LOGWOOD. 345 



Trist, and at Laguna de Terminos in the bay of 

 Campeachy, declaring that if in the space of eight 

 months these places were not evacuated, the inhabi- 

 tants should be considered and treated as pirates. 

 This document was submitted to the Board of Trade 

 in England, which after much investigation, came to 

 the decided opinion that British subjects were entitled 

 to cut wood in the bay of Campeachy. Spain re- 

 luctantly acquiesced in this positive decision, and the 

 settlement continued without being matter of farther 

 dispute or treaty for more than forty years. During 

 this long period the British settlers had not been 

 idle. Fortifying themselves against the assaults of 

 the Spanish Americans, their colony assumed a more 

 important and imposing aspect, not only having the 

 power to resist but to resent aggression. 



These defensive measures were naturally viewed 

 with alarm by the Spaniards, and in a treaty con- 

 cluded in 1763, the two countries came to a com- 

 promise on this question ; the English government 

 consenting that the fortifications erected in the bay 

 of Honduras, and other Spanish territories in Ame- 

 rica, should be demolished; while the Spanish govern- 

 ment engaged that the subjects of Great Britain 

 should not be molested in cutting or shipping log- 

 wood. 



Notwithstanding the above treaty the Governor of 

 Yucatan in the ensuing year gave great annoyance 

 to the British logwood-cutters in Campeachy Bay, 

 and even drove them from the place on the pretext 

 that they had no certificate to prove them British 

 subjects, and that, moreover, they made too free with 

 the produce of the country. No time was lost in re- 

 mitting a remonstrance to the Spanish court, which 

 unreservedly disavowed and disapproved of the con- 

 duct of the governor. Positive orders were sent out 

 to that man of office, and the English once more 

 obtained their logwood without molestation. They 



