ARICAGUA. ST. JOSEPH. 295 



ward, and the body of water is sufficiently large from the very 

 source. 



The ward of Aricagua, which follows, is partly hilly, partly 

 flat, and very much resembling the preceding one. The Aricagua 

 river does not reach the Caroni, but is lost in the sandy, and yet 

 swampy soil bordering the latter river. On the right bank of 

 the Caroni, and extending into the Cimaronero ward, is a natural 

 savannah, called Bordonal; it is under water for a certain part of 

 the year. The small village of San Juan stands on a high ground, 

 northward of the Royal road, about 200 yards from the river 

 Aricagua, and is traversed by the ward-road conducting into the 

 valley of Santa Cruz. It is a miserable looking village, with a 

 stone-built Catholic church, and a cure attached; it has also a 

 school. Besides San Juan, there are two small hamlets along the 

 Royal road, opposite to the Aranguez and Le Vivier estates ; an 

 Anglican chapel has lately been built at the latter, and a curate 

 appointed. 



The ward of St. Joseph, which comprises the small town of 

 St. Joseph, with a population of eight hundred and eighty- eight 

 inhabitants, together with the quarter of the same name, comes 

 next ; it is partly hilly and partly flat ; soil very much resembling 

 that of Aricagua, and very fertile along the banks of the St. Joseph 

 river. On the flanks of the hills are several natural savannahs, 

 looking, at a distance, like prairies, and which can be seen from 

 the harbour of Port-of- Spain. Large blocks of milky quartz are 

 scattered all over these savannahs, which stretch, at intervals, 

 along the ridges to the river Arima. The small town of St. 

 Joseph was founded towards the year 1577, and was for a long 

 time the chief town of Trinidad. It stands on a narrow eminence 

 at the entrance of the Maraccas valley, has some few neat and 

 comfortable houses, and is mainly inhabited by Spanish families, 

 descendants of the former possessors of the island. Two streets, 

 pretty steep, lead from the Royal road into the interior of the 

 town. At the north end of St. Joseph's are the barracks, in 

 which are generally stationed a company of white troops ; in 1838, 

 however, they were occupied by a corps of blacks, recently formed 

 of Africans liberated from slavers. On the night of the 17th of 

 June, 1838, these savages revolted, fired on their officers, and 

 part of them succeeded in making their way eastward, in march, 

 as they fancied, to their native country. They were met at Arima 



