The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-06-27
typical H0nduranlan FamiIy.

e-liAGH GEl4lJs
| timber has been cut now and trans
pOrtation is more Of a problem. Some
| tremendous logs are handled weighing
20 TO 30 tons each. A unique scene
is the shaking out" Of these logs from
the forests by ox-teams in the cool Of
the night by the light OF torches. After
the logs reach the coast they are
squared and dashed together into huge
| RATS. There is great coral barrier
reef about ten miles off the coast Of
British Honduras outside which the
largest ships must anchor. The great
RATS are towed out to the ships by
steel cables and winches. They are
then broken up and the separate tim
bers hoisted aboard by cranes
Spain Tried to Take It.
British Honduras came under the
British flag largely through the we'll
known "squatters' rights" grown to
international stature. Spain claimed
the entire MAN." or mainland, from
the time of the earliest explorers. But
she was interested chiefly in gold and
silver; mere trees seemed beneath no
tice. So British and other adventur-
ers who cut timber on the eastern
coast of Yucatan, the present British
Honduras, and the Mosquito country,
farther south, were not molested at
first.
When the settlers were seen to be
making a good thing of their mahog-
any trade, the Spanish changed their
policy and began harassing them. A
series of wars and treaties between
Spain and Great Britain followed. In
1898 the Spanish made a supreme eff
fort to drive what they considered the
"squatters" out of Belize. But the
settlers. with cannon mounted on RATS
and fiat-boats, had the best of the stra-
tegic situation and won a signal vic
tory. From that time the British claim
TO the territory rested on conquest as
well as settlement. In 1862 the set
Element" was declared colony and
was given a lieutenant governor act
ing under the governor of Jamaica. In
1884 it was made separate crown
colony.
Belize like the other countries
along the east side of Central Amer
lea. has a low-lying region along the
coast with highlands farther inland.
Its dense tropical forests have dis
couraged agriculture. Growth is so
rapid that it is a task of the utmost |
difficulty to keep trails open. Most |
travel is along rivers, and little Is |
known of the interior away from the |
streams. There are rumors, however |
of the existence near the western /
boundary of extensive Maya ruins like |
those of Yucatan and Guatemala. The
one important exception in the matter
of inland development Is the southern
region tapped by the only railroad
along which thousands of acres OF
banana plantations have been estab-
lished TO supply a part of the market
in the United States.
There is much tropical scenic
beauty in Belize. Its coast region Is
a maze of intensely blue lagoons and
channels of calm water-a paradise
Tor the S-ONob
man. Everywhere are gem-like coral
Stands covered with coconut tree
which in many cases grow to thei
rery edges and hang mirrored In the
waters.
Down the rivers of British Hondurtf
Millions of dollars worth of mahogany
md log-wood have been f1oated during
he life of the colony. In late years
ems of thousands of bales of chicle.
he raw material of chewing-gum
lave Joined the stream, to be shipped
forth to keep busy the restless jaw<
# America.
For this outflow to America there :
n inflow not wholly confined to money
nd goods. Some British leaders com
lain that the colony is becoming
Newspapers and mag :
zines from the United States far out
lumber those from England. American
gents gain much business in compsu
ion with the more leisurely methods
f the British; and number of repre- c
entatives of the younger generation.
ding to America for their higher }
ducation. tend on their return to look
, America for their intellectual lead {
rship. The official money unit of ths g
,lony Is the American geld dollar Y