122 BRITISH HONDURAS. 



invaluable worker. Demerara, Trinidad, and Grenada, without 

 Coolies, would never have attained their present prosperous con- 

 dition. 



And what has been done in these colonies, with Coolies, may 

 likewise be done in British Honduras, which, from the richness 

 of its natural resources, would eventually become one of the 

 most prosperous British possessions in this part of the world. 



Sir Frederick P. Barlee, speaking at a late meeting of the 

 Eoyal Colonial Institute, was, however, of opinion that Cooly 

 labour was not actually required, at present, in developing the 

 resources of the colony, and expressed an opinion that " there is 

 no real difficulty in British Honduras procuring such labour as 

 it requires. I am sure," he said, " there would be small difficulty 

 in getting labour from the United States, where the price of 

 labour is not much in excess of that in the colony. Again, at 

 St. Thomas and the islands adjacent to it, there is an ample 

 supply of labour available, and at the Bahamas there is also a large 

 number of the labouring population unable to procure remunera- 

 tive labour, who would be glad to find their way to British 

 Honduras on reasonable terms. I am glad to have the oppor- 

 tunity of stating these things, for they are facts ; and I am sure 

 that people who will take the trouble to invest their money in 

 the colony will find themselves repaid over and over again." 



The advance system, to which reference has been made above 

 by Captain Marriner, is evidently most objectionable, and per- 

 nicious in its tendencies, and doubtless in time it will be abolished: 

 It has arisen and gradually grown from the peculiar circum- 

 stances incidental to the solitary and remote life of most of the 

 mahogany-cutters, who, having only one holiday in the year, 

 are determined to " keep Christmas " in accordance with the old 

 customs of the settlement. If all employers were to combine, 

 and if all hired on the same plan, and resolutely set their faces 



