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Such, doubtless, haunted the northern Cerros of Tocuche, Aripo, and Oropuche, and left some trace of themselves among the Guaraons. Spanish blood, too, runs notoriously in the veins of some of the Indians of the island; and the pure race here is all but vanished.
How else to give a few instances out of hundreds did the Mora, the Brazil-nut, the Cannon-ball tree: how else did the Ant-eater, the Coendou, the two Cuencos, the Guazupita deer, enter Trinidad? Humboldt though, unfortunately, he never visited the island saw this at a glance. So much this little natural park of Aripo taught, or seemed to teach me.
On my arrival at Aripo, the pearl-divers, under the orders of their Adapanaar, put to sea, and commenced the examination of the banks. The persons engaged in this calling are chiefly Tamils and Moors, who are trained for the service by diving for chanks.
Only here and there, as at Aripo, are left patches, as it were, of a third Flora, which once spread uninterruptedly along the southern base of the Cordillera and over the lowland which is now the Gulf of Paria, along the alluvial flats of the mighty stream; and the Moriche palms of Aripo may be the lineal descendants of those which now inhabit the Llanos of the main; as those again may be the lineal descendants of the Moriches which Schomburgk found forming forests among the mountains of Guiana, up to four thousand feet above the sea.
On approaching it from sea the only perceptible landmark is a building erected by Lord Guildford, as a temporary residence for the Governor, and known by the name of the "Doric," from the style of its architecture. A few coco-nut palms appear next above the low sandy beach, and presently are discovered the scattered houses which form the villages of Aripo and Condatchy.
The Trombidium tinctorum of Hermann is found about Aripo, and generally over the northern provinces, where after a shower of rain or heavy night's dew, they appear in countless myriads. It is about half an inch long, like a tuft of crimson velvet, and imparts its colouring matter readily to any fluid in which it may be immersed. It feeds on vegetable juices, and is perfectly innocuous.
Like all lotteries, there are more blanks than prizes connected with the pearl fisheries, and for one person who is made joyful by the profits which are realized, one hundred and more go away in utter disappointment. A story is told of an occurrence at Aripo which happened not long since, and which had a fatal termination.
Circumnavigating the Island. Batticaloa, Capital of the Eastern Province. Rice Culture. Fish Shooting. Point Pedro. Jaffna. Northern Province. Oriental Bazaars. Milk ignored. The Clear Sea and White, Sandy Bottom. American Missionaries. A Medical Bureau. Self-Respect a Lost Virtue. Snake Temples. Ramisseram. Adam's Bridge. A Huge Hindu Temple. Island of Manaar. Aripo. The Port of Negombo.
Then one might go southward from Jaffna, past Aripo, and the Gulf of Calpentyn, until the curious reef of Adam's Bridge was reached, which almost connects Ceylon with India.
It is a Roman Catholic centre, and most of the people are of that faith. Again taking the steam packet, we proceed southward by Aripo, the famous pearl-fishing grounds of the Gulf of Manaar, about one hundred and fifty miles from the capital.
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