or made use of the territory. They found no one 
there, and turned no one out. Even the Central 
American Indians, who are now living within the 
colony, are either recent settlers, or the descendants 
of others who settled within the territory while it 
was under British management. 
On the north the river Hondo divides the colony 
from the Republic of Mexico. The north of the 
Hondo is as rich in mahogany as the south, or richer. 
But the north was inhabited by unfriendly Indians; 
and the British settlers, therefore, gained no perma¬ 
nent footing on the northern side. It is only com¬ 
paratively recently that order has been established 
among these Indians by the Mexican Government. 
Of the western boundary about half adjoins Mexican 
territory, and half that of Guatemala. The boundary 
line practically coincides with the limits within which 
the transport of timber to the coast was comparatively 
easy. 
On the south the river Sarstoon separates the 
colony from the territory of the Republic of Guate¬ 
mala. 
In the earlier days, as there was no effective 
Spanish Government, the settlers governed them¬ 
selves, holding public meetings annually, at which 
they elected magistrates, and passed laws binding 
the community. 
In 1786 a Superintendent was appointed by the 
Home Government, but from 1790 to 1797 elected 
magistrates again ruled the settlements. Since then 
Superintendents were regularly. appointed until 1862, 
when the settlement was declared a colony, and a 
Lieutenant-Governor was appointed, subordinate to 
the Governor of Jamaica. In 1884 the colony was 
rendered independent of Jamaica. 
I have touched on the past history of the colony, 
because it helps to explain its present industrial posi¬ 
tion. The settlers went to the colony only for the 
