68 SEA FISH OF TRINIDAD 



especially between wind and water, that is, at the immediate 

 spot where the butt of the post rises from the ground. My 

 experience has shown that the same rot will happen to any 

 timber unless it has a casing of metal or concrete 12 in. to 

 18 in. in length at the point of contact. Another cause that 

 militates strongly against the success of the local woods, is 

 the fact that owing to want of capital and the hand-to- 

 mouth manner in which most of the limibermen have to 

 conduct their business, the timber is never given a chance of 

 curing. It is cut down, squared, or sawn up, and applied to 

 use perfectly green. All the experienced timber people of 

 Europe and America know that wood after being squared or 

 sawn, should be carefully stacked in a dry situation and 

 thoroughly protected from the weather until it is quite 

 cured, generally taking a couple of years for that process. 

 The good people of Trinidad do not seem to realize this, if 

 they did there would be less disappointment and outcry about 

 warp, rot, and termites or white ants. I also expect if it 

 were possible to start an export trade with the States or 

 Europe in our hardwoods, the workmen there would raise 

 an outcry about the toughness and peculiarities of the grain 

 spoiling their tools, and would demand a prohibitive tariff 

 of wages. 



After taking a bath in the Oropouche river, which is here 

 a lovely crystal stream with vast climips of bamboos over- 

 hanging and forming magnificent natural arches (the huilia, 

 anaconda, or water boa is sometimes seen and captured or 

 shot near this river, more especially in the swampy grounds 

 by the mouth) we got back to our saddles, and rode along 

 the same highway to Melao, and over the molasses-coloured 

 Melao river, still passing through Mora forest. It is the 

 peculiar colour of the water of this river that has given the 

 name to the district, melao in the Spanish language meaning 

 molasses. About seven miles from the Sangre Grande ter- 

 minus, we came to the junction with the Valencia road; 

 slightly inclining to the right, straight ahead lay the new 

 road to Grande Riviere on the North Coast of Toco about 20 

 miles in length ; it had been traced some time and was then 

 undergoing the process of benching. We turned sharp round 



