The Osceola times., 1886-03-06
THE NEW ELDORADO.
Rich Mineral Discoveries In the Republic
of Honduras.

of Honduras.
The report of the discoveries of gold
in HoDduras may be news to the younger
generation, but to older people it will
be twice-told tale. The country has
long been known as one of the richest
mineral districts in that narrow and ir-
regular strip of land which connects the
Northern and Southern Americas. The
keen eye of the Spaniards who followed
Cortez when he invaded Honduras in
1926 noted the rich placers, and some
of them remained to gather up the pro-
duct of the aurferous sands. But the
aboriginal inhabitants were of too indo-
lent nature to labor in the mines after
the first spurt of foreign energy had
been exhausted, and they soon gave up
the search for the precious metals The
neglected mines filled up with water and
debris, many of them were forgotten,
while others formed the basis for the
stories of fabulous wealth with which
the natives have tickled the ears of ven
turesome foreigners.
So it is probable that the stories Of
rich gold bearings have a good basis of
fact. The region in which they are said
to be situated is in the Eastern portion
of Honduras, and near the sources of
the Guayape river. This would place
them in the Sulaco group of mountains,
whence tributaries of the largest rivers
in the country flow. The Guayape, in
all its windings and detours. threads
course of nearly two hundred and fifty
miles. and the abundance of its gold
washings has long been known. II
unites with the Patook river, or the Rio
Patuca. as it is called in Spanish. which
emptes into the Caribbean Sea near the
iont of .he remarkable elbow of land
which Honduras with Nicaragua makes
towards the East. The Patuca is navi-
gable for small steamers, but not far
enough to save long land carriages to
the mines A more feasible way Of
reaching the district probably is from
Port Cortez, on the Bay Of Honduras,
where line of railway is under con.
struction through ComayagHa, the capi-
tai of the country, to Amapala, on the
Pacific coast.
Like all Eldorados. Honduras has its
drawbacks. The inhabitants number
about four hundred thousand of whom
only five thousand are whites, the rest
being composed nearly equally of In
dians and Meztizas. Civilization has
made little progress and the facilities
for transportation are of the crudest
sort. There are many rich agricultural
districts which, with littfe effort, would
produce coffee, cochineal and sugar
cane. but the soil is generally left to
bear its Indigenous fruits. Mahogany
and rosewood, gums and medicinal
trees, the India rubber and dye woods
all grow here, and yet out of all this
abundance the exports do not exceed
81 800, 600 year, including gold and
silver. The general condition of the
people can he summed up briefly thns:
There are no manufactures. Most Of
the rich valleys and dense forests ars
inhabited only by jaguars, black tigers
and wild hogs, while the tarantula, the
scorpion and the myriads of destructive
locusts aid in keeping the population
small and enervated. The climate, how
ever. is mild and cquable in the inter-
ior, and malaria is unknown,
General Brogan is the present Presi-
dent of the Honduranean Republic, and
he is credited with much skill as poll.
tician and financier. When the late
General Barros, of Guatemala, at
tempted to unite the small Central
American republics into one strong
government he was opposed naturally
by General Brogan. and it was largely
due TO the latter that the scheme of the
former was defeated. President Brogan
has directed much of his attention to
extricating the country from the finan.
cial disorder into which it has fallen
through the misgovernment of past
presidents, and he is reported to have
been remarkably successful. The Gov.
ernment is economically administered,
the revenues collected with reasonable
regularity. and the home debt has been
reduced. But the large foreign debt
amounting to nearly S30,O0O,oOO. still
burdens the country and threatens to
cause serious diplomatic complications
some day. President Brogan is well
disposed towards Americans who de
sire to develop the resources OF Hondn
ras. but the fact that he has well
equipped army of six thousand men,
several batteries of Krupp guns and
good supply of ammunition will probs
bly discourage any filibustering al