GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION. 
25 
tides, however, run veiy rapidly here, and many a vessel 
is carried far to leeward in spite of all that can he done. 
Old traders, being forewarned, are forearmed, and gene- 
rally manage to thwart the strong will of the perverse 
current. My experience of scenery is not very extensive 
certainly, but I cannot conceive of anything more awe- 
inspiring than to be in a small boat at the base of one of 
these lofty, perpendicular islets — the Atlantic waves 
rolling around you, striking with their own force and a 
peculiar hollow sound against the innumerable rocks 
which hurl back their ceaseless assailants in an angry 
shower of spray. You feel the motion, you hear the 
booming of the waves, and you gaze at the towering, 
frowning cliffs above you, and whether you will or not, 
you are made to feel your own littleness, and are filled 
with solemn awe by what you see and hear. 
At the south-western extremity of the island. Point 
Icacos, something similar is to be found. Narrow and 
dangerous passages separate the island from the Spanish 
main. Anyone hearing of the names of these openings 
would be at a loss which to choose to enter. One is 
called the Dragon’s Mouth, that to the north; and the 
other is called the Serpent’s Mouth — Scylla and Cha- 
ry bdis these, surely. But a choice has' to be made, and 
the Dragon’s Mouth is the chosen passage for entrance 
into the Gulf of Paria. Prom Point Monos to Point 
Galera the land is high and the shore exposed. There 
are but few inlets or bays, and none of these can be 
deemed secure for shipping. 
The eastern coast extends from Point Galera, on the 
north to Point Galeota, on the south. It is partly low, 
with shallow waters, and partly bold, with many bluffs 
and headlands. The whole extent of coast is, with very 
few exceptions, exposed to a heavy rolling surf from the 
Atlantic, which may be heard thundering on the shore at 
a distance of several miles. 
The southern coast stretches from Point Galeota, on 
the east, to Point Icacos, on the west. The land is some- 
