Canadian Forestry Journal, September, 1919 



345 



No housing prolilems in Spanisli Honduras. I'liotoKi'apli shows homes of iiaiive 

 Carib Indians, beside cocoanut palms. 



CRUISING MAHOGANY IN CENTRAL AMERICA 



By L. C. Tilt, B. Sc.F., Formerly of Dominion 

 Forestry Branch, V/innipeg. 



A Unique Journey Into Spanish Honduras in 



Search of Precious Woods — A Lazy 



Population. 



Due to the proximity of New Orleans to Cen- 

 tral America, that port has secured a large part 

 of the trade carried on between the independent 

 states of Central America and the United States. 

 In consequence of this trade good accommoda- 

 tion can be secured on the steamers carrying 

 machinery, etc., to these countries and return- 

 ing with fruit, sugar, hides and timber. 



I left New Orleans on a steamer of about 

 4,000 tons and after three days arrived at La 

 Ceiba on the north coast of Central America, 

 due south of New Orleans. From here a r,ma\\ 

 government gasolene launch was taken to Trux- 

 illo, 60 miles east along the coast of Spanish 

 Honduras. Truillo is noted in history as being 

 the first place on which Columbus set foot on 

 the mainland of America. Truxillo and La 

 Ceiba are the two largest towns on this .lart of 

 the coast having a population of about 4,000 

 each, 95 per cent of which is Carib Indian, 

 negro or half-breeds mixed with Spanish or 

 English. The coast is bordered by a series of 

 mountain ranges from 1,000 to 2,000 feet high 

 which are densely covered with the rorest 



growth peculiar to that country. The small 

 areas of low level land along the shore are 

 covered with cocoanut palms or are being 

 planted up with bananas by the American fruit 

 companies, which are developing the country. 

 The Journey Inland. 

 At Truxillo I secured an interpreter, as the 

 native language is Spanish. This interpreter 

 was a negro, a native of British Honduras and 

 very loyal to the British flag. I also secuved a 

 native to drive the pack mules. Leaving Trux- 

 illo we followed the old trail running from ihe 

 coast, over the mountains inland to the capital. 

 Tegucigalpa. This trail was built several hun- 

 dred years ago by the Spaniards, all the grades 

 being paved with large flat rocks. Three days 

 along this trail took us about 70 miles inland 

 to the vicinity of the timber to be examined. 

 There we secured the services of four natives, 

 a mahogany hunter, cook and two trail cutlers. 

 We did not carry tents, but built wide ^holl'MS 

 out of the palm leaves which is the universal 

 material for protection from the rain and rays 

 of the sun. 



