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PANAMA. 
Colon. 
The only communication with Colon is by the Harrison Line of steamers, 
one of which arrives in Belize monthly, after having in almost every case 
touched at Colon on the way from Liverpool. 
MEXICO. 
Vera Cruz, Progreso, Ascension Bay, Xcalak, Payo-Obispo. 
The ports of Ascension Bay, Xcalak and Payo-Obispo, obtain a large 
portion of their supplies from the Colony, and consequently there is almost 
daily communication by small sailing craft between these ports, Belize, Corosal, 
and the Cays, from whence they also obtain their supply of fish. There has 
been little direct communication with Vera Cruz and Progreso owing to these 
ports having been declared infected ports by this Government in July, 1900, 
and July, 1903, respectively. The port of Xcalak, however, I am informed, 
was made a transit station for troops, passengers, labourers and merchandise 
from Vera Cruz and Progreso for Payo-Obispo and the settlements and camps 
on the Mexican side of the Rio Hondo, so that there has been daily indirect 
communication with the ports in question via Xcalak and Payo-Obispo. 
With the exception of vessels arriving from time to time, generally from 
the West Indies, to load mahogany and logwood for the United Kingdom 
and the United States, the above is a full account of the shipping calling a 
the several ports of the Colony. (H. B. Walcott.) 
Railway Traffic and the Spread of Yellow fever. 
British Honduras has as yet no railroad, but should one be constructed, 
the following observations, gathered from the surrounding States, will serve to 
show the wisdom and necessity of taking beforehand the simple precautions 
which science has shown to be necessary to prevent the introduction of 
Yellow fever into the interior. 
Mr. Howard of the Agricultural Bureau, who has the largest experience 
of the distribution of mosquitoes in America, regards the railroads as the 
principal distributors of mosquitoes, and instances places to which mosquitoes 
have penetrated owing to the construction of railways — mosquitoes readily 
infest the carriages, and may be transported hundreds ot miles. The ligid 
screening of the railway carriages in the Southern States this year was 
the outcome of the knowledge of the readiness with which mosquitoes enter 
the trains. 
The two most interesting examples of the railroad distribution of Yellow 
fever this year are furnished by Guatemala and Spanish Honduras. In 
Guatemala Yellow fever broke out with great severity at Zacapa, 103 miles 
from Barrios, some 20 days after the outbreak at Livingston, which is close 
to Barrios. In Spanish Honduras the fever extended up the line from 
Puerto Cortes to San Pedro Sula, where it broke out some 27 days 
afterwards ; it then extended to Rio Blanco, Chamilicon and Choloma. The 
epidemics in these places were exceedingly severe. 
