TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW* 



179 



or ascertainable, what their upkeep cost. This may 

 or may not have been true, but in either case a method 

 of road upkeep although profitable to those entrusted 

 to do the work was simply a waste of the public 

 money. 



In the days to which I allude it was unsafe for 

 anyone to travel alone during the rainy season, and, 

 therefore, travelling parties of three or four were 

 generally arranged ; a frequent combination of 

 officials travelling on duty was the Warden, Magis- 

 trate and Inspector of Police with their attendants, 

 each being supplied with a cutlass, light rope, or 

 strong fishing line. The cutlasses to cut branches 

 and sometimes trees that had fallen across the some- 

 times narrow road so as to clear a way for the pas- 

 sage, and sometimes to cut roso, carat, timite and 

 other brushwood with which to erect an ajupa to 

 pass sometimes a whole night, and, perhaps, far into 

 the next day, until the flooded river which could not 

 be got over had gone down sufficiently to enable them 

 to cross. The rope or strong fishing line was used to 

 tie the poles together and fasten the carat, or other 

 covering, to make the ajupa rain-proof. One some- 

 times met with an old ajupa erected by some former 

 traveller, hunter or surveyor, whose business had 

 taken them to the same locality. It was always 

 necessary to carry food of some description and often 

 cooking utensils in addition. 



The distance from Port-of-Spain to Toco can now 

 be traversed in one day — although, personally, I 

 would prefer two— it then often took four and never 



