Carpenter, upon 

 which a slaver struck and was wrecked in the year 1802. Some 

 years ago a sunken rock was discovered by the French steamer 

 "Darien," coming from Cayenne. It is about twenty-three 

 miles off the coast of Matura, due E. of Pointe Noire. There is 

 also a pretty good landing-place to the N. of Point Radix, at 

 the mouth of the river Guataro, called la Chaussee, a well- 

 known place for turtle. The surf, although still very heavy 

 along the sea-board of Mayaro, does not impede the landing on 

 part of the coast — especially under the lee-side of Point Mayaro 



