number of persons are engaged in bleeding rubber 
and sapodilla, in the region between El Cayo and 
Belize. Sapodilla gum, or chicle, is a principal con¬ 
stituent in chewing gum, and nearly the whole export 
goes to the United States. A quantity of chicle and 
some rubber comes from Peten, and is carried down 
from the Cayo to Belize by launch. 
Negotiations are in progress, or perhaps have been 
completed,' for the sale of a tract of land to a syndi¬ 
cate, who undertake to plant 1,500 acres in rubber, or 
other products. There is, I believe, a considerable 
quantity of untouched mahogany land in this district. 
Some mahogany lately cut there was found to be of 
unusually fine grain, and fetched very high prices. 
Improved communication with Belize makes the 
working expenses less than they would have been 
formerly, and this has helped the industry. 
In the Cayo district there is plenty of undulating 
land, of good running water, and of good soil. Prob¬ 
ably it would not pay to grow bananas there, owing 
to the heavy cost of transport, as compared with the 
price realised. But if labour can be obtained it 
should be highly suitable for the cultivation of 
rubber and cacao, and possibly of coffee. Cattle 
thrive, and there is plenty of land available for 
grazing. 
In the lowen reaches of the Belize river there is a 
fair amount of good land, but not always, I believe, 
with such a subsoil as to make it suitable for deep- 
rooted trees. About ten miles from Belize a company 
has been making experiments with rice and cotton. 
So far as the experiments have gone they seem to 
show that the soil is suitable. 
South of the Sibun river, and about 15 miles from 
Belize, is the Manafiee region. The Government is 
opening up the country between Manatee and Belize. 
To start with, the construction of a new road has been 
undertaken from Belize to the Sibun river and then on 1 
