They were on a British steamer bound for Port-of-Spain, on Trinidad Island, which lies off the north-east coast of Venezuela. From Port-of-Spain they expected to catch another steamer bound directly up the Orinoco to Ciudad Bolivar, the head of navigation for large steamers, especially during the dry season.
“It’s a great coast,” said Mark, as he gazed back, where the mountains were now lost in the distance. “There ought to be splendid chances for mining there.”
“There are splendid chances,” said the professor, who overheard the remark. “The mountains are full of minerals. But at present most of the mining is done in the interior. We will visit some of the camps along the upper Orinoco.”
The run to Port-of-Spain was a hot one, despite the breezes which blew, and the boys were glad enough when, one morning, the steamer turned into the Gulf of Paria, a great land-locked harbor in which a vessel can anchor anywhere with ease.
“To the westward is the eastern shore of Venezuela,” said the professor, “and on the east is the island of Trinidad, which, as you all know, is a very valuable British possession. Trinidad is known all over the United States for it gives to us something which is used on the finest of our streets. Do any of you know what that is?”
“Asphalt,” replied Frank. “I have heard that there is a regular lake of it on the island.”
“There is, ninety-nine acres in extent, and the asphaltum flows over its banks in all directions, making natural walks which are almost as hard as stone. At the center of the lake the pitch is boiling hot and bubbles up with an odor which is far from pleasant.”
“I wouldn’t mind seeing the place,” said Hockley.
“We may get a chance to view it from a distance. To get too close would not be pleasant. The job of getting the asphaltum out is one of the meanest on earth. The stuff is chopped off the surface in spots where it is cold, and no matter how deep a hollow is made, nature soon fills it again. How the Pitch Lake, as it is termed, originated, has bothered scientists since its discovery.”
“Do you notice the difference in the appearance of the water,” remarked Sam. “It was blue before, now it is a dirty brown. Has that anything to do with that Pitch Lake?”