214 



tkinidad: then and now. 



seen, came to be destroyed. I have visited it on 

 several occasions, twice before it became a total ruin 

 as it now is. 



The road over Tucutche, which the French officer 

 alluded to took, is about an hour's ride from the bot- 

 tom to top and it ds very interesting — in some places 

 almost enchanting ; but it is on the wrong side of the 

 mountain to enable us to get a glimpse of the ever 

 changing sea. When we reach the top of the pass 

 we will have to make another climb to the plateau on 

 the top of the mountain ; this bit of climbing is very 

 stiff, but it will repay the extra toil. When we reach 

 the top we can, from our perch, gaze with admiration 

 on the prospect laid out before us, language cannot 

 paint it. From this point we can see the greater part 

 of the remoter portions of the Island stretching out 

 in various scenes unrolled by a gigantic panorama to 

 the east, west, and south ; the north being behind we 

 cannot be seen from this point. St. Joseph, although 

 at least seven miles distant, directly south, appears 

 to be lying at our feet ; San Fernando and the hills of 

 Montserrat, with Chaguanas, Carapdchaima, Taba- 

 quite, Couva, Savonetta and Claxton Bay, to all ap- 

 pearances one wave of glistening green, whether it 

 be the Sugar Cane with one texture, or the Cocoa 

 plantations with another, either on the vast plain or 

 the undulating hills proclaiming Trinidad's present 

 prosperity. To our left, east and south-east, lies 

 Tunapuna, Tacarigua, Arouca, Arima, Manzanilla, 

 Poole and Mayaro, our view will not carry us further 

 to the south or south-east. 



