The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-01-15
THE AFFAIR or ORANGE wALK


Mayas crossed the Hondo and made or
2 attack upon Orange. Walk, the frolrtisa
settlement OF the English, The place
was ornamented (for subsequent events
proved them to be more ornamental thar
usefuD with q detachment OF the
Queens West India Regiment These
soldiers were ferccircs looking black
| giants who did well enough struttlng
about In their snowy uniforms, uII,Il
they We're called upon to fight Indians.
! Then the siXfooters all ran away and
| were only saved from absolute annihi-
latfon by two eX-Confederate soldiers
| from Louisiana, who were occupied in
the peaceful pursuit Of planting sugar
cane. While the Indians We're skulklng
behind pile of Iogwood, shooting at
the negroes huddled together in the
corner of the stockade below them
like SO many frightened sheep, the two
eX-Confederates took position nb5Ue
the Indians and began picking them Off
with their Winchesters. This flank
movement surprised the Mayas, who,
seeing u couple of their chiefs fall
picked them up and fed
me demoralized detachment was re-
organized and the balance Of the lmpe-
rial troop6 at Belize were ordered to
Orange Walk under the command of a
gallant English major. The force cross
cd the Hondo and penetrated the wiIds
fcl' the purpose OF severely Furnishing
the bad Indians. But the flank move
ment of the two Americans had so dis
gusted the M:lyas that they had gone
nome. miles away, perhaps, TO bury
their chiefs. However that may be
there Is no evidence that there was an
enemy within twenty miles of the Hon
do when the two companies of Impe-
rial troops were making frantic efforts
to advance through the almost impene-
trable forest. Those who were mount
ed, In most Instances, had to load their
horses through the vine-laced Jungle
while the big negroes were having their
heads knocked, their faces scratche
and their fine uniforms torn. It is I'M
derstood that the climax came 70 this
situation by the English majors being
suddenly hung UP on an overhanging
tree branch, his horse slipping from un-
der him. But the black bugler did not
see his superior officer dangling in the
tree-he saw only the riderless horse
and what could the Imperial army do
without q major? SO the bugler sound
ed q retreat. 1t was the long wished
for signal and for many days after
wards turbans dangling upon branches
knapslcks half buried in mud, and bits
of baggy breeches marked the way
those gallant giants took to get home.
The MayaS. absolutely ignorant that
they had whipped the Quen's pride of
the Antilles, came struggling into Be
lie after q while, to make their regu-
lar purchases. When questioned con-
IL
they repudiated all knowledge OF it,;
treated their intarlocutors as though
they were laboring under some delu-
sion, or said 1t must be those other fell
lows (meaning the MayaIs who were
friendly to the Mexican caue,al, who
were very bad and had been nlolesting
them for years They even tried to in
duce the colonists to go and clear those
other fellows out"
POSSIBLE FUTURE COMPLICA-
TON WITH MENICO.
In the early part of 1880, one Don
Felipe Ybaria, rich resident of Me-
ridn, the capital of Yucatan, arrived in
Belize. Senior Ybarra was dignified
well educated person, who had lived
abroad, and spoke with equal facility
the Spanish, English French and Maya
languages. His purpose In Belize was
soon learned. for he presented his Gre
dcntials and showed his title granted
by the Mexican Government to exploit
the forests TO the north of the Rio Hon
do. But he was promptly Informed
that the English merchants had entered
into contract with the Mnyas, by
which they We're allowed to cut and
were actually cutting logwood within
the Mexican territory. Ybarra applied
to the local courts for an Injunction
| restraining the merchants from cuttin?
any more wood in Yucatan and de-
clared that the territory belonged to
there; that the Indians were rebels and
that this concession from the Mexican
Government was absolute. After some
| months of litigation in the Belize court :
Don Felipes application was refused
and he was forced to return 10 Merida
without any Of his claims being reccg-
nizcd by the English. Then the Mayas
sent their representatives from Yuca-
tan and entered into q new treaty with
| the English that was more advanta-
| geous to the latter.
Before Don Felipe Ybarra's departure
from Belize he wrote out n lengthy ar.
Sument, protesting against the action
of the court which deprived him of his
rights by recognizing the chiefs OF a re-
belliouS clan az a power to dispose Of
property belonging to the Mexican Gov
eminent. y copy of this protest was
given to Mr. G.. w. Goodrich, an AmerI-
can, editor of a local paper called this
Belize Independent" with Instructors
to publish II.
1t required all the. facilities of MIR.
Goodrich's printing Office to bring out
that weeks issue of the In1rnerdart
with an extra sheet containing's Yhar-
ra's report In both English and Spanish.
Upon the appearance of this sheet thu.
colonists were Mortified because, rs
they thought. the editor had taken sides
with Mexican. But Mr.. Goodrich de-
clared he took sides with no one: he
simply published facts as he was able
to obtain them. Nevertheless the pub
liration of Yrarra's protest was ON
strucd as nothing less than treason
against Her Majesty's Government, anC,
Mr.. Goodrich was promptly ordered be-