LABOUR SUPPLY. 119 



colony, as at San Francisco, near Orange Walk, Old Eiver, and in 

 the north ; but most of those engaged as labourers on sugar estates 

 are Spanish Indians. Of these the Waikas, from the Mosquito 

 Coast, form an important element. They are small, wiry men, 

 unsuited to the heavy labour of mahogany- cutting, but of quiet, 

 plodding habits, which, combined with the lower wages demanded, 

 render them an important element in the labour market. There 

 is no doubt that if a fair and encouraging system of immigration 

 were organised with the Mosquito Coast, and especially, if the 

 passages of labourers to and fro were guaranteed, the Waikas 

 would oflme to Belize in much larger numbers. 



Of labourers indigenous to the colony or introduced from 

 the immediate neighbourhood, there would appear, according 

 to the above remarks, to be four classes, viz., the Belize Creole, 

 the Spaniard, the Carib, and the Indian. Of these, possibly, 

 the latter is the only class capable of being considerably 

 increased. 



Of labourers imported from other parts, but chiefly from the 

 British West India Islands, there are two classes, viz., the West 

 Indian Creole (negro), and time-expired Coolies. The greater 

 number, if not, indeed, the whole of the individuals composing 

 these two classes, are introduced by private means from Jamaica 

 and Barbados, attracted no doubt by the offer of free passages 

 and higher rates of wages. 



Both the Creoles and the Coolies are well adapted for field 

 work, and they easily fall into the ways of the country. 



According to the census of 1881, there were resident in the 

 colony 834 persons (probably all labourers) returned as natives 

 of Jamaica; this shows an increase of 408 on the number 

 returned in the census for 1871. 



Of natives of Barbados, the number returned for 1881 was 

 204, which, compared with 230 returned in 1871, shows a slight 



