THE GRAND SAVANNAH. 307 



to check, such a disadvantage, because the banks of the river 

 being of alluvial formation, trees and clusters of bamboos slide 

 down by their mere weight, after the soil has been saturated by 

 rain or overflowings. However, something might be done, by 

 applying part of the ward-funds to keeping the bed of the river 

 in good condition, instead of wasting the same on roads which 

 only serve for pedestrians or horsemen. 



Lower Caroni and Chaguanas wards may be said to be entirely 

 level a great part of their extent being occupied by what is called 

 the Grand Savannah, and an extensive mangrove swamp, which 

 forms, as it were, the delta of the Caroni. The eastern part of the 

 lower Caroni ward is under cultivation, cacao and sugar being the 

 staple productions. The estates generally are situated on, or 

 near the banks of the Caroni. The soil is partly light and partly 

 clayey, and the locality rather damp ; but the sugar manufactured 

 in this ward is generally very fine ; the produce is carried down 

 the river to the shipping-place in large flats, carrying from ten to 

 twelve hogsheads each. There are, also, a few sugar estates in the 

 ward of Chaguanas, along the river of that name. 



From the eastern extremity of Port-of- Spain to the ward of 

 Chaguanas, for about eleven miles along the sea-shore, and from 

 four to eight miles in breadth, extends an immense mangrove 

 swamp, and further inland the Grand Savannah. This latter 

 covers an area of several hundreds of acres, and is, in some 

 places, lower than the adjoining lands ; as a consequence, it is 

 completely overflowed during the rainy seasons, and that, to such 

 an extent as to preclude all communication across it. The 

 soil being of a clayey nature, becomes quite soft, and animals 

 are known to sink in its mire to the very knees. Part of the 

 savannah is boggy, and a sort of coating has been formed by the 

 interweaving of aquatic plants, and the accummulation of vegetable 

 debris ; so that very similar to the peat-bogs of Ireland a sort 

 of undulating movement is communicated to the entire surface by 

 a person's walking, or even treading on the treacherous crust. 

 Along the banks of the Caroni there is a belt of forest trees ; and 

 beyond that belt commences the savannah. About two miles S. 

 of the river is a large pond of fresh water of a reddish colour, 

 called the Bejucal: this pond swarms with fish, and immense 

 quantities of cascaraduras are taken in it annually ; the pipa-frog is 

 also caught there. The manner adopted for fishing in the Bejucal 



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