TOWN OF BELIZE. 13 



noted pirate. Or, possibly, it may be derived from the French 

 balise, a beacon, which might hare been erected to warn mariners 

 of the abode of pirates. The town is practically cut off from 

 the interior by numerous lagoons, one of which, however, is now 

 bridged. The site of the town is somewhat facetiously described 

 as composed of mahogany chips, and sand dredged out of the 

 harbour. Be .that as it may, the town is one of the brightest 

 and cleanest in the West Indies, and although small, is the seat 

 of an extensive trade, not only with the settlements in the 

 colony itself, but with all the neighbouring Eepublics. The 

 population in 1881 was about 10,000, consisting chiefly of 

 Europeans (amongst which Scotch predominate), Negroes, Creoles, 

 Spaniards, and a few Indians. 



Belize is the seat of Government, and possesses several public 

 buildings, the chief and most striking of which is the new 

 Court House, -occupying a central position, and having the 

 Government offices below. The Lieutenant-Go vernor's residence, 

 built in 1814, occupies a commanding position at one extremity 

 of the town, to the south ; and following the contour of the 

 harbour, and facing the sea, are numerous stores and residences, 

 which, shaded by coco-nuts and tropical trees, present a very 

 picturesque appearance. Owing to the dangers arising from 

 fires, all the buildings are roofed with iron, and lined with felt. 

 The two portions of the town are connected by a bridge, under 

 which there is a continual flow of traffic in mahogany, logwood, 

 and pit-pans loaded with goods, starting on their long journey- 

 some 100 miles for the Cayo, on the western frontier. The 

 chief institutions of the town are the public hospital, maintained 

 solely by Government, and with accommodation for thirty-six 

 patients ; the lunatic asylum, with accommodation for thirty 

 patients; the poor-house, with accommodation for thirty-six 

 patients ; and the common gaol, with about seventy inmates. 



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