94 OUR SEARCH FOR A WILDERNESS. 



but in spite of being so busy, we found time to get a little 

 into the atmosphere of the human life. 



Here is the daily program at the lake of pitch, — this little 

 outpost of humanity, deep hidden in the tropical jungle. At 

 daybreak the group of sheds and thatched huts gives up a 

 horde of Trinidadian negroes; great black fellows, giants in 

 strength, children in mind. Amid a perfect medley of 

 excitement and uproar, breakfast is prepared. We hear 

 sounds which must mean at least the violent death of several, 

 and as one listens to the shrieks and groans, the imagi- 

 nation easily supplies the terrible blows and struggles. But 

 a closer look only shows one of these great children down on 

 his knees, calling on everything which occurs to him or 

 enters his vision to witness that he did not steal the sixpence 

 from Napoleon, of which some one has accused him, perhaps 

 in jest. 



Yet all this is calmness compared to the later rush for the 

 best cars to use in the day's work. It would delight a Sopho- 

 more's heart to see the melee. But somehow all is straight- 

 ened out and off go the hand trucks, crawling along the 

 rickety rails out over the lake, like beads sliding along a string. 

 Here a car has reached the end of the line. The negro 

 selects a place fairly clear of vegetation, takes his broad adze, 

 and shears away the upper few inches of roots and mould. 

 Then with deep swift strokes he outlines a big chunk of the 

 shiny black gum, cuts it loose, and carries it on his head to 

 his car. So malleable is the pitch that by the time he has half 

 filled the little iron truck the pitch has settled down and 

 filled all interstices. He trundles back the car and dumps it 

 into one of the larger wooden trucks which will take it to 

 Guanoco. He now receives a check which is redeemable 

 for fifteen cents and the first link in the commercialization 

 of the pitch is finished. Along the wavering line of tem- 

 porary rails over which the hand-cars are pushed back and 



