Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-05-16
Singular Geographical Fact.

A correspondent oil the Troy wing, wit
ing from the Island of Trinidad, describes
The following wonderful lake:-1 have just
made an excursion TO the Pitch Lake. Ear
y in the morning | embarked in the steamer
Lady Mcleod for point La Brea, distance
of about 40 miles Soulherly along the coast
There was one passenger only 10 land with
me at La Brea. Mr.. Chapman, of ST. Vincent.
An introduction by fellow passenger TO
neighboring planter and to the supervisor,
procured lis mules to prosecute our enterprise.
Mr.. c. having a few miles farther TO go, TO
visit a plantation on business, and his route
being the same as mine, accepted his in
vtation to accompany him as far as the lake.
Imagine a black surface-a dreary. desc
late black spread out to the length OF near
ly half mile by au eighth in width-slightly
varied by many fissures-some OF them but
a step across, some just too wide TO JUMP
Il few OF these iissures filled with short shrub
berry, but most of them mere ponds OF wa
ter. of water clear as the mountain spring;
and then imagine lhe whole bordered by
thick growth ofirces and the graceful bend-
ing bamboo, and this whole border fhickly
hanging with profusion and variety oil 5enu-
titul fowers-I know not the spot elsewhere
where the eye can rest on such profusion
OI uOWelS III IL SlsitiCS-uuh h'oI ~
sibly convey some general idea of the pecu-
liarity of a general view. For a closer in
speciion of the central part of the lake | was
obliged to repeat my visit the next morn
ing, securing the services of negro TO car
ry a plank to bridge the unjumpnble fissures
then found spots where the surface OF
the pitch would gradually sink beneath my
feet, SO that in a few moments ] stood IN a
,,,,;t,, ,nt la Jaor Not uyishipr m pItch deem.
er, changed my position. In other places
it seemed to be boiling below; for the sur
face around me was bubbling and simmer
ing like that of pot over the fire, while
the gas thus disengaged was very strong
Though the surface of the lake is generally
too hard to receive foot print-just hard
enough to cut readily with an axe - there
are places where the pitch oozes out in near
ly a liquid form, SO that one may dip with
spoon. Some of ihe water assures are
quite deep, afford good bathing, and are toll
erahly well stocked with fish.
Near the lake | found black man en-
gagged in boiling the pitch in several large
boilers A part of this he sells after boil
ing in pure state, and TO the rest he adds
a portion of lime, when it is shipped as
mastic He says lie has cut from the lake
a 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 cut
ting. The supply is doubtless inexllaustole:
But the pitch is not confined 10 the spot
have endeavored to describe. There are mas
scs of ii extending miles inland, and in sew
eral points it extends to the sea beach. Al
the last place it is cut out in large quantities,
to ship to this city and some Of the Islands, TO
use in building and aagging the streets. Il is
used by the steamers, being largely mixed
with coal for fuel, and is recently coming into
use in the manufacture of PETROLEUM. The
neighborhood is in motion, very slow to be
sure. yet there is, as it were, growing up Of
the sufface in spots, so that the houses in La
brea are found now and then to have side
or an end raised few inches above lis oppo
site. lar5fr1 1-F -sl'r a '.I7f -