The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-07-03

may follow you to your homes
sY From the Atlanta lntelligencer. 3.
BONpURAs-As SEEN BIZ ONE WHO HAS
BEEN THEREFORE, SIDES OF TEE PIC
TUBE sf.sgf 1 ss'.sfss
We announced some days ago the return
of D. P. Ferguson, Esq. to this city, after
soiourn of six weeks in Honduras. For the
benefit Of all concerned we publish the fol-
lowing interesting result of bis observations
in that by no means inviting tropical region
~ ATLANTA, June 10, 1857. 8.
To the 1ntelligsncsr Many persons being
DESTROYS of obtaining information Of Hon
duras. I propose, at the solicitation of several
friends, to give the result of my observations
during six weeks sojourn in that country.
Lands may be easily obtained at from ten
to fifty cents per acre or parties may get
them under recent immigration act as
donation from the government. They are
rich-in fact, cannot be exhausted will
|. produce in abundance almost everything
that grows, such, for instance, as corn, cot
ton, sugar, coffee, rice, tobacco, indigo,
cocoa, beans, potatoes, pumpkins, squashes,
Cabbage, tomatoes, turmps, 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 cultivation more than simply
planting the seed. Cotton produces two
crops in eighteen months, each crop yield
ing, az was informed, from two to three
thousand pounds of seed cotton to the acre.
This is long staple sea island cotton. and
from my experience in cotton raising. Ihave
no doubt as to the correctness of the state
ment. The stalks are six feet apart in hills
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 cultivation. The stalks, after each
crop is gathered, have to be cut down, as
they will grow SO tall that the cotton cannot
be gathered. If left alone they would be-
come large trees. saw one six years old
that much resembled in size pear or apple
tree of the same age There can be two
crops of sugar made in one year, and the
yield is abundant. The cane is very large.
1t is not necessary to plant the sugar cane or
the cotton oftener than every ten years.
Two crops of tobacco are made every year.
Coffee, one crop only, but it continues to
grow for many years. Rice, one crop and
very fine; it grows on any kind of land
Cocoa, one crop, but it continues to produce
from the same stalk for many years. Pota-
toes grow and Inature at all seasons, some
of them enormously large, but believe they
are not so delicious as our own here Cab
bage can be grown all the year round, and
other vegetables the same. Melons grow
| finely. Vegetables require cultivation, and
Cor h,x< 80 h.
the natives. Garden seeds are quite scarce
| there. t ~
The timber is generally very large, but
not dense. The valuable woods are ma
hogany, rosewood, cedar, ignum vita,
ebony, Indis,fubber, logwood, chincona,
and Others. The medical plants are not yet
developed.
Stock mules and horses are small but very
stout and serviceable, and plenty of them in
the country. The cattle are very fine and of
good size-are similar to the English breed.
Hogs are of large size, and all black. Sheep
the same as those of Georgia, but, together
with the goat, are not numerous, only being
raised as kind of pet Mules and horses
vary in price fron $40 to $50 The COW
and beef from S. to $12; in herds they can
be purchased for less. Poultry is raised in
great abundance. There is plenty of game.
such as deer, turkey. duck, prairie hen, wild
pig, &c. The first is said to be plentiful
Isaw but few. There are oranges, lemons,
cAcoanuts, pineapples. bananas, alligator
pears and many other fruits at all seasons OF
the year.
l heard Of several valuable gold, silver,
copper, lead, iron, and saltpetre mines
Labor can be had at 373 cents per day, the
laborer maintaining himself It is not ne
cessary to feed stock at all, as they keep fat
by grazing. Corn is only used for purposes
of bread. A short time before hogs are
killed they are fed upon corn.
| found thenatives very friendly, supplying
me in every instance with all the comforts
asked for. Provisions sell as follows: Rice
2 cents per pound; sugar $3.50 to S.; cat
cigars, per 1000. 50 to IS; dry hides, each,
81. Any kind of merchandise can be bought
at the seaport towers at less prices than here.
The country is most mountainous, with
many beautiful streams flowing from them.
The water is very pure and clear, bat not SO
cool as that of Georgia. There is an abun-
streams run rapidly, and have pebbly bot
toms. 4. .i
| Among the natives I saw or heard of but
little drinking or gambling, and Americans
who have lived there for years, informed
me that they were very honest, theft being
rare among them. Being of peaceable and
quiet natures, disturbances are of rare occur
renee. The government is republic, with
laws similar to those of this country. The
President and Vice-President are elected
every four years, and the other officers as
we do. Americans who have lived there
for many years look to be in excellent health
and represent the country as healthy as any
other. could see no cause for sickness
There were no stagnant waters, and tha
natives live to very old age
US THE OTHER SIDE. 4a
Ihavegiven all the good qualities, and now
for lew bad ones. The Spanish language
is spoken altogether. The water is not a,
cool and refreshing as one could desire. Th<
heat in the middle of the day is very op
pressive, but the mornings and evenings ar,
cool and pleasant There are plenty of tick,
and gnats, a few mosquitoes, and grea
many ants. The society, like that of all new
Catholic churches. The houses are very few
and very sory-are made of mud, with dir
floors. There are no saw mills. no grs
mills. no wagons, no buggies; no harness
and no ploughs. The inhabitants are yer!
ignorant, the most of them being entirel,
destitute of education. There are no shoe
makers, or machinery of any kind in th
country. No hotels, theatres nor amuse
ments. The fare is rough, and the discom
forts, such as are peculiar to all new coun
tries, have to be borne by the new conner