58 SEA FISH OF TRINIDAD 
allow himself to be rowed to the landing place at Pointe 
Baleine. Once ashore the services of either the watchman or 
boatman can always be engaged in the capacity of guide, as 
it is but twenty minutes’ walk to the big Cave, as it is called 
in contradistinction to the small caves with which Pointe 
Baleine is honeycombed. 
Having landed, after a few minutes’ walking up and down 
an undulating limestone path, thinly covered with red earth 
generally known as Gasparil red mud, but in true parlance 
the decomposed lime oxide of centuries, we, at a given point, 
turn off the—what is facetiously called the “King’s road,” 
and wend our way through tall waving grasses (panicum 
maximum or guinea grass), gradually becoming more tim- 
bered as the path runs uphill, here and there huge Ceibas or 
silk-cotton trees (Eriodendron anfractuosum), evergreen 
Matapalos (Clusia) with their magnolia-like flowers, and the 
Savonette (Sapindus Saponaria), with its pretty blue clusters. 
On the left hand side can be seen a number of rubber trees 
(Manihot Glaziovii), which were put in the ground some 
eight yearsago. They have not been of any profit so far, but 
the vegetation is wonderfully luxuriant, considering the fact 
that they have been planted in the limestone rock, with but 
a thin topsoil of humus and lime oxide. Truly, the Ceara 
will grow well in the most inhospitable soil as regards plant 
food. For an esthetic eye, and keeping in view the unique 
nature of the Bocas vegetation, the outlook here (in the wet 
season) is perfect. Green, each leaf is green, in every shade 
of that colour the trees and shrubs grow, the Cereus, Cacti of 
different kinds, agaves, bromelias, and pitcairnias—while 
overhead the Seguines (Philodendron) and Aroids interlaced 
among the Matapalos seem to find nourishment even in the 
“Scotchman,” as the Matapalo or tree-killer is locally 
named; while the trees with white and purple flowers resem- 
bling the hawthorn and sweet-pea form a pleasing variega- 
tion to the different shades of green. Owing to the thick 
undergrowth it is generally impossible to get a view of the 
Gulf, unless as occasionally happens some industrious and 
enterprising boatman has cleared the land a bit to make him 
a garden, and then a fine view rewards the visitor—the Gulf 
