TRINIDAD I THEN AND NOW. 



255 



have expressed regret " for the good money that had 

 been wasted." Time has proved that although it may 

 have apparently been wasted it was not so in reality, 

 because within a few yards of the same spot oil has 

 been struck in large quantities and " mad Dun- 

 donald's scheme, " as it was then called, has proved 

 his wisdom, and instead of the oil having to be pump- 

 ed, it spouts up to a height of 250 feet. Enough of 

 this, I must come down to my own time, and of facts 

 within my own knowledge. Of the attempts that 

 have been made to discover and develop this as a 

 profitable industry, it will, I think, be seen from what 

 little beginnings vast results may be obtained. 



Sometime in the early seventies of the last cen- 

 tury the old firm of Turnbull, Stewart & Co. of Glas- 

 gow and Trinidad, were the contractors for running 

 what was locally known as " The Gulf Steamers." 

 They had two, then, up-to-date paddle steamers, the 

 Alice and the Arthur, nice comfortable boats. One 

 at a time was only required for the service, but two 

 were necessary to have on hand so as occasionally to 

 relieve each other for cleaning or repairing purposes. 



When not required for the Gulf Service, the 

 Arthur undertook some commercial sailings along 

 the suothern coast of Trinidad ; she being the better 

 sea boat could venture outside the Gulf to carry on a 

 coastal trade mainly consisting of delivering shop 

 goods at Erin, Moruga and Guayaguayare and load- 

 ing cocoanuts on the return voyage. 



On one of these occasions, Mr. Robert Taylor, 

 chief engineer of the Arthur, having landed at Guay- 



