The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1896-08-06
nv Business in British Honduras
me Big Trees Look in Their Native Wilds.
hY .hoeaT Hunters In Camp. Their Work and

lu this British colony, which was
.-.. r-lnzed by mahogany hunters for
~. Sole purpose of cutting valuable tim
40 the mahogany business is still of par
...gg. Importance. Belize owes not only
l. ming. but its wealth to the early
,.rs of wood, who, nearly two centu-
a.. brought over slaves and cattle
..- established their camps in the Jungle.
a-9oey fortunes are yet made in the
..r. line though not so rapidly in these
I'M. .l ron ships as when wood was more
..s.y used in naval architecture. This
,.... East region, bordering what used
h. .u uown as the Spanish Main, stretch
~... ward from the borders of Next
U .He Nicaragua canal, abounds in
--.. IS woods; and British Honduras is
..s-.V Aeart and centre, rich beyond com
ao- not only in mahogany, but in the
ess valuable rose, ebony tulip,
sandal woods, vera, iron wood
lc san Juan and caoutchouc, or
eiastica, the Central American
zee. The governments of Guate-
alagua and the Republic of Hon
- 1.lpw anybody to cut the trees on
.u.-- that is, by payments of a GER
ant stumpage; but not so in the
.. possession. The tblarsted
..-rrs' have got grip on this ex-
-tl-> source of wealth, which they
retain until time shall be no more
oug as a tree shall be left stand
Wa-days all the Belize mahogany
9- u the hands of few proprie-
.. viii not sell foot of them. nor
-ettlers on any terms. They rent
small areas to contractors, who
O.. mSelves under heavy penalties to
all timber cut to the coast and
..u1f a single log to decay in the will
s=. and to pay to the owners of the
,g o9nus on every square foot of TIM
ved, besides good round rental.
body is familiar with mahogany
t'H .ut cabinet makers have got done
-. its rich red brown and varying
Of color, its beauty of grain and
liui susceptibility of polish, it's dur
and freedom from warping in all
but l fancy that few of my
,a,1- would recognize it in the tree if
.-.. -.+.y. mo yr0uion
>wietenia Mahogani, -hereabouts
-r, mmonly known as bay Wood"
elirabIe monarch of the vegetable
IN. more impressive for size and
--y than even the giant Sequoias of
mia. The latter may sometimes at
--lter girth of trunk, but never the
.arh spread of branches of the ma
Which, lowering head and shout
everything else in the landscape,
king of the tropical forest. Its
.e- caves are like those of the ash
yellowish- white flowers grow
pa.cles: and its pear shaped fruit
woody capsule about the size Of
.4 i- u,s five celled. many winged
tis. l... maAlgany tree is long time
N- maturity, 200 years being sup
approximate its prime In re-
IT'S lapidity Of growth, we have
at lit hardly undel9oes per-
increase of size in the marrow
IL tree has come to great size;
ueany merchants in Belize tell me
H- trees grow SO rapidly from the |
ut aclearing, as to be large enough |
sd es ior cutting IN . or 80 years |
Sc the trees vary in size in differ
"> and in value of wood accord |
I.c Jior and beauty of its ''curl .
have sometimes realized up |
coo Tor cutting into veneer
'a being too heavy to be used |
for most purposes. Logs 40 feet |
,No feet thick are common here |
of them wonderfully figured, !
generally the wood is plain. 1t is |
Lat the forests of northern Belize |
fey dense and the trees more valu- |
oan the softer, swamp grown wood |
ateIIor of British Honduras. The |
4v tree attains its greatest dimen- |
he limestone regions of Mexico, |
,ared TO IS inches being often OBJ
q lille three feet is common size. |
r 'laeoyery OF the value of mahogany |
SHIP huildIng has been credited to Sir
Raleigh, that inoffensive gentle |
whose door so many things have |
md Tor which he was not response |
v he story goes that in the year
when Sir Walter was in Trinidad. |
.ip needed repairing, and the first
Hee that came handy was used for
purpose The Caribs called the tree
Wy i1e strange name; which the Span
HteIpreted after their fashion, and |
we of the English tongue pro-
mahogany; and its wood proved |
be- durable, the only kind that can |
't 5he terido worm, that its fortune
Made, then and there. However,
Nl- io the difficulties of obtaining it,
NAT a century elapsed before it |
HIo general use. Mahogany is in
10 another accident for its popu-
' IT'S cabinet wood. The celebrated |
l5lhbOns had a brother in the Now |