126 BRITISH HONDURAS. 



"Application to purchase or lease should be made to the Surveyor- 

 General of Crown Lands, or at the offices of the paid magistrates in the 

 rural districts, at whose offices forms of application can be had ; and a 

 deposit of one dollar is required to accompany an application to purchase, 

 and two dollars and a half on an application to lease. 



" Persons already occupying Crown Lands may obtain grants or leases 

 of the same upon such terms as may appear to the Lieutenant-Governor 

 just and reasonable, provided His Excellency sjiall see fit to grant the 

 same after taking all the circumstances into his consideration." 



The chief carrying work of the colony is effected by water by 

 means of dug-outs, called, according to their shape, pit-pans, 

 dorays, and bungays ; the former are restricted to the rivers, 

 while the two latter are much used along the coast. As 

 indicating the excellent river system and means of transit 

 afforded by the natural water-ways of the colony, I quote the 

 following table from the Honduras Almanack (Wilson), 1880: 



NAVIGABLE DISTANCE UP RIVERS. 



Hondu .... .navigable from its bar towards source, 60 miles. 

 New Eiver ... '60 



Old River 



Sibun 



Manattee 



Mullin's 



Sittee 



120 

 30 

 16 

 16 

 16 



North Stann Creek ., 18 



Sarstoon .... 10 



The rivers smaller than these are all navigable, for a few 

 miles from the bar. 



Steam communication by Royal Mail steamers, which connect 

 Belize and New Orleans, by a fortnightly service, has proved a 

 wonderful stimulus to fruit culture. The contractor is bound 

 to give preference in the purchase of fruits and other products 

 to those grown within the colony, provided the prices and 



