The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-08-09
LETrER rReA BELIZE. HONDURAS.
| socrHEEN -AeRIcuLruRAL RsrERFRisB-
| NEW SUGAR EsTATEs-LocAL INCIDENTS, ETC.
r,.c,.,,o IN, s.- or,.su. cr.sc.ntl

BELIZE, BRITISH dONDUkAS. aug. d 1000.
Those of rs who have cast our fortunes In this
country cannot but regard with eager interest
every social or political movement in the States,
as affecting those near and dear TO rs, the memory
Of whom will be cherished until LIES ftful fever
is Ger" Therefore the arrival of the staunch
steamer Trade Wind is anticipated each trip by
all with deep interest, and this is hailed with
special pleasure, as she brings the unfurled ban
ner of the "great unterrifed Democracy with
/ Seymour and Blair its standard bearers; and
God grant it may be borne to triumphant victory,
for it fail sdeu to all hopes of civil liberty ever
/ again in the once great and happy republic.
As may be interesting TO msny'of your read.
ers, whose friends have sought refuge In this new
country, 10 be informed Of passing events will
4 record a few for their Information
Quite number of Americans have settled in
this colony. Their settlements are in different
locaties-several along this Belize) river one at
| Lake Msnatee, one at Mullins river, one at Vic
| toria one at Middle river, and one at Foedo-and
most Of the people are in good health aud cheered
| by prospects OF good crops. OF course there are
! q few exceptions to this. ., ..
| All having been ignorant Of the country when
they made selections. different degrees Of success
failure must be expected in this rs IN all other
countries, as well as OF health.
The culture OF sugar is now eliciting more gene.
| raj and careful attention than hitherto, when it
was only pursued by the untutored Yucetecans
xib hbspv s6G9gsGsd Much iS6eehAet aRPtpIa9sss;
| ton, than many empires who attempted il upon
| gTsDder scale.
The repeated failure Of those inducedErecourse
| 20 that skill which by Herculean labor and push
ing enterprise and knowledge extorted from the
uncongenial climate and soil of Louisiana crop
of half million OF hogsheads Of sugar Tor as they
| are tern ed here, tierces,) per annum and led TO
the engagement of several Of her former planters
| as managers. .r. I.r. ..r.... .r f.
The most prominent example Of their success as
| yet is al Regslia Estate, owned by Antonio Matte
Esq, which is under the management of Col. Sam.
McCutcheon, who commenced rolling in May and
| ia about ffty-six working days made near haf a
million POUNDS of concrete sugar, and will cont
\ hue Il ling fer month or six weeks yet.
The COncretor,D invented by Mr.. Alfred
| Fryer, OF Manchester. England, is great inven.
tOn for the sugar planter, as 1t economies labor
and buildings, avoids the necessity for purgeries,
coolers, cisterns, packages for molasses, etc.
Time or space will not permit full description
OF it; suffice TO say that the juice flowing from
the cane mill into clariher, passes thence into
| and over a series of trays set upon inclined
plane, which being highly heated reduces 1t to
\ syrup, which flows thence into large revolving
cylinder whence il is discharged into large round
| iron pans that are emptied into the barrels and
| bOgshesds awaiting to be filed. where in few
| hours it becomes solid and hard as brick.
IL has actually occurred that by this process
| cane has been cut, hauled to the mill aud con.
verled into sugar and put on shipbOard within IS
hours! But the result realized from cane tEO
years old, planted amid the trunks of fallen trees
and limbs which covered at least one-third of the
ground and at least one third OF the cane left on
the field, and that which was ground being of such
| quality that no one in Louisiana would have at
| tempted TO make sugar with it such cane has
| yielded at the rate of 5000 bs to the acre and il
| Is safely estimated that the cane on the ground |
| would have yielded about 1000 ibs more per acre.
Work commences on the place at A.. NJ. The
labor in the field and at the mill ceases At p NJ.
but is continued in the boiling house until IL r. or
sometimes O'Clock at night, as may be required.
Col. Nee = has so organized the labor that |
il is very efficient, and he is particularly well
pleased with the Chinese, of whom he has about
sixty, the whole force amounting TO about one
hundred and ten. Everything about the planta-
ton is conducted with the quietness, regularity
and efficiency of Louisiana sugar plantation of
J the olden time.
Adjacent TO Regalia are three other sugar plan.
tations with splendid crops of cane in luxuriant
growth, and machinery to take them of. On one
of them are IL 900 coffee trees of the second
year growth, which are wen filed with the fruit
or bean, and about IA 600 plantain trees, which
shade the coffee. These estates would be good
investment for practical sugar planters who have
Up % the Stee river and adscent to
Regalia, is the ewIestste of j. A. de Braam, ESQ
who has since last summer made clearing Of about
three hundred acres, erected q saw-mill, with
single machine attached, and he saws the ma
hogany, yemery and pine timber, of which he has
abundance which make good lumber, and thereof
Is erecting substantial and permanent house for
bis employ es and labOrers. Ii is his intention to
build light railroad all over the estate ard
through the fields. and by the use of his locomo-
tive, avoid the necessity for mules and oxen in the
cane fields. It's his intention to have very large
plantation. ..|.
Beyond Mr.. de Braam's, his cousin. a Mr.. lie.
clerc, from Holland, who, understand was for
merry sugar planter in the Island of Java, is
opening plantation, and has about 100 acres of
land cleared, and has just commenced erecting
quarters for bis laborers.
These estates give evidence of what NAV be
done even in new and wilderness country.
Here are at least 1000 acres of cleared land a
large portion Of which is covered with cane plan.
tains and coffee, where three years since stood the
gloomy prmeyal forest. Under all the disad.
vantages with which it commenced, Regalia will
yield this year near 100000 lbs of sugar, which
bids fair TO be more than trebled next year
Some OF your sugar planters whose property
Is lying IDLE, are making inquiries to the pro.
prlety Of investing here.
The British brig Ella Bruce, whose captain was
drowned few weeks since, put to sea about two
weeks ago, under charge of the mate, aud was
wrecked on Manager Kay, about IS miles distant |
from here. Vessel and cargoa total loss-both |
insured. She was loaded with logwood, sugar |
cocoaDuts, etc. About $50 tons of the sugar was |
shipped by Antonio Mathe Esq. being the largest |
shipment yet made from this colony By any one |
person from this port, and is also the first large /
shipment from the southern district. Her males.
tvs steam frigate Phoebe paid visit to this port /
about three weeks or month since her officers /
were feted and Toasted few days, after which /
they took their departure for Jamaica, whence |
they came. II.. ...'
The past week has been one of marked interest
and excitement incidental upon the visit Of Presi
dent Medina, of Spanish Honduras, to whom
With his stan and the ladies' of his family the high
est Donors were specially paid. ... -.
His visit marks an era in the history of this usu.
ally very quiet town.
The United States minister to Central America
Hon. - Rousseau, took his departure for Spanish
Honduras last evening, accompanied by the Rev. |
W. Q. Stout (EPissOpalian) of Arkansas who
having examined several localities in this colony,
now goes to explore that country. The grant
made by the late Lieut.. Gov. Austin to a company
for the purpose Of promoting and facilitating i'm.
migration, and about the disapproysl of which by
the home government, so much was said about |
twelve months since, has been approved by the
home government, and the company will resume
operations under it. The weather has been de-
hghtful, none Of that letting loose of the food. |
gates OF heaven, which by many is supposed TO Re
the natural consequence of the wet season which
we are now passing through; only delightful re.
freshing rain at night and few showers during