Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1919-01-29
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Emigrants from Grand Camans and
other British colonies continued to ar.
rive until by 1852 there was so large
a group that they petitioned the gov
ernor of Belize to accept and admin.
lister them as British colony, which
he did and continued to do until about
| 1860, when the island was coded to the
Republic of Honduras The change OF
administration somewhat discouraged
the inhabitants at first, but they soon
learned that the laws of Honduras
were equally just, equitable, liberal
and allowed all the privileges in the
pursuit and happiness that they had
enjoyed under British rule. The
present governor, r. Barahona Mejia,
whose headquarters are at Roatan, the
capital, is very popular and his ad-
ministration is giving general salts
faction.
The Bay Islands have been called
the "lazy mans Paradise" not that
the inhabitants are necessarily in
dolent, but simply because a large
amount of labor is superfiuous, nature
providing nearly all mans wants
here, as in most tropical regions.
Farming is the principal industry, yet
| there is not pillow in the islands.
Corn, beans. rice. potatoes, casara,
coco, pumpkins, and similar crops are
planted simply by scratching the
ground, leaving the seed, and awaiting
harvest time, the soil being so fertile
that abundant crops are gathered
without cultivation of any descrip-
ton. Frost is unknown in the YER
dant islands, and owing to the strong
sea breeze which blows almost con-
tinually extreme heat is never expert
enced, 80 degrees in the shade being
an unusually high temperature.
Coconuts are the principal export,
approximately 100000 being sent
annually to the United States, while
plantains and other fruits are export
ed in more limited quantities. Ship
building is an important industry in
the islands, the firm of Lem Cooper &
Bros. having constructed a number of
sailing vessels of various sizes. in
Guiding three-masted schooners; while
the houses of d. Warren & Sons,
Cooper & Morgan, Hunter & Morgan,
and F. 0. McNab & Bros. are promi-
nent shippers. The heads Of these
aforementioned firms are descendants
of the first four men who settled in
the islands in 1886.
On the islands there are Ia churches
of the Wesleyan Methodist denomi-
nation, with approximately 700 mem
bers; and 6 of the Seventh Day Ad-
ventist denomination, with about 800
members, both sects having success
full Sunday schools. The grade schools
are Of as high standard as that of
the Republic, attendance being COM
pulsory for 10 months of the year. At
Utilla there are three teachers in the
school system. American textbooks
exclusively are used Visitors fire.
quently remark that the social life on
the islands could not be distinguished
from that of the United States
Probably not over 10 or Is per cent
of the land in the islands is in use
mot to say cultivated) and capital
would be welcomed by the Govern
ment. Only three of the islands are
nhabited-Utilla, Ruatan, and Bon
acca, with an aggregate population of
about 5000. Utilla is a rather fiat for
nation, with an elevation of from SO
to go feet with the exception of few
hills; Ruatan is 600 to 700 feet high,
and Bonacca attains an altitude of ap-
proximately 1900 feet. The coconut