246 



TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



there anchor, but I do not advise a landing, we will 

 see nothing but a muddy river, at certain seasons not 

 sweet smelling, and plenty of mosquitos ; we can with 

 the aid of a pair of field glasses enjoy the scene — and 

 very interesting it is — from the deck of the ship. 



Having landed and shipped the cargo, the ship 

 next heads for Matura Bay or as it is marked on the 

 map " Saline Bay " but more familiarly known as 

 " Sally Bay." In crossing this bay, the coast of 

 which can be more nearly approached than in 

 Manzanilla Bay, we do not see anything interesting, 

 it is, I think, the most barren place in fruitful Trini- 

 dad. I on two occasions had the peculiar sensation 

 of feeling the ship touching a hidden rock, not mark- 

 ed on the chart ; it is now known as McMillan 

 rock, after the name of its first discoverer. It was 

 fortunate that the good ship Magnetic was built of 

 such sound material otherwise we might have come 

 to grief. McMillan often said to me " they don't 

 build iron ships like this now, she is without excep- 

 tion the best built iron ship I have ever seen," and at 

 the time I speak of she must have been at least 30 

 years old, I remember her running in the early seven- 

 ties between Belfast and Liverpool. There are two 

 large rivers running into Matura Bay, which is one 

 of the healthiest, if not the healthiest, locality in 

 Trinidad. See page, 187. 



Leaving Matura we coast along towards Toco 

 and, if cargo offers, anchor in two nice little bays and 

 so on round Point Galera where is situate the first 

 lighthouse erected in Trinidad (fellow to the one at 



