CHAPTER VIII. 



Labour question. Indigenous labour : how to improve. Masters and 

 Servants Act. Carib. Indian. Cooly immigration. Views of Sir 

 Frederick Barlee. Advance and Truck systems. Local enterprise. 

 Crown lands. Conditions of sale. Navigable rivers. Steam commu- 

 nication with New Orleans, New York, and London. Eailways. 

 Agricultural Board. Botanic Gardens. Importation and distribution 

 of seeds and plants. Geological Survey. Climate of British Hon- 

 duras. Meteorological observations. Price of food. House-rent. 

 Horses. Currency. Eeligion. Education. Hints to intending 

 settlers. 



ONE of the first questions, which the pioneer and planter has 

 to deal with in a new country, is that of labour. In British 

 Honduras, with a small indigenous or native population, the 

 great bulk of the labourers required to develop the country 

 must necessarily be attracted from outside. 



Before, however, discussing the circumstances attending the 

 importation of labour it might be advantageous to consider the 

 present labour resources of the colony, and in what respects 

 they are capable of being utilised and improved. 



The Belize Creoles, of African descent, but with an admixture 

 of Spanish and Indian blood, are a strong, powerful race, admir- 

 ably suited to the heavy labour of mahogany cutting, which, 

 indeed, they prefer to that of ordinary tillage. They are charac- 

 terised by a random recklessness as regards the future, with, 

 however, a keen sense of keeping up the regular Christmas 

 orgies in Belize, when their engagement in the bush has expired. 

 The Creole labour is probably only sufficient to maintain the 

 mahogany and logwood cutting industries of the country in 

 their present position ; but during the times of depression, when 



