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I recommend that this class of shallow drain be filled in ; it can hardly 
be said to serve a useful purpose, and it most certainly is one of the fruitful 
causes of malaria in Belize by becoming the breeding ground of the 
Anopheles. 1 he Superintendent of Public Works will in his report show how 
these shallow drains are to be treated before filling- in, so as to allow of free 
underground drainage. 
2. Depressed and Water-Soaked Areas. — These, like the shallow drains, 
are numerous both by the “ Barracks” and Yarborough. They likewise breed 
Anopheles, and should be filled up at the earliest opportunity. 
3. Waterlogged and Submerged Lots. — There is a very large amount of 
this class of property in the back of the town, and their condition is well 
shown in the Figs. 7-12. 1 personally examined and waded into all, with 
a very few exceptions, and I also saw them probably at their worst during 
the high tides. I he inhabitants make great efforts to fill them up, using 
every conceivable waste product in their attempt to do so, as the only available 
dredged sand is comparatively expensive, and there is no stone or shingle. 
The result of the water flooding and soaking is to keep everything in the yards 
wet and dirty, foecal matter is also liable to be floated about, and pollution must 
result. There is only one remedy, and that is filling up with the com- 
PARATIVEY SMALL REQUISITE QUANTITY OF SAND. If THIS WERE DONE A VERY 
LARGE PART OF THE TOWN WOULD BE TRANSFORMED AND RENDERED CLEAN AND 
HEALTHY. 
Concrete or Brick Lined Drains. — A few of these exist leading immediately 
to the sea or the canals. If they have a fall, and are kept flushed and clean, there 
can be no objection to them. 
4. Deep Ditches.— These run alongside Pigstock Street, Freetown Road, 
Victoria Street, and some intervening streets on the north side of the town, 
and are also found to the west of the canal in the South portion of the town. 
They communicate freely with one another, with the swamps and river, and 
rise and overflow with the rise in the swamps and river. They are used as the 
night soil dumping places for all houses near them, and night soil which is not 
got rid of by the cat-fish is in flood time distributed over the yards. Temporary 
mitigation can be brought about by cutting a small short canal northwards to 
the sea, thus admitting sea water and more constant rise and fall and renewal 
of water. In my opinion, however, the healthiest plan will be found in filling 
them in and replacing them by one canal as shown in the canal Plan 111 ., thus 
connecting the river with the sea. Given this canal, the ground east and west 
can be filled in. 
The Canals. — The two existing canals are shown on Plan III. — except at 
the Yarborough end ; their sides are well cemented, there are no weeds, they 
are full of fish, they take all the night soil, and drain the surface of the ground, 
which only stands a few inches above the level of the water in them as a rule. 
It is now proposed to place behind them a second parallel line of canals to meet 
the needs of the growing town towards the west both in respect to drainage and 
night soil disposal. Their construction, coupled with the filling in of the 
swamps, the ditches and depressed areas lying between them and the existing 
canals, would make a large difference to Belize, and add a valuable building area 
to the town. 
