38 BRITISH HONDURAS. 



homesteads. Most of the settlers, at present, grow canes and 

 manufacture the produce into common muscovado sugar in open 

 pans. The quality of the sugar made is of a superior kind, 

 most of which is sold locally at prices ranging from 5^ cents to 

 6 cents per pound. 



It is to be hoped, however, that the settlers will, in time, 

 turn attention to other and equally productive industries, such 

 as cacao, nutmegs, oranges, lemons, bananas, coco-nuts, ginger, 

 sarsaparilla, arrowroot, vanilla, black pepper, ground-nuts, and 

 many others, which are admirably adapted for the district, and 

 which can be grown as easily, and with as much certainty of 

 finding a market for them as for sugar. 



Cacao has been already tried in one or two instances, and 

 the trees have done well. Cacao-trees, apparently wild, are 

 not uncommonly met with in the forest, so that there is no 

 difficulty here with regard to procuring seeds or plants. Oranges 

 and lemons would thrive in the more stony soils, provided slab 

 rock is not too near the surface. In any case, the top root of 

 such trees as these might very conveniently be removed, when 

 there would be less danger of their coming upon rock. Limes 

 grow apparently wild, and I have no doubt that oranges and 

 lemons would do equally well if once started. 



Among the settlers who have established themselves here 

 are Mr. Wilson, at Eefuge ; the Messrs. Perrot and Mr. Paine, at 

 Mount Hope ; Mr. Oetzel ; Messrs. Hutchinson and Been, at 

 Mount Royal ; Mr. Waterous and son, at Forest House ; and 

 Mr. Pearce, at Forest Cottage. 



In addition to cultivating sugar, some of the settlers raise 

 cattle, a rich pasture being naturally formed, after the forest is- 

 cut down and cleared. 



The Toledo Settlement is connected with the sea by a 

 Government road, which is capable of tapping a wide district, 



