American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1867-07-06
HONDURAS,
As seer By n acho has been there
Both sides Of tie picture.
June 10, 1867.

ALBANIA; Ulut ~, IOUI.
To the InteliqeNcer Many per,
sons being DESTROYS of obtaining in,
formation of Honduras, | propose,
at the solicitation OF several friends, to
give the result of my observations
during a six weeks sojourn i'll that
country.
Lands may be easily obtained at
from 10 to so cents per acre; or par
ties may get them under a recent i'm
migration as Il donation from the
government. They are rich-in fact
cannot be cXhausted-and will pro
duce in abundance almost every
thing that grows, such, for instance,
as corn, cotton, sugar, coffee, rice,
tobacco, indigo, cOcOw, beans, pota-
toes, pumpkins, squasheS, tomatoes,
turnips, melons, etc. Wheat does
not prosper. Corn will grow three
crops from the same ground every
year, yielding at least fifty bushels
TO the acre each crop, without any
other cultivation than planting the
seed. Cotton produces two crops in
eighteen months, each crop yielding,
as | was informed, from two to three
thousand pounds of seed cotton to
the acre. This Is long staple sea
island cotton, and from my expert.
ence in cotton raising, | have no
doubt as to the correctness of the
statement. The stalks are six feet
apart each way, and from six to nine
feet high, and heavily laden with
bOllS to the top, all of which natures.
Cotton is also raised without cult.
walton. The stalks, after each crop
is gathered, have to be cut down, as
they will grow so high that the cot
ton cannot be gathered. Ifleft alone
they would become large trees. |
saw one six years old, that much re
Scmhied IN size Il pear OF apple tree
OF the same age. There can he two
crops of sugar made the same yea;
and the yield is abundant. The
cane is very large II is not neces-
sary to PLAINTIFF sugar cane or cotton
Ottenfr1an every ten years. Coffee,
QrltrOp only, but it continues to
Sw for many years. Two crops Of
tobacco are made every year. Rice,
one crop, and very fine it grows on
any kind Of land. CocOw, one crop,
it continues to produce from the y
stalk for many years. Potatoes ~
grow and mature at all seasons,
some Of them enormously large, but
believe they are not so delicious
Is Il own here. Cabbage can be
crown here all the year round, and
'thcr vegetables the same. Melons \
crow finely. Vegetables require
utilization, and for this reason but
ew OF them are used by the natives.
harden seeds are quite scarce there.
The timber is generally very large,
ut not dense. The valuable woods I
re mahogany, rosewood, cedar,
.guum, vitR, ebony, india rubber,
Jgwood, chinchona, and others.
he medical plants are not yet de.
elopcd.
The country is mostly mountain.
us, with many beautiful streams .
from them. The water is |
pure and clear, but not so cool :
that of Georgia. There is an
bundance of water for mill purposes.
he streams run rapidly, and have
ebbly bottoms.
Among the natives | saw or heard .
f but little drinking or gambling, Il
nd Americans who have lived there y
II years, informed me that they
ere very honest, theft being rare
mOng them. Being Of ~peaceable
nd quiet natures, disturbances are
f rare occurrence. The government
republican, with laws similar to T
nose of this country. The Presi- -
cnt and Vice President are elected
very four years, and the other Off
arS as We do. Americans who have
we'd there for many years, look to
c in excellent health, and represent
le country as healthy as any other. 4
could see no cause for sickness. 4
mere We're no Stagnant waters, and
lc natives live to a very old age.
The othcr side.
| have given all the good qualities,
Id now tor a few bad ones. The
language is spoken alto
The water is not as cool
ld refreshing as one could wish.
he heat in the middle Of the day is
,prcsSiye, but the mornings and
'cnIngS are as cool and refreshing
n could desire. There are plen-
of ticks and knatS. and a few
osquitoeS, and a great many ants.
he society, like that of all new n
untrIcS, is not good. There are II
me but Catholic Churches. The y
'uSeS are very few and very sorry
e made of mud, with dirt floors.
Icre are no saw mills, no griSt mills,
wagons, no buggies, no harness,
1t no pIoughs. The inhabitants
2 very ignorant, the most of them
ing entirely destitute of education.
ere are no shOemakers, or macEin-
, of any kind in the country. No
tells, theatres, nor amuScments.
e fare is rough, and the discom-
is, such as are peculiar to all
. countries, have to be borne by
/, new conner. There is no timber
table for fencing. Hedges are
ID for that purpose. There are, of
Irse, no animals broken to harness,
vehicles are unknown to the peO-
d. As an indication of the state