314 TRINIDAD. 



Dry River is to Port-of- Spain an intolerable nuisance. The soil 

 is strongly impregnated with bitumen, which oozes out in several 

 places, and forms between St. James' and San Fernando streets, a 

 small pond. The bituminous nature of the substratum prevents 

 the sinking of wells, since the water becomes so strongly impreg- 

 nated with bitumen as to be unfit for use : rain water preserved in 

 tanks or wood, forms the chief supply of the inhabitants. Fresh 

 water, however, filters out all around the basis of the hill, and is 

 collected in a few wells ; but it is to be apprehended that in pro- 

 portion as cultivation extends over the flanks of the hill and towards 

 its summit, and also as the rank vegetation is destroyed, the sup- 

 ply of water will greatly diminish, or may even cease altogether. 

 This is a subject fully worth the attention of the Town Council. 

 The government has lately offered a sum of 2,500 to any indi- 

 vidual or company that would bring water to the surface by the 

 sinking of artesian wells. 



San Fernando is about thirty-two miles south of Port-of- 

 Spain : a daily communication, excepting Sundays, is established 

 between both towns by means of a small steamer ; the passage is 

 three hours, the cabin fare 1 dollar, and 50 cents for steerage pas- 

 sengers. The sea is very shallow off the town of San Fernando, 

 as also along the neighbouring coast, and vessels cannot anchor 

 within two or two and a-half miles of the shore. San Fernando 

 was founded as early as the commencement of 1786, but has only 

 lately obtained the municipal privileges of a council and mayor. 

 Population in 1851, 2,837 inhabitants males, 1,348 ; females, 

 1,489. Religious sections Church of England, 727 ; Catholics, 

 1,775. It forms the parish of St. Paul, Church of England ; and 

 of Naparima, Church of Rome. It contains also a Presbyterian 

 and a Methodist chapel. There are two suburbs attached to the 

 town the Cafe on the N. Naparima eastern road, and Bushy 

 Park, on the S. Naparima eastern road. 



From San Fernando, three royal roads respectively lead 

 northward, to Pointe-a-Pierre ; southward, to Mosquito creek ; 

 and eastward, to Savannah Grande. From these main roads branch 

 off several ward roads, leading to the east and south-east, and 

 affording means of communication between the estates and the 

 landing-places : one of the branches the S. Naparima eastern 

 road marks the limit between the districts of N. and S. 

 Naparima. 



