New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-04-02
FROM BRITISH HONDURAS,
Ce,r..poodence OF The N. Y. Tribune.

o. the OubsrsPP', dlI'tu mere lev days agO,
spd All erjo,wg the most delightful climate that
cal be imsgiIed in this world of imperfeclions.
The climate Of Babze may have its fsults-but they
are O great deal smaller than those Of the current
opinions about il in which fear you psrtic pate.
But excuse me for this mpertinsut remark. fe.l
go well at temperature of ~ TO 81 degrees Fab
rebbeit night snd dsy-the fresh sea breeze that
fan. the ftsthery CROWDS Of the cocoanut trees be-
fore ny windows passing freely through my room,
While NY eyes, Lifted from this sheet of paper,
wander over the green waves of the Caribbean Sea,
and are arrested by the emerald keys lining the dis
tant hOrzon-that some "orer mood, as a Ger
msn would say, must be allowed me.
Indeed, from what / am told here by the resi-
dents OF this place, ard what have every reason
TO believe to be true, the climate OF Bilize Is, for
tbs month and the two months Lext to come, one
OF the pleasantest and most healthy in the world.
apo o the rest of the year still preferable to almost
aly sea coast place in the Latitude OF the West ID
dies. Yet the country is low, and even between
the bouses in the outskirts Of the town the soil Is
covered with mangrOve tbickets growing out OF the
hall stagnant water OF numerous little ponds and
tsyous lnter,eciiDg the country and extending ll:o
tie depths OF the primitive forest.
The acknowleo ged salubrity of climate in such
.itustion proved beyond controversy by the healthy
appearance and the active moveu ents Of the White
population is a striking fact and one among others
which proves that climate III reference to health Is
NOE influer ced BY causes Of physical geography
and physical Topography than by those Of as'ro-
numical position, ard even more so In tropical re-
pitns than in those Of the temperate zone.
The prtjudices against tropical climates. 10 gen
eral williully spread and entertained oy 'he Jrai
cusy Of the col. NAL system of other times, and
BY the defenders of Slavery Of more recent pc.
Iiod, and now current among the inhabitants oi
the TEMPERATE zole, are founded III generaliza-
lion. ia which latitude and elevation above the
level q the sea are almost exclusively 0rougdl
into account If other conditions are kept In view
s,sguant water sluggish bayOus Will be- reg irded
as the sure cause of a most deleterlOus climate.
Aud still here we have town built at the mouth
of a muddy river, on the low shore OF a
tropical country, the soil upon which 1t
staIds 80 covered vita stagnant water and inter-
sec'ed by muddy channels, that you cannot step
aside Fl, III the srtfcially elevated paths between
the houses of the outskirts and of many OF the
streets, without wettiDg your feet If not stalking
into water and mud up to our waist, at the RISK ut
losing come part Of your limbs by the teeth OF q
ycupg alligator; AID this town has the general
reputation among it's inhabitants, as well as among
fore igners no have Visited it, OF being an uncom-
monty healthy place.
Nv know ledge Of this locality is as yet insufficient
10 give an explanation Of the particular coincidence
of causes producing this remarkable effect, III
which however, the prevailing sea-breeze appears
10 enter as tie pfincp pal one, and the geOlogict 81
character # the Sol must be second IN importance.
A German who is living Ten miles up The river.
where he raises vegetables I the marb ct Of the town
by his ow u labor-rnark, white labor in low trop-
zeal country, on the very banks OF river ASSURES
lie hat his pace is quite healthy; and according
70 the statements of Mr.. Faber, the Grown Sur
ye,or of British Honduras, some lagOoDs in the
interior connected with the Balize River, form the
only exceptions to the general salubrly Of the ter
rOy.
Along the coast the climate becomes less
healthy az you approach the corner OF the
angle which forms the Gulf Of Honduras.
Tie Rio Dulce and Ibe Laguna de Isabal
are unhealthy regions, as is the Belgian colony OF
st. Thomas OmOs is by far not as healthy as
Balize though the first is situated on portion o.
tie coast where mOuntaiGs of gCeat elevation rise
Immediately from the sea-shore Truxllo Is
healthier Than Omoa; but, though situated Oh u
considerable emineuce and built Oh rock, still not
as good as Bal ze The Island Of huatau is uu-
b, aiihy 10 an uncommon degree-few strangers
who 90 OF shore there escaping the fever; and still
that island Is formed by mOuhtaln. On the other
band II eastern coast of ldcdtan, to the north Of
Balize, slough low, is entirely healthy. 90 Is
Bscalar, and 50 is COrfu.al-a new town oil
shout fifteen hurd ed houses. bull during the last
few years. 90 the British territory, Gear It's
northern frontier, by reiu gees from the clvl wars
IN YucataD. From Bacalar, as well a. from Bl-
lie, you can travel across the peninsula without
diffcul;y and read. on which tase II walk every
evening here, leads directly to the still uueIPlored
region OF Peteu liza, where the ruins OF TIcal,
mere ondcriul than any described by Stephens 50
ans tcld heI-). have been lately discovered. Inat
While extent If country, | Atm told, Is perfectly
healthy.
If circumstances allow me to do 50 before | pro-
coed IL Omua and into The interior OF Honduras
stall make sD excursion to the mahogany cuttings
on tie beadwaters of the River Sherboon, whlcn
En- pies into the sea short distance s0uth"ard
fam here. That region appears TO be OF CON
siderable geological interest. 1t is situated a. the
ba,e of high auo rugged mountains composed OF
nucleus OF plUtonc rocks flansed by inclined strata
o. black states which, again, support strata
of sandstone and gypseous clay, c"ntainlog
Masses of very hpe alabaster. Thence, IN the
direction down 10 the coast, are horizontal or
nearly horizontal strata vi limestone, when i"rin
the surface OF the greater part OF fucatan. reese
limestone strata contain numerous ana eAleh
five caves, with subterraneOus rivers. perhaps
yea euber the description OF Caves IN different
localities Of Yucatan giseo by Stephens. Their exist
etce and the fact If their continuing an ample sup
ply of water, appear TO be very general, then IN
lie peninsula The Sherboon kifer itself pass"s
rnder gr"uu4 for about three quarters Of mile
and, in that whole length, ha- been surveyed uuaef
ground by the Crown Surveyor, to whom am ia-
oebted for the above information.
Lower dOwD, not far from the sea-coasf, pine
region EXTENDS. cove ring sandy soil OF younger
formation than the sandstone aud clay, with gyp-
sum, Aforementioned The pines are thinly sea-
tered over .ayannas and this belt of country forms
the division between the forests OF TIE swatnpy
coast and those Of the hills of the interior, trom
which he rivers descend by series Of rapids.
II | All not too forward with this remtrk, there
seems 81 be some analogy between the geology ot