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HONSURAa 



HONDURAS, BRITISH. 



SM 



by the tinion near Santiago of Mrml btsncbes, the longest of which 

 rim Dot far from the bordo* of Salvador ; it falls into the sea a short 

 distance west of Punta de Sal after a course of about SOO miles ; only 

 a few miles of the lower |>art are narigable. The next river of aoy 

 BUM is the Truxillo, the mouth of which forms the harbour of the 

 Mma name. East of this is the Aguan, which after a course of about 

 100 miles difldiarges itself by two branches into the Caribbean Sea, 

 about 20 miles east of Cape Honduras. None of these are navigable for 

 more than a short distance, and then only by piraguas (a sort of river 

 barges), except the Ulua and Chamalicon, which admit small schoonenp. 

 Hie Choluteca, which falls into the Pacific at the Bay of Conchaf^a, 

 a small stream dnuning a narrow valley, is the only river of the state 

 wbidi does not enter the Caribbean Sea. The roads throughout the 

 republic are mere tracks worn by continual use. 



Climate, Soil, Producliotu. — The climate, except along the coast, is 

 on the whole salubrious, though the temperature is somewhat high. 

 Ooltre is common iu the elevated districts. The valleys opening to 

 the sea are very fertile, but moist and unwholesome. Those from 

 which the sir of the sea is intercepted by ranges of bills are lees 

 humid and more habitable, but their fertility is not so great. On 

 the tableland, and in the districts not contiguous to the Caribbean 

 Sea, the dry season begins alwut the close of October, and lasts until 

 the end of May ; during which time only a few showers occasionally 

 refresh the air. In the beginning of June thunder is frequent, and 

 is followed by long and heavy rains. But even during this time it 

 rains only in thi.> evening and the night : from six o'clock in the morn- 

 ing till three or four o'clock in the afternoon, no cloud passes over the 

 sky, and the air'js dry and pleasant Towards the middle of October 

 the north winds set in with frequent thunderstorms, and (iftcr them 

 the dry season begius. 



The most important natural productions are the vast forests of 

 mahogany, cedar, fustic, pimento, and numerous other valuable trees ; 

 but owing to the badness of the roads, the scarcity of labour, and 

 other local causae, they are turned to comparatively little account. 

 From the same causes, and from the indisposition of the inhabitants 

 to steady labour in the fields, agriculture is in a very backward ?tate ; 

 not only are immense tracts of fertile land wholly neglected, but the 

 land which is under cultivation is very far from being rendered as 

 pro<luctive as it easily might be. Maize, rice, some wheat and barley, 

 frixoles, plantains, and various fruits and vegetables are tfae principal 

 articles grown, but scarcely in sufficient quantities for the require- 

 ments of the inhabitants. In the western district of Oracion tobacco 

 of very fine quality is raised, but not enough for exportation. The 

 chief dependence of the husbandman is on the cattle, of which vast 

 herds are reared on the plains in the interior. Yet though such 

 large numbers are maintained, they form but a limited article of 

 export, and tallow and hides ore only exported to a comparatively 

 ■moll amount. Sheep are not so numerous as in some of the other 

 countries of Central America. Horses are not much attended to, nor 

 are they of superior kinds. Mules are numerous, they being gene- 

 rally used in the country for the transport of goods. 



The manufactures are confined to the coarser articles of home 

 consumption. The commerce is but small ; the foreign trade is chiefly 

 carried on through Belize. As already indicated the exports are 

 principally of mahogany, cedar, Brazil, and other cabinet and dye- 

 woods; nrsaparilla, hides, and the products of the mines. The 

 imports are British cottons, woollens, and hardwares, with various 

 French, Oermon, and American goods. Honduras is the principal 

 mining country of Central America. The chief mining districts are 

 the southern and western portions of the republic, but some mines 

 occur in every department. Qold is found in veins in quortxose 

 rocks ; and in grains in alluvial deposits in the ravines, and in the 

 sands of several of the rivers. Silver mines occur in several places 

 in the department of Tegucigalpa, and also more or less frequently in 

 all the other departments. Copper is found of good quality in 

 Choluteca and elsewhere. Lead and iron-ore are found in several 

 plaoee. Of the propent annual products of the mines we have 

 however no reliable statement In Qraciss occur veins of remark- 

 ably fine opals, as well as some yielding emeralds. Jasper, as- 

 bestos, and cinnabar are likewise obtained. Excellent marble is 

 wrought 



Divitioni, Tovmt,i-e. — Honduras' is divided into seven departmi-nts— 

 Comayagua, which occupies nearly the centre, and contains the capital 

 of the republic : Gracias to the south-west, and Santa Barbara to 

 the north-west of Comayagua, both of which extend to Quateniala, 

 and Santa Barbara includes the coast as far east as Punta de Sal : 

 Yoro, north of Comayagua, extends along the coast from Punta de 

 Sal eastward to Cape Honduras, and contains the port-town of 

 Truxillo : Tegucigalpa lies east of Comayagua, and is the chief mining 

 district and most thickly inhabited department of the republic : on 

 the north-east of it is the department of Juticalpa, which extends to 

 tlie Mosquito territory : south of Comayagua is Choluteca, wliich 

 stretches down to the Gulf of Concbagua, where is the little port- 

 town of San Lorenco, established a few yean back in order to give 

 the republic a port of entry on the Pacific. In the interior are few 

 oonaidereble towns ; on the coast nre only the small port-towns of 

 Omo* and Truxillo. 



Cvmai/offua ( yalladvlid dt), the capital, is situated in a fine but 



onheolthy valley, at nearly an equal distance from tlia porta of Omoa 

 and Truxillo, in 14° 80' N. lat, 87° 30' W. long., and contains 80OO 

 inhabitants. The public buildings are a cathedral, several churohee, 

 a college, an hospital, &c. 



Ttgvcigalpa contains from 8000 to 10,000 inhabitants, and is the 

 most populous place in Honduras, being the chief town of the gnat 

 mining district In its neighbourhood are mines of gold, dlTer, 

 copper, and iron. It is at a considerable elevation above the sea. 



Omoa, on the Bay of Honduras, IS* 88' N. Ut, 88* 5' W. long:, 

 12 or 15 miles from the mouth of the river Motag1u^ is a small 

 place inhabited by a few ladinoa, but is a good deal frequented ; the 

 harbour, which is formed by a small bay, is very good. The goods 

 imported from Europe or America are sent by bai|^ to Qualdn, on 

 the bonks of the Motogua. The town is very nuhealtby. 



IVtucillo, farther to the east, formerly carried on an active trade 

 with Havanna, but it now exports only mahogany and a few hides, 

 with a small quantity of sarsaparilla and tortoiaeahell to Belixe. 

 The town with its suburbs contains about 4000 inhabitants. 



Government, Ac. — The government is vested in a president and two 

 chambers. The president is elected by the chambers, and assisted by 

 a council of state consisting of the ministera and some other members. 

 The chambera consist of a legislative assembly of 1 4 deputies, and a 

 senate of 14 members. The republic has a debt of about 300,000 

 dollars. We have not a recent return of the revenue. The chief 

 court of justice is the supreme court at Comayagua, which is presided 

 over by three judges. The president is commander-in-chief of the 

 militia. The established religion is the Roman Catholic, but other 

 forms of worship are permitted. Education is in a very neglected 

 state. 



The coast of Honduras was discovered by Colnmbtis in 1502. The 

 Spaniards eCTected the subjugation of the country a few years later ; 

 from which time it remained a part of the Spanish kingdom of Guate- 

 mala until the declaration of independence by South America in 1820. 

 Honiluras was then comprised in the Mexican empire of Iturbide, on 

 the diwolution of which in IS23, Honduras formed one of the federal 

 states of Central Ainerica ; but this union was also of short duration, 

 and Honduras then became and has since continued to be au inde- 

 pendent republics 



(Juarros, History of Ouatemala; Hoefkins, Centraal Amtrika; 

 Baily, Central America, &c) 



HONDURAS, BRITISH, or Selize, a British settlement on the 

 east coast of Central America, is bounded N. by Yucatan, W. by 

 Vera Paz, S. by Guatemala, and E. by the Bay of Honduras and the 

 Caribbean Sea. The settlement extends from 15° 54' to 18° 30' 

 N. lat, and from 88° to 89° 80' W. long. The area is about 10,870 

 square miles, and the population, which consists chiefly of Caribs 

 and negroes, is about 12,000. 



The surface is very irrcgul.-u-. In the interior it is greatly elevated, 

 while the coast is for the most part low, and fringed with reefs and 

 small islands, termed keys, which render the navigation very hazardous. 

 The country is watered by numerous riven, the chief being the 

 Belize, which is navigable for 150 miles from its mouth. The rook* 

 are principally primary and calcareous. The casteriy or sea-breezes 

 which prevail during nine months of the year, temper the heat, which 

 however is scarcely ever excessive; the thermometer seldom rises 

 above 83° Fahr. even in the hottest time, and during the wet season 

 it sinks to 60°. In June, July, August, and September heavy and 

 frequent rains fall, and these are the most unhealthy months of the 

 year, disease being engendered by the marah miaamata arising from 

 the lowlands and swampa. The soil by the coasts and riven is a rich 

 alluvial deposit, and very fertile. On the higher gtx>unds are extensive 

 forests of mahogany-trees of magnificent growth, and the logn-ood-tree 

 abounds in the swamps. Cedar and other valuable timber-trees aro 

 among the natural products. I'he plantain is extensively cultivated, 

 tiaize, rice, cassava, arrowroot, yams. &c are grown. Cotton, sugar, 

 and cofiee, though little cultivated, succeed welL In the woods the 

 red tiger, the black tiger, the tiger-cat, the leopard, and other wild 

 animals, and game, are found. Turtle abound on the keys. 



British Honduras is governed by a Superintendent, and a Public 

 Meeting, consisting of seven magistrates appointed by the inhabitants. 

 The superintendent is immediately subordinate to the Governor of 

 Jamaica, from whom ho holds a commission. He is assisted in the 

 administration of government by an Executive Council, consisting of 

 the chief justice, the attorney-general, the ofiBcer commanding the 

 land forces, and the public treasurer. An Act of the local legislaturo 

 has however been passed by which the constitution of the council 

 and assembly is propoeed to be altogether remodelled. British Hon- 

 duras is in the diocese of Jamaica, About 1000/. is voted annually 

 by the legislature for the purposes of education. 



The exports are chiefly of cochineal, which amounted to 169,1402. 

 in 1851, of indigo and sarsaparilla, which commoditios are altogether 

 the produce of the states of Central America, and are brought to 

 Belize merely in the course of transit to Europe. The total value of 

 the exports in 1851 was 411,443<., in 1S52 it was 391,223<. The 

 commerce of British Honduras is centred in the capital, and indeed 

 only town of any size, Belize, under which it is more fully noticed, 

 and where will also be found mentioned various other facts relating 

 to the settlement [Bilub.] 



