Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1867-06-20
BRITISH HONDURAS.

/
Southern people at this time. So
many have already emigrated thither,
and have written so many letters to
their friends ir the Southern States,
describing in such glowing terms the
various advantages and resources of
their new home, that the desire to
visit that "land Of promise" and to
cast their lot with those who have
gone to pioneer the way, is becoming
more ardent and universal every day.
| With view to keep our readers
posted in whatever point Of informa-
ton may come to light in regard to
British Honduras, we yield a goodly
portion of our columns to the follow
ing which we copy from late num-
Der of the New Orleans Crescent:
BRITISH HONDURAS.
We give our readers today a let
ter from British Honduras, deserv-
ing more than a passing glance. 1t
is description of what, from all &C
counts, seems to be one of natures
choicest garden spots, destined, at no
distant day, to be fully cultivated by
the Anglo Saxon race, and made the
home Of an industrious, enterprising
and prosperous people. The three
gentlemen whose names are ap-
pended, narrate the results of their
observations concerning climate, soil,
indigenous productions, capacity for
raising the staples of the tropics, the
cost of living and labor, and the
facilities for obtaining the latter.
They surveyed the territory, by
ascending the Belize river and its
branches, to points near the boundary
line Of the colony, carefully examin
ing the country, and estimating its
resources as they advanced. Their
narrative confirms previous repre-.
sensations of the great fertility of the
region through which they passed,
and their statements as to its capa-
bilities are made in calm, matter of
fact style, which commends itself to
the practical man. But the mere
brief recital which they make of the
advantages this region offers to the
settler, is so filled with the odor and
the luxuriant beauty of the tropics,
that one is satisfied that the poet
and painter should be invited to the
banks Of the Belize, as well as the
hardy emigrant bent on achieving
for himself competence and home.
We do not advise emigration from
the South to British Honduras. The
sturdy muscle and active brain of the
good men of this section are needed
at home. Too many among us have
met with terrible reverses, and have
to commence the world anew. But
in the Southwest there is more than
room enough for the efforts of the
best energies Of all our men Of pluck.
There is great future yet tor the
Southwest. Our climate is even
better than that of more tropical
regions, our soil is inexhaustible /;
everything grown here finds ready
market; trade must prosper with us.
The world is full of pleasant places,
but Louisiana is as good a place for
the poor man as any other on its
broad face. We need more men, and
can spare no good ones.
THE COFFEE LANDS ON THE BELIZE RIVER.
To the Editor of the New Orleans Crescent:
Having just returned from trip up the
Belize river, during which we carefully
explored the two branches of the river
nearly to the boundary line, and having
gained much information from intelligent
persons familiar with the country, we have
concluded to write statement of our OBJ
servations, to be published in the United
States for the benefit Of our countrymen of
the South. -a#..
We assembled the Belize river in small,
fiat bottomed dugout, called pitpan, pro-
PEELED by paddles, and in shoal places by
poles, aud found the river to be of good
size for steamboat navigation for about
half the year, without any improvement,
and capable Of being made available, at
small expense OF blasting and removing
rocks, for very nearly the whole year. We
found that the headwaters of the river
could only come from the great mountains
Of Guatemala, nearly two hundred miles
from the boundary line of British Hon
duras, and consequently that it drains a
territory of about 20 600 square miles, and
that steamboat navigation to the forks of
the river, near the boundary, would take
the trade of Belize four days journey to
wards Guatemala, and thus greatly tacili-
tate the trade now going, mostly on the
backs of men, distance Of nearly two
hundred miles, and requiring eighteen or
twenty days for the round trip.
After passing through a mangrove
swamp on leaving Belize, we came to low
lands, subject to overflow in ordinary
freshets, and then to high banks, liable to