Arouca
is a slight corruption of the word "Arauca," which
is the true name of the Arawak tribe and language which are spread
over the northern regions of South America. In Trinidad, both
a river and a region came to be called by that name - a region
inhabited by these Amerindian people - and this was the district
bounded on the east by the Arima River "Aripo", on
the west by the Arouca River "Tacarigua," and on
the south by the Caroni River. On the north, the boundaries
of this
district were ill-defined, but extended into the Northern Range.
The Amerindians of Arouca had been left in peace throughout most
of the Spanish days in Trinidad until shortly after the Cedula
of Population of 1783, which measure saw thousands of Caribbean
French planters and their slaves crowd into Trinidad, Governor
Jose' Maria Chacon, wishing to disperse the immigrant planters
all over the country to open estates. They collected all the
Amerindians from the district of Arouca, and settled them at
one point, the Mission to Amerindians on the banks of the Arima
River. Hostels in Arouca |
ROOMS TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
