GUPPY — GULF OF PARIA. 
109 
We spent a month this year on the island of Gaspan. Our 
station was at the Western end of the island and in full view 
of the first Boca. Gaspari forms the southern boundary of 
Chaguaramas Harbor. It is an island near two miles lon e and 
is entirely composed of the compact blue limestone of which El 
Pato (absurdly called Patos or Goose Island), Punta Gorda (the 
proper orthography ; See Carr’s Voyage, Proc. Scient. Assoc. 
Trinidad, Dec. 1869, p. 396), Carera’s and the Five Islands as 
well as the Laventille Hills are also formed. This limestone which 
I take to be of carboniferous or devonian age is laigely lifted and 
cavernous. Hence the malarial fevers which pievail on the 
limestone islands and localities in the wet season. The rain 
water charged with organic substances descends through the 
crevices into cavities into which the sea water enters. This 
mixture of freshwater charged with organic particles with the 
salt water is everywhere in the tropics the cause of malaria. 
The localities on the schistose formations away from swamps 
seem always to be healthy, but most of the sheltered bays an 
coves are always more or less unhealthy from the existen 
swamps at their upper ends. They are submerged valley s 
example Scotland Bay, Chacachacare Harbor, Anse Maho (rn 
lately called Dehert Bay and now Grand Fonds Bay). 10 
swamps at such places as TeteronBay, Chaguaramas &c. ai 
to submergence of land owing to movements of depressio 
however scarcely correct I think to attribute the swamps as 
Kingsley does to that want of tide which as he says is te« 
of the West Indies. It is largely due to the rising an a in 
of the tide that these swamps exist in the state we n 
Were it not for the tide they would for the most part eithei be 
non-existent or they would be ponds and in either -ewou d not 
give out those malarious exhalations which arise when 
is uncovered. 
A. Gaspari I made observations on «*> ' “"7*“” ™ 
air and the water. The mimmua , he 
76° while the maximum was 89 . On som ) 
