736 



on toward the north-west, in the Golfo triste, 

 between the boca de Pedernales, the Rio Guari- 

 piche, and the western coast of Trinidad, the 

 tides rise seven , eight, and even ten feet. Such 

 is the influence of the configuration of the coast, 

 and of the obstacles which the Mouths of the 

 Dragon present to the running off of the waters, 

 on points thirty or forty leagues distant from each 

 other. All that is related in very recent works, 

 on the particular currents caused by the Oroo- 

 noko at 2° or 3° distance in the open sea, on the 

 changes observed in the colour of the sea, and 

 on the fresh waters of the Golfo Triste (Mar 

 dulce of Gumilla), is entirely fabulous. The 

 currents, on the whole of this coast, run from 

 Cape Orange toward the north-west ; and the 

 variations, which the fresh waters of the Oroo- 

 noko produce in the force of the general cur- 

 rent, and in the transparency and the reflected 

 colour of the sea, rarely extend farther than three 

 or four leagues east-north-east of the island of 

 Cangrejos. The waters in the Golfo triste are 

 salt, though in a less degree than in the rest of the 

 Caribbean Sea, on account of the small mouths 

 of the Delta of the Oroonoko, and the mass of 

 water furnished by the Rio Guarapiche. For 

 these reasons there are no salt-pits on this coast; 

 and I have seen vessels from Cadiz arrive at 

 Angostura laden with salt, and (which charac- 

 terises the state of colonial industry) even with 

 bricks for building the cathedral. 



