GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION. 75 



and stretches along the northern shore from Point Galera to Point 

 Mono the highest ridge of the whole range being, it appears, at 

 the back of Rio Grande. The Tocuche, between Maraccas and 

 Las Cuevas, is 3,100 feet ; westward of this highest summit the 

 mountains are about 2,200 feet ; eastward, they are from 2,500 

 to 3,000 feet. 



The southern range seems to be less elevated than the other 

 two, particularly to the westward, where it gradually declines and 

 terminates in the low sandy point of Icacos. This range is loftiest 

 between Guayaguayare and Moruga, and the highest summit (about 

 1,200 feet) lies N.N.W. of Gran Cayo. The northern and southern 

 ranges are parallel. 



The middle or central range runs W.S.W. from Point Man- 

 zanilla to Pointe-a-Pierres : it offers three culminating points, 

 Labranche (1,200 feet), to the eastward; Mont Serrat, to the 

 westward (1,190) ; and Tamana (1,150), nearly in the centre of 

 the island. 



Between these three ranges are comprised two basins or drained 

 tracts, extending from E. to W., and which may be denominated 

 the northern and southern basins : the former is, generally, more 

 level than the latter. Each of these superior basins is, by nature, 

 subdivided into two secondary basins or plains, by a plateau or 

 table-land. The two subdivisions of the northern plain may be 

 called the Oropuche basin, on the E., and the Caroni, on the W. : 

 the two sections of the southern plain may likewise be termed the 

 Guataro basin, on the E., and the Great Lagoon, on the W. To 

 these four basins may be added the following : the Labranche, at 

 the eastern, and the Guaracara basin at the western, extremity of 

 the central range: these are two valleys formed by a bifurcation 

 of that range. 



Rivers. These plains are watered and drained by an immense 

 number of rivers and rivulets, and the flanks of the mountains 

 deeply rent and furrowed by innumerable ravines. Proceeding 

 eastward from Port of Spain, we meet, in the northern division, 

 with the following perennial water- courses : the Aricagua, or San 

 Juan's, the St. Joseph's, the Tacarigua, Arauca, Oropuna, Mujico, 

 Arima, Maturita, Guanape, Mamo, Aripo, and Valencia. All 

 these streams have their sources in the northern range. After 

 receiving the Valencia on the left, and the Mamo on the right, as 

 also the Cumuto, from the Tumana ridge, the Aripo river unites 





