94 TRINIDAD. 



a brown, a dark, or of a perfectly black colour the latter of un- 

 surpassed fertility, and particularly adapted to the cultivation of 

 the sugar-cane. Some tracts, in the county of St. Patrick, viz., 

 in the ward of Oropuche, between the lagoon and La Brea, 

 together with some parts of Quemada, are also a rich loam. The 

 soil is loamy and of superior quality in part of Savannah Grande, 

 Moruga, Guayaguayare, Morne Calabash, and Manzanilla. Icacos 

 and Siparia are sandy, but very productive. 



Northern Division. This division is, in general, less fertile 

 than the southern, and exhibits a greater variety of soils. The 

 soil of the vallies and mountains in the county of St. George 

 is good, as also in the vegas, or hollows of rivers ; that of the 

 vallies and vegas being deposits of very recent formation, and 

 that of the mountains a rich loam, as proved by the great size 

 of the trees, and the prevalence of balisiers, mountain- cabbage, 

 and cedars. 



The plain, extending from the mountains to the river Caroni, 

 may be divided into three sections or belts : a rich deposit along 

 the river, varying from a few hundred feet to a quarter of a mile ; 

 a coarse clay ; and a poor silicious soil at the foot of the ridge. 

 Clay predominates almost throughout the whole of the division, 

 the soil being of average fertility in the county of Caroni, and in 

 part of those of St. David and St. Andrew. From Arauca to 

 Guanape it becomes unproductive, being a cold reddish clay, or 

 poor silicious soil ; whilst from Guanape to La Ceyba it is a 

 retentive whitish clay, or a poor sand supporting a languishing 

 vegetation of ferns, sclerias, cocorits, bromelias, and dwarf-trees. 

 The whole of this tract may be regarded as the worst land in the 

 colony, and not worth the labour of cultivation. On the banks 

 of the Oropuche and Matura the land is excellent ; a tract 

 between Oropuche and Manzanilla, known as the Casatal, is equal 

 to any in the colony. The land along the Cumuto and Tumpuna 

 is very productive, particularly on approaching the hills. Cha- 

 guanas, Carapichaima, and Couva, are generally a light loam, but 

 rather damp, in consequence of their low situation. 



The surface of the country may be characterised as an inter- 

 change of flat, undulating, and hilly. The whole tract of flat 

 land is, in general, clayey and retentive ; in some parts, con- 

 sisting of a layer of light sandy soil on a substratum of coarse 



^ SU ch as part of Tacarigua, Caroni, Chaguanas, &c. and 



