422 



8. F. Peclcham — The Pitch Lake of Trinidad. 



extremely superficial. In illustration : they say of the '* areas," 

 " the surface is frequently marked with ridges, especially near the 

 edges : these are due to the constant expansion and contraction 

 which is supposed to occur." A most singular explanation, resting 

 on siqjposed phenomena that were neither observed nor proved 

 theoretically. Although they quote Bischofi",^ it is only to prove 

 a possible origin for the aspbaltum by direct conversion from woody 

 fibre, leaving entirely out of consideration the conclusions of this 

 eminent author in reference to the production of hydrogen sulphide, 

 to which further reference will be made. It is, however, just to 

 these authors to remark that the general knowledge of the world 

 concerning bitumens and their origin has been vastly increased 

 during the thirty-five years that have elapsed since they issued 

 their report. 



Diagram-map of the Island of Trinidad. 



Charles Kingsley and some others have written descriptions of 

 the lake since 1860, but no new facts are stated by them.^ 



During 1892 the Hon. W. P. Pierce, then United States Consul at 

 Port of Spain, at the request of the department, made a very full 

 and able report upon the asphalt of Trinidad.'' The fulness with 

 which all sources of information are made to lend their quota 

 towards a general conclusion in regard to all possible aspects of 

 this question, is of itself the best guarantee, to any unprejudiced 

 reader, of the eminent fairness of this report. Its appearance was 

 almost immediately followed by another report made by Mr. Clifford 

 Richardson, at that time Inspector of Asphalt and Cement for the 

 District of Columbia.* 



1 Bischoff, Chem. and Pliys. Geol. (Cav. Soc. Ed.), vol. i, pp. 288, 290, 291. 

 ^ " A Christmas in the West Indies." London, 1879. 

 3 Consular Reports, No. 145, Oct. 1892. 



* Reports of the operation of the Engineer Department of the District of 

 Columbia, for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 1892. Washington, 1893. 



