ST. PATRICK. MAYARO. 333 



and, amongst others, the Erin, La Ceiba, the Taparo, and Moruga ; 

 the latter being a tidal river. They have all a southerly course. 



The county of St. Patrick consists partly of waving and partly 

 of hilly lands, being traversed from E. to W. by the southern 

 range ; the greatest part of it is crown property. Except at Oro- 

 puche and Cedros, the population may be said to have decreased 

 since emancipation; nor is it likely to be augmented, owing particu- 

 larly to the remoteness of its most eligible locations from a market. 

 As regards its soil, it may be divided into two zones : from La 

 Brea to Cedros it is generally a light soil, poor in organic matters, 

 as shown by the extensive limit ales, or timite groves, abounding in 

 Guapo and Irois ; from Moruga to Quemada, along the sea, it is 

 either a light or clayey loam, generally very fertile. This is 

 evidenced by an abundance of a species of palm (Attalea speciosa), 

 its prevalence being a symptom of a rich soil ; and by the success- 

 ful cultivation of cacao, and the natural growth of carats and 

 cedars. This county, notwithstanding its position and relative 

 disadvantages, is highly interesting, as being the grand receptacle 

 of our bitumen deposits and lignite formations ; and should it 

 turn out that chromate of iron exists to such an extent as to 

 render its smelting advantageous, or should the cultivation of 

 cotton or tobacco ever be extended, then the county of St. 

 Patrick would acquire some importance ; for the southern coast 

 is regarded as eminently adapted to the growth of cotton, and the 

 tobacco district of Siparia lies within its limits. However, the great 

 obstacle to improvement is the want of facilities for land commu- 

 nication ; there is, in reality, no cart-road in the county ; for the 

 road from Oropuche to La Brea becomes impassable, even for 

 horsemen, during the wet season, and that from La Brea to Guapo 

 issues on the river Yessini, which is not fordable for carts. The 

 road from Cedros to Icacos might certainly be improved, but in 

 its present state it is positively dangerous : produce is therefore 

 shipped by means of flats on board of vessels anchored at a dis- 

 tance of two miles off the coast, or placed on board of droghers 

 and carried to town. A few villages have arisen in the county of 

 St. Patrick, viz., at Oropuche, La Brea, Guapo, and Cedros; the 

 missions of Siparia and Erin have only a nominal existence. 



Population in 1851 : 4,574 inhabitants. Males, 2,679 ; 

 females, 1,895. Church of England, 915 ; Catholics, 3,224. 



County of Mayaro. Bounded on the N. by the river Guataro, 



