The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-07-25
A Lake of Pitch.

writing from the island of Trinidad, de-
scribes the following wonderful lake:
have just made an excursion to tn.
Pitch Lake. Early in the morning
embarked in the steamer Lady Mcleod
for Point La Crea, distance of abou
40 miles southerIy along the coast
There was one passenger only to lant
with me at La Crea, Mr.. Chapman, o
St. Vincent. An introduction by fel
low passenger TO neighboring planter
and to the supervisor, procured us mule:
to prosecute our enterprise. Mr.. c
having few miles farther to go, to visit
a plantation on business, and his route
being the same as mine, | accepted his
invitation to bear him company as far as
the lake.
Imagine a black surtace---a dreary
desolate black-spread out to the length
of nearly half mile, by an eighth ir
width--sligbtly varied by many assures
some of them but step across, some
Just too wide to jump-a few of these
assures filled with short shrubbery, but
most of them mere ponds of water, Of
water clear as the mountain spring; and
then imagine the whole bordered by a
thick growth Of trees and the graceful
bending bamboo, and this whole border
thickly hanging with a profusion and va
riety of beautiful fowers-I know no,
the spot elsewhere the eye can rest on
such a profusion of flowers at glance
and this may possibly convey some
general idea of the peculiarly of gen.
eral view. For a closer inspection Of
the central part Of the lake, | was
obliged to repeat my visit the mex,
morning, securing the services Of ne
gro to carry plank to bridge the un-
jumpdbie assures.
/ then found spots where the surface
of the pitch would gradually sink be-
meath my feet, so that in few moments
| stood in cavity ancle deep. No'
wishing to pitch deeper, changed my
position. in other places it seemed to be
boiling below, for the surface around me
was bubbling and simmering like that d
a pot over the fire. while the gas thus
discharged was very strong Though
the surface of the lake is generally toe
hard to receive foot-print-just hare
enough to cut readily with an axe
there are places where the pitch oozes
out in nearly liquid form, SO that one
may dip it with a spoon. Some of the
water assures are quite deep. afford
good bathing, and are tolerably well
stocked with fish.
Near the lake | found black man
engaged in boiling the pitch in several
large boilers. A part of this he 8 Is
after boiling, in pure state, and 10 ae
rest he adds a portion of lime, when is
shipped as mastic. He says he has Gu,
from the lake great many hundreds OF
tons, but he never penetrates more than
ten or twelve inches below the surface
and the hole is always filled again within
two days after the cutting. The supply
is doubtless inexhaustibleo But the
pitch is not confined to the spot | have
endeavored to describe. There are
masses of it extending miles inland,
ouu iH oS'Si" PViheS IL SAtSHOS W tic
sea beach. AT the last place it is Gu,
out in large quantities, to ship to this
city and some to the islands, to use in
building and in tagging the streets. II
is used by the steamers, being largely
mixed with coal for fuel, and is recently
coming into use in the manufacture o
petroleum. But whenever these cuttings
are made-on the lake, inland, or on the
beach--the quantity is almost immedi-
ately made good, and in some places
gradually increases. The neighbor.
hood is in motion; very slow, to be sure
yet there is, as it were, a growing up o.
the surface In spots, so that the houses
in La Brea are found now and then tc
have side or an end raised a few inches
above its opposite.