160 On the Pitch Lake of Trinidad. 
thick. Other and perhaps much thicker beds may exist in the 
vast mass of stratified materials which make up the bulk of the 
island. 
From the occurrence of such considerable accumulations of 
vegetable matter so situated as apparently to pass under the lake, it 
seems reasonable to regard them as the source of the pitchy 
matter which rises in such quantity there. 
Indeed many pieces of wood may be observed in the beds of 
brown coal which differ in no respect in their appearance from 
many of the pieces thrown up in the lake itself. 
These beds of vegetable matter are probably undergoing a slow 
distillation by volcanic heat. It is true there are no evidences of 
volcanic eruptions in the vicinity of the lake nor any materials of 
volcanic origin scattered on the beach except perhaps the titan- 
iferous iron sand. But at Cedras, twenty miles to the southward, 
there are active mud volcanoes. I did not have opportunity to 
examine them or to ascertain their character minutely. But the 
fact of their existence as well as the disturbed condition of the 
recent strata, together with the proximity of the island to the 
coast of Cumana where earthquakes are frequent and severe, ap- 
pears sufficient to show that the island is not entirely free from 
volcanic action 
Various attempts have been made to apply the inexhaustible 
store of bitumen afforded by the lake, to some useful purpose. 
Mixed with sand and pebbles it is much ‘used for pavements and 
the ground floors of houses at Port au Spain, a purpose for which 
it is admirably adapted. 
It has been employed to advantage as fuel by the American 
_— plying on the Orinoco. It is thrown in sap: furnaces 
ong the wood, fusing too readily to be used a 
» With ten per cent of rosin oil it forms an excellent pitch for 
vessels. 
The Earl of Dundonald has purchased a init tract of the 
pitch lands including twenty six acres of the lake and has insti- 
tuted various experiments with the view of substituting the bitu- 
men for India rubber and Gutta percha in the manufacture of 
water proof fabrics, covering of telegraph wires, &c. Ju ging 
from the specimens of = aco cloth, tubing and telegraph 
wire which were show e by his agent at Port au Spain, 
(Mr. as F. Stollmeyer, ) chen efforts bid fair to be quite suc- 
a seems only necessary that the required amount of intelligent 
———— should be directed to the subject in order to render this 
erful reservoir of bitumen a source of great individual pro 
ly of essential service to mankind. 
wa eS ee Se 
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