this I will compare the area of the colony with that 
of the British West Indian Islands, viz. Jamaica, 
Barbados, Trinidad, the Leeward Islands and the 
Windward Islands. 
Their combined area is 7,499 square miles, while 
that of British Honduras is 7,562 squaie miles, or 
more than the total area of the islands named. But, 
in 1907, the population of these colonies was esti¬ 
mated at 1,661,538, while that of British Honduras 
was estimated to be 41,007. The other colonies, 
viewed as a whole, are 40 times as densely populated 
as British Honduras. Trinidad and Jamaica are 30 
times as densely populated. It seems strange that 
so old a settlement should have so small a population ; 
but it must be remembered that for ;6o years agri¬ 
culture was forbidden, as was any kind of settlement, 
not necessary to wood-cutting. And, although the 
area of the colony is comparatively large, the sea 
frontage is small. Roughly speaking, we have about 
160 nautical miles of coast, and only 100 miles of 
this can be approached by* large vessels. The lands 
of the other colonies named have, on the average, 
been ten times more accessible than those of British 
Honduras. 
And even when agricultural industries were started, 
the colony does not seem . to have appreciated the 
necessity of improving* the means of communication. 
In the early nineties it became necessary to increase 
the Customs dues, in order to make the revenue 
balance the expenditure; but when equilibrium was 
restored, instead of spending the surplus money on 
public works, the, colony took off the extra 2 \ per 
cent, duties that had been levied. The colony was, 
howevfer, waking up. In 1903 and 1904 an advisory 
engineer was employed to examine the colony, and 
report on such schemes of development as might 
appear to be practicable. One of the first schemes 
undertaken was the improvement of the Belize river. 
