170 
CONFECTED PHENOMENA- 
dace earthquakes and eruptions of lava. Wo shall begin 
with the most eastern extremity, the island of Trinidad; 
which seems rather to belong to the shore of the continent 
than to the system of the mountains of the West India 
Islands. 
I. The pit which throws up asphaltum in the hay of 
Mayaro, on the eastern coast of the island of Trinidad, 
southward of Point Guataro. This is the mine of ehapapote 
or mineral tar of the country. I was assured that in the 
months of March and June the eruptions arc often attended 
with violent explosions, smoke, and flames. Ahnost on the 
same parallel, and also in the sea, but westward of the 
island (near Punta de la Brea, and to the south of the port 
of Naparaimo), we find a similar vent. On the neighbour- 
ing coast, in a clayey ground, appears the celebrated lake of 
asphaltum (Laguna do la Brea), a marsh, the waters of which 
have the same temperature as the atmosphere. The small 
cones situated at the south-western extremity of the island, 
between Point Icacos and the Bio Erin, appear to have some 
analogy with the volcanos of air and mud which I met with 
at Turbaco in the Idngdom of New Grenada. I mention 
these situations of asphaltum on account of the remarkable 
circumstances peculiar to them in these regions ; for I am not 
unaware that naphtha, petroleum, and asphaltum are found 
equally in volcanic and secondary regions,* and even more 
frequently in the latter. Petroleum is found floating on the 
sea thirty leagues north of Trinidad, around the island of 
Grenada," which contains an extinguished crater and basalts. 
II. Hot Springs of Irapa, at the north-eastern extremity 
of New Andalusia, between Bio Caribe, Soro, and Yagua- 
rapayo. 
III. Air-volcano, or Salce, of Cumacatar, to the south of 
San Jose and Carupano, near the northern coast of the 
continent, between La Montana de Paria and the town of 
Cariaco. Almost constant explosions arc felt in a clayey 
* The inflammable emanations of Pietra Mala, (consisting of hydrogen 
gas containing naphtha in a state of suspension) issue from the Alpine 
limestone, which may he traced from Covigliar.o to Raticofa, and which 
ties on ancient sandstone near Searica l'Asino. Under this sandstone 
(old red sandstone) we find black transition limestone and the gt'auwacko 
(quartzose psammite) of Florence. 
