Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet., 1866-08-16
Ihe Gazette Gn1uet
British Honduras.

been established between British
Honduras and New Orleans, we
shall not be surprised to find that
beautiful country the rallying point.
of large Southern emigrrtion some
of these days. The following inter-
esting letter to the New Orleans Plea.
yune, is worthy the attention Of the
general reader
Special Correspondence Of the PicayunsJn s.
BELIZE, HONDURAS, July Is, 1865.
The establishment of steam com.
munication between your city and
this port seems a fixed fact. I avail
myself of the first ship to resume my
correspondence with you. aa5I
| will begin by informing you that
the British Honduras extends from
the Rio Hondo on the north to the
river Suistan on the South, a dis
tance of two hundred miles by sixty
deep, covering an area of about
10000 square miles. Most of this
land is virgin forest, covered with
excellent woods, with soil inferior
to none in the world for the cultiva-
tion of sugar, coffee, cocoa, rice, corn,
tobacco, cotton and all other tropical
plants. Our climate cannot be beat,
If il can be matched in the tropics.
Here, the people, if temperate, cleanly
and Industrious, often live to be 100
years old, and some don't die, even
then. Mahogany, logwood and fus-
tic have been our great staples, but
it has now been demonstrated that
sugar cane grows here equal in size
and in quality to the best in any
part of the world. Sugar planters
from all the Windward Islands from,
Louisiana and Texas who have ex-
amined our soil, all agree that in
richness and quality to grow cane.
none can be better.
Then we have good stable re-
publican form of government, and
have constitution as liberal az any
in the world (not excepting that Of
the United States) and all we want
is from $4,000 to 100000 sugar
planting immigrants to settle here to
make this the most profitable sugar
growing country in the world. Our
Governor has now offered to sugar
planting immigrants the crown land
in any quantity they may wish
free for five years, then at one dollar
for five years, without interest, Now,
when you take into consideration the
delightful, healthy climate, the rich
ness and prolific soil, you will, I am
certain, see that British Honduras is
the land for the Southern emigrant
to come to. At all events, now that
steam communication is established,
it will not cost much money or time
for those who wish good secure
home, to come and examine our soil
and test our climate before going
elsewhere.
In 1853 I took canes to your city
and left them in your Office, which
were not cultivated, but only stuck
in the unplowed ground and left to
themselves, without wedding, hoeing,
or any care, which were wondered
at and extolled by all who saw them.
Within the last twelve months, Mr..
Gary, the proprietor Of this new
steam line, has taken other canes,
still superior to those of 1853. He
is an old planter from st. Mary's
parish, La, and informs me that our
lands are superior to the rich land
around Berwick Bay. He being a
Judge, and having seen both, gives
the palm to our lands, and we now
cordially invite those who can or
who cannot endure the present state
of affairs in the United States TO
come down here where they wfR find
a hearty welcome and the "best
land which ever lay out of doors"
ready to yield abundantly to the
hands OF cultivation.
All machinery for sugar cultiva-
ton is admitted free of duty, and at
present there is no tax on lands.
Our naturalization laws now ad-
NIT all emigraDts to the rights and
privileges of British subjects on the
payment of SIG. The timber on
the land will pay for more than the
clearing, if the parties are willing to
truck it out, and if for fuel, it is ex-
tremely abundant and very good.
We have plantains, bananas, pine
apples, yams, cocoas, yampers and
other fruits and vegetables in any
quantities for the bare cultivation
and in one word, this is the best
country for the Industrious man that