The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-08-25
A NEGRO CITY.

Of negro Republic, for the place
seems almost entirely inhabited BY
blacks, streets, stores, market-houses
and bridges being thronged with
them, and when, as rarely happens
and Anglo-Saxon face appears in
the midst of this dark cloud, he
and his northern habiliments look
strangely out Of place. The present
population of British Honduras is
estimated at $4,000, of which num-
ber hardly 1000 are whites, the col
ony of Belize containing four-f -fifths
of the entire population of the ter
ritory. The negroes are a fine look
ing race-tall, straight, athletic,
their black skins smooth and glossy
as velvet. Their condition has
always been better here than else
where, even before the general
abolition of slaves throughout the
British dominions. On the last
day of August, 1889, a year before
the time appointed by the Act, the
nominal yoke of bondage was re-
moved from their shoulders by a
meeting and agreement of the Be-
lize proprietors.
The blacks are by all odds the
best dressed people here, consider
ing the climate-that is, they wear
less clothing than other people dare
to do. The male descendants of
Ham go about in shirts and trouses
of thin, white cotton, topped by
white straw hats, and with low
shoes on their hoseless feet. The
women wear white frocks heavily
embroidered around the edges with
scarlet cotton, generally starched
stiff as shingles. Underneath this
short-skirted, sleeveless and very
low-necked garment they seem to
wear nothing at all, and are not
in the least particular as to
how much of it may slip off the
shoulders, or be blown about by
vagrant breezes or lifted in crossing
puddles. The reboso is as much
feature here as in Mexico, but those
of Belize are picturesque scarfs of
crimson or yellow, vastly becoming
the sable wearers, whose plump
cheeks resemble well-polished Sec
tions of Russian stove-pipe.
AS elsewhere, the race runs to
jewelry, and the females sport the
most enormous hoop-shaped ear
rings of native gold and necklaces
of golden beads or silver coins,
piled string above string around
their fat necks till their backs must
ache with the burden.
The houses are all Of wood, uni
formly painted white, and elevated
upon mahogany pillars from two
to ten feet above the swamp level,
according to situation and conse-
quent danger of flooding during the
wet season. Most of them are roomy
and convenient, and beside the
costly legs aforesaid, have rafters,
beams and floors, doors and win
dow castings of the same rare wood,
beautifully polished, which age has
turned to a rich dark red. The
climate is rather too moist to be
agreeable, but not unhealthy, and is
wonderfully favorable to vegetation.
During the three dry months,
April, May and June, fresh water
becomes alarmingly scarce all over
British Honduras, as there are no
rivulets, and the rivers are brakish
for several miles inland. But when
the rainy season fairly sets in it is
just as bad in the opposite direc-
ton, for then the streets become
flooded and difficult to. cross, and
it is not uncommon for people
whose houses are perched on the
highest stiles to be driven to the
second story. Gruesome tales are
told of sudden inundations, when
families asleep in their beds have
been washed out of the chamber
windows and carried off to sea
and, it is said, that about the only
sickness in Belize comes when the
receding waters have left vast
green spot to fever in the tropic
sun.-Philadelphia Record.
A Guileless Bride.