The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-09-01
At BRITISH HONDURAS.
A Breezy Sketch Of an Unattractive Tr0s.s
zeal Country.
Especial Correspendence.l

Especial correspondence.
BAL1zE, Aug. 15.-This town is buili
up right to the edge of the shore, anc
az one approaches it from the seawarc
in the daytime ft looks very like a wa
tcring place on the south coast of Eng
| land. The steamer threads its way
through great clusters of mangrove
trees, which grow up through the water.
The passengers are taken ashore in small
boats. In the distance the mangrOve
clusters appear like a group Of tiny is
lands. They are called Gays. Oysters,
delicious OF favor, are to be found hang
ing co the submerged leaves Of the trees.
The people here are bothered a great
deal by the land crab, which at certain
periods of the year comes down from
the mountains with myriads of its kith
and kin to take in the town and have q
gay time generally. It is aggressive, fe-
rocious Of appearance, large of size and
very hard shelled. It's appetite is at
once epicuric and aesthetic. Flowers it
eats up with true crustacean gusto.
However, the Balizeites do all that lies
in their power to discourage this
aesthetic and epicurio appetite by plant
ing their flowers in old boats, big tubs
and other receptacles where the appre-
ciative crab will not be likely to get at
b4Gu4. ~ - really a SLCab 4ulSduCCs ana
all the landscape gardeners have had to
leave the country. Indeed in Balize the
problem Of the hour-nay, of nearly all
the hours-is the crab problem.
The river Balize flows through the
town in an apologize, tired sort Of way,
az if the tropical heat made it sorry and
ashamed for its existence. A broad
wooden bridge spans it, which is scrub
bed to cleanliness every morning by the
convicts-
The Carib Indian squaw is the ug-
lest and most una1luring looking vvOm-
an I have ever seen. One would hard
" feel like stealing her. She arrays her
self in gorgeously colored cotton goods
which are imported for her benefit from
the looms of the north Of England L
have heard people talk Of an ugliness so
pronounced that when they gazed long
enough upon it it gradually became pic
turesque and finally developed into beau
ty Of the most alluring caliber. I wish
these people would come to Balize with
their powerful Poelilze imaginations
and gaze upon the Carib Indianess as
she struts forth IN full paint
Balize is under British rule, but there
is a feeling abroad that annexation to
the United States would be very desira-
BILE. The chief traders here are Scotch,
and it seems that as soon as they heap
up a sufficiently mountainous pile they
buckle up and ''gang ava hame" to
the land Of kits and cakes. The taking
of nearly all the gold out of the coun-
try is, of course, grateful and soothing
to the feelings of the canny and care
full Scot, but it is bad for the people
who have to live here altogether. An
other thing, the laborers have to pay
a gold price for the necessaries Of life,
while they are paid for their labor only
in the deprecated currency Of the coun-
try, which has sunk down to just half
its face value. Here, as elsewhere, it
is bad to be a laborer.
The drive is along the shore It looks
like a race track, and after 4 in the aft
ernOon the people close up their stores
and turn out upon it in their driving
rigs. There are some fine turnouts. The
officers of the garrison often have races
along the drive.
This is a bad place for the careful
housewife who takes pride in her fur
niture- The reason of this is because of
a certain ant. This ant is little, but he
is persevering, has a great many COM
rades and is awfully fond of toll The
toll that is dearest to his heart is to eat
into the woodwork of household articles
He chews up the legs of the piano, and
no one knows anything about it till the
piano falls mournfully, with a dull,
sickening thud This is his lay. When
the piano or table or whatever it is is
placed up against the wall. he gets be-
hind it and bores and bores till the crash
arrives. Then he rushes off in a great
hurry He has not time to stop. He is
too busy He has to go and commence
work somewhere else. The only way
to checkmate him is to keep moving the
furniture. But this is u hot country.
This might indeed be called the coun-
try of beautiful trees There is the
frangipani, which gives out a delicious
fragrance; tho almond tree, the huge
mahogany and a great many others.
But the most beautiful one of all is the
hambeau tree. never saw anything
to equal it. Its leaves are pale green,
and its heavy poisoning is a red rich
and brilliant. From a distance its effect |
is indescribGble. The blossoming shines
in and through the branches like a soft
fire.
Luscious fruits are to be had in
bundance-cocoanuts, manages. banan- |
as, pineapples and others that grow in
the tropics. But is isn't always wise to |
eat them. Their names are quite often
their most alluring part, for this is the
land of fevers and shakes and sudden |
death, and one has to be careful.
When Balize Is approached in the |
night time from the sea, the sight it
presents is apt to produce a strange i'm
preston. Then it is filed with moving |
dancing lights. The moon shines upon it
strongly and clearly. Stars Of a glOri-