The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1867-10-02
IrusLrsnED mr. Hfeussr.
Two Months Sojourn in Spanish
Honduras.
Br ,. W. ooLDsxrru.

. ..... Dr y. W. ooLDSHfTH.. -
tcoEoLupED.l
; The health Of the country Is generally good.
This is reasonable from tho favorable situation
Of the lands-e very small portion Of It's sur
face requiring drainage by artificial means
We heard Of lagoons In the country, bat these
are beautiful cloar lakes, from which no mias-
ma eminntes. On their banks persons arc liv-
ing in perfect health. No swamps wero seen,
though In the wet season como Of tho rivers
near the coas$ overflow at points, and inun-
date considerable sections Of country, rs those
in Georgia. This inundation lasts but q short
while, tho streams boing short and rapid
Chills occur, In consequences, in their imme-
diate vicinity. We heard Of no sickness
except bilious fever Of mild grade and
easily managed. The fcver usually lasts two
days, very rarely longer than three. In our
party Of sixty men, women and children,
there were, We think, not exceeding eight
cases Of this fever, caused by unaccustomed
labor in the sun. Recovery was rapid, and
the labor Of the colony not intorfered WITH
We had left Atlanta, wrapped in shawls, only
few weeks before, reaching Honduras in mid
summer. Withoat any precautions our party
began work. They ate fruit, bathod, went In
the sun and rain, and seemed 70 defy sickness.
Tho ladies could not speak 10 tho natives, and
preferred doing thoir own work rather than
undergo the trouble Of communicating with
them. The men went out with tho axe and
maschetts and worked side by sido with the
hardy natives from morning till night. The
result waS the few cases Of fever above men-
tened. All, with one exception, recovered In
. few days. When We left there was not n
case Of sickness In the colony. Tho exception
referred to was q gentleman constitationally
frail, laboring under pulmonary disease. He
was tskon with fever, went In the rain several
miles one night returned next day In the sun,
and, without any knowledge Of medicine, do
termined TO troat his own case. He swallowed
emetic after emetio until hemorrhage occur
red, and he died victim 10 his mistaken
course. II is duo DR.. Watkins, as we'll ns tho
colony, TO say, thOir services wore rendered but
refused. ..'.s
Tho coast, We think, compares favorably
with that of the Southern States, and In the
interior we could 500 no cause for sickness.-
No stagnant water was seen. The lands arc
rolling, rain water inmediateiy Ands It's way
10 the streams whose rapid current soon reach
the see. Tho atmosphere 10 soft, bTHeing and
pure. The trade Winds" which blow almost
continually from the ocean, keep u fresh,
and drive OF ovsry inpaffsy thst might arise.
This great physician never ohifls, as cur
northern winds from tho ioe-eergs and snow
regions, szusiDg eonsumptisus, Rheumatism.
colds, Co., nor from tho swamps impregnated
with malaria; but purified and cooled by Ms
passage over the Atlantic, ~ b enjoyed and
welcomed, being always iuvigorating and re-
freshing. -r..
We saw h.s few t,vvs thsa hsS long moss
upon them, such as is found on our eoast.--
DR.. w. A. Howard, native Georgian, and
since the close Of she war resident Of Baiizs,
Of whom wo hear good report wherever no
was known, land his popularity IL not confined
to the British colony,) physician Of skill
and ability, asserts, from experisuco snd en-
quiry, that Central Amorica Is fur superior TO
North America as regards hoaith. His rea-
soning is clear and satisfactory. We have not
time or spaos 70 give them here. Should the
reader desire further information we would
refer him TO DR.. H.'s publications on rhis sab-
jeot We had tho pleasure Of an scquaintance
with the Doctor, and received many kindneeses
at his hands during our stay as BaIiso.
/ Many persons erroneoasly speak of Pana-
ma ss part OF Central America, and have
brought discredh upon tho country. Agfanoe
at the map win show them the mistake under
which they labor Honduras Is about 800
miles north Of Panama, and bears no more 70.
ssmblanoe TO Il than North Georgia does 10
tho 0kefcenokee swamp.
Many years have elapsed since the quiet Of
Honduras has bsea disturbed by q volcano,
and they they were eonfued 10 the Pacific
coast. We saw no more indications than
would be seon In the mountains Of the South.
Earthquakes are sometimes felt. They arc
very shsbt, generally, and not feared. An,
old native gentleman informed MS that he has
experienced but one eaftbquake, and, pointing