Guatimala. 



MEXICO, OR NEW SPAIN. 



49 



The bay of H O N D U R A 



IS noted for the great quantities of logwood that are cut there. In this ba3r 

 are feveral fmall illands, formerly ufed for the pearl fifliery : but fewer 

 pearls are now found here, and thofe not fo large as formerly, that fifhsry in 

 a manner being difufed. 



The cutting of logwood being fo much complained of by the Spaniards, and 

 affigned by them as a juft prbvocation for their depredations on the EngliJJj^ 

 before the commencement of the late war, we {hall here give a brief account 

 of it. 



The country v/here the Englifh cut their logwood, is all a flat, and a great 

 part of it a morafs, with feveral lagunes, which are very often overflown. In 

 the dry feafon, when the cutters have found a good number of trees, they 

 build a hut near tKem, where they live. After Cutting down a tree, they chip 

 off the bark, and lay it in heaps, marking paths to each, that when the rains 

 come which overflow the ground, they are as fo many channels where they 

 go with fmall currents and land them, bringing them fometimes thirty miles 

 to the Barcaderasy whence the buyers fetch it at five pounds a ton, Jamaica 

 money. During the floods, the cutters dwell at the Barcaderas, which are 

 42 miles up the river, where they have huts built on high banks to fecure 

 them from the waters. As foon as they have notice of any vefl^els arrival at 

 the mouth of the river, they flock down to purchafe whatever they want. 



The cutters of logwood were originally fettled in the bay of Cafnpeachc j 

 but having been difl:urbed by the Spaniards^ removed to the bay of Hondiwas, 

 where they fupport themfelves by force of arms, being about 1 500 in number, 

 mafl:ers and fervants. At the feafon they follow the wood, which runs in a 

 line of fome miles, like a vein of minerals in the earth ; and fometimes they 

 Tun over a great many miles, without finding a fliick of it. The fliips that 

 come into the bay are always on their guard; for they fetch the logwood 

 down in flat-bottom boats in the night, and take it on board in the day. 

 But the neck of this trade has been broken in the bay of Ca?npeache, fince 

 the year 1722, when five Spa?tiJ]j frigates took or burnt twelve E?igH/I: fPiips 

 ' H bclon2;ino- 



