Chap. XII. EUROPEAN IMMIGRATION — CLIMATE. 195 
in reference to Central America may still exist, or may- 
yet originate, the aim of England should always be the 
establishment and prosperity of an independent Central 
American confederacy, strengthened by the immigration 
of hands, intellect, skill, capital, and enterprise, as they 
cannot fail to be attracted by improvements such as the 
Honduras Inter-oceanic Railway ; by the facilities thus 
offered in every sphere of intercourse with the rest of the 
world ; by the opportunity of profitable investments ; and 
by the inviting nature of the country, its beautiful scenery, 
its fertility and climate. 
Immigration, above all other sources, is destined to 
become the great means of Central American regenera- 
tion ; and in this respect it is of importance that the 
prevailing prejudices in reference to tropical climates in 
general, and especially as to the climate of Central 
America, should be refuted. 
There is no doubt that there are some unhealthy 
localities on the coasts of Central America ; Chagres, 
Aspinwall, Panama, and Ysabal may be named amongst 
them. But New Orleans, Mobile, and Charleston, with 
the whole coast of Texas, are at least^qually pernicious to 
life ; and, though slavery exists at all these places, certain 
occupations are carried on there by white men, and prin- 
cipally by Irish and German immigrants, fully as fatiguing 
and exposing as the greater part of the labour performed 
by the negro slave. Thousands of emigrants from the 
north of Europe arrive annually at New Orleans and on 
the coast of Texas, and there is not the slightest reason 
why they could not, with an equal degree of safety, reach 
the worst places on the coast of Central America. These 
worst places, however, can be avoided ; none of those 
named above being situated where an emigrant coming to 
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