CASTILE BANK AND ORANGE WALK. 43 



all that could be desired for most cultivations of a tropical 

 character. 



The best mahogany is said to be found to the north of the 

 river Belize. In consequence of the nature of the soil in that 

 district, in which there is a -great quantity of limestone, the 

 mahogany is longer in coming to maturity: but when full grown, 

 it is of a harder and firmer texture than that which is found in 

 the southern portion of the settlement. 



After following the disused track for some miles, we 

 eventually came out on the Old Eiver at a spot called Beaver 

 Dam. It may be mentioned here that numerous places in the 

 colony marked and named on maps are at present in existence 

 only as names. At one time or other they were mahogany works 

 or temporary depots (banks), where workmen's huts were built, 

 and where logs were trimmed preparatory to being tumbled into 

 the river, and floated down the stream. When the mahogany in 

 the district was exhausted the works were abandoned, the huts 

 in course of time tumbled to pieces, and the place eventually 

 would become so overgrown as to be hardly distinguishable from 

 the neighbouring forest. The name, however, lives in the 

 memories of the inhabitants, and is handed down until it 

 becomes a mere tradition. Such a place was Beaver Dam. 

 There was no vestige of a dwelling : in fact, nothing but tall, rank- 

 growing weeds, overtopping our horses. We pushed on parallel 

 to the river course, keeping on its right bank until we came to 

 Castile Bank. Our course was chiefly over old mahogany tracks, 

 where logs had been "trucked" or " slided" during the previous 

 season. Owing to the heavy rains of the previous week, the 

 track, already well worked by cattle, was simply a " bog route," 

 and at every step the horses sank up to their knees in black, 

 tenacious mud. 



At Castile Bank we found a small mahogany and cedar works 



