F KM / Harrison & Sons, Lit}:, S! Martins Lane.W. C. THE HANDBOOK OF BRITISH HONDURAS FOR 1888-89 COMPRISING HISTORICAL, STATISTICAL, AND GENERAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE COLONY COMPILED FROM OFFICIAL AND OTHER RELIABLE RECORDS BY LINDSAY W. BKISTOWE OP THE JUDICIAL DBPABTMENT AND PHILIP B. WEIGHT OP THE COLONIAL SECRETARY'S DEPARTMENT WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS EDINBURGH AND LONDON MDCCCLXXXVIII All liiijhts reserved TO THE PUBLIC. Notice of retirement from office, alteration of appointments, changes in Mercantile Houses, errors of insertion, or any in- formation useful in compiling and correcting this Handbook, will be duly attended to and thankfully received try the Compilers. RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO HIS EXCELLENCY ROGER TUCKF1ELD GOLDSWORTHY, C.M.G. GOVERNOR AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF BRITISH HONDURAS AND VICE-ADMIRAL THEREOF, BT HIS OBEDIENT SERVANTS THE COMPILERS, LINDSAY W. BRISTOWE PHILIP B. WRIGHT. PKEFACE. The success which has attended the publication of Handbooks of the dif- ferent colonies has induced us to present this, the first publication of the Handbook of British Honduras, to the public; and in doing so, we desire to state that we have endeavoured to lay before them a work comprising, in a condensed form, an account of the history, statistics, and general resources of the colony. The object of bringing out this volume in the middle of the year is to enable us to include the returns of the past financial year. If the Hand- book were annually published before these returns are obtained, all infor- mation relating to the finances of the colony must necessarily be a year in arrear, and the usefulness of the work, as a book of reference, would be greatly diminished. We have to express our thanks to several public officers and private individuals for the valuable information afforded by them in the prosecu- tion of our work; nor can we omit to mention the great assistance derived from the following sources:— Mr Crowe's 'The Gospel in Central America'; Mr Gibb's 'British Honduras'; Mr Morris's 'The Colony of British Honduras'; the late Mr Cockburn's 'Rough Notes'; also various old almanacs and news- papers. Many of the facts in the history of the colony and in other parts of the Handbook have been taken from the above; and our labour, seeing that the early records of the colony have been destroyed by fire, hurricane, vi PREFACE. and Spanish incursions, would have been materially increased had we not been able to refer to such works. In conclusion, we are anxious to record our sense of the readiness with which his Excellency Governor Goldsworthy, and the Colonial Secretary, Mr Jerningham, complied with our request for access to all official sources of information. LINDSAY W. BRISTOWE. PHILIP B. WEIGHT. Belize, March 1888. CONTENTS. PART I. PAGE Calendar for 1888-89, . . . . . 1 Seasons and Eclipses, ....... 4 Public Holidays, ....... 4 Office Hours, . . . . . o .4 Table of Income or Wages, ...... 4 Currency Table, etc., .' . . . • .5 Weights and Measures, ...... 6 PART II. The Royal Family, .... Ministers and Officers of State, Secretary of State for the Colonies, Distribution of Business in the Colonial Office, British Ambassadors, Envoys, and Ministers, Foreign Consuls in British Honduras, Rulers of the Chief Countries of the World, Colonial Possessions, Colonial Governors, Former Governors of British Honduras, Governor of British Honduras, Colonial Secretary and Administrator, viii CONTENTS. PART III. Description of British Honduras, . . . ... 15 Historical Sketch, ....... 22 Political Constitution, ....... 29 The Council Department, . ... . . .33 PART IV. The Town of Belize, ....... 34 St George's Cay, ....... 36 PART V. The Colonial Secretary's, Auditor's, and Registrar's Department— Colonial Secretary, ...... 37. Auditor, ........ 38 Registrar of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, . . .38 The Government Printing-Office, ..... 42 The Treasury, Customs, and Post-Office Department, . . 43 The Treasury, . . . . • o .43 Savings Bank Branch, ...... 44 Customs and Excise, . .' . . • .46 The Registration of Shipping, ..... 48 Ports and Harbours, . ..... 52 Pilots and Pilotage, . . • • • .52 Gunpowder Magazines, . o • .55 Excise, ........ 56 Taxes, Licences, Duties, &c., . . o • .57 The Post-Office 59 The Public Works Department, . . o • .74 Works, <5 Lighthouses and Buoys, ... 75 Roads, .... 78 The Crown Lands Department, .... 79 The Medical Department, . . . • • .84 The Public Hospital, ...... 84 The Lunatic Asylum, 85 X CONTENTS. PART VII. Cemeteries, . . . .124 Markets and Slaughter-Houses, . . . . .126 Water Supply, . . . . . . .131 PART VIII. Naturalisation of Aliens, . . . . . .132 Land Surveyors, . . . . . .133 Letters Patent for Inventions, . . . .135 Receiver of Wrecks, . . . .137 Pounds, ......... 137 The Belize Fire-Brigade Department, . . .139 Haulover Ferries, . . . . . .140 Carriages, . . . . . .141 PART IX. The Church of England in British Honduras, . 143 The Presbyterian Church, ...... 146 Roman Catholic Church, . . . . . .147 The Wesleyan Mission, . . . . . .147 The Baptist Missionary Society, ..... 149 PART X. British Honduras Finances, . . . . . .150 Revenue and Expenditure for 1887, . . . . .150 Abstract of the Net Revenue for 1887, . . . .152 Abstract of the Net Expenditure for 1887, . . . 152 Comparative Table of the Revenue from 1877 to 1887, . . 153 Do. do. Expenditure do. . . 154 Table of Revenue and Expenditure, from 1827 to 1887, . . 155 Estimated Revenue and Expenditure for 1888, . . .155 Assets and Liabilities of the Colony, . . . .156 CONTENTS. xi PART XI. Imports and Exports, . . . . . . .157 Value of Imports and Exports in 1887, .... 157 Produce of the Colony Exported in 1887, .... 168 Principal Articles of Import in 1887, .... 158 Principal Articles of Import and Export from 1878 to 1887, . 159 Value of Imports and Exports to principal countries from 1879 to 1887 . . .160 Comparative Table of Imports and Exports for thirty years, . 161 Shipping— Sailing Vessels entered in 1887, ..... 161 Do. cleared in 1887, . .162 Steamers entered in 1887, . . .162 Do. cleared in 1887, ...... 162 Comparative Table of Vessels entered and cleared from 1880 to 1887, 163 PART XII. Education, . . . . . . . .164 PART XIII. Agricultural Industries, . . . . .168 Banana-planting, . . .172 Cocoanut-planting, , . . .179 Cacao, Indian corn, itc., . . . .180 The Woods of British Honduras, ..... 183 The Currency, ........ 191 Labour in British Honduras, . . . . . .196 Population, . . . . . . . .199 Railways, ........ 204 Report on the Lands Tenures System of the Colony, . . 206 The Climate of British Honduras, . . . . .210 Information for intending Immigrants, .... 215 xii CONTENTS. PART XIV. Societies and Clubs, . . . . . . .217 Newspapers, . . . . .219 Navy, . . 219 PART XV. Steam Communication with the Colony, .... 221 Coastal Service, ....... 226 Telegraphic Communication, ...... 227 Communication with the Neighbouring Republics, . . . 227 PART XVI. Commercial Directory, ....... 228 PART XVII. Record of the Service of Public Officers in British Honduras, . 232 Index, ......... 236 2 CALENDAR. 11th Month.] NOVEMBER 1888. [30 Days. Days of Month. Days of Week. 1 Th 2 F 3 B 4 s 5 M 6 Tu 7 W 8 Th o 9 F 10 B 11 s 12 M 13 Tu 14 W 15 Th 16 F 17 S 18 S 19 M 20 Tu 21 W 22 Th 23 F 14 B 25 S 26 M 27 Tu 28 w 29 Th 8O F All Saints' Day. 28d Sunday after Trinity. Petty Debt Court sits. Gunpowder Plot, Mail leaves. [1605. Mail arrives. Cortes enters Mexico, 1519. Birth of Prince of Wales. Public Holiday. Bboe town consumed by lire, 1819. 24th Sunday after Trinity. Mail leaves. Magistrates meet to revise [Jury Lists. 25th Sunday after Trinity.' Petty Debt Court sits. Mail arrives. Columbus brought to Cadiz [in irons, 1500. 26th Sunday after Trinity. Supreme Court sits—{Criminal Side). Mail leaves. Mail arrives. St Andrew. Earthquake in Guatemala, [1577. 1st Month.] JANUARY 1889. [31 Days. Mail arrives. Public Holiday. Epiphany. Supreme Court sits at Corosal. Petty Debt Mail leaves. [Court sits. Mail arrives. 1st Sunday after Epiphany. Mail leaves. George Frederick, King of [Mosquitos, crowned at Belize, 1816. Last day for registering stills. 2d Sunday after Epiphany. Petty Debt Court sits. Mail arrives. Conversion of St Paul. 3d Sunday after Epiphany. Mail leaves. Mail arrives. 12th Month.] DECEMBER 1888. 31 Days. 2d Month.] FEBRUARY 1889. [28 Days. 1 B 2 s B M 4 Tu 5 W 6 Th 1 F 8 8 9 S 10 M 11 Tu IS w I8 Th 14 F 15 a 16 S 17 M 18 Tu 19 W 20 Th 21 F 22 8 ss S 24 If 25 Tu oi(, . w 27 Th 28 F 29 B so 3 31 M 1st Sunday in Advent. Supreme Court sits—(Civil Side). Petty [Debt Court sits. Licensing Magistrates meet. Mail leaves. St Nicholas. 2d Sunday in Advent. Mail arrives. Prince Consort died, 1861. 3d Sunday in Advent. Petty Debt Court sits. Mail leaves. British Honduras Industrial Exhibition, Mail arrives. [1871. St Thomas. Winter Solstice—Shortest day. [Winter begins. 4th Sunday in Advent. CHRISTMAS DAY—Public Holiday. St Stephen. Mail leaves. St John Evanoelist. Innocents' Day. 1st Sunday after Christmas. 1 P 2 S 3 8 4 M 5 Tu 6 W 7 Th 8 F 9 a 10 s 11 M 12 To 13 w 14 Th 15 F 1G S 17 s 18 M 19 Tu 20 W 21 Th 22 F 23 8 24 s 25 M 26 Tu 27 W 28 Th Candlemas. 4th Sunday after Epiphany, Petty Debt Court aits. Mail leaves. [duras, 1763. [10. Treaty of Paris affecting British Hon- [toria married, 1840. 5th Sunday after Epiphany. Queen Vic- Church of England established, 1777. Mail arrives. St Valentine. Septuagesima Sunday. Petty Debt Court sits. Mail leaves. Mail arrives. [24th. Inhabitants oppose landing of Convicts from Barbadoes, 1817. Sexagesima Sunday. St Matthias. Supreme Court sits—(Criminal Side). Mail leaves. Cordova repulsed at Cape [Catoche, 1517. CALENDAR. 3 3d Month.] MARCH 1889. [31 Days. i 2 St David. [4th. Petty Debt Court sits. Licensing Magistrates meet. QuiNQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. Supreme Court sits—(Civil Side). Mail arrives. Shrove Tuesday. Ash Wednesday. Belize Bridge built, 1818. 1st Sunday in Lent. Great Fire, South- [side, Belize, 1863. Mail leaves. Mail arrives. St Patrick. 2d Sunday in Lent. Petty Debt Court sits. Cordova defeated at Campeachy, 1517. Vernal Equinox. Spring begins. Mail leaves. 3d Sunday in Lent. Annunciation—Lady Day. Mail arrives. Jail built, 1826. New Court House built, 1880. 4th Sunday in Lent. 4th Month.] APRIL 1889. [30 Days. Supreme Court sits at Corosal. Petty Debt Mail leaves. [Court sits. Mail arrives. 5th Sunday in Lent. New Constitution proclaimed, 1871. Mail leaves. St John's Church consecrated, 1826. Palm Sunday. Petty Debt Court sits. Mail arrives. Land Tax Return due. Span- iards from Peten defeated at Labouring Creek, 1754. Good Friday. Public Holiday. Bulwer-Clayton Treaty, 1850. Easter Sunday. St George. [crowned, 1825. Mail leaves. King Robert of Mosquitos St Mark. Discovery of Brazil, 1500. Mail arrives. Omoa invested by Aury's forces, 1820. Low Sunday. 0.q 1 s 3 4 5th Month.] MAY 1889. [31 Days. 20 M 21 ! Tu St Philip and St James. Mail leaves. Jamaica discovered, 1494. 2d Sunday after Easter. Petty Debt Court sits. Mail arrives. Bahamas taken by Spaniards, 1782. Columbus sailed from Cadiz, 1501. Jamaica [taken, 1655. [duras declared a Colony, 1862. 3d Sunday after Easter. British Hon- Treaty of Madrid, 1667. Mail leaves. Mail arrives. Ruatan captured by Spain, [1797. 4th Sunday after Easter. Petty Debt Court sits. Columbus died at [Valladolid, 1506. Mail leaves. [day. Birth of Queen Victoria, 1819. Public Holi- [taken prisoner, 1549. Rogation Sunday. Cortes defeated and Honduras handed over to English, 1784. Mail arrives. [Supreme Court sits —(Criminal Side). Ascension Day—Holy Thursday. 6th Month.] JUNE 1889. [30 Days. 1 a 2 s 3 M 1 Tu 5 w 8 Th 7 V 8 e 9 s 10 M 11 Tu 12 W 13 Th 14 V 15 8 16 S 17 H 18 Tu 19 W 20 Th 21 P 22 S 23 s 24 M 25 Tu 26 W 27 Th 28 F 29 8 30 s Assembly agree to defend Settlement, 1797. Sunday after Ascension. Supreme Court sits—(Civil Side). Petty Mail leaves. [Debt Court sits. Licensing Magistrates meet. Mail arrives. Belize Volunteer Force formed, 1878. Pentecost—Whitsunday. Grijalva lands St Barnabas. [at Cozumel, 1518. Sun and clock equal. Mail leaves. Trinity Sunday. Petty Debt Court sits. Mail arrives. ftoria, 1837. Corpus Christi. Accession of Quen Vic- Summer Solstice—longest day. Summer [begins. Proclamation of Queen Victoria, 1837. 1st Sunday after Trinity. St John the Midsummer Day. [Baptist. Mail leaves. Mail arrives. St Peter and St Paul. Coronation of Fort George built, 1803. [Queen Victoria, 1838. 2d Sunday after Trinity. 4 SEASONS AND ECLIPSES, ETC. COMMON NOTES, FIXED AND MOVABLE FESTIVALS, ANNIVERSARIES, ETC., FOR THE YEAR 1888-89. Golden Number for 1888 Till Epact 17 Solar Cycle 21 Roman Indiction 1 Dominical Letters AG Julian Period 6601 Sundays after Trinity 26 8t Swithin July 15 St .lames „ 25 St Bartholomew Aug. 24 JewiBh New Year, 5640, .... Sept. 6 Mohammedan New Year, 1306, 7 St Matthew „ 21 Autumn commences „ 22 St Michael—Michaelmas Day, . . ,,29 St Luke Evangelist, Oct. 18 St Simon and St Judc, 28 Halloween, 31 All Saints' Day Nov. 1 Birth of Prince of Wales (1841) 9 St Andrew „ 80 First Sunday in Advent Dec. 2 St Nicholas ,,6 St Thomas 7 Winter commences, 21 Christmas Day—Tuesday 25 St Stephen, „ 26 St John Evangelist ,27 Innocents' Day ,,28 Golden Number for 1889 ix Epact, 28 Solar Cycle 22 Koman Indiction 2 Dominical Letter, F Julian Period 6002 Sundays after Trinity 23 Circumcision Jan. 1 Epiphany „ 6 Russian New Year, Greek Calendar, . . ,,6 Prince Albert Victor's Birthday (1864), . „ 8 Queen Victoria married (1840), o . . Feb. 10 St Valentine, ,14 Septuagesima Sunday, .... „ 17 St Matthias—Sexaoesima Sunday, . . ,,24 St David March 1 QUINQUAOESIMA SUNDAY, .... ,,3 Asn Wednesday ,6 St Patrick ,17 Spring commences, ,,20 Annunciation—Lady Day, 25 Palm Sunday, April 14 Good Friday, April 19 Easter Sunday 21 St George, „ 23 St Mark , 25" Low Sunday ,,28 St Philip and St James May 1 Birth of Queen Victoria (1819), ... „ 24 Rogation Sunday, ,, 26 Ascension Day—Holy Thursday, . . „ 30 Pentecost—Whitsunday June 9 St Barnabas 11 Trinity Sunday ,,16 Corpus Christi „ 20 Accession of Queen Victoria (1837), . . „ 20 Summer commences ,, 21 St John the Baptist—Midsummer Day, „ 24 Queen's Coronation (1838) „ 28 St Peter and St Paul, ,29 ECLIPSES FOR THE YEAR 1888-89. A partial eclipse of the sun, July 9th. Invisible at Belize. A total eclipse of the moon, July 22d and 23d. Visible at Belize. A partial eclipse of the sun, August 7th. Invisible at Belize. PUBLIC HOLIDAYS. (Ord. 13 of 1883.) The Prince of Wales' Birthday, 9th November 1888 Christmas Day, . . . 25th December 1888 New Year's Day, . . . .1st January 1S89 Good Friday, 19th April 1889 The Queen's Birthday, . . . 24th May 1889 And any other day that the Governor in Council may 'declare to be such. Should any of the above days fall on a Sunday, the following day shall be observed as a holiday. The Governor may alter the keeping of the above holidays to some other day. OFFICE HOURS. The several public offices of the Colony are open daily throughout the year, including the Magistrates' Court, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12.30 P.M. The Post Office is open daily, Sundays excepted, from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. for the delivery of letters, in addition to the above hours. Order 13 of 1883 does not affect the powers of the Chief-Justice under any ordinance to appoint the hour of meeting of the Supreme Court, or to order any adjournment thereof, or to alter or affect the per- formance of any duty which may be incident to any public office. TABLE OF INCOME OR WAGES. Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Year. Month. Week. Day. Year. Month. Week. Day. Year. Month. Week. Day. £ s. 9. d. s. d. 8. d. £ 8. £ d. 8. d. a. iZ. £ .s. £ 8. d. £ s. d. £ ». d. 0 10 0 2J 0 °i 8 0 a. 0 5} 51 0 10 0 8 1 18 8 0 4} 13 4 0 0 1 10 0 0 6 11 0 0 11} 1 0 0} 8 8 0 3 23 18 1 0 14 0 IS 1 11 6 0 7 3.1 3.1 0 1 Oi 1 10 2 6 0 7 0 1 8 10 0 2 8 81 0 5j 19 0 0 7 14 1 11 8 0 1 OA 2 0 8 4 0 91 11 11 » 0 0 0 8 0 6 80 0 0 7 1 li 0 15 1 13 4 S.l 0 2 2 3 6 0 9} 0 9 9 0 9 8 7 A 0 ('] 80 0 a 15 10 0 0 11 «.'. 0 1 7} 2 10 4 2 0 in 0 13 10 0 0 8 8 104 0 «i 40 0 8 1 1} 10 oj 0 7 6 s 0 15 2| 0 2 21 3 0 5 0 0 i 10 10 0 4 0 5 3 1 2} i 17 0 0 71 SO 4 3 4 0 19 0 2 9 3 3 11 0 0 4 60 0 5 0 5 10 i 4 0 »1 18 4 « 0 73 8 70 0 1 3 1 0 3 8i 0 3 10 1 6} 0 1111 19 3 4 0 5 10 8 1 6 11 0 3 10 4 0 e 8 0 12 0 1 0 0 4 0 80 0 6 18 4 1 10 01 7* 0 4 4£ 4 4 7 0 1 7i 0 23 12 12 1 1 0 4 10J 0 6! 90 0 7 10 0 1 14 0 4 111 4 10 7 6 1 8$ 0 s 13 0 1 1 8 5 0 0 S>2 100 0 8 0 s 1 18 5i 0 5 5} 5 0 8 4 1 11 0 H 13 13 1 2 9 6 8 0 » 200 0 16 13 4 3 16 11 0 10 111 5 5 8 9 2 01 0 3i 14 0 1 3 4 S 41 0 1", 300 0 25 0 0 5 15 H 0 16 51 5 10 9 2 2 H 0 3:i 14 14 1 4 6 6 ~\ 0 'oi'! 400 0 33 li 8 7 13 101 1 1 11 6 0 10 0 2 3} 0 4 15 0 1 5 0 91 0 500 0 41 13 4 9 12 3} 1 7 4} 6 6 10 6 2 5 0 41 15 15 1 0 3 8 0:( 0 101 600 0 (0 0 0 11 10 91 1 12 10£ 6 10 10 10 2 6 0 41 16 0 1 6 8 6 13 0 10 J Tori 0 58 6 8 13 9 23 1 18 4} 7 0 11 8 2 8J 0 45 16 16 1 0 6 5.1 0 11 0 66 13 15 7 7 7 12 8 1 0 111 soo 75 4 si 2 3 10 3 2 10 0 1 e 0 4? 17 0 8 4 900 0 0 17 6 11 2 9 3} 7 10 12 6 2 10J 0 5 17 17 1 9 9 6 0 113 1000 0 88 ('. 8 19 4 71 2 14 9i CURRENCY TABLE, ETC. 5 o Table showing the value of Sterling Money in currency at the rate of 3s. Id. to the Dollar, used in the Treasury of British Honduras, and calculated by the Chief Clerk. £ 8. d. « c. £ a. d. t c. £ ing any Birth or Death, J Do. do. . | The Deputy Registrar, j. For every certificate of\ Death, according to V Schedule B, . . J The person required to ) obtain the same, . | The party granting the} certificate, for payment V into the Treasury, . J 1.00 Fee Payable under Section 9 of the Ordinance. Service. By whom payable. To whom payable. Amount of fee. Certificate of Death, . | The person required to 1 obtain the same, . ( The medical practitioner, J $0.25 42 COLONIAL SECRETARY, AUDITOR, AND REGISTRAE. Deputy Registrars. District. Belize, Do. Do. Do. Northerri (Corosal), Do. do. Do. do. Do. (Orange Walk) Do. do. Do. do. Do. do. Do. do. Toledo, Stann Creek, Place. The Boom, . San Pedro, Northern River, Sibun, . Sarteneja, Progresso, &c., Pembroke Hall, &c. New River Lagoon Backlanding, &c., San Estevan, . San Antonio,. August Pine Ridge. Monkey River, Seine Bight, . Name. J. Tucker. G. J. Parhani. Rosado. E. ThurtoD. P. Aragon. T. Carillo. N. Burke. R. Dewgard. F. Waddy. H. J. Marchand. S. Castillo. R. Romero. H. Worrell. The Government Printing-Office. This office is a branch, and is under the control of the Colonial Secretary's Department, the salaries of the estab- lishment being paid out of the vote for that department. The 'Govern- ment Gazette,' published by authority, and first issued on the 1st July 1826, is printed at this office. All notices intended for insertion in the 'Gazette' must be sent through the Colonial Secretary, and not later than 3 p.m. on Thursdays, otherwise they will be held over till the following week. The prices for advertisements in the 'Gazette ' are :— 1st insertion of 10 lines and under, . $1.00 2d do. do., . 0.75 3d, and every other insertion, . . 0.50 For every additional line after 10 lines, 0.06J The 'Gazette' can be obtained at either the Colonial Secretary's or the printing-office, at 12| cents a copy. The 'Gazette ' will be supplied to sub- scribers at the rate of $1 the quarter, or $3.50 for one year, payable in advance at either the Colonial Secretary's De- partment or printing-office. In the cases of subscribers abroad, postage will be charged. Besides the work of the 'Gazette,' all printed matter, such as forms for the use of the various departments, Ordinances, the blue-books, &c., are printed at this office. When the printers are engaged upon Government work beyond 6 p.m., they receive extra pay at the following rates:— Printer, . Assistants, Pressman, 75 cents per hour. 50 „ 374 '• The head printer is entitled to half the receipts obtained from job printing performed in this office, the other moiety being paid into the Treasury. The following table gives the cost to the Government and the value of work done in the printing establish- ment for the last three years:— Cost. 1885. 1886. 1887. Cost of paper and materials, .... $1,872.62 278.12 61.29 $1,450.00 170.25 103.40 $2,750.00 106.29 Total, $2,212.03 $1,723.65 $3,594.50 $2,856.29 Value of work, $3,549.00 $3,769.00 THE TREASURY. 43 From the above it can be seen that the printing-office is quite capable of paying its way should the value of the work performed be paid; but as the work is for the Government, it is not paid for. The receipts for printing done in this office for the public, including un- official notices in the ' Gazettes,' sales of forms and hire-sheets, amounted in 1885 to 1886 to 1887 to $245.38 181.06 275.98 Establishment of the Government Printing-office. Office. Name of Holder. Salary. Date of flrst appointment. 2d B. Gusher, W. R. Hope, S720 420 360 180 E THE TREASUKY, CUSTOMS, A TnE Treasury. Prior to the year 1829, the annually elected magistrates had the unlimited control of the expenditure of public money, they being accountable to the public meeting alone, that legislative body voting all sums for expenditure. In 1829, however, Colonel M'Donald, the then Superintendent of the settle- ment, asked the meeting to curtail these powers, alleging against the magistrates as his reason for so doing the charge of extravagant dealings with the public money intrusted to their care. In consequence, the control of the public funds was transferred to the Government; and a public Treasurer paid by fees, and not until 1842 by a fixed salary, was appointed. As the work in the Treasury increased yearly, it was found necessary to ap- point clerks to assist the Treasurer in the performance of his duties. There are at present three clerks for the whole establishment of the Treasury, Customs, and Post-Office Department, whose offices were created during the following years— The chief clerk in 1865. D POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. The second clerk in 1879. „ third „ 1886. The second clerkship was originally created in consequence of the appoint- ment in 1879 of Mr M'Kinney, the then postmaster, to the offices of Trea- surer, Collector of Customs, and Post- master combined, in order that by this amalgamation the duties of the various offices might not be neglected. It was found necessary, for the same cause, to appoint another clerk in 1886, as the duties of these three offices entailed more work than could be efficiently performed by two clerks without de- triment to the public service. The Treasurer, chief and second clerks, have to enter into bonds for the due performance of their duties in the following amounts :— The Treasurer, . . . $5000 The Chief Clerk, . . . 3000 The Second Clerk, . . . 1000 The district magistrates are sub- accountants of the Treasury in their respective districts, and send in monthly accounts of the revenue and expendi- ture of each district. These accounts must be supported by vouchers, and no expenditure may be incurred with- 44 TREASURY, CUSTOMS, AND POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. out previous sanction being first ob- tained. When the balance of money in a sub-accountant's hands becomes unu- sually high, it must be transmitted to the Treasury. The sub-accountants draw bills on the Treasury to meet the expenditure in their districts, should the revenue received by them be insufficient to meet the expenditure incurred. Savings Bank Branch. The Government Savings Bank is under the control of the Treasury De- partment— the Treasurer being the manager, and the chief clerk the book- keeper and cashier. No extra salary, however, is attached to these offices. The Savings Bank in Belize was established in 1846, and in 1881 branches were established at Corosal and Orange Walk. The Treasurer receives deposits of not less than $1, and not exceeding $250. By Ordinance No. 3 of 1885, however, trust moneys not exceeding $1000 may be paid into the Savings Bank. Interest at the rate of 3 per cent per annum is payable on all deposits, including undrawn interest, not ex- ceeding $250. Interest is computed yearly, and payable on or after the 1st day of January in each year. Deposits will be received from and drafts paid to depositors at the Trea- sury every week-day, except Saturdays and public holidays, between 12 noon and 3 p.m. The amount due depositors on the 31st December 1887 was $37,405.16, including interest, and of this amount $30,000 is now invested in England in the following Government securi- ties :— New South Wales, .. South Australian, . Cape of Good Hope, £2900 3000 100 The following is a statement of the transactions of the Government Savings Bank for the last four years:— Year. On Deposit. No. of Depositors. Accounts Opened. Accounts Closed. Amount of Deposits. Amount of Withdrawals. Amount In- vested. 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, $34,128.69 38,950.96 37,411.69 37,405,16 290 331 328 349 93 60 106 50 52 63 58 71 $14,022.83 11,147.11 17,092.78 7,795.39 $9,200.56 12,686.38 17,099.31 9,966.77 $30,000.00 30,000.00 30,000.00 30,000.00 The foregoing statement of transac- tions gives the following results for the last four years :— The average amount of money on deposit $36,974.12 The average amount of deposits, 12,514.53 The average amount of with- drawals, .... 12,238.25 The average number of deposi- tors, 324 The average number of accounts opened, .... 77 The average amount of accounts closed, 61 The depositors in the Savings Bank include "all sorts and conditions of men," and thus proves that the insti- tution is slowly but surely doing away with the old custom, so prevalent among the natives, of burying money in the ground. The total amount of interest credited to depositors for the last five years amounted to $5,138.21, as under:— 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, $890.70 1070.73 1149.98 1033.02 993.78 The unappropriated profits, if any, are placed at the end of each year to the credit of the general revenue of the colony. SAVINGS BANK BRANCH. 45 The law relating to the Savings Bank was consolidated and amended by Ordinance No. 4 of 1880, and under this Ordinance the following re- gulations have been made by the Gov- ernor in Council:— "1. Deposits may be made and withdrawn at the Public Treasury every week-day, except Saturday, between the hours of 12 and 3. "2. On making his first deposit every person must give his Christian and surname and state his occupation and residence. "3. Every deposit in the Savings Bank must at the time of deposit be entered by the person receiving it in the depositor's book. "4. Besides ordinary persons, deposits may be made by— (a) A trusteee on behalf of another person, in the joint names of such trustee and the per- son on whose account such money shall be so deposited. A person may act as trustee in any number of accounts, and at the same time have an account in his own name, (o) Two persons jointly on their own behalf, provided neither of them is already a de- positor. (c) Children, or for their benefit. "5. Deposits may be made by married women, and deposits so made, or made by women who shall afterwards marry, shall be repaid to any such women unless her husband shall give notice in writing of such marriage and furnish proof thereof, and shall require payment to be made to him. 'Deposits' include the interest on any deposit. "6. On or after the first day of January in each year every depositor shall forward his de- posit-book to the Public Treasury in order that it may be compared with the books of the de- partment, and in order that the interest due may be inserted in it. "7. No charge will be made for the books at first supplied to depositors, or for any books issued to them in continuation thereof; but if any depositor shall lose his book and shall desire a new one, application must be made by him in writing stating the circumstances and inclosing the sum of fifty cents in postage-stamps to pay for the new book should the application be granted. "8. When a depositor wishes to withdraw the whole or any part of the sum due to him he must present his deposit-book, in which shall be entered the amount repaid; and the depositor must give a receipt for the amount repaid to him. "9. In case any depositor shall die leaving any sum of money deposited in the Savings Bank, and probate of his will, or letters of ad- ministration be not produced, or if notice in writing of the existence of a will and intention to prove the same or to take out letters of ad- ministration be not given to the Public Treasurer within one month from the death of the de- positor, or if such notice be given, but such will be not proved, or letters of administration be not taken out, and the probate or letters of ad- ministration (as the case may be) prodnced to the Public Treasurer within two months from the death of the depositor, it shall be lawful for the Public Treasurer, after such period of one or two months, as the case may be, to pay and divide such funds to or amongst the widow or relatives of the deceased depositor or any one or more of them, according to the statute of distributions, as the Governor shall direct. "10. If any depositor being illegitimate shall die intestate leaving any person or persons who, but for the illegitimacy of such depositor, and of such person or persons, would be entitled to the money due to such deceased depositor, it shall be lawful for the Public Treasurer, with the authority of the Governor, to pay the money of such deceased depositor to any one or more of the persons who in the opinion of the Governor would have been entitled to the same according to the statute of distributions if the said depositor had been legitimate. "11. If any depositor shall become insane, or otherwise incapacitated to act, the Governor, if he shall be satisfied of the urgency of the case, may authorise payment from time to time out of the funds of such depositor, to any person whom he shall judge proper to receive it. "12. If any dispute shall arise between the Public Treasurer and any depositor, or any executor, administrator, next of kin, or creditor, or any person claiming to be entitled to any money deposited in the Savings Bank, the matter in dispute shall be referred to the Chief-Justice, and whatever award shall be made by him shall be binding and final. "13. The books of the Savings Bank and pass- book now in use shall continue to be used until otherwise directed by the Governor. "14. The books and accounts of the Savings Bank shall be audited by the Auditor-General as all other public accounts are. "15. A summary of account, made up to the 31st of December in each year, is to be placed on the table of the Legislative Council, at the open- ing of the next ensuing session. "16. The officers engaged in the receipt or payment of deposits are not to disclose the name of any depositor, or the amount deposited or withdrawn by him, except when lawfully re- quired so to do. "Additional Regulations made by the Governor in Council, under 'The Savings Sank Or- dinance, 1880.' "1. There shall be branches of the Savings Bank at Corosal and Orange Walk, and the magistrates of the districts shall be authorised to receive and pay deposits under the provisions of ' The Savings Bank Ordinance, 1880,' and the regulations made thereunder, in the same manner as deposits are received and paid at the Treasury in Belize. "2. No person who is directly or indirectly entitled to any deposit in one Savings Bank shall be permitted to become a depositor in any other. "8. Each of the magistrates shall keep a ledger in which shall be entered the Christian and sur- name of each depositor, his occupation and res- idence, and the amount of his deposit. A cash- book shall also be kept in which shall be entered all receipts and payments. "4. Each of the magistrates shall send to the Treasury at Belize quarterly statements of the names, occupation, and residence of all persons 46 TREASURY, CUSTOMS, AND POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. appearing in their books as depositors, and the amount of each deposit. "5. Whenever the amount of deposits in the hands of the magistrates shall exceed $100, the surplus shall be remitted to the Treasury." Customs and Excise. It is rather a hard matter to deter- mine when customs duties were first imposed in the colony, but in 1826, and probably some years previous to this date, there was a tariff of duties and taxes levied under the authority of Acts passed by the settlers assembled in public meeting. The mode of col- lection was, however, very imperfect, and various Acts have from time to time been passed "for the better col- lection of the revenue derived from customs." By the local Act of 1869, entitled, "An Act to provide for the better col- lection of the revenue derived from the customs and excise," and which re- pealed 28 Vict. cap. 8, and 29 Vict, cap. 16, relating to customs and excise, the Treasurer was appointed the Collec- tor, and the Colonial Secretary the Controller, of Customs. These two ap- pointments had in fact been originally created by the local Act, 19 Vict, cap. 2, but the law of 1869 in reality creates the whole of the establishment of a Customs and Excise Department, providing not only for the appointment and salary of a clerk to the Treasury, but also for that of a head-searcher and searchers, who are now called revenue officers, excise officers, and sub-collec- tors of customs. The district magis- trates in their respective districts are now ex officio sub-collectors of customs at the different ports of entry in the colony. The Customs Act of 1869 also pro- vides for the maintenance of a boat and crew for this department. It was not until 1878 that the customs laws were consolidated and amended by Ordinance No. 7 of 1878. This comprehensive law contains 130 sections, and under these are comprised all that concerns the appointment of officers, regulations inwards, outwards, and coastwise, general rules, the ware- housing of goods, smuggling, &c. Some of the sections have at various times been repealed or amended by Ordin- ances Nos. 12 of 1879, 7 of 1882, and 1 of 1885. From the above remarks it may be seen that the law only deals with the revenue business of the customs; but other important duties have from time to time been imposed upon this depart- ment, as in the case of the registration of shipping, the enforcing of the ports and harbours laws, the regulations with regard to pilots and pilotage, and the gunpowder magazine. The Government has thus been saved from the expense of separate establishments, as there is no salary attached to any of the offices connected with the above. In 1879 Mr Richard Gillard, collec- tor of customs at Kingston, Jamaica, being then on a visit to this colony, made, by request of the late Sir F. P. Barlee, then Lieutenant-Governor here, an inspection and a report on the working of the Customs Department, including the bonded warehouses. Mr Gillard, in his report, entered most fully into all particulars relating to the working of the Customs Depart- ment, and especially into those which concerned the prevention of fraud on the revenue and smuggling. Though many of his suggestions, such as those of an increase of the staff of the revenue officers, and the appointment of tide- waiters, could not be effected on account of the state of the finances, many valu- able hints were adopted, and rules were accordingly drawn up, which much improved the condition of the Customs Department. The following are the customs regula- tions made by the Collector of Customs, with the approval of the Governor in CUSTOMS AND EXCISE—CUSTOMS NOTES. 47 Council, under "the Customs Consolida- tion Ordinance, 1878 : "— "1. No person, without the permission of the collector, shall leave any vessel arriving in the port of Belize from without the limits of the colony, nor shall any person go on board any such vessel before she has been boarded by a customs officer. "2. No good* shall be delivered from any vessel before the hour of six in the morning, nor after four in the afternoon, without the like per- mission. '' 3. When revenue officers are required to at- tend after the regular hours for the convenience of parties, they shall be paid at the rate of fifty cents per hour by the party requiring their ser- vices. "4. Upon a written application from the agent or consignee to allow the cargo of a vessel re- quiring quick despatch to be discharged under a general permit, the collector may allow the same subject to the following rules :— (1.) The whole of the cargo must be dis- charged at one wharf, or into some other vessel approved by the collector for that purpose. (2.) The wharf or vessel so approved must be either perfectly clear of all other goods or any goods therein must be placed separate and apart to the satisfaction of the collector, before the cargo of any vessel will be allowed to be deposited thereon. (3.) Whenever it shall be necessary for a ves- sel in distress to land cargo at night, the agents thereof must provide sufficient and proper lights, so as to afford full and com- plete protection to the revenue. (4.) Vessels discharging cargoes by virtue of these regulations may be permitted to land before entry is made, but such entry must, under any circumstances, be made within twenty-four hours after arrival (Sundays and holidays excepted). (5.) All weighing, gauging, examinations, &c., required by the customs shall be done at the special wharf before the delivery of the goods therefrom. (6.) Goods shall not be delivered after 5 P.M. (7.) The agents of vessels discharging under these regulations shall be allowed to amend reports, and will be held responsible for the correctness of the cargoes reported by the masters. (8.) The agents shall pay to the collector the authorised scale of pay for the attendance of officers during extra hours, and also of such extra officers as the collector may con- sider necessary for watching the goods or otherwise." The notes given below have been taken from the above-mentioned Ordi- nance, and are given here as they may prove useful to importers. Costoms Notes. "A report of the arrival of every ship and manifest thereof (in duplicate) must be made within twenty-four hours. "Every vessel leaving port (except coasters) must have a clearance. "Where the duty on goods amounts to $500 and upwards, thirty days will be allowed for payment, provided approved security be given. "Bills of entry must be made in duplicate by all importers, and no bill of entry will be valid unless the marks on the cases tally with it. "An abatement of duty will be allowed on all goods damaged on the voyage in proportion to the extent of damage. "Goods must be landed between the hours of 6 a.m. and 4 P.M. "No goods may be landed on Sundays or holidays except live stock and perishable articles. For these, the collector in certain cases issues permits before the arrival of the vessel. "Every coasting vessel, having on board goods liable to import or excise duty, shall at once report her arrival at any port. "Two years is the limit (unless special exten- sion be given) for goods to remain in the Queen's warehouse. "Entire parcels only can be cleared from the Queen's warehouse, and nothing of less duty than $5. "Goods for the Governor, when purchased locally, are entitled to a refund of the original duty paid. "A 'coasting vessel' may trade only within the limits of the colony. "A home trade ship may trade as far north and west as Campeehe, and south and east as San Juan de Nicaragua, including the Bay Islands. Any vessel going beyond these limits is liable to the full dues payable by a foreign ship. "Masters of vessels should procure a certifi- cate from the Colonial Surgeon before applying at the custom-house for a clearance. "No ship carrying bonded goods may carry any other goods to be landed in the colony. "No ship carrying bonded goods may leave port after 5 P.M., nor before 8 a.m., without special permission from the Collector of Cus- toms." The following rule relating to log- wood and certain other products of the colony was passed under Ordinance No. 24 of 1885:— "Masters of bungays, dorays, &c., arriving in Belize with logwood or certain other products, if requested by any person, are compelled to declare where such logwood or produce was cut or obtained, where shipped, and to state the shipper's and consignee's names, under a penalty of $50. The following code of signals is used on the Government flagstaff at the Court-House:— Flags. Interpretations. White flag with red St)y = ht George's Cross, . J v essei in signt. White pennant below do., British schooner. Red pennant below do., Do. brig. White pennant above do., Do. barque. Red pennant above do., Do. ship. 48 TREASURY, CUSTOMS, AND POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. Blue pennant, . Red pennant, Blue flag with white St George's Cross, . Union Jack on white ground above, Do. do. below, Blue and white vertically striped pennant above, Do. Delow do., Red pennant above St George's Cross, . Red pennant below do., White flag with blue St George's Cross, . White pennant below do., Red pennant below do., White pennant above do., Red pennant above do., White pennant above red pennant, Red pennant above do., Two white pennants above red do., Two red pennants above white do Flag N, signal code, . Eastern coaster. Southern do. \ Steamer in sight. J- British ship of war. Foreign do. ) British merchant J steamer from east. Foreign do. do. ) British steamer j from south. Foreign do. do. \ Foreign schooner V (otherthanAmer- ) ican). Foreign brig. Do. barque. Do. ship. | Americanschooner. American brig. | Do. barque. | Do. ship. Mail steamer. The Registration of Shipping. Though the duties connected with the registration of shipping may seem to add but little work to the Customs Department, it is not quite so simple a matter as is generally thought. Economy has compelled the placing of this duty upon this department. At present there is no expense to the Government, the only emoluments that the registrar, shipping-master, and sur- veyor of shipping receive being fees; and a separate department has been saved. The provisions of the Registration Act give rise to many questions of a legal nature, which have nothing in common with the duties of a customs officer; but it may be safely stated that the origin and history of any British vessel registered here can be traced through her different stages of ownership, notwithstanding either the number of times she may have been the subject of a transfer or the number of shares in her property, from the first to the last stage of her existence. The local Act, 19 Vict. cap. 16, regulates the fees payable in this colony to each of the three officers of the department. The following is the rule under the Registration Act relating to the mark- ing of a ship's name :— » "Every British registered ship is required to have her name marked on each of her bows, and her name and the name of her port of registry marked on her stern, on a dark ground in white or yellow letters, of a length not less than four inches, and of a proportionate breadth. Vessels registered prior to 1872 require only that the name of the vessel, together with that of her port of registry, be painted on her stern. Any owner or master of a ship who neglects to keep his ship so marked, incurs a penalty not exceeding $500 for each offence." The following fees are payable under Act 19 Vict. cap. 16:— Registrar's Fees. For every declaration made before the registrar, with a view to the registry, transfers, and transmission of ships, interest in ships, or mortgages on ships $1.25 For indorsing a memorandum of change of masters upon a certificate of registry, 1.00 For every certificate of registry, exclusive of fees on declarations, . . . 2.50 Recording same in register, . . . 1.25 For every provisional certificate of regis- try, granted by the Governor (exclusive of fees on declarations), . . . 2.50 Recording same in register, . . . 1.25 For recording a mortgage of a ship or shares in a ship, made under a certifi- cate of mortgage, 2.50 For recording the transfer of a mortgage of a ship, or shares in a ship, made under a certificate of mortgage, . . 1.75 For recording the discharge of a mortgage of a ship, or shares in a ship, made under a certificate of mortgage, . . 1.87 For recording any transaction not speci- fied, 1.75 For every sale of a ship, or shares of a ship, made before the registrar, under a certificate of sale 2.50 For every search, or inspection of entries in registers, 0.25 For certified copies of entries in register, each 0.25 Surveyor's Fees. Surveyor's certificate of admeasurement, 1.25 Surveyor's fee, per section, . . . 1.87 Shipping-Master's Fees. For every seaman engaged, . . . 0.50 For alteration in agreement with seamen, 0.50 For any desertion certified, . . . 0.50 For attesting a seaman's will,. . . 0.50 For every seaman discharged or left be- hind with sanction, . . . .0.50 THE REGISTRATION OF SHIPPING. 49 For every examination of provisions or water, to be paid by the party in de- fault, $5.00 For administering oath or declaration . 0.50 For disbursements in respect of dis- tressed seamen, a commission of 2J par cent. For execution of any indenture of ap- prenticeship or assignment, attesting each signature 0.25 For preparing the indenture or assign- ment, in duplicate, per folio of seventy- two words $0.25 If printed, the cost of the forms. For attesting mutual release, or giving copy, 0.25 For copy of certificate of seaman's Char- acter 0.25 Collection of deceased seaman's effects and remitting same, a commission of 5 per cent. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE REGISTRATION OF SHIPPING DEPARTMENT. Office. Name. How paid. Registrar of Shipping and Shipping-) Master, Belize j W. J. M'Kinney, S. G. Woods, Fees ii Surveyor of Shipping, Belize, . LIST OF ALL VESSELS REGISTERED IN THE COLONY. Schooner, Brigantine, Schooner, Name of Vessel Sloop, Schooner, Sloop, Schooner, Juanita, . Veloz, Atrevido, . Eliza, Isabel, Manuela, . Rita,. Surprise, . El Deseo, . Palma, Relief, Alma, Real, Ranger, Ada. . Green Bird, Hope, Four Friends, Demetria, . Golden Fleece, Rob Roy, . Josefita, J. P. Burroughs, Ellen, Auxillio, . Amalia, Cora, John Douglas, Agnes, Jane Maria, Fenix, Mary Elizabeth, Lily, . Robert Anderson, The Allison, V. M. Antoinette, Victoria, . Minerva, . Greyhound, Billy Butts, Dart,. Ebenezer, . Tonnage. 31.48 13.39 23.40 109.93 7.28 29.01 28.08 6.17 33.33 18.78 11.60 50.53 4.55 3.96 123.31 7.71 49.2-2 50.39 3.81 52.65 37.92 14.42 56.53 11.13 21.33 27.32 47.50 40.60 53.15 9.35 21.47 23.62 43.85 59.51 39.59 44.07 46.09 29.72 62.90 112.59 41.75 18.23 Name of Owner. D. Gentle, J. Alexander, . E. C. Reyes, B. E. & P. Co. (Ltd J. B. Florentine, A. Ayuso,. J. M. Rosado, J. Wright, P. M. Reyes, B. E. & P. Co. (Ltd.), A. Watler, J. M. Currie, J. Harley, J. Beeks, . C. Bagnall, F. B. Sladden, G. Canby, W. K. Johnson, F. Gongora, H. J. Grant, W. Watson, J. M. Martinez, A. H. Gibbes, R. Carrallo, F. Vega, . N. Gomez, G. W. Ardill, John Douglas, G. P. Bell, N. A. Gliddon, J. Jex, G. P. Bell, R. B. Sawyer, R. AndersoD, R. Kelly, . J. Cremmens, G. W. Couves, A. Bado, . J. Macheca, J. Baker, . R. Jump, . J. M. Coe, Date of Registra- tion. 1856 ii ii ii ii 1859 ll il 1861 1862 ii ii 1863 1864 1865 D 50 TREASURY, CUSTOMS, AND POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. LIST OF ALL VESSELS REGISTERED IN THE COLONY—Continued. Rig- Sloop, Schooner, Sloop, Schooner, Sloop, Schooner, Sloop, Schooner, Sloop, Schooner, Sloop, Schooner, ii Steamer, Schooner, Sloop, ii Schooner, Sloop, ii Schooner, Sloop, n Schooner, Name of Vessel. sta, Agnes, Maltida, Barbarita, Gipsy, Fancy, Juanita, Gertrude, Dora, Felicidad, Aguila, Freddy, Susannah, Atlantic, Enterprise, Dreadnaught, Robert and Alice, Amy, Ella James, Concepcion, Mariposa, . Morning Star, General Garibal Gertrudis,. Annie, Luisa, Inclita, Regina Aspostole Mary, Astro, Lone Star, Experience, Juanita y Evari Eagle, Constancia, Nila, Isabella, . Willie Evans, Cruiser, Kesiah, Colibri, J. R. Thompson Willie, James Wightman Mai, . Adelina, . Juanita, . Atrevido, . Storm King, Blucher, . Express, . Josephine, Adelia, Explorer, . Ethel, Ringdove, . Dauntless, Lizzie Susan, Telegraph, Clara L. Dyer, Uncle Joe, M. B. Warren, Minnie, Effie Ann, . J. D. Cooper, Hero, Virginia, . Tonnage. 4.14 19.69 8.19 83.32 34.36 10.17 198.90 6.01 14.02 12.39 20.19 11.32 4.60 43.55 20.00 5.22 12.34 3.04 4.22 20.23 4.52 7.68 4.34 6.91 2.89 5.49 2.71 6.43 31.63 19.70 64.70 65 01 9.39 24.16 5.22 4.89 10.18 12.66 3.94 38.12 13.27 2.44 9.06 6.72 11.50 3.55 3.62 67.88 7.27 37.66 10.33 3.51 17.93 8.65 46.42 8.20 22.56 21.02 72.95 4.47 4.04 3.57 7.06 6.08 2.47 5.78 Owner. G. Alexander, . R. Coral, . M. S. de Alcoser, W. Rainey, J. Hawthorne, . J. E. Mutrie, . T. B. Manley, . J. M. Levy, E. Cervantes, V. H. M'Donald, J. Rivers, . C. Hacquendorrens, J. Jex, S. H. Menzies, . P. Leckie and J. Arthur, T. B. Tatum, . W. J. Jones, E. Rivers, . J. J. Muftoz, R. A. Gegg, . R. Jones, . W. A. Whitefield, H. S. Wardlaw, T. & R. Jones, J. E. Mutrie, J. M. Rosado, J. M. Currie, J. Rivers, . B. Cramer, S. Ferguson, B. Cramer, P. Castillo, C. T. Hunter, J. P. Meneses, R. H. Stonehewer, D. J. Bodden, S. Wood, . B. E. & P. Co. (Ltd. H. J. Bennett, J. F. de Brot, J. A. .Clairmont, W. M. Coe, E. J. Rubio, . W. C. and R. C. Jones, J. M. Currie, P. Perez, . J. E. Mutrie, R. Woodville, M. D. Sosa, F. Escalente, J. E. Coleman, G. Arnold, W. Beeks,. R. Bodden, C. Melhado, D. H. Haylock,. R. Leslie, . C. Melhado, D. Warren, M. Stephen, E. Warren, H. N. Cooper, T. Greenwood, J. D. Cooper, J. D. Cooper, J. E. G. Bodden, Date of Registra-1 1865 1866 1867 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 II 1876 1877 1879 1880 1881 THE EEGISTKATION OF SHIPPING. 51 LIST OF ALL VESSELS REGISTERED IN THE COLONY—Continued. Rig. Schooner, H Doray, Schooner, Sloop, Schooner, Doray, Schooner, ii Sloop, Canoe, Sloop, Schooner, Sloop, Schooner, Sloop, n Schooner, Sloop, Schooner, Sloop, Schooner, Sloop, ii Schooner, Sloop, it Schooner, ii Sloop, Schooner, ii Sloop, ii Schooner, Sloop, 11 Schooner, Sloop, Schooner, Sloop, Schooner, Steamer, Schooner, ii Steamer, Schooner, Sloop, Schooner, Sloop, Name of Vessel Triumph, . Carrie Jane, Surprise, . Liberato, . Annie E. Carey. Caroline, . M. and R., Quickstep, Royalist, . Mary L. Thompson, Flit, . Morgan, America, . Watchman, Chase, Ocean Child, Mercedes and Matilda. Adela, May Queen, Ossabaw, . Whisper, . Charles L. Clark La Aurora, Frank Lewis, Joseph ina, Isaac Rich, Violin, Ella Lee, . S.S.S., Tres Amigos, Wooloomooloo, Anglo-American Saint Luis, Bertha, EUa, . Petronila, Underwriter, Helper, Lord Lindo, Wilhelmina, Actress, New Home, W. A. Trace, City Belle, Juanita, Snowdrop,. John A. Woodville Princess, Guild, Genesta, Jane,. Manuelita, Faith, Village Gem Maggie, Parole, Cetro, Mary, Experiment. M. A. C. Margarita, Hidalgo, Honduras, E. H. Flynn, Date of Tonnage Owner. Registra- tion. 15.71 W. F. Anderson, 1881 4.74 W. K. Hoy, .... 1882 2.73 R. Haylock, .... n 50.21 B. E. k P. Co. ( Ltd.), . ii 7.64 R. H. Rose, .... M 13.85 D. Contreras ii 1.97 J. A. Parchment, ii 14.01 D. A. and W. T. Smith, . ii 110.92 J. Arthur, .... D. Thompson, .... D. K. Bennett, .... ii 8.95 ii 3.42 it 11.10 R. Morgan, .... ii 8.85 J. M. Warren, .... ii 5.91 L Cooper, 1883 ii 23.82 T. Swana, 34.09 F. Baldcramos ii 13.80 H. S. Wardlaw, ii 11.34 J. E. Mutrie, .... ii 9.00 J. Bodden, .... ii 16.74 S. A. Holmes ii 5.55 J. Arthur, .... A. Morgan, .... ii 11.44 ii 8.76 A. Herrera, .... ii 7.14 A. Howell 1884 it 5.92 C. Melhado 88.04 R. O. M'Nab, .... M 11.53 T. Greenwood ii 11.81 T. A. Watrous, .... ii 4.64 J. A. Collins ii 149.79 M. A. P. Collman, . 10.80 D. Warren, .... 1885 11.06 J. Warren, . . . ■ ii 5.05 C. Melhado, .... ii 10.69 N. Howell, .... ii 11.06 R. H. Rose, .... ii 7.34 L. Vela ii 14.89 L. Cooper, .... ii 7.20 J. Braddick H 5.07 F. Ignacio, .... ii 18.58 S. Kirkconnell, .... ii 9.09 R. Kirkconnell, ii 16.45 O. G. Haylock, .... ii 6.18 J. C. Webster ii 14.06 C. H. Creniin, .... ii 13.45 C. Melhado, .... 1886 ii 51.37 J. Harley, .... 11.32 J. V. B. Bodden, ii 7.11 C. Thompson « 98.91 W. Melhado ii 4.12 H. S. Wardlaw,.... ii 10.62 J. F. de Brot 6.00 F. Lopez, 1887 11.22 J. Turner ii 2.84 G. J. Morey, .... ii 6.89 A. Batty ii 373.60 W. W. Phipps, .... ii 16.83 A. Williamson ii 17.36 T. Willoughby ii 46.93 C. Melhado, .... ii 47.11 J. M. Currie, .... M 22.07 G. J. Parham 35.01 J. N. Mufloz, .... 1888 18.11 W. G. Aikman, .... ii 8.27 S. Morais ii 52 TREASURY, CUSTOMS, AND POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. Ports and Harbours. Ordinance No. 26 of 1885 regulates the management of ports and har- bours, providing for the preservation of ports, harbours, roadsteads, and public wharves, for the appointment of har- bourmasters, for the removal of wrecks and other obstructions in harbours, and for the preservation of buoys, &c. The Collector of Customs in Belize, and the sub-collectors in their respective districts, are ex officio harbourmasters of the various ports in their districts. The following are the regulations under "The Ports and Harbours Ordi- •1. 'Collector' means in Belize the Collector of Customs; elsewhere the district magis- trate. 12. No ballast or ashes shall be thrown over- board from any ship in any port, except at some place appointed for that purpose by the collector. '3. All goods, packages, and merchandise placed on any public wharf shall be removed by the owner or person having the charge of the same within twenty-four hours, or within such shorter time as the collector may direct. '4. Ballast, bricks, lumber, and suchlike articles shall be removed at once. '5. The collector may prohibit the placing of any goods or other articles on any public wharf, or on any part of any such wharf, as he may deem expedient. '6. The master or person in charge of any vessel or boat lying at any public wharf shall, on being required by any revenue officer so to do, forthwith remove such vessel or boat from any such wharf. '7. It shall be lawful for the collector to order any goods or other articles, or any vessel or boat which may be on or at any public , wharf contrary to these regulations, to be removed, and the expense of such removal shall be paid by the owner or per- son having the charge of such goods or articles or such vessel or boat, and in default shall be recoverable before a district magis- trate. '8. There shall be paid for the use of any landing-shed on any public wharf, by the owner, master, agent, or consignee of every ship or vessel using such wharf or shed for the purpose of landing goods, a sum not exceeding $10 a-day or part of a day. '9. Any package or article permitted and not removed therefrom, within twenty-four hours after having been landed, may be charged for every subsequent twenty-four hours or part thereof the package or article remains unremoved, 25 cents for each package or article, to be paid by the importer or his "10. No person shall land or place, or cause to be landed or placed, in any such shed any goods or other articles without the per- mission of the collector. "Section IV. of the above-named Ordinance provides that any person offending against these regulations will be liable to a penalty not ex- ceeding $100." The undermentioned places are the ports of entry and clearance in the colony:— Belize, . . Stann Creek. Corosal, . . Punta Gorda. The harbour of Belize is defined by 26 Vict. (sess. 2), cap. 1, to be as follows:— From Belize Bridge to Moho Cay, thence to the southern point of Eider's Bluff or Cay, thence to "Water Cay, thence to Spanish Cay and Long Cay, and thence to Grennell's Cay, thence to Robinson's Point, thence due west to the mainland, and thence to Belize Bridge. The harbour is distant about a mile from the wharves, and beyond Fort George, a small Cay on which the har- bour-light is placed: it is well sheltered, and has a secure anchorage. As the bar is shallow, vessels can- not cross, and lighters must be ob- tained in order to land cargo. For the list of persons from whom lighters can be hired, see the Com- mercial Directory. Pilots and Pilotage. The law relating to pilots and pilot- age is regulated by Ordinance No. 14 of 1878, and the by-laws made since the passing of this Ordinance. Under this Ordinance it is enacted amongst other things that— "1. Every qualified pilot shall, upon receiving a licence, pay a fee of $16, and be furnished with a copy of this Ordinance, and the rates, by-laws, and re- gulations. "2. Every pilot, when afloat, must fly a flag of large size, viz :— White. Red. J PILOTS AND PILOTAGE. 53 "3. Every master is compelled to fly the sig- nal for a pilot until one has come on board, and any master who refuses a pilot who has offered to take charge of his ship, or signalled for that purpose, is liable to penalty of twice the rates of pilotage, home trade and coasting vessels excepted. "4. Masters are bound to declare what water their ship draws. Penalty for fraudulent decla- ration, not exceeding $1000." The following are the by-laws made by the Governor in Council under the provisions of "The Pilots and Pilotage Ordinance, No. 14, 1878 " :— "1. Any of the following persons may, upon giving due notice to the collector of customs, and depositing the necessary fees, apply to be examined as to his capacity to be licensed as a pilot, viz. :— (a) Any person who has undergone an ap- prenticeship or continuous service under one or more licensed pilot or pilots, for a term of, or periods amounting in the whole to Ave years. (6) Any person who has served as master of a home trade or coasting ship for a continuous period of not less than six years. (c) The master of any ship trading regularly between this colony and any other place out of the colony, for the ship of which he is master. "2. Candidates must be examined before a board to consist of such qualified persons as the Governor may appoint, assisted by two licensed pilots, which shall, before recommending any candidate for a licence, satisfy itself that he has attained the age of twenty-one years, can read and write, is of good character, and thoroughly competent to act in the capacity of pilot. "3. Pilots assisting on such board shall re- ceive $5 per diem each; and in the event of any pilot neglecting to attend such board when re- quired, he shall be liable to a penalty not exceed- ing $25, or to the suspension of his licence for any period not exceeding six months. "4. Every pilot, except masters of ships, shall reside at such one of the stations as the Gover- nor shall from time to time direct, and non- compliance with such direction shall be punish- able by suspension, or withdrawal of the offend- er's licence. '' 5. No pilot shall leave the station at which he has been so directed to reside, except in the discharge of his duties as a pilot, or for some reasonable and sufficient eause, unless he shall have first obtained leave in writing so to do from the Collector of Customs; and every pilot who shall leave any such station and come to Belize, or into the harbour of Belize, shall without delay report himself at the Custom House, and shall return to his station either immediately or at such time as shall be directed by the Collector of Customs. "6. If any pilot shall leave any such station contrary to the preceding rule, he shall be liable for any such offence to have his licence withdrawn or suspended for any period not exceeding six months, as the Governor shall determine. "7. Every pilot shall, whenever required, at- tend and produce his licence at the collector's office. "8. Every pilot (except masters under (c) of By-law 1) bringing a vessel into the harbour of Belize, and every pilot who is required to re- side at any station out of Belize, or is not resi- dent in Belize, and who shall come to Belize or into the harbour thereof, shall report himself without delay at the Custom House, and shall answer all such questions, with reference to his duties as a pilot, as shall be there put to him. "9. No pilot, except in the discharge of his duties, shall remain in Belize at one time more than forty-eight hours, without leave in writing from the Collector of Customs. "10. No pilot shall move a vessel from its an- chorage, to proceed on an outward voyage, with- out the master previously exhibiting to him the clearance of the vessel from the Custom House. "11. Whenever the pilot signal shall be hoisted on the flag-staff at the Court-House, every pilot (except as aforesaid) then in Belize shall at once attend at the Custom House, and report himself. "12. Habitual drunkenness on the part of any pilot whilst on shore is hereby declared an offence punishable by withdrawal or suspension of his licence for any period not exceeding six months. "13. Any violation of the tenth by-law, any refusal or neglect of a pilot to obey any lawful order of the Governor, or Collector of Customs, and any contumacious or contemptuous conduct or behaviour on the part of any pilot, shall be deemed an offence, and subject the offender, on summary conviction thereof before a district magistrate, to a fine not exceeding $50. "14. Every offence on the part of any pilot for which no other penalty is declared, is hereby made punishable by withdrawal or suspension of his licence for any period not exceeding six months. "15. Every pilot on his appointment (except masters under (c) of By-law 1) shall, before such licence be granted to him, enter into a bond with one or more sureties to her Majesty the Queen in the sum of $500, conditioned for the due observance on his part of the regulations and by-laws—Ordinance 14, 1878, sect. 27. "16. There shall be two classes or branches of licences for pilots. The one for the pilotage of ships and vessels between Mauger and Half Moon Cays and Belize. The other, for the pilotage of ships and vessels between any other places within the limits of the colony, other than between Mauger and Half Moon Cays and Belize. "17. In the event of a pilot's certificate being lost or destroyed by accident, a duplicate —to be so marked and dated of the same day as the lost certificate — will be granted, on the Governor being satisfied with the account ren- dered of the circumstances occasioning such loss or destruction, declared to before a Justice of the Peace. "18. The following uniform shall be worn by all pilots when on duty :— Blue serge or cloth jacket or coat, with gilt buttons, with an anchor thereon, on the breast and cuffs. Blue cloth cap, with a badge according to the sealed pattern at the Custom House. "After the 1st January 1888, licences granted to pilots will be conditional, and subject to any reorganisation of the branch of the Customs Department. 54 POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. TREASURY, CUSTOMS, AND Pilot Stations. "19. Half Moon Cay, Mauger Cay, Cay Bokel, and English Cay, shall be the stations at which licensed eastern pilots shall reside and serve. "20. The pilot first arriving at any of the pilot stations shall be first in turn for piloting any ship arriving off the station inwards bound. "21. The eastern pilot bringing in a ship shall also have the piloting of such ship out- wards; and no other pilot shall be permitted to pilot any such ship outwards unless the pilot who brought her in is unavoidably prevented from piloting her outwards. Rates of Pilotage. "22. The rate of eastern pilotage shall be as follows:— For any ship, whether inwards or outwards, on draught, per foot $2. (By-Law of 9th January 1882.) Between Belize and the Bogue or Sibun, $6.00 Southern. (Ordinance No. 14 of 1878.) Between the Bogue and Sibun, . . 9.00 Between English Cay and the Southern Triangles, on draught, per foot, . . 0.75 Between Belize and Manatee, Mullin's river, or Stann Creek, on draught, per foot 1.00 Between Belize and the Sittee, or Point Placentia, on draught, per foot, . . 1.50 Between Belize and any place between Point Placentia and river Grande, on draught, per foot, . . . .2.50 Between Belize and Sarstoon, on draught, per foot 3.00 With a daily allowance to the pilot for every day he is detained on board beyond the time necessary to bring in or take out the vessel, of . . 1.25 Seaward from Southern Ports. From any place between Monkey and Sarstoon rivers (both inclusive) if the pilot is dismissed at outer line of Cays, on draught, per foot, . 2.50 If the pilot be carried beyond this line, on draught, per foot, . . . .3.00 Harbour. (By-Law of 20th January 1881.) Between Belize Harbour and the Ballast Ground, 4.00 From any part of Belize Harbour to any other part thereof, .... 2.00 When any vessel which arrives in the colony is placed in quarantine, the pilot, if there should be one on board, is for the time being made the quaran- tine officer in charge of the vessel, and is paid for his services at the rate of $1 per day. The following sections of "The Quar- antine Ordinance, 1873," relating especi- ally to the duties of pilots bringing vessels, which may have arrived from infected places, into the ports of the colony, are given here, as the informa- tion contained in them may be useful, and does not appear to be generally known:— "9. If, and as soon as it shall appear from any such answers, or otherwise, that any vessel arriving off the coast of this colony or at any of the ports thereof has come from or touched at, or had intercourse or communication during her voyage with any infected place, or has on board any person who has come from any such infected place or who is ill of any contagious or infectious disease, or that any person has died from any disease on board of such vessel during the pas- sage thereof to this colony, then the pilot and searcher of customs who shall first approach or come alongside of such vessel shall respectively act as hereinafter directed:— (1.) The pilot shall order the master to hoist a yellow flag, shall bring up such vessel at the quarantine ground, and shall prohibit all intercourse between such vessel and the shore and any other vessel. (2.) The searcher of customs shall order the master to hoist a yellow flag, and prohibit all intercourse between such vessel and the shore and any other vessel; and shall forth- with report the same to the visiting officer. "The term ' infected place' means any port, place, or vessel where yellow fever, the plague, cholera, or any epidemic disease of a contagious or infectious character, in fact prevails, or any port, place, or vessel which the Governor in Council may declare to be an infected port or place. "11. Any master or other person who shall conceal from any such visiting officer the true state of the health of the crew or other persons on board of such vessel, or shall refuse to answer, or shall untruly answer any inquiry made under the authority of this Ordinance, whether by the visiting officer or any searcher of customs or pilot, shall be liable to a penalty not less than $25 and not exceeding $500. "12. No master or other person belonging to or on board of any such vessel, and no pilot or pilot's assistant who shall have proceeded on board such vessel shall quit the same, for the purpose of landing or communicating with the shore or any other vessel, before such vessel shall have been visited by the visiting officer, unless permission to do so be granted in writing by the visiting officer. "13. No person, the pilot or his assistant excepted, shall proceed on board such vessel before she shall have been visited by the visiting officer, unless permission to do so be granted to him in writing by the visiting officer. "14. Any person offending against the provi- sions of the ninth section or of either of the two preceding sections, shall be liable to a penalty not less than $25 and not exceeding $250. "15. If any vessel shall have arrived from or touched at any infected place, or have on board any person who has come from such place, or on board which any person may have died from any PILOTS AND PILOTAGE—GtTNPOWDER MAGAZINES. 55 disease during the passage to this colony, or may- be ill of any contagious or infectious disease, or if the visiting officer shall have good grounds to suspect that such vessel or some person on board thereof has arrived from or touched at any such place, the said visiting officer is required to cause the said vessel to fly the yellow flag at the fore-topgallant masthead or at some other con- spicuous place, and to anchor at the quarantine ground until further directions from the Quar- antine Board. "17. Every person who shall wilfully obstruct or molest any pilot, searcher of customs, or visiting officer whilst acting in the performance of his duty under this Ordinance, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding $50. "20. Any master of a vessel liable to the per- formance of quarantine who shall not, after notice, cause such vessel to proceed to the quar- antine ground shall be liable to a penalty not less than $50 and not exceeding $'250; and it shall be lawful for the visiting officer, or any person called to his assistance, to enforce the removal of any such vessel to the quarantine ground, and to use all necessary means for that purpose. "21. The master of every vessel subject to quarantine shall, during the day, keep flying a yellow flag, and shall, during the night, hoist and keep alight a signal lantern, both or either of which, when necessary, shall be provided by the Quarantine Board; and every master offend- ing herein shall be liable to a penalty not less than $25 and not exceeding $250. "22. Until any vessel, as aforesaid, shall have performed and been duly discharged from quar- antine, no person on board of or belonging to such vessel, nor any part of the cargo, stores, or lading of the same, nor any articles or things whatsoever belonging to the passengers, master, officers, or crew thereof, shall be permitted to leave or be removed or taken from such vessel, either to go or be put on shore, or on board of any other vessel in any port of this colony, unless by the direction of the Quarantine Board; and every such vessel, and all persons, goods, and merchandise thereon, and all vessels and persons having communication with the same, shall be subject to such rules and regulations as may be made by the Governor in Council. "23. Until any vessel, as aforesaid, shall have performed and been duly discharged from quar- antine, no person except the visiting officer, or such other person as may be authorised by the Quarantine Board, shall go on board such vessel; and no article or thing shall be taken or received on board such vessel except by the direction of the said Quarantine Board, or of the said visiting officer. "24. Any person offending against the provi- sions of section 22 and 23 shall be liable to a penalty not less than $25 and not exceeding $250. '' 25. If, during the time that any vessel is in quarantine, the master thereof shall, without the permission of the Quarantine Board or of the visiting officer, quit or knowingly suffer any pas- senger, seaman, or other person on board to quit such vessel, or any goods, articles, or things whatsoever to be taken from such vessel, he shall be liable to a penalty not less than $50 and not exceeding $500. "26. Any person who, during the continuance of quarantine, leaves the vessel without proper permission in that behalf, may, in addition to the penalty hereinbefore mentioned, be appre- hended by any constable or other person and compelled to return to the said vessel, or be taken before a justice, who may order either that such person be returned to the said vessel or be confined in some lazaretto or other suitable place of confinement for such period, not less than two days nor exceeding fourteen, as he may think fit. "27. Any person who goes on board a vessel in the performance of quarantine without per- mission, as aforesaid, may be compelled to re- main on board the said vessel, and be subject to the rules and regulations thereof, during the continuance of the quarantine or until such time as to the Quarantine Board shall seem fit." LIST OP LICENSED PILOTS. Name of Pilot. Name of Boat. In what Waters licensed to Practise. D. Gill Snake, .... Southern and Eastern. W. N. Gill, . Morning Light, II n J. Longsworth, Exceed, .... ii n G. Arnold, Eeta, .... Eastern. H. Arnold, M R. Arnold, jr Souvenir II W. Arnold, Velocity II R Gill, .... II H. Gill II J. Gill, .... II J. Mignel, Alice II J. A. Raboteau, Victoria, .... II Gunpowder Magazines. A magazine is stationed up the Old river, Belize, for the use of importers of powder, ammunition, &c. The following are the rules and regula- tions framed by the Governor in Council, under the authority of the sixth section of the Ordinance of 1877, relating to the establishment of magazines:— 56 TREASURY, CUSTOMS, AND POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. "1. In these rules and regulations the expres- sion 'powder' shall mean gunpowder, and the expression 'magazine' shall mean gunpowder magazine, and the expression 'lucifer matches' shall include all manner of matches and flint and steel and other means of striking or making a light. "2. No person shall enter into any magazine except accompanied by the keeper thereof. "3. The keeper of any magazine shall every morning, at seven o'clock, unlock the door of the magazine, open the shutters, and, weather per- mitting, open the windows and air-holes for the purpose of ventilation. "4. The keeper shall carefully close all doors, windows, shutters, and air-holes at five o'clock p.m. each day, and properly secure the maga- zine. "5. Magazine slippers will be provided for the use of the keeper and all persons who may require to enter the magazine. "6. On the least appearance of storm or thunder all the doors, windows, shutters, and air-holes of the magazine are to be at once closed and secured. "7. The floor of the magazine shall be swept in the morning, and also the last thing before closing at S p.m., and as often during the day as any removal or shifting of powder takes place. "8. Barrels or cases containing powder or ammunition shall not be allowed to lie open in the magazine. "9. All tools, instruments, or other articles to be used in the magazine shall be made of wood or copper, and iron, or anything liable to cause ignition, shall not be admitted therein. "10. Smoking will not be permitted in or near any magazine, or in boats or carts conveying, taking in, or discharging powder; nor will fire, lucifer matches, or any article liable to cause ignition be allowed. "11. On every boat employed in conveyance of powder to or from vessels or magazines, a red flag shall be shown and kept flying until the cargo is discharged. "12. Every such boat shall be swept clean prior to receiving powder; no grit or dirt shall be allowed to accumulate. All iron bolts, nails, fittings, and fastenings shall be covered with tanned hides or wadmantilts, or, in their absence, with canvas sails which, prior to being used for such purpose, shall be carefully swept free of all dirt. "13. All powder barrels or cases conveyed in boats shall be covered with hides or wadmantilts, or, in their absence, with canvas sails carefully swept free of all dirt. "14. A cushion (stuffed with white oakum) will be provided and shall be used for landing all powder barrels or cases upon. "Genebal. "15. For any offence against any of these rules and regulations, the person committing the same, and the keeper of the magazine, or the person in charge of any boat employed in the conveyance of powder or ammunition allowing the same, shall be liable severally to a fine not exceeding $50, recoverable before any district magistrate. Excise. Previous to the passing of Ordinance No. 5 of 1881, an excise duty was levied not only on the rum but also on the sugar manufactured in the colony. This latter duty was, how- ever, a great drawback to the manu- facture of sugar, and the Government thought that if the duty on sugar was withdrawn, the sugar-making industry would be increased, and that the revenue would not suffer, as the con- sequence of the step would be an in- crease in the rum manufactured: ac- cordingly, the above-quoted Ordinance was passed. Their expectations were more than realised, and the wisdom of the step plainly shown by the enormous increase of receipts from the duty paid on rum; for whereas formerly the largest receipts from the excise duties on both rum and sugar in the Northern District had, in any one year, been only $2500, they immediately rose to $13,000. And yet this need hardly be wondered at when it is consid- ered that the withdrawal of the duty on sugar not only increased the number of sugar estates in the Northern District, the centre of the manufacture of rum, but also induced planters to commence sugar plantations in the other districts of the colony, on all of which estates rum is manufactured, and thus the revenue derived from the excise duty on rum was increased. Another cause of the extraordinary increase in the receipts from excise was also that this Ordinance provided for a better collection of the duty, which formerly was very imperfect. In 1883 Ordinance No. 5 of 1881 was amended by No. 3 of 1883, and in 1887 these two were repealed by Ordinance No. 5 of that year, called "The Excise Ordinance, 1887." The following notes have been taken from the last-mentioned Ordinance, and give- briefly the most important sections:— EXCISE—TAXES, LICENCES, DUTIES, ETC. 57 Excise Notes. "The Governor in Council may make regula- tions for the prevention of fraud in the manufac- ture of rum. ''' Rum' includes all wines, spirits, and liquors; and 'estate,' any place used for the manufacture or production of rum. "The Governor may appoint revenue officers. "A return of all stills must be sent to the district magistrate before the 14th January. A licence will then be issued. Unregistered and unlicensed stills are liable to forfeiture. The licence expires on the 31st December in each year. "All stills not actually in use to be secured. "Imported or transferred stills to be notified to Collector of Customs or magistrates within seven days. "Still-house book, supplied by the district magistrate, to be kept on every estate. "Daily entries to be made and certified. "The chief revenue officer of the district to be notified, at least twenty-four hours beforehand, of distillation. "Distillation allowed between i a. m. and 7 P.M., Sundays excepted. "All rum to be gauged and strength deter- mined before removal. "Any revenue officer may at any time enter and inspect distillery. "Incorrect entries in still-house book not to be erased, but correct entry to be entered above and initialled. "Duty to be paid on deficiency of rum. '' Unmarketable rum may be re-distilled with approval of district magistrate. "An imperial gallon measure, duly stamped, to be kept in every distillery. "Capacity of vats to be ascertained and marked thereon. "Returns of rum on hand to be made quarter- ly, and declared to before a justice of the peace. "Returns to be accompanied by duty-paid permits. "Rum destroyed by fire not dutiable. "No rum to be allowed to distillers free of duty. "Five gallons for consumption on estate may be obtained on duty-paid permit. "Removal of rum illegal except under provi- sions on the ordinance. "Certificates to be supplied by the collector to estates. "Certificate on removal of rum from estate to bonded warehouse required. "Casks to be filled up to within one gallon of their capacity. Duty payable on all deficit. "Casks may be filled up on wharf in presence of a revenue officer. "Masters of vessels carrying rum are liable for duty on deficit. "All rum, unless duty paid, to be sent to bonded warehouse. "Permit required, and duty to be paid on all rum sold from an estate for consumption. "Rum illegally delivered is liable to seizure. "Onus probandi of above rests with accused. "Rum warehoused to be at risk of warehouses "Persons in charge to give all facilities for in- spection to revenue officers, and shall provide them with lodging and board on payment. "No person shall sell rum for less than the amount of duty, unless he can prove duty has been paid. Penalty $250. "Perjury, counterfeiting duty-paid permits, falsifying entries, bribing officers, hindering offi- cers in execution of duty, are offences under the Ordinance. Contraventions. Keeping unregistered still, . . . $250 Using unlicensed still 250 Not having an imperial standard measure, 100 Omitting to mark capacity of vat, . . 50 Not keeping still-house book daily,. . 100 Obtaining larger quantities of rum than permit calls for, 100 Not assisting revenue officers in taking ac- count of rum, 100 Refusing to provide lodgings, ... 50 Neglecting to make returns, . . . 500 Any other contravention if no penalty pro- vided, 250" Taxes, Licences, Duties, &c. The following comprise all the taxes, licences, duties, &c, levied in the colony:— Schedule of Taxes. Land and Property Tax. (Ordinances Nos. 2 of 1871, 10 of 1883, and 12 of 1886.) On all lands situate in Belize, Corosal, and Orange Walk, yielding an annnal rent of $35 and upwards, a rate not exceding 6 per cent. Present rate, . 3 per cent. On mahogany or logwood works, per mile base, $12 On plantations less than 10 acres, . . 1 On all lands on Cays, per square mile, . 1 On all houses or buildings on Cays, 3 per cent. On all other lands, per square mile, . . $2 The above taxes are due for each year, com- mencing on the 17th April and ending on the 16th of the following April. Returns to be sent in before the 17th May. If one moiety of the tax due is paid before the 1st June, the other moiety can be paid be- fore the 1st December, otherwise the whole is recoverable immediately after the 1st June. Tax on Horses, Dogs, Wheels, and Drays. (Ordinance No. 6 of 1883.) On every horse and mule kept in the towns of Belize, Corosal, and Orange Walk (ex- cept such as are used by the Governor and by officers of her Majesty's army who are on actual duty and draw forage allowance), yearly, $5 On every dog in Belize, Corosal, and Orange Walk, yearly, 2 On every wheel of carts, carriages, and drays, kept and used in Belize, and drawn by horse or mule, with the exception of carts, carriages, or drays belonging to her Majesty, or to the Governor, each wheel, yearly 3 58 TREASURY, CUSTOMS, AND POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. On every dray or cart employed for hire in Belize, yearly $1 These taxes are payable on or before the ] st day of August in each year, or before any day on which any such horse, mule, ass, dog, cart, carriage, or dray shall be kept or used. Fire Rate for the Town of Belize. (Ordinance No. 23 of 1885.) On the annual value of all property in the town of Belize, a rate not exceeding 2 per cent. Present rate, . 1 per cent. Licences. Liquor. (Ordinance No. 18 of 1885.) For a publican's general licence— Belize, 1st class, $500 „ 2d class, 300 Corosal, Orange Walk, Northern Stann Creek, Allpines, Mullin's River, and Punta Gorda, and within three miles of the police courts thereof, yearly, . 300 Elsewhere, yearly, 150 - - . 20Q 100 100 100 150 100 5 Hotel licence, yearly, For a spirit merchant's licence, yearly, . For a vessel licence, yearly, . For a malt and cider licence, yearly, For a shop liquor licence, Belize, yearly, Any other town, For a temporary license, per day, . SHU. (Ordinance No. 5 of 1887.) For every still not exceeding 100 gallons capacity, $50 For every still exceeding 100 gallons capac- ity, and not exceeding 200 gallons, . 60 And so on, for every additional 100 gallons capacity, 10 If a still licence be granted after the 30th June, the charge is one-half the above. Auctioneers. (Ordinance No. 6, 1885.) For a general licence throughout the colony, yearly, $100 For a licence for Belize district, yearly, . 75 For a licence for Northern District, includ- ing Corosal and Orange Walk, yearly, . 50 For a licence for any other district, yearly, 25 For a temporary licence to sell by deputy, per day, 5 Marriage. (Ordinance No. 10, 1880.) Governor's special licence, . . . $10 Carriage. (Ordinance No. 21, 1885.) For every carriage licensed to let for hire, . $3 For licence as driver thereof, ... 1 Surveyors. (Ordinance No. 4 of 1886.) For every examination, .... $25 On recording certificate as certified land surveyor, with Keeper of Records, . 25 The examination fee must be paid before the examination takes place, and the recording fee before a certified surveyor may practise as such. Pilots. (Ordinance No. 14 of 1878.) For every licence to practise as a pilot, $16 Measurers of Woods. (Ordinance No. 3 of 1873.) For every certificate of licence, ... 5 On recording certificate of licence as a measurer of woods, with the Keeper of Records, . . .• . Doctors. (28 Vict., cap. 9.) For every certificate of licence to practise as a physician or surgeon, Table of Customs Duties. (Ordinance No. 16 of 1885.) Import Duties. Bacon and hams, per lb., 16 SO. 02 1.00 0.25 0.40 0.03 0.01 0.02 0.02 6.00 0.02 0.02 0.30 0.50 0.05 0.10 0.01 Beef and pork, per barrel of 200 lb., Beer, porter, cider, and perry, per gallon, Bread, navy and pilot, per 100 lb., . Butter, per lb., Candles, tallow, per lb., .... ii all other, Cheese, per lb., Cigars, per 1000 Coifee, per lb., Cocoa, ii Fish, salted, dry or wet, per lUU lb., Flour, per barrel of 196 lb., . Gunpowder, per lb., Hay and oats, per 100 lb Lard, per lb., Lumber, rough, except palings, per 1000 feet, 1.00 Lumber, dressed, except palings, per 1000 feet Oils, mineral, per gallon, ii other kinds not in bottles, per gallon, Opium, per lb., Rice, per 100 lb., Salt, n n Shingles, per 1000 Soap, per 100 lb., Spirits, cordials, and liqueurs not exceed- ing the strength of proof by Sykes's hydrometer, and in proportion for any greater strength than strength of proof, per gallon 2.00 Spirits, methylated, per gallon, . . 1.00 Sugar, per lb 0.03 Tea, „ 0.121 Tobacco, „ 0.10 Turpentine, per gallon 0.08 Vinegar, in bulk, per gallon, . . . 0.05 Wines, sparkling, n 1.00 „ still, 0.50 Confectionery, jewellery, plate, and per- fumery, according to the invoice value, including the packages, . . 15 % All other goods, not free of duty, and not otherwise charged with any duty, ac- cording to the invoice value, including the cost of the packages, . . 10 % 1.50 0.03 0.O6 2.00 0.30 0.05 0.50 0.50 60 TREASURY, CUSTOMS, AND POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. Office Department was then a separate establishment. On Mr Graham's re- tirement from the offices of Treasurer and Collector of Customs in 1879, Mr M'Kinney, who was then the Post- master, was promoted to the -vacant offices; and in pursuance of Ordinance No. 10 of 1871, the Treasury, Customs, and Post-Office were amalgamated, and Mr M'Kinney appointed to the three offices at a salary of $2750 per annum, and a residence. The second clerk in the Treasury, Customs, and Post-Office Department is in charge of the Post-Office. Since the management of the British Honduras Post-Office was assumed by the colony in 1860, the following im- provements have been effected. In October 1864 the Money Order system between the United Kingdom and the Colonies was extended to British Honduras. On the 1st January 1879 British Honduras was admitted to the Postal Union, under which the postage rates from the colony to all countries in the Union was reduced to a uniform rate of 6d. for each letter of \ oz.; post- cards, 3d. each; newspapers, Id. each, if not exceeding 4 oz.; other printed papers and patterns, 2d. per 2 oz. Under the new Postal Treaty, con- cluded at Paris on the 1st June 1878, the rates of postage were reduced to what they now are; but these rates were not introduced to the colony until the 1st July 1879. At the end of 1886 a Parcel Post Exchange was effected between the colony and the United Kingdom, and certain other places vid the United Kingdom,—the first Parcel Post being despatched from England in March 1887. In 1888 a Parcel Post Exchange was also concluded with the United States of America. The Inland Mail-Service was intro- duced in 1862, between Belize and Corosal only. This service was dis- continued in a short time, but was reintroduced on a larger scale in 1879, when district post-offices were estab- lished at Corosal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, and Punta Gorda. A district post-office was established at Mullin's river in 1887. Previous to 1865 there were no stamps, and letters were prepaid in cash, the postmaster impressing the envelope with the word "paid." The following are the dates of the issues of stamps by the British Hon- duras Post-Office:— In 1865, three stamps bearing the values of Id., 6d., and Is. In 1872, a new stamp of the value of 3d. In 1879, consequent upon the re- duction of the postage rates, a stamp of the value of 4d., and a post-card of ljd. From this date up till the end of 1887 the values of the stamps issued were therefore Id., 3d., 4d., 6d., and Is.; and the post-card l£d., sold, how- ever, at 2d. On the 1st January 1888, these values were changed from sterling to currency, on account of Ordinance No. 8 of 1887, which en- acted that all accounts should be henceforth kept in dollars and cents. The stamps were accordingly surcharged with the values of 2 cents, 3 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, and 50 cents, and the post-card 5 cents. The 1 cent stamp is made by cutting the 2 cents stamp diagonally across. FOREIGN MAIL-SERVICE. Prior to the year 1845 there was no regular mail-service between Great Britain and the colony, the mails being made up and despatched by the first available opportunity. In 1845 the mails were conveyed to and from Great Britain once a- month via Havana in sailing - vessels belonging to the Royal Mail Company, THE POST-OFFICE. 01 under a contract with the Imperial Government. In 1850 the route was changed to Jamaica, and the steamers of the Royal Mail S.S. Company were employed under contract. This contract re- mained in force till 1863, when the Imperial Government renewed it on behalf of the colony: it was not, how- ever, accepted by the colony, and the Colonial Government entered into a contract with the West Indian Pacific S.S. Co. to continue the service. In 1865 the West Indian Pacific S.S. Co. threw up the contract, and the owners of the s.s. Trade Wind agreed to carry on the contract via New Orleans. The Trade Wind was wrecked in 1867, and the contractors put on the s.s. Grange to carry out the contract until the year 1871, when it was again taken up by the Royal Mail S.S. Co. via Jamaica, and held by them until 1879. In that year Captain Leitch of New Orleans obtained the contract to carry on a service once every three weeks between Belize and New Orleans. In 1881 it was altered to a fortnightly service, and again altered in 1882, the steamers then sailing every ninth and twelfth day alternately. This contract expired in 1884, and on the- 1st October of that year a new contract was entered into with Captain Leitch. The contract is for a period of five years, and renewable after that period, and can be terminated after six months' notice by either party. The contractor undertakes to provide a mail-service between Belize and New Orleans every ninth and twelfth day alternately for a yearly subsidy of $20,000. It is now under consideration to change this contract to a weekly mail- service. The following time-table shows the arrival and departure of the mails to and from the United Kingdom via New Orleans up to the end of June 1889 under the existing contract. Should it be revised before the date of its expiration (1st October 1889), some of the dates given may require alteration. [Time Table of Mails. 62 TREASURY, CUSTOMS, AND POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. TIME TABLE OF MAILS BETWEEN BELIZE, NEW ORLEANS, & LONDON, 1888-89. Leave Belize. Due at New Orleans. Due in London. Tuesday, . July 3 Saturday, . July 7 Saturday, . July 21 Thursday, . ii IS Monday, ii 16 Monday, o ii 30 Tuesday, • n 24 Saturday, o ii 28 Saturday, . August 11 Thursday, . August 2 Monday, . August 6 Monday, ii 20 Tuesday, ii 14 Saturday, ii 18 Saturday, . September 1 Thursday, ii 28 Monday, ii 27 Monday, n 10 Tuesday, . September 4 Saturday, . September 8 Saturday, • ii 22 Thursday, n 13 Monday, ii 17 Monday, . October 1 Tuesday, ii 25 Saturday, • ii 29 Saturday, n 13 Thursday, . October 4 Monday, . October 8 Monday, . ii 22 Tuesday, n 16 Saturday, ii 20 Saturday, . November 3 Thursday, n 26 Monday, . n 29 Monday, n 12 Tuesday, . November 6 Saturday, . November 10 Saturday, ii 24 Thursday, • ii 15 Monday, ii 19 Monday, . December 8 Tuesday, • ii 27 Saturday, . December 1 Saturday, ii 15 Thursday, . December 6 Monday, n 10 Monday, ii 24 Tuesday, n 18 Saturday, • ii 20 Saturday, . Jan. (1889) 5 Thursday, • ii 27 Monday, . ii 81 Monday, II 14 Tuesday, . Jan. (1889) 8 Saturday, . Jan. (1889) 12 Saturday, m 26 Thursday, II 17 Monday, m 21 Monday, . February 4 Tuesday, m 29 Saturday, . February 2 Saturday, ii 16 Thursday, . February 7 Monday, n 11 Monday, • ii 25 Tuesday, ii 19 Saturday, ii 23 Saturday, . March 9 Thursday, ii 28 Monday, . March 4 Monday, ii 18 Tuesday, . March 12 Saturday, • ii 16 Saturday, • ii 30 Thursday, i ii 21 Monday, 25 Monday, . April 8 Tuesday, . April 2 Saturday, . April 6 Saturday, ii 20 Thursday, • ii 11' Monday, ii 15 Monday, • ii 29 Tuesday, 23 Saturday, n 27 Saturday, . May 11 Thursday, . May 2 Monday, . May 6 Monday, • ii 20 Tuesday, • ii 14 Saturday, ii 18 Saturday, . June 1 Thursday, ii 23 Monday, ii 27 Monday, • ii 10 Tuesday, . June 4 Saturday, . June 8 Saturday, ii 22 Thursday, • ii 13 Monday, 17 Monday, . July 1 Tuesday, ii 25 Saturday, il 29 Saturday, • ii 13 THE POST-OFFICE. 63 TIME TABLE OF MAILS BETWEEN BELIZE, NEW ORLEANS, & LONDON, 1888-89. Leave London. Leave New Orleans. Due at Belize. Saturday, . July 28 Saturday, . August 11 Thursday, . August 16 Wednesday, . August 8) Saturday (supplementary), 11J Thursday, n 23 Tuesday, ii 28 Saturday, . August 18 Saturday, . September 1 Thursday, . September 6 Wednesday, . „ 29) Saturday (sup.), September 1J Thursday, • ii 13 Tuesday, ». n 18 Saturday, . n 8 Saturday, n 22 Thursday, ii 27 Wednesday, . „ 19) Saturday (supplementary), 22 J Thursday, . October 4 Tuesday, . October 9 Saturday, . September 29 Saturday, n 13 Thursday, n 18 Wednesday, . October 10) Saturday (supplementary), 13 J Thursday, ii 25 Tuesday, . ii 30 Saturday, . October 20 Saturday, . November 3 Thursday, . November 8 Wednesday, . .. 31 ) Saturday (sup.), November 3 J Thursday, ii 15 Tuesday, . ii 20 Saturday, . « 10 Saturday, • ii 24 Thursday, • ii 29 Wednesday, . „ 21) Saturday (supplementary), 24J Thursday, . December 6 Tuesday, . December 11 Saturday, . December 1 Saturday, n 15 Thursday, ii 20 Wednesday, . n 12) Saturday (supplementary), 15 J Thursday, n 27 Tuesday, . Jan.(1889) 1 Saturday, . December 22 Saturday, . Jan. (1889) 5 Thursday, ii 10 Wednesday, . Jan. (1889) 2 ) Saturday (supplementary), 5 j Thursday, . ii 17 Tuesday, • . ii 22 Saturday, . January 12 Saturday, ii 26 Thursday, n 81 Wednesday, . u 23) Saturday (supplementary), 26 J Thursday, . February 7 Tuesday, . February 12 Saturday, . February 2 Saturday, n 16 Thursday, ii 21 Wednesday, . u 13) Saturday (supplementary), 16) Thursday, n 28 Tuesday, . March 5 Saturday, . February 23 Saturday, . March 9 Thursday, ii 14 Wednesday, . March 6 ) Saturday (supplementary), 9 J Thursday, ii 21 Tuesday, • ii 26 Saturday, . March 16 Saturday, ii SO Thursday, . April 4 Wednesday, . „ 27 ) Saturday (supplementary), 30 J Thursday, . April 11 Tuesday, ii 16 Saturday, . April 6 Saturday, ii 20 Thursday, . ii 25 Wednesday, . n 17 ) Saturday (supplementary), 20 J Thursday, . May 2 Tuesday, . May 7 Saturday, . April 27 Saturday, ii 11 Thursday, ii 16 Wednesday, . May 8) Saturday (supplementary), 11 J Thursday, ii 23 Tuesday, ii 28 Saturday, . May 18 Saturday, . June 1 Thursday, . June 6 Wednesday, . n 29) Saturday (sup.), June 1J Thursday, ii 13 Tuesday, ii 18 Saturday, . n 8 Saturday, . ii 22 Thursday, ii 27 Wednesday, . ., 19) Saturday (supplementary), 22 J Thursday, . July 4 Tuesday, . July 9 Saturday, . June 29 Saturday, ii 13 Thursday, n 18 Wednesday, . July 10 ) Saturday (supplementary), 13 J Thursday, ii 25 Tuesday, . ii 30 Saturday, . July 20 Saturday, . August 3 Thursday, . August 8 64 TREASURY, CUSTOMS, AND POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. The mails for abroad are made up at the General Post-Office, Belize, at 1 p.m. on the day the steamer leaves for New Orleans, should she arrive from the South in time to depart at the contract time. Notice of the hour of the closing of the mail, should the steamer be late, can always be obtained by applying at the General Post-Office. Letters may be registered up till 1 p.m. on the day of the sailing of the regular packet. Late letters may be posted up to one hour after the closing of the mail for a fee of ten cents, in addition to the postage. 'Mails are also made up and de- spatched whenever an opportunity oc- curs. MAILS FOB THE SOUTH. The mails for Guatemala and Spanish Honduras are made up at the General Post-Office, Belize, at 3 p.m. on the day after the mail from London and New Orleans is due in Belize. INLAND MAIL-SERVICE. Under a contract entered into, in 1887, with Captain Leitch, a regular mail-service with both the Northern and Southern Districts of the colony has been provided for. The steamer Freddie M., which per- forms the contract, leaves Belize for the North on the second day after the arrival of the mail from New Orleans, and returns in time to catch the out- going mail, and for the South once a-month. Mails are also despatched to and from the General Post-Office, Belize, and the district post - offices on every available opportunity. LOCAL DELIVERY. Belize. Letters are delivered in Belize by postman twice a - day—at 8 a.m and 3 p.m. Districts. Letters must be applied for at the district post - offices, there being no delivery. List of Countries, &c, comprised in the Universal Postal Union. Argentine Republic, viz. :—Buenos Ayres, Santa Fe, Estre Rios, Corientes, Cordova, La Rioja, Santiago del Estero, Tuenman, Catamarca, Salta and Jujiry, San Luis, Mendosa, and San Juan. Austro-Hungary, including Principality of Lich- tenstein. Belgium. Bolivia. Brazil. Bulgaria, Principality of. Canada, Dominion of—viz.: Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, British Co- lumbia, Manitoba, Vancouver's Island, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton Island. Chili. Congo. Costa Eica. Cyprus. Denmark, including Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Danish Colonies of Greenland—St Croix, St John, and St Thomas. Dominican Republic (San Domingo). Ecuador. Egypt. France, including Algeria, Principality of Monaco, and the French Post-Offices established at Tunis, Tangier (Morocco), and at Shanghai (China), Cambodia, and Tonquin. French Colonies of Martinique, Guadeloupe and Dependencies. French Guiana (Cayenne), Senegal and Dependencies, Gaboon, also Grand Bassam and Assinee, Reunion Mayotte and Dependencies, St Mary, Tamatave (Madagas- car, *New Caledonia and Dependencies, the French portion of Low Archipelago and the French Establishments in •India and in "Cochin China. Germany (including Heligoland). Gibraltar. Great Britain and Ireland. British Colonies (in addition to those separately mentioned) of Antigua, Bahamas, Barbadoes, Bermudas, British Guiana, British Honduras, •Ceylon, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Gambia, Gold Coast, Grenada and the Grenadines, *Hong Kong, Jamaica, *Labuan, Lagos, Mauritius and Dependencies (the Amirante Islands, the Seychelles and Rodriques), Mont- serrat, Nevis, Newfoundland, St Kitts, St Lucia, St Vincent, Sierra Leone, *Straits Settlements (Penang, Singapore, and Malacca), Tobago, Tortola, Trinidad, and Turks Island. •British India, Hindostan, and British Burmah, and the Indian Postal Establishments of Aden, Muscat, Persian Gulf, Guadur, and Mandalay. Greece, including Ionian Islands. Grey Town. Guatemala. Hayti. Hawaii. Honduras, Republic of (including Bay Islands). Italy, including the Republic of San Marino and the Italian Offices of Tunis and Tripoli THE POST-OFFICE. 65 in Barbary, Massowah, Egypt, and "Assab, Abyssinia. Japan and Japanese Post-Offices in Shanghai, Cheefoo, Chin-King, Hankow, Ningpo, Foo- chow, Newyang, Kiukiang, and Tientsin (China), and at Fusampo (Corea). Liberia. Luxemburg. Malta. Mexico. Montenegro. Netherlands. Netherland Colonies of Dutch Guiana (Surinam), Curacoa and Dependencies (viz., Bonaire, Aruba, the Netherland portion of St Martin, St Eustache, and Saba). *Java, *Madura, *Sumatra, "Celebes, *Borneo (except North- west part), *Billiton, "Archipelagos of Banca; *Riouw, *Sunda Islands (Bali, Lombok, Sum- bawa, Floris, and the South-west part of Timor), "the Archipelago of the Molaccas, and the *North-west part of New Guiana (Papua). Nicaragua. Norway. Paraguay. Patagonia. "Persia, vid Persian Gulf. Peru. Portugal, including Madeira and the Azores. Portuguese Colonies of *Goa and its Depend- encies (Damao and Diu), Macao, Timor, Cape de Verd and Dependencies (Bissao and Casheu), Ambrizetti, Islands of St Thomas and Prince (in Africa), with the Establishment of Ajuda, "Mozambique, and Angola. Roumania (Moldavia and Wallachia). Russia, including Finland. Salvador. Servia. "Siam. Spain, including the Balearic Islands, the Ca- nary Islands, the Spanish possessions on the Northern Coast of Africa and the Republic of Andorra, and the Postal Establishments of Spain upon the Western Coast of Morocco. Spanish Colonies of Cuba, Porto Rico, Fernando Po, Annobon and Dependencies. "Philippine Islands and "Marian Islands. Sweden. Switzerland. Tahiti. Turkey, European and Asiatic. United States of Colombia—Barranquilla, Bo- gota, Buenaventura, Carthageua, Colon, Pan- ama, Porto Bello, Santa Martha, Savanilla. United States of America. Uruguay. Venezuela. "Prepayment of all classes of correspondence must be effected by means of stamps affixed to the letter or packet. "Letters not specially directed by a particular route will be sent by the first mail despatched. "No packet of printed matter or commercial papers for transmission to countries of the Postal Union must exceed 18 inches in length or 1 foot in width or depth, and no such packet for other places abroad must exceed 2 feet in length or 1 foot in width or depth; the extreme limit of weight is 4 lb. for a single packet for countries in the Postal Union. "Pattern and sample packets for places in the Postal Union must not exceed 8 inches in length, 4 inches in width, 2 inches in depth, or 8 ounces in weight, except those for Belgium, France, Greece, Luxemburg, Portugal, Switzerland vid France, the Argentine Republic, and the United States, the limits for which are 1 foot in length, 8 inches in width, 4 inches in depth, and 12 ounces in weight. "Any number of newspapers may be sent as a book packet, but if sent as newspapers the speci- fied rate must be paid for each paper, whether one or several be inclosed in the same cover. "The postage must be prepaid in newspapers and book packets for transmission abroad. "It is forbidden to send through the post to a country of the Postal Union— "1st. Any letter or packet containing gold or silver bullion, pieces of money, jewellery, or precious articles. "2d. Any packet whatever containing articles liable to customs duty. "3d. Any article of a nature likely to stain or injure the correspondence. "In addition to all kinds of printed, engraved, or lithographed matter, legal and commercial documents, and music in manuscript may be sent as a book-packet. Proofs of printing or of music may bear correction with a pen, and may have manuscript annexed to them. Circulars, &c., may bear the signature of the sender, his trade or profession, place of residence, and a date. A book may have a dedication or complimentary inscription in manuscript, and printed and litho- graphed stock or share lists, prices-current, and market may have the prices added in writing. "Commercial papers and printed papers must be sent under band or in an open envelope, so as to admit of the contents being easily withdrawn for inspection; but if they present the form and consistency of an unfolded card they may be forwarded without a cover. "The term 'printed papers' has reference to newspaper and periodical works, books stitched or bound, pamphlets, sheets of music, visiting cards, address cards, proofs of printing, with or without the manuscript relating thereto, engrav- ings, photographs, drawings, plans, maps, cata- logues, prospectuses, announcements and notices of various kinds, whether printed, engraved, or lithographed; and, in general, all impressions or copies obtained upon paper, parchment, and cardboard, by means of printing, lithographing, or any other mechanical process easy to be re- cognised, except the copying press. "Stamps for prepayment, whether obliterated or not, as well as all printed articles containing the representative sign of a monetary value, are excluded from the reduced postage applicable to 'printed papers.' "Patterns of merchandise can only be for- warded under the following conditions:— "They must be placed in bags, boxes, or open envelopes, in such a manner as to admit of easy inspection. "They must possess no saleable value, nor bear any manuscript beyond the name or social position of the sender, the address of the addressee, a manufacturer's or trade mark, number, and prices. Unpaid letters to or from Postal Union countries are charged double the E 66 TREASURY, CUSTOMS, AND POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. prepaid rate. Partially prepaid letters are charged with double the deficiency. No letter for a colony or foreign country may exceed 2 feet in length or 1 foot in width or depth. The pattern and sample post to for- eign countries and the colonies gene- rally is restricted to bond fide trade patterns or samples of merchandise. Packets containing goods for sale, or in execution of an order (however small the quantity), or any articles from one private individual to another, which are not actual patterns or samples, can only be forwarded as letters. No article liable to customs duties can be sent as a sample or pattern. Samples of saleable value must not be sent to any foreign country, or to any of the British possessions which are comprised in the Postal Union. Samples of eider down, raw or thread silk, woollen or goats' hair thread, van- illa, or isinglass, are considered to fall under this rule if they weigh more than three ounces. Such articles as scissors, knives, razors, forks, steel-pens, nails, keys, watch machinery, metal-tubing, pieces of metal or ore, provided that they be packed and guarded in so secure a manner as to afford a complete protection to the officers of the post-office, while at the same time they may be easily examined, may be sent as samples to places abroad. Liquids, glass, anything of a greasy nature, explosives, indigo, and powders of all kinds are absolutely prohibited. The size of a packet for a non-union country or colony is limited to 2 feet in length, and 1 foot in width or depth. Registration. Letters transmitted by the post may be registered upon payment of the re- gistration fee in addition to the post- age; but such registration shall not render the Postmaster of the colony, or any officer of the post-office or the public revenue, in any manner liable for the loss of any such registered letter or its contents. The sender of a registered article addressed to any foreign country or British colony in the Postal Union may obtain an acknowledgment of its due receipt by the addressee on paying a fee of 6 cents as well as the registra- tion fee, in advance, at the time of registration. No article addressed to initials, or to a fictitious name, can be registered. The prohibition, however, does not extend to articles addressed to the care of a person or firm. Every article presented for registra- tion must be enclosed in a strong en- velope, securely fastened. It is prohibited to send to a country of the Postal Union any registered article marked on the outside with the declared value of the contents, and postmasters must therefore refuse to re- ceive articles which are so marked. Registered articles must be prepaid as regards both postage and registration fee. Articles to be registered must be given to an agent of the post-office, and a receipt obtained for them, and should on no account be dropped into a letter- box. As it is prohibited to send coin, jewellery, or precious articles through the post to countries of the Postal Union, no letters or packets addressed to those countries, and containing any such articles, can be accepted for regis- tration. This regulation, however, does not apply to Malta or Gibraltar. Letters or packets containing coin for any of the British colonies not in the Postal Union can be registered, and if they are posted without being regis- tered, they are treated in the same manner as inland letters under similar circumstances. The several postal administrations of the countries belonging to the Postal 68 TREASURY, CUSTOMS, AND POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. agents, except a letter concerning goods being conveyed by them. 3. Owners or masters of vessels sailing or pass- ing coastwise or otherwise between, to, or from places in the colony, or their servants or agents, except in respect of letters of merchants, owners of ships, or goods on board. 4. Passengers or other persons on board any such vessels. , "If the master of any vessel or boat about to depart from any place in the colony, either for any other place in or without the colony, shall refuse to receive a post letter-bag tendered to him by an officer of the Post-Office for convey- ance by any such vessel, or shall wilfully neglect to duly convey any such bag received by him for conveyance, or to take due care of any such bag in his charge, he shall for every such offence forfeit $200. "The following persons shall be entitled to have their letters free from postage: The owners, charterers, or consignees of inward bound ves- sels, and the owners, consignees, or shippers of goods on board any such vessel; but the letters brought by any one vessel to any one such person shall not collectively exceed six ounces in weight, and the owner, charterer, or consignee shall be jdescribed as such on the address or superscrip- tion. In the case of owners, shippers, or con- signees of goods, it shall also appear by the ship's manifest that they have goods on board the ves- sel. Provided that if the master of the vessel shall deliver any such letter into the Post-Office, the same shall cease to be privileged, and shall be liable to the full rate of postage. "Every master of a vessel, such vessel not being a Post-Office packet, arriving in this colony shall, without delay, cause all letters on board his vessel, not exempted under the preceding section, to be collected and enclosed in some bag or other envelope, and shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, the same at the post office at the place where the vessel shall report; and shall, if required, sign a declaration before the postmaster of such place, or other person authorised by him, and such declaration may be in the following form:— 'I, A.B., master of the [state the name of the vessel], arrived from [state place], do solemn- ly declare that I have, to the best of my knowledge and belief, delivered, or caused to be delivered to the post-officer, every letter, bag, package, or parcel of letters that were on board the said vessel, except such letters as are exempted by law.' "Every person who shall convey, otherwise than by the post, any letter required by law to be conveyed by post, shall, for every letter, for- feit $10; and every person who shall be in the practice of so conveying letters required to be conveyed by post, shall, for every week during which the practice shall be continued, forfeit $100; and every person who shall perform, other- wise than by post, any services incidental to conveying letters from place to place, whether by receiving or by taking up, or by collecting, or by ordering, or by despatching, or carrying or recarrying, or by delivering a letter required to be conveyed by post, shall forfeit for every letter $10; and every person who shall be in the prac- tice of so performing any such incidental services, shall, for every week during which the practice shall be continued, forfeit $100; and every per- son who shall send, or cause to be sent, a letter required to be conveyed by post otherwise than by the post, or shall either tender or deliver a letter so required to be conveyed, in order to be sent otherwise than by the post, shall forfeit for every letter $10; and every person who shall be in the practice of committing any of the acts last mentioned shall, for every week during which the practice shall be continued, forfeit $100; and every person who shall make a collection of ex- cepted letters for the purpose of conveying or sending them otherwise than by the post shall forfeit for every letter $10; and every person who shall be in the practice of making a collec- tion of excepted letters for that purpose, shall forfeit for every week during which the practice shall be continued $100; and the term 'post' shall herein include all post communications by land or by water (except by outward-bound ves- sels, not being post-office packets), and the above penalties shall be incurred whether the letter shall be sent singly or with anything else, or such incidental service shall be performed in respect to a letter either sent or to be sent singly, or together with some other letter or thing; and in any proceeding for the recovery of any such penalty, the onus shall lie upon the party proceeded against to prove that the act in respect of which the penalty is alleged to have been incurred was done in conformity to law. "Beyond the regular office hours, the General Post-Office at Belize shall be open every week- day from 7 to 8 o'clock a.m., for delivering any letters that may have arrived during the previous night." RATES OF POSTAGE TO ALL PLACES COMPRISED IN THE UNIVERSAL POS- TAL UNION. Letters, per J oz., $0.10 Post-cards, each, 0.05 Newspapers, i 0.02 Books and patterns, per 2 oz., . . 0.03 Commercial documents, not exceeding 2 oz., 0.06 Each additional 2 oz 0.03 Registration fee, . . . . . 0.10 In the case of countries marked * in the list of countries in the Postal Union, the following additional rates must be paid, viz.:— Letters, per j oz., $0.03 Post-cards, each 0.03 Newspapers, n 0.01 Books, printed and commercial papers, per2oz., 0.01 THE POST-OFFICE. 69 Rates of Postage foe Places not comprised in the Universal Postal Union. Places. Letters, per J oz. Newspapers, each. Books and Patterns, per 2 oz. Registration Fee. Ascension 1 Australia, .... Cape of Good Hope, . $0.23 $0.05 $0.08 $0.12 New Zealand, St Helena, . . . .; RATES OF INLAND P08TAGE. Letters, perjoz., $0.03 Books and patterns, per 2 oz., . . 0.02 Newspapers, each 0.01 All inland mail matter must be fully prepaid, or it will not be forwarded, but returned to the sender. MONEY ORDERS. Money orders can be obtained at the General Post-Office, Belize, only. The commission on money orders is five per cent, $6.50 being equivalent to £1. Money orders may be obtained up. to 12 o'clock noon, on the day previous to the sailing of the mail. The amount drawn by any one per- son must not exceed £10, and the whole remittance made from the Post- Office by any mail must not exceed £100. No money order must include the fractional part of a penny. Every application for a money order must be made on the authorised form only: such forms can be obtained at the General Post-Office on application. An applicant for a money order must furnish in full the surname, and, at least, the initial of one Christian name both of the remitter and payee. Payment of an order must be ob- tained before the end of the sixth calendar month after that in which it was drawn, otherwise the order will have become lapsed, and a new order (for which a second commission, to be deducted from the amount of the order, will be charged) will become necessary. If an order be not paid before the end of the twelfth calendar month in which it was drawn, all claim to the money will be forfeited, unless, under peculiar circumstances, the Post-Office of the country in which the order was drawn think proper to permit it. An application for a money order must in all cases be accompanied by the full amount of the order and the commission, or it will not be considered. THROUGH MONEY ORDERS. Through money orders can be ob- tained on the following foreign coun- tries, British colonies, &c.:— Foreign Countries— Austria-Hungary. Belgium. Bulgaria, Denmark (including Iceland). Danish West Indies. Dutch East Indies. Egypt. German Empire. Hawaii (Sandwich Islands). Holland. Italy. Japan. North Borneo (Sandakan). Norway. Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores). Roumania. Sweden. Switzerland. United States. Foreign Cities and Towns— Constantinople. 70 TREASURY, CUSTOMS, AND POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. Smyrna. Adrianople. Beyrout. Philippopolis. Salonica. 'Panama. British India— Including the agencies of the Indian Post- Office at Aden, Bagdad, Bunder Abbas, Bu- shire, Busrah, Guadur, Jask, Linga, Muscat, and Zanzibar. British Colonies— Ceylon. Hong Kong, including the agencies of the Hong Kong Post-Office at Amoy, Canton, Foo - chow, Hankow, Hoihow, Ningpo, Shanghai, and Swatow. Straits Settlements. Cyprus. Gibraltar. Heligoland. Malta. Australasia— New South Wales. Queensland. South Australia. Tasmania. Victoria. Western Australia. New Zealand. British America— Canada, including British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Ed- ward Island. Newfoundland. Africa— Cape Colony. Gambia. Gold Coast. Lagos. Mauritius. Natal. St Helena. Sierra Leone. West Indies- Antigua. Bahamas. Barbadoes. British Guiana. Dominica. Grenada. Jamaica. Montserrat. Nevis. St Kitts. St Lucia. St Vincent. Tobago. Trinidad. Turks Islands. Bermuda. Falkland Islands. The plan upon which the through money order business is conducted is, briefly—that the issuing office advises the amounts of the money orders to the central money order office in London, which readvises them to the centra] offices of the countries in which the orders are to be paid. The central money order office in London deducts from the amount of the orders a sum equal to one-half of the commission chargeable to the public in Great Britain on money orders drawn upon places abroad. This deduction is at the undermentioned rate :— For sums not exceeding £2 sterling, £0 0 3 For sums exceeding £2, but not ex- ceeding £5 0 0 6 £5, „ £7, 0 0 9 £7, „ £10, 0 1 0 PARCEL POST. A parcel post between British Hon- duras and the United Kingdom and certain places via the United Kingdom as well as certain British colonies has now been established. The contract for carrying the parcel post has been obtained by the London line of steamers, which leave London for Belize about once every five weeks. The parcel post business is trans- acted at the General Post-Office, Belize, only—parcels being received up to 12 o'clock on the day previous to the sail- ing of the steamer. The following are the regulations and conditions to be observed :— "Aparcel addressed to the United Kingdom must not exceed eleven pounds in weight, three feet six inches in length, or six feet in length and girth measured together. "The rate of postage on a parcel for the United Kingdom is 20 cents for every pound or fraction of a pound, and must in all cases be prepaid by means of adhesive postage stamps. No parcel will be accepted for transmission which is not sufficiently prepaid. "Parcels intended for transmission vid the United Kingdom to Austria-Hungary, Denmark, Heligoland, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, or Sweden must not exceed six pounds in weight, or in the case of parcels for Belgium, the Nether- lands, Luxemburg, or Norway, eleven pounds in weight, or be of greater dimensions than two feet in any direction. "Parcels must not be posted in a letter-box but taken to the post-office. "Each parcel must be plainly directed, such direction giving the name and full address of the person for whom the parcel is intended. "Parcels must be securely and substantially packed and closed. No parcel insufficiently packed will be forwarded." THE POST-OFFICE. 71 The contents and value of a parcel must be declared to by the sender on a form to be affixed to or accompany the parcel, which can be obtained at the General Post-Office. This form is called the "Customs Declaration Form." The following is a list of goods liable to duties of customs on importa- tion to the United Kingdom :— 1. Beer. Ale. Essence of spruce. 2. Cocoa. Chocolate. Chicory.1 Coffee.1 Tea.' 3. Currants. Figs. Fig cake. French plums and all dried plums. Prunes. Raisins. 4. Plate of gold and silver. 5. Playing-cards. 6. Spirits of all sorts, including Eau de Cologne and all other perfumed spirits. Chloroform. Chloral hydrate. Collodion. Sulphuric ether. Iodide of ethyl. 7. Wine. 8. Soap, transparent, made with spirit. 9. Tobacco, inclusive of cigars and snuff. Tobacco, cigars, and snuff can only be received subject to the special re- strictions which attach to such goods under British customs laws. If any of the above-mentioned goods are sent by parcel post, they must be specially declared according to their true description in the declaration form required to be affixed to or ac- company all parcels intended for trans- mission to the United Kingdom by post, on pain of the forfeiture of the whole contents of parcels discovered to contain dutiable goods not properly de- clared. The following are the customs pro- hibitions and restrictions in the case of parcels brought by parcel post into the United Kingdom :— Prohibitions. Foreign reprints of British registered copy- - right works. False money, counterfeit sterling and British silver coin below standard. Indecent or obscene articles, inclusive of prints, photographs, &c. Tobacco stalks. Clocks, watches, and metals generally, bearing imitations of British assay marks or stamps. Extracts, essences, or concentrations of coffee, chicory, tea, and tobacco may not be imported for home consumption. Tobacco (inclusive of cigars and snuff) in small packages, such as could be contained in a postal parcel. Consideration will, however, be given in the case of any such package, if intended bond fide for the personal consumption of the addressee. Restrictions. Foreign or colonial manufactures bearing the names, addresses, or trade marks of British manufacturers, unless imported with their con- sent. Explosive substances and dangerous goods generally, which can only be imported under special conditions. There are also restrictions on spirits unless in bottle. All customs prohibitions and re- strictions apply equally from whatever British colony or possession or foreign country the importations may come. The following tables give the rates charged on parcels conveyed by parcel post via the United Kingdom :— Via Hamburg. Vid Belgium. Name of Place. Not exceeding 21b. Between 2 lb. and 6 lb. Not exceeding 21b. Between 2 lb. and 6 lb. Austria-Hungary, Denmark, Heligoland, $0,874 0.74 $1.35 1.22 $0.95 0.81 $1.42 1.28 and Switzerland, Germany, Vid Germany. Vid France. Italy.a $1.15 $1.62 $0.95 $1.43 1 Except in the form of essence, when it is absolutely prohibited. s In future all parcels for Italy will be forwarded vid France, unless specially directed vid Germany, and prepaid for the latter route. 72 TREASURY, CUSTOMS, AND POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. Nave of Place. Not exceeding 2 lb. Between 2 lb. and 61b. Between 6 lb. and 111b. 80.77 $1.24 $1.92 0.70 1.25 1.92 0.77 1.24 2.04 0.66 1.22 1.89 0.77 1.94 None taken 0.83 1.32 ii Algeria and Corsica 0.98 1.46 ii 1.06 1.51 ii Dimensions and Prohibited Articles. Name of Country. Maximum Dimensions. Articles specially prohibited from Transmission. France, . . . Corsica, . . . 2 feet in any direc- tion, greatest length, 2 feet, greatest length and girth combined, 4 feet. Letters, secret and forbiddden arms, ammunition, ar- ticles infringing copyright or trade-mark laws, game out of season, medicines (unless their components are stated), copper or bronze coin not current in France, tobacco (unless addressed to the " Regie," or in limited quantities, and hy special permission for the personal use of the addressees), essence of tobacco, playing- cards, phylloxera, parts of the vine, gold or silver ar- ticles, jewellery, lace. Algeria, . . . Tunis ii Counterfeit articles, foreign bronze coin, arms, ammuni- tion, medicines (unless their components are stated), plants, parts of the vine, fresh fruit and vegetables, gold or silver articles, jewellery, lace. M Arms, ammunition, nitrate of soda, saltpetre, salt, sul- phur, tobacco, kif, chisa, hachich, imitations of Tunisian chechias, plants, parts of the vine, fresh fruits and vegetables, gold or silver articles, jewellery, lace. Italy, .... ii Letters, tobacco, sea salt, pork in any form, bacon, plants or living parts of plants, vegetable manure, playing-cards addressed to S. Marino, arms or chemi- cal compounds without the express permission of the Italian authorities, fresh meat, game, rags, unwashed used clothes, used bedding, lint, parcels addressed to persons condemned to hard labour, or to soldiers in military prisons. Parcels are also received for transmission to the following places via the United Kingdom:— Name of Place. Not exceeding 1 lb. For each lb. or fraction of a lb. additional up to 11 lb. Dimensions. The Bahamas, . . . $0.40 0.48 0.51 $0.40 0.40 0.51 •> Must not exceed 3 1 feet 6 inches in v length, or 6 feet in 1 length and girth J combined. North Borneo (territory "| of the British North J- Borneo Company), . J THE POST-OFFICE. 73 PARCEL POST WITH THE UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. Under the postal convention entered into between the colony and the United States of America in 1888, a parcel post exchange has been established be- tween the two countries. At present the convention applies exclusively to mails exchanged directly between the General Post-Offices at Belize and New Orleans, but power is given to extend the working of the convention to any post-offices in either of the two countries. The following articles can be trans- mitted by the parcel post:— "Articles of merchandise and mail matter, except letters, post-cards, and written matter of all kinds that are admitted under any con- ditions to the domestic mails of the country of origin. "No packet must exceed 11 lb. in weight, nor the following dimensions:— "Greatest length in any direction, 3 ft. 6 in.; greatest length and girth combined, 6 ft. "Every packet must be wrapped or enclosed so as to permit its contents to be easily examined by postmasters and customs officers. Prohibitions. "Publications which violate the copyright laws of the country of destination; poisons and explosive or inflammable substances; fatty sub- stances, liquids, and those which easily liquefy; confections and pastes; live or dead animals, except dead insects and reptiles when thoroughly dried; fruits and vegetables, and substances which exhale a bad odour ; lottery tickets, lottery advertisements, or lottery circulars; all obscene or immoral articles; articles which may in any way damage or destroy the mails, or injure the persons handling them. "No letter or communication of the nature of personal correspondence may accompany, be written on, or enclosed with any parcel. "If such be found, the letter will be placed in the mails if separable; and if the communication be inseparably attached the whole packet will be rejected. If, however, any such should inadver- tently be forwarded, the country of destination will collect double rates of postage. "No parcel may contain parcels intended for delivery at an address other than that borne by the parcel itself. If such enclosed parcels be detected they will be sent forward singly, charged with new and distinct parcel - post rates. "All parcels are subject to the customs duties and customs regulations in force in the country of destination. "The rate of postage, which must in all cases be fully prepaid, is— For 1 lb $0.16 For each additional pound, or fraction thereof, 0.16 "The sender of a parcel is required to make a customs declaration, pasted upon or attached to the parcel, giving a general description of the parcel, an accurate statement of its contents and value, date of mailing, and the sender's signature and place of residence and place of address. "The customs declaration form will be pro- vided by the post-office. "The sender of a parcel will, at the time of mailing the parcel, receive a certificate of mailing from the post-office. This certificate is given to inform the sender of the posting of a parcel, and does not indicate that any liability in respect of such parcel attaches to the post- master. "A return receipt of a parcel can be obtained on payment of a fee of 5 cents in addition to the postage. "Parcels may be registered on payment of the registration fee of 10 cents. "Parcels will be delivered free of charge, but the post-office may, for interior service, charge 6 cents on each parcel of whatever weight. If the weight exceeds 1 lb., a charge of 1 cent for every 4 oz., or fraction thereof, can be made. "If a parcel cannot be delivered as addressed, or is refused, the sender will be communicated with through the post-office as to the manner in which he desires the parcel to be disposed of; and if no reply is received from him within a period of three months from the date of the notice, the parcel may be sold. "An order for re-direction or re-forwarding must be accompanied by the amount due for postage necessary for the return of the article to the office of origin at the ordinary parcel rates. "When the contents of a parcel which cannot be delivered are liable to deterioration or cor- ruption they may be destroyed at once, or sold, without nrevious notice or judicial formality, for the benefit of the right person. "The post-office are not responsible for the loss or damage of any parcel, and no indemnity can be claimed by the sender or addressee. "The Postmaster of the colony and tho Postmaster-General of the United States have power to jointly make further regulations if necessary, and may prescribe conditions for ad- mission in parcels of any prohibited articles." 74 TREASURY, CUSTOMS, AND POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. Establishment of the Treasury, Customs, and Post-Office Department. Date of Office. Name. Salary. first appointment Treasurer, Collector of Customs, ) and Postmaster, . . . ( W. J. M'Kinney, . $3,198.78 1 2 1851 Chief Clerk, 3 .... S. G. Woode, 1,100 to 1,250 1883 Second4 n .... D. H. M'Donald, . 750 „ 900 1885 Thirds „ .... S. C. Price, . 550 „ 700 1883 Queen's Warehouse-keeper, W. B. Gutteron, . 850 „ 1,000 1883 Assistant3 to u n S. J. Hood, . 360 1887 Chief Revenue Officer B. W. Harvey, . 720 1878 Second n u . . J. T. La Croix, . 600 1873 Third' „ „ . . C. A. Mitzgen, 600 1886 Assistant at Punta Gorda,6 8 D. D. Engleton, . 240 1887 Chief Excise Officer, . W. R. M'Donald, . 1,500? 1879 Second u n ... J. Hunter, . 821.351 8 1881 Third n „ ... G. K. Meggs, 500 » 1885 Assistant at Corosal,5 6 B. Torallo, . 300 1882 Watchman of Warehouses, . W. Smith, . 276 2 1887 Keeper of Powder Magazine, S. G. Haynes, 300 2 Postman, Belize,6 10 11. Customs Boat— R. Boulley, . 240 1887 Coxswain,12 .... J. A. Gentle, fS. Ferguson,10 420 1852 300 1872 Boatmen,12 .... < 0. Flowers, . 300 1886 District Postmasters 5— (.J. Richardson, 300 1887 Corosal, B. P. Acosta, 120 1883 Orange Walk, .... Mullin's River, T. Perdomo, 60 1880 M. M'Intyre, Unpaid. ii 1886 Stann Creek,13 .... Corpl. Mapp, Punta Gorda D. D. Engleton, . 48 1887 Valuator Belize District,6 . H. C. Usher," . 284 1859 Assistant6 „ n . . 60 ii Consejo, The Alcalde, (10 per cent on t rents collected. ... THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. This department was created by the local Act, 16 Vict. cap. 3, which was passed for the better superintendence of public works executed in the colony, and abolished the Board of Works, 1 Includes the remittance of half-salary through the Crown Agents for the Colonies, which is calculated at 3s. Id. to the dollar. 2 Is allowed a house. 3 Receive pay at the rate of 50 cents per hour as assistant clerks in the Post-Office if employed after 6 P.M. 4 When employed after 6 P.M. receives extra pay at the rate of 75 cents per hour as clerk in charge of the Post-Office. 6 Not on fixed establishment. 6 When extra revenue or excise officers be- yond those on the fixed establishment are re- quired, they are paid at the rate of $2.50 per day. which formerly had the entire control of this department. The duties of the surveyor of public works, which was then the title of the head of this department, and which 7 Is allowed a travelling allowance of $240 per annum. 8 Is allowed a travelling allowance of $180 per annum. 9 Is allowed a travelling allowance of $60 per annum. 10 Receive pay at the rate of 25 cents per hour if employed in the Post-Office after 6 P. M. 11 Supplied with uniform twice a-year. 12 Allowed $35 per annum for uniform. 13 The senior constable at this station is ap- pointed the district postmaster. 14 Personal allowance to Mr Usher. Ordinance No. 12 of 1886 provides for this duty free of charge to the Government. WOB.KS. 75 has since been changed to that of Colonial Engineer, are defined in the Act as follows :— "To inspect and report upon all buildings, streets, roads, bridges, and other public pro- perty, and to frame detailed estimates for any new works, and for the repairs of any existing buildings or works, and to superintend the exe- cution of any such new works and repairs." There are thus three separate ser- vices under this department — viz., works, roads, and lighthouses. Of these services the first and last are entirely under the control of the Government, and the second is man- aged by a board of four official and four unofficial members, the Colonial En- gineer being ex officio secretary to the board. Works. This service comprises the erection and maintenance of all public build- ings, the designing, carrying out, and supervision of all public works, the maintenance and laying out of all streets in the various towns and villages, &c. The various works in the Belize district and in the town of Belize are directly supervised and carried out by the Colonial Engineer himself, and the foreman of works. In the districts the magistrates usually act as the Colonial Engineer's deputies in matters connected with this service, and correspond directly with him for that purpose. Establishment of the Public Works Department. Date of Office. Name of Holder. Salary. first appoint- ment. Colonial Engineer, Foreman of Works, H. E. P. Cottrell, . A. Porter, $25001 7802 600 300 * 150" 480 240 1885 1886 1878 1885 1880 1885 1886 Clerk, F. Blockley, .... J. Clarke,3 .... Keeper of Cemeteries, . ,, Town Clock, . Engine-driver, Dredger, E. Craig Jas. Collins, .... Cidro, Lighthouses and Buoys. main lights. The navigation of the Bay of Hon- duras generally, and of the eastern entrance to the harbour of Belize in particular, is both difficult and in- tricate, and has necessitated the erec- tion of numerous lighthouses and the 1 Receives in addition to salary $10 per meeting of the Road Board as secretary. Travelling allowance, $240 per annum. Forage allowance of $120 per annum. 2 Is allowed a forage allowance of $120, and travelling allowance of $1.25 per day when placing of buoys to mark the reefs and shoals in the neighbourhood of the approaches to Belize. The Govern- ment has therefore erected seven lighthouses (as shown in the annexed list), including the harbour - light at Fort George. This light has been substituted for the lantern-light hung on the flag-staff in front of the Court- House, Belize. absent on duty from Belize. 3 Is also Inspector of Nuisances, with a salary of $600 per annum. 4 Paid from local revenue for the town of Belize. u N8' 1 h © a • • • • • • a Character and order of illuminating appara- tus. Port light 9th order, 8'8' Port oight 5th order, 8'8 8d order light, 8'8' 8'th order lights, 8'8' Port oight 9th order, 8'8' Port oight 9th order, 8'8' 8'th order light, 8'8' When lighted. E CO Ol I » i CP I 8a Height in feet of build- ing from base to vane. 58 ft. 8 ' 80 ft. 8' ft. 8' ft. 9 in. Top of staff 92 ft. 9 in. •0 ft. Height in feet, centre oflantern above high water. 55 ft. 8' ft. •• ft. Upper 58 ft. 2 low- er 8'9 ft. 8' ft. 58 ft. 8' ft. Colour or any peculi- arity of lighthouse. White, service ca- bin & pole Mast Iron skeleton painted white m •taff painted red, white, and boack in bands, cabin white •taff painted red, white, and black, in bands, cabin white Iron skeleton tower, top painted white, bottom to cabin red Time harbour-light is shown. f >> eS O M 8 g s Miles seen in clear weather from a ship's deck. 8 8 5 , 8' • 10 8' Interval of revolution of flash. min- ute 8 ' Fixed, flashing, flxed and flashing int., alt., revolution. Fixed Fixed Fixed Fixed triangular Fixed Fixed Flashing Colour of light. White White & red White t» Red White White Number of lights and 1 relative position. One Two One Three in a trian- goe! One One One Longitude. 8'8'•, W 8•8'59, W 8•8'88', W 8•8 ' 8'•, 208 ' W 8'8 ' 11, 588 ' W 8'8 ' 20, 298 ' W 8•8 ' 2•, 808 ' W Latitude. 1VW N mv n 1•8'8'' N 1•8 ' 8', 15" N 1•8 ' 29, 20,, N 198 ' 29, 8'8 ' N 1•8 ' 8', N English Cay, entrance of Grennel,s Channeo Cay Bokeo, south point of Turneffe Haof Moon Cay, south point of Lighthouse Reef Mauger Cay, north point of TurnefTe Fort George, Beoize •outh-West of Bugoe Cay •andbore Cay. Northern end of Lighthouse Name of Light. Place. English Cay Cay Bokeo Half Moon Cay Mauger Cay Fort George Bugle Cay Northern Two Cays Reef 3 1 When bearing N.W. or •.E., and beyond a distance of five miles, these appear as one light. LIGHTHOUSES AND BUOYS. BUOYS. Six buoys have also been placed to mark the eastern entrance to Belize harbour, along Grennel's Channel. The following list gives the names of the buoys, their bearings, and the depth of water in which they are moored :— Sandbore Anchorage Buoy. Bearings— English Cay, S.W. Water Cay, N.W. 4 N. Goffs Cay, N. by W. Water Cay Spit Buoy, W. by N. J N. Moored in 30 feet of water. Water Cay Spit Buoy. Bearings— English Cay, S.E. J E., easterly. Goffs Cay, E. J S. S.E. extreme of Water Cay, N.E. by N. J N. Moored in 29 feet of water. North-Bast Spit Buoy. Bearings- Spanish Look-Out, N.E. f N. N.W. extreme of Water Cay, N.E. by E. A E. Island off S.W. extreme of Water Cay, W. by S. J S., southerly. Moored in 28 feet of water. White Ground Spit Buoy. Bearings— Spanish Look-Out, N.E. § E. Island off S.W. extreme of Water Cay, E., southerly. English Cay, S.E. by E. \ E. Moored in 20 feet of water. Spanish Spit Buoy. Bearings— Robinson Point, W. by S. J S., southerly. One Man Cay, S.W. by W. J ff., westerly. Cray Fish Cay, S.W. * W., westerly. Moored in 21 feet of water. One Man Cay Buoy. Bearings— Robinson Point, W. by S. One Man Cay, S.W. \ W. N.E. extreme of Spanish Cay, S. by E., southerly. N.E. extreme of Middle Long Cay, S.E. £ E., easterly. Moored in 14 feet of water. The above bearings are magnetic, and assume a variation of 78 ' 15' E., as noted in the Admiralty Charts. DISTRICT LIGHTS. At Corosal, Mullin's river, Stann Creek, and Punta Gorda, a lantern hoisted on a flag-staff situated in a conspicuous place is shown as a har- bour-light from dusk to daylight. The constables stationed at these places re- ceive $2 per month for hoisting and lowering and generally attending to these lights. It was considered that a better class of light was requisite for these places, more especially for Corosal; and accordingly, in 1885, an order was given to Messrs Chance Bros, of Lon- don to supply six cabin lights of the 6th order light, three to be red and three white, for the total cost of £780. It was intended to place these alter- nately red and white, commencing with Orange Walk in the north, and ending at Punta Gorda in the south. The lights were supplied and shipped on board the s.s. Salerno of the London line. This ship was, however, wrecked on her voyage out to Belize, and part of her cargo, including portions of the lights, was thrown overboard in order to enable her to be moved from the reef upon which she struck; and con- sequently, as the order for the lights was not renewed—for it was then thought the places were not large enough to warrant the establishment of a light of that kind at them—the district lights remain as formerly. The lights having been insured, the cost of the jettisoned portions was recovered from the insurance company. Part of the remainder of the lights has been utilised as an improved light—viz., 6 th order harbour-light, dioptric, 360°, was erected on a wooden staff at Mullin's river during the early part of 1887. The total cost to Government for lighthouse-keepers' salaries, upkeep of the lighthouses, district lights, and buoys and beacons during 1887, amounted to $4,796.53, and the sum placed to the credit of general revenue for light dues for the same period was S7.687.78. The lightkeepers are mostly pilots, and are compelled to keep an able assistant in case of illness or unavoid- able absence. The Colonial Engineer, as head of the department, makes periodical visits to the lighthouses, and all requisitions for oil, chimneys, stores, &c., are sent by 78 THE PDBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. the keepers to him for supply, either locally or from England. Mr Cottrell in his report on the lighthouses in 1886, which dealt with the improvements effected in the light- house service since 1884, mentions the following:— "1. The erection of an improved light at Belize. "2. Of a new lighthouse at Bugle Cay. "3. Of a new flashing light at Northern Two Cays. This is the only flashing light on the coast. "4. Raising the light at English Cay 10 feet. This was done in consequence of the height of the cocoanut-trees on the Cay, and which partly obscured the light." ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LIGHTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. Lighthouse. Keeper. Salary. Date of first appointment. Half Moon Cay, . Northern Two Cays, . Mauger Cay, A. Martin $480 420 360 300 252 252 120 1885 1886 1878 1885 1887 1886 1885 W. Miller, .... A. Young, .... Cay Bokel, .... S. Miller Bugle Cay A. Miller, .... English Cay, Fort George, G. Longsworth, . J. Calorie All the lighthouse-keepers have quarters allowed them. EOADS. There are very few recognised high- ways in the colony; but there are a vast number of cattle-trails and truck- passes, which have been used as roads from time immemorial, and which still continue to be so used. Among these recognised highways may be mentioned the " Western Road," from Belize to the Guatemalan frontier; and the "Northern Road," from Belize, via Northern river, to Orange Walk on the New river, and Corosal. In connection with the "Western Road" a long bridge, 49.15 chains in length, was erected over the narrowest portion of the Sibun swamp, so as to avoid a detour of eight miles and the crossing of the Belize river twice. This bridge fell into disrepair about the middle of 1887, and has not yet been replaced. In 1885 the survey of a main road, to run southward, parallel with the coast, about ten miles inland, was un- dertaken, with the object of opening up communication with Crown lands at present inaccessible; but owing to re- stricted funds, no attempt has been as yet made to complete this important undertaking, or to make the portions then surveyed. Steps are being taken to declare all the old cattle and truck passes, which have been habitually used as public thoroughfares, public highways, in the meaning of the Act, in order to pre- vent their being gradually obliterated and effaced; and that, in the event of roads being made in these directions, they should serve as rights of way for the construction of the roads. The Road Board was created by Act 27 Vict, cap. 17, which was passed "to provide for the making and maintain- ing of roads throughout the colony." This Act was framed especially with the object of constructing the Western Road, and powers were conferred on the Commissioners to levy tolls, &c., in connection with ferries and toll-houses. The Commissioners of Roads. His Excellency the Governor, Chairman. The Colonial Secretary. The Surveyor General. The Colonial Engineer, Secretary. The Hon. J. H. Phillips. The Hon. A. Williamson. T. Graham, Esq. THE CROWN LANDS DEPARTMENT. 79 THE CROWN LANDS DEPARTMENT. Owing to the peculiar circumstances under which the colony was first occu- pied, and then held vi et annis for nearly a century by the tacit consent of, and subsequently under treaty obliga- tions with Spain, the system that was adopted for the disposal of "Crown lands " was somewhat unique, although adapted to the requirements of the colonists. Prior to the year 1798, the possession by the British settlers of what was then known as the " Settlement of Belize "— namely, the lands lying between the Hondo and the Sibun rivers—was a qualified one; the territorial right or "dominion" being undoubtedly in the Spanish Crown, with an admitted title de jure, whilst the title de facto, by possession and occupancy, was clearly in the settlers. The lands lying within these limits were disposed of, previous to the year 1817, by various rules and regulations, framed and adopted by the inhabitants, for allotting plots of land to the settlers, and which acquired the names of "lo- cations." As an instance of the primitive way in which they held lands, one of their resolutions is given, which reads as follows:— "When a person finds a spot of logwood un- occupied and builds his hut, that spot shall be deemed his property, and no person shall pre- sume to cut or fall a tree, or grub a stump within less than one thousand paces or yards of his hut, to be continued on each side of the said hut, with the course of the river or creek on both sides; and whatever person shall presume after the limits are ascertained to enter within those limits, shall, on proof thereof on oath before one justice, forfeit double of the value of the wood cut, and be obliged to ship it on board of such ship or vessel as the proprietor of the wood shall appoint to receive it.' In 1798, the limits of the settle- ment were extended from the Sibun to the Sarstoon river, a distance of over a hundred miles to the south. No locations were ever made, how- ever, below the Sibun river, the old settlers preferring to cut and remove the woods of the colony from the old sites—whether the facilities afforded to them were more convenient farther north, or for what other reasons, at this distance of time it is difficult to say. At any rate, no fresh locations were permitted to be made after 1817; indeed they were expressly prohibited by proclamation in that year. From this date until 1872 grants of Crown land were regulated simply by instruc- tions conveyed from time to time to the Superintendent, in despatches from the home Government, and not by legis- lative enactment. In one of these despatches the Super- intendent is informed that he is not to permit any occupation of lands within the settlement without his previous sanction, formally obtained, and his written authority, specifying the extent and situation of the land. A considerable number of grants were made between 1817 and 1839, when the Superintendent received in- structions to fix the price of land at one pound an acre. In consequence of this restrictive order no one would buy; and in 1855 the then Superintendent reported that since the direction given in 1839 no grant for money had up to that time been made. A few grants, however, have been found. In 1868, Lieutenant - Governor Longden stated that since 1855 a few acres had been sold in small lots, but that the whole quantity of land actually sold during that period was "utterly insig- nificant." It was not until 1872 that the Crown lands of this colony were regu- lated by legislative enactment. The first Crown lands Ordinance (No. 35 of 1872) was passed in that year. This, with its various amending Ordinances 80 THE CROWN LANDS DEPARTMENT. (1873 to 1877), governed dealings with Crown lands till 1879. In 1879 they were repealed hy Or- dinance 8 of that year, which dealt with the whole subject. In August 1883 a board was appointed to inquire into the working of the Surveyor-Gen- eral's department. The board, after full investigation, arrived at the con- clusion that the Crown lands Ordi- nance of 1879 had not worked satis- factorily, "and, in compliance with the request to do so, suggested a more simple and concise procedure for the existing somewhat complicated ma- chinery." The Ordinance of 1879 remained, however, in force till 1886, when, con- sequent upon the suggestion of the board, the present Crown Lands Ordi- nance, No. 4 of 1886, was passed, super- seding all previous legislation on the subject. The present Ordinance entirely re- modelled the system that had formerly existed for the disposal of Crown lands. Crown lands are now classified under the following heads :— (a) Town lands, (i) Suburban lands. (c) Rural (including pastoral) lands. (d) Mineral lands. All grants and leases of land are now effected by the Governor issuing a " fiat" to the Keeper of Records, who then enters such grant, lease, or licence in their respective books, and the title is then complete. The Act also provides for Indian or Carib reservations, for the use and benefit of the Indian and Carib in- habitants. Section 39 of the Ordinance reads as follows:— "All locations and grants of land of a date anterior to the year 1817 as regards locations, and during that year, and posterior thereto up to September 8, 1879, as regards grants, shall be held to be valid as against the rights of the Crown, upon sufficient proof being adduced of their having been located or granted, any re- strictions or conditions which may have been contained in, or attendant on, such location or grant notwithstanding." No public officer can now purchase or lease Crown lands, other than town or suburban lots, without previous per- mission of the Governor in writing; and no officer of the survey depart- ment can under any circumstance pur- chase or lease or acquire, directly or indirectly, any interest in Crown lands. The following are the facilities for acquiring Crown lands under the Ordi- nance :— "1. The price of Crown lands for agricultural purposes shall be not less than $2 per acre, and one-half of the purchase-money shall be re- turned on a certificate of the Surveyor-General that the improvements required by these rules have been carried out. Frontage lots, or im- proved Crown lands, will be sold at such price as may be determined in each case by the Gover- nor in Council. "2. Blocks of Crown lands adapted for agri- cultural purposes will be surveyed and laid out in sections, not exceeding 640 acres and not less than 20 acres, and if any person selects one of these sections he will not be liable to pay any costs of survey. If a person desires to purchase unsurvoyed Crown lands, he shall, if practicable, submit a sketch or diagram of the land he re- quires, and may be liable to pay the costs of its survey. "3. All sections will be in a rectangular shape, the lines running according to the cardinal points of the compass, or as near thereto as natural boundaries will permit, and the frontage on any road, river, stream, lake, sea-coast, or public reserve will not be permitted to exceed one- fourth of the external boundaries of any sections, except in special cases where natural or other boundaries intervene to prevent such frontage being accurately observed. "4. Location tickets will be issued author- ising a person to occupy a section of rural laud, and provided he makes the required improve- ments within the time specified, he will be en- titled to a grant in fee-simple for such section. "5. A location ticket does not give any title to the applicant beyond constituting him a mere tenant at will, and does not authorise the aliena- tion of any land, and such tenancy can be deter- minable by the Governor at any time. "6. The conditions necessary to entitle a per- son holding a location ticket to a grant in fee- simple and to a rebate of half the purchase-money are as follows, viz. :— (a) He must personally reside on the land for a period of three years, and not be absent therefrom for a longer period than six months, at any one time, without leave in writing of the Surveyor-General. (6) Or if the acreage of the section does not exceed 60 acres, he must, within three years, have brought under cultivation an area at the rate of 4 acres at least of the THE CROWN LANDS DEPARTMENT. 81 available arable land for every 20 acres; and if the acreage exceeds 60 acres, then he must have brought under cultivation an area of not less than one-eighth of the available arable land comprised within any section, provided that where the acreage exceeds 60 acres in no case is the quantity to be less than 12 acres. (c) Or, in lieu of such cultivation, he must make improvements on any section of land within a period of three years, to the extent of the value of $4 per acre of the acreage comprising such section. Such improve- ments may consist of buildings, fencing, permanent pasturage, drainage, or other like improvements, duly certified by the Surveyor-General, or any person deputed by him. (d) Improvements partly consisting of culti- vation of the land, and partly of such other improvements as are named in Rule 6, sub- section c, shall be considered sufficient, if taken together they are of the value of $i per acre of the total acreage granted. (c) The period of three years hereinbefore mentioned is to commence from the date of the location ticket. "7. When any person has occupied the land, or carried out the improvements, or complied with the conditions required by these rules, he will be entitled to receive a grant in fee-simple. In default thereof his location is determin- able. "8. Pastoral or grazing leases will be granted for any period not exceeding twenty-one years, at an annual rental of not less than $6 per square mile, on condition of stocking such land, before the lease is issued, with 5 head of cattle at least for every square mile. If less than that number be kept on any leased land at any time, the lease will be liable to forfeiture. A return of all stock depastured on the 31st December in each year on any leased land must be sent in to the Surveyor-General on or before the 15th of January following. "9. Licences will be granted to persons de- pasturing cattle on any waste Crown land at a rate of not less than 12£ cents for each bead of cattle per annum, and the person must send to the Surveyor-General a return on or before the 15th of January in each year of the greatest number of cattle that have been depastured on such lands at any one time during the previous year, and the actual number depastured on the 81st of December previous. "10. Licences to cut mahogany or cedar will be granted on payment of a royalty of $6 per tree. No mahogany or cedar trees are to be cut on Crown lands squaring less than 15 inches, under a penalty not exceeding $250 for each tree cut down. "11. Licences to cut logwood will be granted at the rate of $4 per ton. "12. Licences to cut firewood, not for sale, will be granted for a limited area and a limited time, free of cost. If for sale, a payment at the rate of $5 per annum will be charged. "13. Licences to cut pine, santa maria, sap- podilla, or other trees will be granted at the rate of 25 cents per tree. "14. Licences to burn charcoal will be granted on payment of $5 per annum. "15. Licences to collect india-rubber and sar- saparilla will be issued on payment as royalty to the Government of the sum of 10 cents per lb. for rubber and 5 cents per lb. for sarsaparilla. But before a licence is issued the licencee will be required to furnish a bond with one surety to make a correct return of the quantity collected, and for the sum payable in respect of the licence. "16. Licences for any other product, such as uahoun or bay leaf, to be taken off the Crown lands, will be granted on such terms and condi- tions as may be arranged with the Surveyor- General, and approved by the Governor. "17. All leases and licences will be granted so as to expire on the 31st December. "18. All returns required to be made under these rules must be accompanied with a statutory declaration that they are correct and true. "19. All payments are required to be made in advance except as provided in Rule 15. "20. All licencees and lessees are to give full information and answer all questions in respect to any licence or lease that may be required of them by the Surveyor - General or a district magistrate." There are still, notwithstanding the manner in which grants of the Crown lands were made by successive superin- tendents of the affairs and government of the- settlement, upwards, it is be- lieved, of 2,000,000 acres of valuable Crown lands lying south of the Belize and Sibun rivers, open to the purchaser and for the settlement of immigrants. Although the narrow belt of land on the sea-coast is nearly all taken up, and rapidly developing under the ener- getic operations of fruit-growing agri- culturists and settlers, the lands of the interior are said to be richer and more productive in quality. In the event of the construction of one or more railways—which appears to be within measurable distance of time—to open up the hidden resources of the colony, these lands cannot fail to be highly attractive to agricultural settlers from England and other countries, who have sufficient capital to commence and carry on their operations. To the north the lands consist almost entirely of private property—the Belize Estate and Produce Company owning about 1,000,000 acres. To the stranger it must appear rather remarkable that all the low lands to the north should have been taken up, whilst the rich F 82 THE CROWN LANDS DEPARTMENT. high lands to the south have been comparatively untouched. This, however, can easily be ex- plained. It must be borne in mind that until the year 1798 the colony had been nothing more or less than a logwood and mahogany cutting district, without any positive right to the soil. Naturally the old settlers and wood- cutters would occupy such lands as were easily accessible to the principal rivers, creeks, and lagoons, which abounded in the woods of the country. To the north this was eminently the case, the low lands and swamps abound- ing in logwood and mahogany, and the rivers and creeks, navigable almost up to their sources, affording great facilities for getting the woods out. Again, until 1798 the settlers only occupied as far as the river Sibun; and there- fore, even if they had the inclination to "locate" farther south, they were stopped by the treaty of 1786. To the south this was not the case. In the first place, there never was a single "location" south of the Sibun. Crown grants were made, but they were all along the coast, and at pres- ent the lands lying between the Deep and Tomash rivers, a distance back of about eight to ten miles, and again from Placentia to Stann Creek, are private property; but the vast tracts of virgin forests to the back, compris- ing quite one-half of the colony, are Crovm lands. It is to be regretted that no system- atic survey of the colony has ever been made, for it would be unquestionably of incalculable benefit to the colony in the facilities it would afford to immi- grants with means to invest in the soil, and who would be likely to become permanent settlers in the colony; whilst it would tend to prevent liti- gation and disputes about titles, main- ly the result of unsurveyed boundary- lines. There have been, however, various maps of the colony compiled from time to time by different land-surveyors and private individuals. The one deserving first notice is the plan—still extant and constantly referred to in the courts on questions of disputed boundaries and titles—of Mr N. C. Du Vernay, 1808- 1816. After that is the plan of Mr J. H. Paber, Crown surveyor, made, it is generally understood, from personal surveys so late as 1862. Then comes the plan of the late Chief-Justice Comer; and after that Mr Alfred Usher's plan, published in 1881. In both Mr Faber's and Mr Usher's plan the Crown lands and the lands of all the principal proprietors, as well as many of the smaller landowners, are defined by different colours, so that they are readily distinguished from each other. Until the passing of the Crown lands Ordinance of 1872, surveyors were only appointed by the Crown as occa- sion required; but by the Ordinance already referred to, the office of Sur- veyor-General was created, and Mr M. J. Griffiths appointed. In 1885, owing to the accumulating arrears in the Surveyor-General's De- partment, and with the intention of working off these arrears, the appoint- ment of an Assistant Surveyor-General was made imperative. Mr Gordon Allan was appointed to this post, and on Mr Griffiths the then Surveyor- General's retirement at the end of 1885, he was appointed Surveyor-General at the increased salary of $2000, and a Mr William Miller was sent out by the Government at home as assistant surveyor-general, as there was still work in arrear. Many of these sur- veys have now been worked up; but so much entirely new work has been necessary, that still a certain amount of back work remains to be done. It may be well to enumerate briefly some of the work done by this depart- ment of late years. THE CROWN LANDS DEPARTMENT. 83 The survey of the western boundary between the colony and Guatemala. This line only commences from Gar- butt's Falls on the Belize river, and extends due north, for a number of miles. It has not yet, however, been agreed to by the Governments of Mexico and Guatemala. The survey and laying out of the towns of Punta Gorda and Stann Creek have been completed, as also the survey of the town of Belize by the Surveyor-General An elaborate map of the town of Belize has been pre- pared by him, and copies of the same, including a printed reference-book, can be obtained at the Surveyor-General's office for the sum of $15, or single sheets $1.25, or entire map without reference-book, $10. Copies can also be obtained at Messrs Stanford's, Charing Cross, London. The employment of local surveyors, who are compelled by Ordinance No. 3 of 1886 to pass an examination, and enter into bonds before they can be employed in the colony by this de- partment, has lessened the amount of arrears which had accumulated. Pull information as to the facilities for ac- quiring Crown lands can be obtained from the Surveyor-General on applica- tion at his office. A number of rules have been issued and published in the 'Gazette,' made by the Governor in Council on the 19th July 1886, under and by virtue of section 52 of this Ordinance. Eeturn of Lands Granted and Sold during the Year 1887. Country or District. No. of Grants under 100 Acres. Total No. of Grants, 1887. Total No. of Acres granted, 1887. Whether by Grant Where sold, the average Price per Acre. Total No. of Acres granted Total No. of Acres Sold. Total No. of Acres that re- No. of Grants. No. of Acres. Purchase. or in the Colony. main un- granted. Belize, . . 4 171 4 171 Purchase. $2.00 i i known. Southern, 5 261 5 261 n II knc kno1 Toledo, . . 1 5 1 5 n II a a Total, . 10 437 10 437 Establishment of the Crown Lands Department. Office. Name. Salary. Date of first appointment. Surveyor-General, Gordon Allan, $2000 1885 Assistant do., William Miller, . 1500 1886 Frank Blookley, . 600 1880 84 THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. THE MEDICAL Previous to the year 1843 the mode of appointing and remunerating the Public Medical Officer, as he was then called, was by tender; but this was found to be inconvenient, and not always conducive to the chief object of the institution—namely, of supply- ing the best medical assistance to the indigent sick. In that year an Act was passed making the appointment an annual one, and fixing the salary at $900. In 1870 the salary was increased to $1250. As the duties increased, the salary was from time to time raised accordingly. It is now fixed at $2250 per annum. In 1884 the title of the office was changed from Public Medical Officer to that of Colonial Surgeon. District surgeons have also been appointed for the towns of Corosal, Orange Walk, and Stann Creek. The Public Hospital, Lunatic Asylum, and Poor-House. These institutions occupy one of the coolest sites in the town of Belize, on the north side, facing the sea-shore. The general cleanliness that prevails everywhere, and the substantial ap- pearance of the hospital—its neat car- riage-drives up to the main entrances, the tastefully laid-out flower-beds, and the various tropical trees with their green foliage—are certainly an orna- ment and credit to the town. The poor-house stands at the north-western extremity of these grounds. The lun- atic asylum, although adjoining the hospital, stands in its own grounds. The Public Hospital, The public hospital in this colony was founded in 1820. This institution is maintained by the Government out DEPARTMENT. of the general revenue, assisted by the fees from paying patients—$6950 being appropriated from public funds for this service during the year 1888. Until the year 1874 the accommo- dation afforded in the old hospital was of a most meagre description, and not in any way adapted to the require- ments of the town; but in that year the present building was erected. It has accommodation for 36 patients. The number admitted during the year 1887 was 261; the daily average was 10.46; the number discharged was 216; and the number of deaths was 38. There are 3 male day-nurses and 1 female, and 1 servant An unlimited quantity of water is allowed patients, both for ablution and drinking purposes, the rain-water being collected from the slated roof of the hospital in large iron tanks. A bath-house and kraal are erected in the sea about 90 feet from the sea wall, and are reached by a gangway. This kraal is also used by the lunatics. The hospital is visited by the Gover- nor or Colonial Secretary four times during the year by appointment, and twelve times by surprise. This institution is directly under the charge of the Colonial Surgeon, assisted by an intendant and three assistants. Persons are treated in the hospital from all parts of the colony; and many persons resort to Belize from neighbouring states to avail themselves of the benefits of the institution. The most important factor in an increased hospital mortality in this colony is the entire absence of district hospitals wherein persons who are at- tacked by diseases of a severe and dangerous character might be treated in the initiatory stage of the affection, instead of being sent to Belize, which PUBLIC HOSPITAL, LUNATIC ASYLUM, AND POOR-HOUSE. 85 they reach, after being subjected to the fatigues of a long passage by land and water, in a condition which, in most cases, precludes the possibility of a cure. The new Ordinance regulating the public hospital and asylum was in- augurated shortly before the beginning of the year 1881, and its effect on the revenue derived from persons paying fees has been considerable. Ordinance 8 of 1880 amended and consolidated the law relating to the management of the above institution. The following is a return of the cases treated in the hospital during the past year :— Diseases Treated. Abscess, Alcoholism, Ambusta, . Amenorrnoea, Ascites, Blight's disease, Bronchitis, Bubo syph., Cephceligia, Coma, Congestion of liver, Diarrhoea, . Debility, general, Dislocation of hip, Dysentery, Epilepsy, . Exposure to cold, Feb. flav., . m intermittens, ,i remittens, . Fracture clavicle, ii fibula, ii radius, ,i tibia, Gangrene, . Gonorrhoea, Gunshot-wound, Hemorrhoids, . Hemiplegia, Hepatitis, . Hypochondria, . Hysteria, . Icterus, Locomotor ataxia, Menorrhagia, Morbus cerebri, . n cordis, . Nephritis, . Ostitis, Polypusania, Phthisis pul., . Pneumonia, Retention of urine, Rheumatism, . Number Number uf Cases, of Deaths. 10 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 2 1 2 1 1 5 10 1 1 2 1 8 6S 6 1 2 1 1 1 4 3 2 2 4 1 1 1 1 2 5 10 2 1 1 10 5 2 20 Diseases Treated. Splenitis, . Stricture of urethra, Syphilis, . Tetanus, Ulcers, Vulnus cont., ii incis., Warty growth, Whitlow, . Number Number of Cases, of Deaths. 1 7 13 1 15 4 13 1 1 268 38 The District Hospital, Corosal. This institution was opened in No- vember 1883, and has accommodation for 6 patients, and is under the charge of the district surgeon, who is assisted by an intendant. This hospital, for some reason, has not been taken ad- vantage of by the inhabitants of the Northern District to that extent which one might expect. The admissions have been very small during the last two or three years. A district surgeon is also appointed for the towns . of Orange Walk and Stann Greek. The district surgeon at Orange Walk, being in charge of the constabulary gar- risoning Fort Cairns there, has quarters in the fort. It is proposed shortly to establish a district hospital at Orange Walk. The Lunatic Asylum. The lunatics were removed in 1870 from their old quarters to Fort George, as it was thought that the fresh sea- breezes that nearly always prevail there would have a very beneficial effect on them, especially as they would not require to be under such close super- vision. One or two of the lunatics, however, took advantage of this, and succeeded in walking across to the mainland from the island, which is only about 400 yards from the town. The new lunatic asylum was com- pleted and occupied at the end of the year 1878. It is a creditable building, well suited to the climate and to the 86 THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. wants of the inmates, who are, or, at all events, a large majority of them, probably more comfortably provided for than they have ever previously been. The buildings which they for- merly occupied were utterly unsuited for the purpose, and it was impossible to attempt anything in the shape of discipline or employment. The con- duct of the lunatics since their removal to the new quarters has been greatly improved, and they are, with few ex- ceptions, employed in useful work. Washing, gardening, mat and basket making are now common industries among them, and games and various amusements have been introduced. There is nothing now in this estab- lishment that is not creditable to all persons concerned. A bath-house and kraal, erected in the sea in front of the buildings, are most useful adjuncts in the treatment of the insane, and the greatest pleasure is taken by the inmates in using them. It is astonishing the amount of work they get through. The conversion of the swampy and barren grounds of both hospital and asylum into their present condition has been entirely the work of the patients. Gardening and most of the other hard work are done by the men in the cool of the morning and evening. The asylum has accommodation for 30 patients. The number of inmates is 22. Four patients were admitted during the year 1887, and there was one death. The Poor-House. This is not a new building, and it has undergone constant repairs. The number of inmates now main- tained is 22. Outdoor relief is granted to 16 paupers at the rate of 50 cents per week. In concluding this brief account of the medical department, we may men- tion that a great many reforms were introduced into the general manage- ment, interior economy, and outdoor surroundings of the institutions under the charge of this department by Dr Alexander Hunter, the late Colonial Surgeon, who has now, after a service of 22 years, been forced, by failing health, to retire from the service. Regulations for the General Management of the Hospital, Lunatic Asylum, and Poor-House. Hospital. "1. All applications for admission into the hospital must be addressed to the Colonial Secre- tary, and made in accordance with Form A.1 "2. In cases of accident or sudden emergency, patients may he admitted at once to the hospital by the officer in charge, but as soon as practi- cable the application required by Rule 1 should be forwarded with a statement of the circum- stances of admission. "3. Patients will be classified as under, ac- cording to accommodation provided :— 1st Class—Those who are admitted on payment of $2J per diem. 2d Class—Those paying $1 per diem. 3d Class—Those paying 50 cents per diem. 4th Class—Those paying 25 cents per diem. 5th Class—Paupers. "4. Masters of vessels arriving from foreign parts will be treated as first-class patients. Mates and sailors from such vessels, as second and third class patients respectively. "5. Labourers or servants will he admitted as fourth-class patients, on payment being guar- anteed by their employer. Pauper patients will only be admitted on certificate of the inspector of police or a paid magistrate, that the applicant has no means of support, and in the case of able- bodied men admitted as paupers, a promissory note (Form E.) will be required from them to repay the expenses incurred for their mainten- ance, at a rate of Is. per diem, at a reasonable future time after their discharge. "6. The private wards will be allotted to first- class patients, the upper storey to second and third class patients,andthelowerstoreyto fourth- class and pauper patients, as far as practicable, and at the discretion of the medical officer. "7. Patients will be discharged by the medical officer in attendance at his discretion, subject to appeal to the Lieutenant-Governor. "8. Visits of friends of patients and others will be permitted from 3 to 5 P.M. on Mondays and Thursdays, and at such other times as the medical officer may sanction. "9. Nothing is to be given to patients without the permission of the medical officer. "10. The medical officer will attend the hospi- tal daily, and at such other times as circum- 1 These forms can be had at the Colonial Secre- tary's office. PUBLIC HOSPITAL, LUNATIC ASYLUM, AND POOR-HOUSE. 87 stances may require, and have general charge of the hospital. "11. All attendants and servants are expected to devote their whole time to their duties, and perform all such duties, and obey all such orders, as the medical officer may require of them. "12. Attendants are not allowed to leave the premises without permission, and neither must all the male or female attendants be absent at any one time. "13. Patients must comply with the hospital regulations and directions of the medical officers, otherwise they will be liable to be discharged from the hospital. "14. Patients, other than first and second class, are expected to make themselves useful, as far as practicable, in making-up their beds, and render- ing assistance to other patients when called upon by the medical officer or an attendant. "15. Patients are to be in bed by eight o'clock p.m., and silence after that hour and during the night is to be maintained. Smoking without special permission is strictly prohibited. "16. Diet tables are appended, and on the board attached to every patient's bed will be noted the diet and medicines ordered for the patient. Asylum. "1. Any application for admission of an insane person into the Asylum must be addressed to the Colonial Secretary, and be made in accordance with Form B. "2. Such application should also be accom- panied by a certificate according to Form C, requiring the insanity of the patient to be certi- fied separately by a medical man and two other persons, one being a justice of the peace, the other being a minister or substantial householder. "3. The Lieutenant-Governor, on receipt of the above papers, may issue a warrant (Form F.) to the officer in charge of the asylum, directing him to receive the patient at once. "4. Patients can be discharged by the officer in charge of the asylum when cured on giving previous notice to the Colonial Secretary for the information of the Lieutenant-Governor. "5. On any representation made by or on behalf of a patient, that he or she is not insane, and ought not to be detained, the Lieutenant- Governor will direct such inquiry as he shall see fit. The Lieutenant-Governor can order the dis- charge of patients under miider forms of insanity to make room for patients in a violent state of insanity and dangerous to the community. "6. Visits of friends of patients and others will be permitted on such days and at such hours as the medical officer in charge shall appoint. '' 7. All attendants and servants are expected to devote their whole time to their duties, and to obey the orders of the medical officer, and per- form all such duties as shall be required of them. "8. No attendant will be excused under any circumstances for laying violent hands on a patient except in the clearest case of necessary self-defence. "9. They are carefully to avoid talking to the patients on the subject of their delusions, nor are they to permit others to do so. "10. They are not to allow patients to be laughed at, ridiculed, or harshly spoken to. "11. Deception must always be avoided, and no promises are ever to be made which cannot be unequivocally performed. "12. Indisposition, refusal of food or medicine, any unusual conduct or appearance, or any sus- picious circumstance, is to be reported without delay. "13. No wine, beer, or spirits will be allowed within the asylum enclosure unless as specially directed by the medical officer. "14. The principle of finding employment for the patients is to be carried out as far as practi- cable. "15. Books, periodicals, newspapers, games, and other means of amusement to be provided. "16. The patients are to be taken by the attendants outside the enclosure for change of scene and for exercise as often as possible. "17. Great temper, patience, and self-com- mand are expected of all attendants, equally towards incurable or excited and violent patients, as towards those whose restoration to health may be hoped. "18. No patient is to be continuously locked up in his room, nor put under any restraint, nor be placed in the padded or strong rooms, without the directions of the medical officer, except in case of necessity. "19. No attendant is to leave the premises without the knowledge of the medical officer or principal attendant. All the attendants must never be absent at any one time. "20. Cleanliness and order are particularly to be observed by attendants, who will be held responsible for the clean and orderly state of the asylum. Poor-House. "Applications for admission into the poor- house must be addressed to the Colonial Secre- tary, and made in accordance with the Form D. "Paupers are expected to render all assistance required of them, as far as they are able, and to keep the poor-house clean, and perform such duties as may be allotted to them by the medical officer. "Any pauper wilfully refusing or neglecting to obey any lawful order of the medical officer, will be liable to be discharged; and any pauper failing to comply with the regulations of the poorhouse, will also be liable to be dis- charged. "Outdoor relief will be granted to paupers on satisfactory evidence of poverty, at such rate, not exceeding 50 cents per week, as may seem neces- sary." f 88 THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. Establishment of the Medical Department. Office. Name of Holder. Salary. Date of flrst appointment. I Colonial Surgeon, District Surgeon, Corosal, . ii it Orange Walk, . ,i ii Stann Creek, . Inspector of Nuisances, Intendant, Hospital, Belize, Attendants, h M Cook, ii ii Attendants, Lunatic Asylum, { Attendant, Poor-house, Intendant, Hospital, Corosal, Cook, it ii C. H. Eyles, Vacant, E. Lambkin, F. E. Gabb, Joseph Clarke, . Robert Eagan, C. M'Callister, . Richard Barron, . R. Eagan, . A. Wilson, . T. C. Russel, G. N. Phillips, . Ann Neal, . Elizabeth Samuels, Nathaniel Burke, Louisa Burke, $2250 1888 1000 1000 1887 500 1881 600 1885 600 1867 240 216 240 ... 240 252 252 180 180 180 • •< 120 Boards of Health. Ordinance 9 of 1873 makes more effectual provision for improving the sanitary condition of this colony, and for taking precautions against the out- break, prevalence, or spread of epidemic, endemic, and contagious or infectious diseases amongst the population. Ordinance 5 of 1877 provides for the appointment of health officers and inspector of nuisances, and confers the powers of the local board on the Governor. Ordinance 9 of 1879 transfers power of Central Board of Health to Gover- nor in Council. Ordinance 5 of 1882, and 5 of 1883, are in aid of principal Ordinance. BY-LAWS. Made by the Governor in Council under the Board of Health Ordinances, No. 9 of 1873 and No. 9 of 1879. "1. The by-laws made by the Central Board of Health on the twentieth day of September 1877 are hereby repealed. "2. No dust, ashes, rubbish, filth, manure, dung, soil, sweepings from shops or yards, de- caying or offensive animal or vegetable matters, or branches of trees shall be swept, thrown, or deposited in or upon, or by the side of any pub. lie street or lane, public lot, or thoroughfare whatever, in the town of Belize, except in such places as the principal officer of police, for the time being, shall appoint as common receptacles therefor. "43" This by-law includes cane-trash, mango- seeds, water-melon rind, and plantain- stalks. "8. All streets and lanes in the town of Belize shall be swept and cleaned by the scav- engers appointed by the Board, as the Board shall direct. "4. All dust, ashes, rubbish, filth, manure, dung (other than human excrement), soil, decay- ing or offensive animal or vegetable matters, and household refuse in or about any lot, horse- stable, cow-house, pig-stye, sheep or goat pen, slaughter-house, tannery, yard or place whatso- ever in Belize, may be deposited by the occupier or owner of any such place in boxes, or other conveniences to be provided by such occupier or owner for the collection and temporary deposit thereof; and such box or receptacle shall be placed on such occupier's or owner's premises as close as conveniently may be to the gate or other outlet from the premises into the public road or street. Provided, however, that neither trees nor branches of trees shall be so deposited. "5. All dust and other aUbris mentioned in the preceding by-laws, so deposited in any such box or other convenience, will be removed by the public cartman. Canals. "6. Whereas the throwing of matter other than night-soil into the public canals, the tying or fastening therein of boats, dorays, and other craft is calculated to prevent the free flow of water, and to become prejudicial to the public health ; no barrels, mattresses, bedding, branches of trees, bark logs, refuse of any kind, or other articles shall be put, placed, or deposited in any of the public canals in or about Belize; and no boat, doray, or other craft shall be left tied or fastened in any such canal, the South Canal ex- BOARDS OF HEALTH—QUARANTINE. 89 cepted, except during the time necessary for lad- ing or unlading the same. Duties of Inspector of Nuisances. "7. It shall he the duty of every inspector of nuisances to visit every part of the town of Belize, and to report weekly, or oftener if occa- sion shall require, to the health officer any viola- tion of the Board of Health Ordinance, No. 9 of 1873. '' 8. He shall perform, either under the special directions of the Board of Health, or under the directions of the health officer, or in cases where no such directions are required, without such directions, all the duties specially imposed upon an inspector of nuisances by the Board of Health ordinances. "9. He shall attend at the office of the health officer every morning at such time as shall, from time to time, be named by him, and report on his previous day's work, and take instructions from the health officer in regard to his duties for the day. He shall also attend at other times when directed by the health officer so to do. "10. He shall by inspection of the town and neighbourhood of Belize, both systematically at certain periods, and at intervals as occasion may require, keep himself informed in respect of the nuisances existing therein that require abatement under the health ordinances. "11. On receiving notice of the existence of any nuisance within the town or neighbourhood of Belize, or the breach of any by-laws or regu- lations made by the Board of Health, he shall, as early as practicable, visit the spot, and inquire and report into any such alleged nuisance, or breach of the by-laws or regulations. "12. He shall from time to time, say once a- week, or oftener if required, visit and inspect the shops and places kept or used for the sale of butcher s meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, bread, and provisions, and examine any animal, carcase, meat, poultry, fish, fruit, bread, or provisions which may be therein; and in case any such article appear to him to be unfit for the food of man, he shall cause the same to be seized and destroyed. Provided always that in any case of doubt arising under this clause, he shall report the matter to the health officer, with the view of obtaining his advice thereon. "13. He shall enter, from day to day, in a book to be provided him for the purpose on requisition of the public medical officer, par- ticulars of his inspections, and of the actions taken by him in the execution of his duties. "14. He shall at reasonable times, when ap- plied to by the health officer, produce to him his books, or any of them, and render to him such information as he may be able to furnish with respect to any matter to which the duties of the inspector of nuisances relate. "15. He shall, if directed by the health officer to do so, superintend and see to the due execu- tion of all works which may be undertaken for the suppression or removal of nuisances within the town or neighbourhood of Belize. Penalties. "16. Any person who shall violate either of the by-laws, numbered 2, 4, and 6, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding the sum of $10 for each offence; and in the case of a continuing offence to a further penalty, not exceeding the sum of $5 for each day after written notice of the offence from the health officer, or the inspector of nuisances. "Passed in Executive Council this 7th day of July a.d. 1883." Quarantine. The law relating to this subject is Ordinance 7 of 1873, with its amend- ing Ordinances, 28 of 1874, 7 of 1875, and 9 of 1879. By the last amending Ordinance the powers vested in the Quarantine Board were transferred to the Governor in Council. "The following information relative to quar- antine is notified with the view of warning all persons against any infringement of the quaran- tine laws. "Vessels in quarantine must be approached on the windward side, but no person without written permission is allowed to approach such vessel within a distance of 100 yards, under a penalty of $50. "Vessels in quarantine must have and keep a receiving boat anchored or moored at a distance of not less than 100 yards. "Any master or other person refusing to answer, or untruly answering, any inquiry made by the proper officer under the said Ordinance, landing from or communicating with the shore, or other vessel, before such vessel has been visited by the health officer, is liable to a penalty of not less than $25, and not exceeding $500. "Any person going on board, leaving any ves- sel in quarantine, landing any articles, or send- ing any on board such vessel without permission, is liable to a penalty of. not less than $25, and not exceeding $250. "Between the period from the 1st day of July to the 31st day of October, both days inclusive, in each year, no vessel arriving in the port of Belize shall be admitted to pratique before being visited by the visiting officer. No person shall quit any such vessel, nor shall any person go on board any such vessel, before being visited. "Any vessel arriving at any other time of the year with a clean bill of health, other than one issued by a British authority, shall be visited by the visiting officer before pratique is allowed. "Any vessel arriving without a bill of health, or having a foul bill of health, or with any sick- ness on board, is to be taken direct to the quar- antine ground. "These regulations shall not apply to coasters. "Any person offending against these regula- tions shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding $50." Rules and Regulations for the more effectual carrying out of "The Quarantine Ordi- nance, 1873." "1. Every person approaching a vessel in quarantine shall do so on the windward side; and no person, except the visiting officer, shall, without the permission, in writing of the 90 THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. quarantine board or of the visiting officer, come or send anything within a distance of 100 yards from any such vessel. "2. No master or person in charge of any ves- sel in quarantine shall permit or suffer any per- son whatever, without a permission in writing from the quarantine board or from the visiting officer, to come or send anything within a dis- tance of 100 yards from such vessel. "3. No person or persons (the boat's crew ex- cepted) shall accompany the visiting officer, either in going to or coming from any vessel arriving in the port of Belize, requiring to be visited by him, or to or from any vessel in quar- antine, or to or from any lazaretto or quarantine station. Nothing hereinbefore contained shall extend or be construed to prevent the Postmaster or any person duly authorised by the Lieutenant- Governor from going or returning with the visit- ing officer upon post-office or mail-service business. "4. Whenever the visiting officer shall go on duty, he shall fly a yellow flag in the stern of the boat in which he may go, if it be a row boat, and if a sailing boat, at the mast-head or peak. "5. The visiting officer shall visit every vessel in quarantine and every lazaretto every other day, and oftener if necessary. "6. The visiting officer shall, from time to time, report in writing to the Quarantine Board the state of the health of the persons in quaran- tine; and, as soon as any quarantine shall have been fully performed, report in writing to the Board his having seen the vessel or lazaretto pro- perly cleansed, purified, or disinfected, as also the clothing and bedding used by any infected or other person. "7. It shall be unlawful for any person to leave any vessel that has undergone quarantine until his clothing and bedding shall have been properly cleansed, purified, or disinfected, or, if necessary in the opinion of the visiting officer, destroyed; and the said visiting officer shall see such vessel properly cleansed, purified, or disin- fected in such manner as he shall deem sufficient. And it shall be the duty of the visiting officer personally to see to the matters aforesaid on the day when such quarantine shall cease. "8. It shall be the duty of the quarantine offi- cer, if there be one, and if not of the visiting officer, to take a list of all articles destroyed in accordance with these rules, together with the names of the claimants, and to send the said list to the President of the Quarantine Board. "9. Any person offending against any of the foregoing rules shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding $50. "Passed by the Lieutenant-Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, this 6th day of August 1874. "Thos. Graham, Acting Colonial Secretary, and (ex-officio) Secretary to the Executive Council." Rules and Regulations for the government and direction of Lazarettos, and of such persons as may belong thereto or be placed therein, framed by the Quarantine Board. "1. Any vessel used as a lazaretto shall be anchored or moored, whichever may be deemed necessary or expedient, in the quarantine ground. "2. Whenever a vessel liable to perform quar- antine shall arrive at the port of Belize, or any other port of this colony, the passengers, if any, who shall not remain in quarantine on board of such vessel, but who shall elect to perform quar- antine in some lazaretto to be provided for the purpose, will be subject to the regulations herein contained. "3. Persons received into a lazaretto will be divided into three classes, for each of which there will be a distinct treatment. The first class shall consist of the persons who shall pay $1.50 per day. The second class of those who shall pay $1 per day. The third class of those who shall pay 37J cents per day. Children under twelve years of age and over three years of age will be charged half price; and children under three years of age will be charged one quarter price. These charges will not include spirits, wines, or malt liquors. "4. A yellow flag shall, during the day, be kept flying at every lazaretto, whether afloat or ou land ; and during the night a signal lantern shall be hoisted at the topgallant mast-head, or at some other conspicuous place of every vessel used as a lazaretto. "5. Any person, except the visiting officer, who enters a lazaretto while under quarantine, without the permission of the Quarantine Board or of the visiting officer, shall be compelled to remain therein (for the whole period of quaran- tine; and any person leaving such lazaretto without the permission aforesaid, may be appre- hended by any constable or other person, and compelled to return to the said lazaretto for the period aforesaid. And every person offending against this rule, in either case, is liable to a penalty of not less than $25 and not exceeding $250. "6. No person, except the visiting officer, shall, without the leave, in writing, of the Quar- antine Board or of the visiting officer, come or send anything, within a distance of 100 yards of any lazaretto or quarantine station. "7. Contractors, and others authorised by the Board or visiting officer, to supply food or other necessaries for the service of persons placed in any lazaretto to undergo quarantine, or of the officers and servants, shall approach the lazaretto from windward, and observe such instructions as shall be given to them by the visiting officer. "8. Any person who shall knowingly conceal, or clandestinely convey any letters, goods, wares or merchandise, from any vessel, house, or other place used as a lazaretto, will be liable, on con- viction, to a penalty not less than $25 and not exceeding $250. "9. It shall be unlawful for any person under- going quarantine in any lazaretto, to leave the same until his clothing and bedding shall have been properly cleansed, purified, or disinfected, or destroyed (if necessary in the opinion of the visiting officer); all which it shall be the duty of the visiting officer personally to see done by the hour that the period of such quarantine shall cease. And the visiting officer shall also see that the said lazaretto be properly cleansed and puri- fied or disinfected, as soon and as often as may be. "10. The visiting officer shall take all proper precautions and means to disinfect his own cloth- QUARANTINE—VACCINATION—DOCTORS. 91 ing after visiting any lazaretto, with the view of preventing the introduction or spread of any in- fectious or contagious disease in the town of Belize and the suburbs. "11. All payments must be made daily to the quarantine officer, or other person appointed by the Government in aid of the general revenue, and any person making default will be reduced; and the effects of any defaulter shall be detained by the quarantine officer, or such other officer as aforesaid, and may be sold for the payment of expenses, and all payments due from him without prejudice to any other remedy. "12. Any person placed in quarantine will be allowed, at his own cost, to have the advice and attendance of any medical practitioner whom he may select, subject to the provisions of Rule 10. "13. No quarantine officer, servant, or other person in any lazaretto shall use any indecent or obscene gesture, make any unnecessary noise to the annoyance of any other person, or make use of or employ obscene, profane, or quarrelsome or irritating language. "14. No quarantine officer or servant em- ployed by the public in any lazaretto, shall receive any fee or gratuity whatever. "15. Any person or persons, appointed to en- force quarantine, who shall desert from duty, or shall infringe, or knowingly suffer or permit any person to infringe, the provisions of " The Quar- antine Ordinance, 1873," is liable to a penalty not less than $25 and not exceeding $250, and shall be subject to be immediately dismissed; and, if he be employed in a lazaretto in quaran- tine, may be compelled to remain therein during the whole period of quarantine. "16. All nurses, cooks, and others employed in any lazaretto shall, in the performance of their respective duties, be subject to the orders of the Board and of the visiting officer ; and it shall be an offence for any person, without the leave of the said Board or of the visiting officer, to discontinue or refuse to perform the duty for which he was engaged. "17. The rules and regulations passed by the Quarantine Board on the 8th day of June, and approved of on the 9th day of June 1874 by his Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, are hereby repealed. "Passed the Quarantine Board this 31st day of July 1874. "T. William Henry Dillet, President. "I approve of these regulations. "Rob. M. Mundt. "His Excellency Major Mundt, R A., C.M.G., Lieutenant-Governor of British Honduras, having this day duly considered the foregoing rules and regulations, is pleased to approve thereof, and in pursuance of the fortieth section of " The Quaran- tine Ordinance, 1873," to order in Council that, if any person shall do any act in contravention of them or any of them, for which no penalty is otherwise specifically provided, he shall, on con- viction thereof by a police or paid magistrate, be liable to a fine or penalty not exceeding, in any case, the sum of $50. "Passed by the Lieutenant-Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, this 6th day of August 1874. "Thos. Graham, Acting Colonial Secretary." Additional Mule and Regulation for the more effectual carrying out of " The Quarantine Ordinance, 1873," to secure the due perform- ance of quarantine, and for the government of all vessels or persons coming from any in- fected place, made by the Lieutenant-Gover- nor in Council, under the provisions of the said Ordinance. "Every vessel in quarantine shall have and keep a receiving boat anchored or moored at a distance of not less than 100 yards. "Passed by the Lieutenant-Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, this 4th day of September 1874. "Thos. Graham, Acting Colonial Secretary, and (ex officio) Secretary to the Executive Council." Vaccination. Vaccination is compulsory by law under the Vaccination Ordinance, 10 of 1885, which came into force on the 1st October of that year. Doctors. By the local Act 28 Vict. cap. 9, and its principal Act, known as the local Medical Act of 1854, which regu- lates the admission to practice of physi- cians, surgeons, &c, the preamble reads as follows:— "Whereas, from the salubrity of the climate, persons duly and legally qualified to practise as physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries have not been attracted in numbers sufficient to be acces- sible in all parts of the colony when required, and it is desirable that the services of other per- sons possessing a competent knowledge of medi- cine and surgery should be made available to the community without subjecting to pains and pen- alties those who render them. The Governor may issue a licence to any person having a diploma from any foreign or colonial university or college of known repute to practise as physi- cian, surgeon, and apothecary, or in any two or one of such capacities. Any person practising without being duly and legally qualified and author- ised to do so shall be liable to a penalty of $100 under the local Medical Act, 17 Vict. cap. 10, of 1854. A doctor who wishes to practise in this colony must, before doing so, send in an application to the Colonial Secre- 92 THE BBITISH HONDURAS CONSTABULARY FORCE. tary, with his diplomas; and if on inquiry the Governor deems the appli- cant a fit and proper person to perform a doctor's duties, he is granted a licence to practise on payment to the Colonial Secretary of the sum of $5. This fee is charged for the seal of the colony, and is paid to the Treasury to the account of the General Revenue. The following list gives the medical practitioners in this colony: those marked with an asterisk have diplomas from foreign universities, and have ob- THE BRITISH HONDURAS Ordinance No. 28 of 1885, which was passed on the 8th October 1885, provided for the organisation of a new police force for this colony, which was to be designated the British Honduras Constabulary Force. This Ordinance was enacted on account of the decision of the Secretary of State for War to with- draw the two companies of Imperial troops, comprised of West India regi- ments stationed in the colony, in order to effect a better centralisation of troops in the West Indies. The then exist- ing police force, though adapted for police work, was considered unable to perform both the duties of a frontier guard for the defence of the colony from Indian raids, in addition to or- dinary police work, and it was accord- ingly gradually disbanded as the new force was recruited. Captain Allen of the 1st West India Regiment, who had resigned his former appointment of inspector of police and rejoined his regiment in Barbadoes, was re-seconded, and made the commandant of the constabulary, which title has, by Ordinance No. 6 of 1887, been altered to that of Inspector Command- ant, and ordered to recruit in Barbadoes for the new force. In November 1886 he returned to the colony, bringing with him the first batch of sixty re- tained a licence to practise in the colony:— Medical practitioners— Charles H. Eyles, Colonial Surgeon, Belize. F. E. Gabb, F.R.C.S. Eng., district surgeon, Stann Creek. E. Lambkin, district surgeon, Orange Walk. Frederick Gahne, M.D. Glas., Belize. John M. Moir, M.D. Edin., Belize. John Jenkyns. M.B. CM. Edin., Belize. J. L. M. Smith, M.B. CM. Edin., Belize. 1 David Gentle, M.D. Edin., Belize. •0. W. E. Van Tuyl, M.D. Un. St., Belize. • Francis Moore Pearce, M.D. Un. St., Toledo. "John Thompson, M.D. Un. St., Belize. *J. S. Owen, M.D. Un. St., Belize. CONSTABULARY FORCE. cruits. These men having received three months' drill in Barbadoes, were, after remaining a short time for rifle practice and drill with the troops in Belize, drafted to Orange Walk, and took the place of the Imperial troops in the garrison of Fort Cairns at that place, this company being under orders to sail for Jamaica. Captain Allen again returned to Barbadoes in June 1887, in order to recruit a sufficient number of men to bring the force up to its full strength—175 officers and men. The recruiting was completed by March 1888, and the whole of the constabulary force is now organised. Both the towns of Orange Walk and Corosal are garrisoned by the force; and in April 1888 the whole of the old police force was disbanded, and their places taken by the constabulary throughout the colony. This movement, and the decision of the Secretary of State for War, referred to above, has been the cause of several memorials on the part of the inhabitants of the colony, who complain, amongst other things, that the withdrawal of all the Imperial troops is almost tantamount to delivering the colony over to the Indians, and also that the constabulary will cost more than the 1 Not practising. THE BRITISH HONDURAS 93 CONSTABULARY FORCE. clony is able to afford. As, how- e er, the petitioners have been in- firmed that this decision is un- aterable, and the troops •will be vithdrawn, the constabulary had to te organised in order that the colony bright not be left without some ( efence. A glance at the expenditure for 1886 and 1887, and the estimates for 1888, will show the cost of the military and constabulary for the first two years, and the estimated expenditure of the » two for this year, to be as follows:— 1886. Military— Contribution for troops, . . $25,000.00 Interest on debt, .... 3,499.75 Repairs to forts, .... 1,043.47 $29,543.22 Constabulary— Salaries, $25,462.35 Exclusive of salaries, . . . 11,878.33 $37,340.68 Total for 1886, . . . $66,883.90 1887. Military— Expenditure as above, . . $13,743.44 Constabulary— Expenditure as above, . . 50,094.21 Total for 1887, . . . $63,837.65 1888. Military— Expenditure as above, . $1,733.32 Constabulary— Expenditure as above, . . 70,661.30 Estimated total for 1888, . $72,394.62 In 1887 the expenditure incurred under the head of military is less than the preceding year, as one company of troops was withdrawn during the year, and the whole contribution was not paid. As the troops are to be wholly withdrawn this year, the esti- mated expenditure for the military has again decreased. A debt due to the War Office, and amounting to $86,665.90, will be can- celled on the withdrawal of the troops. The men of the force are armed with Snider carbines, revolvers, and sword- bayonets; but whilst performing police town duties, their only weapon is a truncheon, their arms being kept at the station. For particulars as to enrolment in the force, application should be made at either the office of the Inspector Commandant in Belize, or to one of the officers stationed at Corosal or Orange Walk, where copies of the rules and regulations under the Ordi- nance can also be seen. Establishment op the British Honduras Constabulary Force. Date of Office. Name of Holder. Salary and Allowances. Bret appoint- ment. Inspector Commandant, Inspector, Capt. D. M. Allen, 1st W.I.R., . Lieut. A. E. Kershaw, 4th S.I.R.A., . E. D. W. Campbell, .... $2,250 and quarters, 1,750 1,250 1,250 1,250 1883 1884 1886 1888 1888 Sub-inspectors, . -| A. B. R. Kaye 2 Mounted sergeants, . . . $1,008.00 35 Mounted constables, . . . 10,920.00 4 Foot „ ... 1,824.00 20 Foot, 1st class 6,000.00 3 Mounted corporals, . . . 1,152.00 100 „ 2d , 27,600.00 6 Foot ii ... 2,160.00 94 PRISONS. PRISONS. The old jail, built in 1826, was from time to time enlarged as circum- stances required. It was a cumbrous wooden building surmounted by a look-out tower, from which the ap- proach of vessels was signalled. The site of the old jail was near the Belize bridge. In 1857, however, the pre- sent substantial brick building, known as the Belize Prison, was erected. This prison is situated near the hospital in Gabourel Street, facing the sea. The boundary wall of the prison, built of concrete, encloses nearly three acres of ground. In 1885 the building was consider- ably enlarged, eleven cells being added, making the total number of cells seventy for males, including four dark ones for punishment, and six cells for females, who are kept quite apart from the males. A house and office for the keeper were also added, and a wall built to separate them from the prison. The work of enlarging the prison and building the keeper's house was prin- cipally done by prison labour. Prison labour is under the direction of the Colonial Engineer, and consists of indoor and outdoor labour. Indoor labour comprises the mak- ing and repairing clothing for the dis- trict prisons, also for inmates of the public hospital, lunatic asylum, and poor-house; the washing for these in- stitutions is done by the female prison- ers. Nearly all the mechanical work for the Government departments is done inside the prison, also fibre-beat- ing, mat-making, stone-breaking, fire- wood-cutting, boat-repairing, &c.; and all the flags in use by the Government are also made and repaired here. Outdoor labour is at present uti- lised for the carrying out of certain extensive public improvements and works under what is known as the "Siccama Scheme." The prisoner work the dredger, and are employed i i raising the level of the streets in Belize, cleaning the canals, &c. Making and repairing roads comprises the principal outdoor work. The prison labour, considering the various nationalities to which the prisoners belong, is utilised to the best advantage. Prior to the year 1836 the jail was governed by various rules and regula- tions made from time to time as cir- cumstances required; but in that year an Act was passed for consolidating those regulations and for more clearly defining the powers of the Board of Superintendence and the duties of the different officers. From this date until 1884 various Acts have been passed in connection with the prison. By Ordinance 16 of 1884 all previous Acts were repealed, and the management of the prison is now under this law. New rules have been recently framed by the Governor in Council under sec. 22 of this Ordinance, which, it is anticipated, will render the manage- ment more satisfactory and effective. Generally speaking, the prisoners are fairly well behaved. It has been found impossible to introduce the modern system of English prison discipline, classification, and management, owing to the various mix- tures of race, as it is obvious that Blacks, Chinese, Coolies, Indians, &c., cannot be kept in the same order and discipline as in England, where one nationality prevails. Punishment is not resorted to except where imperatively required. It con- sists in extreme cases of flogging, soli- tary confinement, extra work, &c. DISTRICT PRISONS. 95 Executions, when unfortunately necessary, take place in the corridor of the building. Within the last four years there have been only three ex- ecutions, which indicates that capital crimes are not of frequent occurrence. The principal offences are wounding, larceny, and various offences under, the labour law. Drunkenness furnishes its quota here as in all other places; bad cases of any sort are rare. Female prisoners are few, but juve- niles are in excess of a proper ratio. No provision can be made for the com- plete separation of the last at present, till a -much-needed reformatory is built, when it is hoped that more bene- ficial results will accrue than under the present system. In most cases boys get the birch; but unfortunately this does not seem to be a sufficient deter- rent, as they are very frequently, if not usually, sent back when released, prin- cipally for petty larceny. Great praise is due to the various ministers of all denominations for their efforts in conducting religious services on Sundays, as this is entirely volun- tary on their part. Were it possible for these gentlemen to interest them- selves more fully in prisoners on their discharge, it would be productive of much good, as it frequently happens that a prisoner leaves without any place to go to and with no money in his pocket to buy food, so no prevent- ive exists against a lapse into crime. The prison has the reputation of being the cleanest as well as the cool- est place in the town; the general state of health of the prisoners is excellent. When yellow fever was prevalent in Belize during 1886-87, not a single case of fever occurred within its walls. The daily average number of prison- ers for 1887 was 82-9, showing a slight increase on the average of the last few years. The total cost of the prison depart- ment, and the amount of prisoners' earnings during 1887, were respectively $11,631.38, and $10,536, which may be detailed thus :— Cost of maintenance— Salaries, $0,071.99 Dieting, 5,357.41 Clothing, &c 1,201.98 $11,631.38 Prisoners' earnings— Inside prison, .... $2,800.00 Outside „ .... 7,736.00 $10,536.00 Prison labour is only valued at 374 cents per diem. District Prisons. Under the provisions of "The Prisons Ordinance, 1884," the Governor may appoint any building set apart for the reception and confinement of prisoners in the districts, as district prisons. The prisons at Corosal, Orange Walk, and Stann Creek were made such before the passing of this Ordi- nance; but the building at Punta Gorda was made a prison under the Ordi- nance in November 1885. With the exception of the prisons at Corosal and Orange Walk, for which a keeper is appointed, the control of the district prisons is in the hands of the magistrate of the district, and a constable is placed in charge of the prisoners. 96 PRISONS. Establishment op the Prison Department. Date of Office. Name of Holder. Salary. first appoint- ment. Keeper, Belize prison, . A. W. Hood, .... K. A. Hood, .... R. W. Evans, .... $1250 252 900 600 600 480 420 360 360 420 300 360 1884 Matron, n ... 1885 1885 1885 1885 Chief warder, . . .' . 2d H. Ford 3d .... T. Humphreys Overseers, -j R. White, S. T. Rodgers L. Forbes, L. Barrington Keeper, Corosal, .... U. Grant Overseer , R. Taylor, Keeper, Orange Walk,. L. Daly, Visiting Justices of Prisons. Ex-officio, the magistrates in their respective districts. For Belize, 1888— The Hon. Major Caulfield. it A. Williamson. The Hon. B. Fairweather. T. Graham, Esq. G. Allan, Esq. For Corosal. 1888— E. A. H. Schofield, Esq. J. W. Standing, Esq. Statistical Return for the Prisons of British Honduras for 1887. Total Number of Persons Coiumitted 1 in 8'-. Nnmber Com- mitted for Debt, Number of those Commit- ted who have been previously Number of Persons Com- mitted to Penal Im- prisonment,1 includ- ing "Penal Servitude" (if that term is used in the Colony to describe any Punishment). The Daily Average Number in Prison. | The Number of Admissions to Hospi- tal during the Year 8'-. The Daily Average on the Sick List. The Number of Deaths during 8'-. Want of Bail, and Punishment. Convicted. Name of Prison, and where situated. For safe Custody till Trial, or for Want of Security. For purposes of Pen- al Imprisonment. Thrice or more. For Five Years or more. For One Year or more, but less than Five Years. For more than Three Months and less than One Year. For Three Months or less. For Debt. Once. Twice. Belize, . . . 203 51 152 14 3 2 4 27 27 87 82.90 8 2.10 1 Corosal, . . . 133 7 126 9 3 11 1 132 9.30 5 .50 1 Orange Walk, . 55 8 47 1 2 4 47 3.52 12 .10 Staun Creek, . 47 47 2 7 47 3.40 Cayo, . . . 26 26 5 1 1 26 .58 .07 Toledo, . . . 50 9 41 45 3 2 42 .13 .41 Total, . . 514 75 439 74 14 27 4 27 2S 381 99.83 25 3.18 2 1 By " penal imprisonment" is meant imprisonment inflicted as a substantive punishment in pur- suance of a sentence of a court of justice, as distinguished from imprisonment for safe custody, kc. ADMISSION INTO THE CIVIL SERVICE OF BRITISH HONDURAS. 97 ADMISSION INTO THE CIVIL SEEVICE OF BEITISH HONDUKAS. There is no examination for admis- sion into the civil service of the co- lony, the appointments to vacant offices being governed by the Colonial Office Regulations. All applications for posts in the civil service of the colony must be ad- dressed to the Colonial Secretary, who forwards them for the Governor's con- sideration. Forms of application for appoint- ments can be obtained at the Colonial Secretary's office, and when sent in must be accompanied by testimonials, which will be returned, as to character and qualifications. Every person who may be appointed to a post under this Government is re- quired to produce a medical certificate as to his physical fitness from the Co- lonial Surgeon. Offices are classed under three heads:— 1. Those of which the emoluments do not exceed £100 ($500) per an- num. 2. Those of which the emoluments exceed £100 ($500), and do not ex- ceed £200 ($1000) per annum. 3. Those of which the emoluments exceed £200 ($1000) per annum. When a vacancy occurs in the first or lowest of the three classes mentioned above, the Governor, as a general rule, has the absolute disposal of the ap- pointment, subject only to the condi- tion of reporting every such appoint- ment on the first opportunity. When a vacancy occurs in the second or middle class, the Governor reports it to the Secretary of State for the Co- lonies, together with the name and qualifications of the person whom he has appointed to fill it provisionally, and intends to fill it finally, which re- commendation is almost uniformly fol- lowed. When a vacancy occurs in the third or highest class, the Governor follows the same course as to reporting the vacancy and provisional appointment; but he is distinctly to apprise the ob- ject of his choice that he holds the office in the strictest sense of the word provisionally only, until his appoint- ment is confirmed or superseded by her Majesty. He is at liberty also to re- commend a candidate for the final ap- pointment, but it must be distinctly understood that the Secretary of State has the power of recommending another instead. The regulations also lay down that her Majesty will be advised to regard more favourably appointments which are in the nature of promotions of meritorious public servants than ap- pointments made in favour of persons new to the public service. The following circular despatch from the Secretary of State for the Colonies gives the terms on which public officers may occupy and manage land in this colony:— "Circular. "Downing Street, 2d February 1885. "Sm,—I have had under consideration the replies to my circular despatch of the 24th of June 1884, with reference to the occupation and management of land by salaried public officers. "In future, no salaried public officer should be allowed to cultivate or occupy for profit, ex- cept through an attorney or agent, any land of greater extent than twenty acres, or situated at a distance of more than six miles from his resi- dence; but this rule need not be applied to officers already occupying estates or stock-farms, unless such occupation should be found to inter- fere with their duties. "No magistrate whose duty it is to adjudi- cate between indentured labourers and their employers, should be allowed to employ in- dentured labourers in the district in which he exercises jurisdiction.—I have, &c. "Derby." f 98 PENSIONS. PENSIONS. There is no local law relating to pensions, the rates and amounts of re- tiring allowances being granted and regulated under the Colonial Office Regulations. PENSIONERS. Persons whose Offices have been Abolished. Name. 8crvice for which Pension Granted. Date of Commencement of Pension. Amount of Pension. Rev. A Field, . F. Turnbull, . Chaplain, St Mary's,. Organist, St John's, . May 1875 February 1876 $518.92 i 291.89" Officers who have Retired from the Service, and whose Places have been Filled up. Name. Service for which Pension Granted. Date of Commencement of Pension. Amount of Pension. Sir George Berkeley,. B. A. Cody, Tlios. Graham, . A. Hunter, J. H. La Croix, S. S. Rues, R. S. Wier, Colonial Secretary, . Magistrate, Northern District, . June 1881 „ 1878 April 1880 1887 $1556.751 95.161 1525.70 2 Treasurer Colonial Surgeon, Warehouse Keeper, . Attorney-General, Chief Clerk, Treasury, 1st January 1888 March 1878 1st January 1888 800.00 1769.511 450.00 1 These pensions are paid in England in ster- 2 Mr Graham's pension was revalued in 1887 ling, and tnc amounts given here are the equiva- at the above rate, as it was stated to him in leuts in currency at the Treasury rate—viz., 3s. sterling at the time of his retirement. Id. to the dollar. 100 THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. might thereafter be made by the justices in full council, being first approved by the majority of the inhabitants, and that the commanding officer for the time being of any of his Majesty's ships of war which might be sent thither should have fall power to enforce and put the above into execution. "Regulations were at the same time agreed to respecting the levying and collection of taxes, the cutting of logwood, &c., &c. "This code, which bears Sir William Burnaby's name, was printed at the expense of the settle- ment in 1809, with such additional regulations and alterations of the original articles as had, in the intermediate time, been found necessary. Since the last-named period, further additions to this code have from time to time been made by the inhabitants at their public meetings — by committees chosen for that purpose—and by the magistrates presiding in the several tribunals which were created as above mentioned; which regulations—although, of course, they cannot be considered as having the effect of law any more than the original code—are yet by common con- sent of the inhabitants considered as binding upon them, and as such are strictly acted upon and enforced. "It may not perhaps be altogether improper to state here briefly the course which is generally pursued when an individual of the community is desirous of introducing a new regulation which is to undergo the solemnity of an 'enactment.' Such individual causes a public notice or requi- sition to be posted in the court-house at Belize, calling a meeting of the magistrates and inhabi- tants of the place, on the particular day ex- pressed in the notice (which it is understood must be stuck up twenty-one days before the day named for the meeting). On the arrival of the day appointed for the purpose, the magis- trates and inhabitants assemble, when the pro- position contained in the notice is discussed, and the majority of those present on the occasion determine the question; after which, if the measure agreed to at the meeting receive the assent of the Superintendent, it is considered a law of the settlement, but not otherwise. "In this anomalous state of things it is a matter of considerable surprise that the meet- ings, dignified with the names of courts, should be conducted with a regularity and decorum which will bear no disadvantageous comparison with the proceedings, in this respect, of the regularly constituted tribunals in most of the colonies visited under the Commission. It is but an act of justice to offer this testimony on the part of myself and my late colleague, derived from personal attendance at the courts, which sat during our stay in the settlement." As the records of the colony, so far as they relate to the administration of justice, do not date further back than 1786, it would be difficult to deter- mine what the system was prior to that date; but it is natural to suppose that the courts of justice as found then had been in existence for many years previous. At all events, one thing is certain, and that is, that the magis- trates from the very earliest times had entire charge of the administration of justice. Originally there would appear to have been only two courts—the Grand Court and the Summary Court. The records of the former are now in the Eecord Office from 1786 to 1849. The first change that would appear to have been made in the law courts of this settlement was in 1820, when H.M. Superintendent was appointed, with seven others, to sit as judges of a new criminal court called the High or Supreme Commission Court, which was established by Imperial Act of Parliament. By the establishment of this court the duties were simply trans- ferred from the magistrates of the Grand Court to the judges of the Supreme Court, who were one and the same persons. It may be as well to deal separately with each court. The Grand Court. The magistrates who acted as judges in this court were appointed annually, to the number of seven; but three were held sufficient to form a court. They were chosen from among those inhabitants considered best qualified to fill the situation, and their services were gratuitous. They sat three times a-year, in the town of Belize, taking cognisance, as a court of Criminal Jurisdiction, of all offences not speci- fied in the commission constituting the Supreme Court, with the exception of minor assaults, which were tried in the summary courts; and, as a court of Civil Jurisdiction, of all matters of debt above the sum of £10, trespasses, actions for damages, &c. The proceedings of this court, on its criminal side, -were similar to those in the Supreme Commission Court, with the exception that there was no grand jury, though it had a petty jury. Its 102 THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. a court of oyer and terminer in civil actions. The summary court and police court were left to magisterial super- intendence. In 1845 the public meeting denned and limited the powers of the Chief- Justice and judges of the several courts. The Grand Court could imprison for four years, or fine up to £500 cur- rency. The summary court required three or more justices on the bench, and had power to imprison for three months, or fine up to £50 currency. Prior to the year 1847 the office of legal adviser to the Government was known as Queen's Advocate.1 At this date, however, the office was abolished, and the Act 10 Vict. cap. 8 was passed, "to enable her Majesty's Superintend- ent to appoint an Attorney-General for the settlement of British Honduras." By the "Courts Jurisdiction Act" that was passed in 1855, 18 Vict. cap. 21, its jurisdiction was clearly defined. The preamble reads as follows :— "Whereas great changes have taken place in the social condition of this settlement, and im- provements adapted to such changes have recent- ly been made in the legislative and executive constitution thereof, and it is expedient to im- prove the constitution of the courts of the set- tlement, and to enlarge the jurisdiction of the said courts, and of the judges thereof, and also to create certain new jurisdictions for the further- ance of justice," &c. That there shall be henceforward one court of record of superior juris- diction in the settlement—that is to say, the Grand Court—which shall henceforward be distinguished as the "Supreme Court." This Act regulates "that two of the said puisne judges, when associated with the Chief-Justice, shall form a complete court." Two years afterwards, an Act to 1 The first Attorney - General, Henry John Ball. establish rules and process for the regulation of the Supreme Court of Judicature was passed. In 1868 the office of puisne judge was done away with, by Act 31 Vict, cap. 9. Finally, by Ordinance 14 of 1879, all previous legislation on the subject was repealed, and the Supreme Court of Judicature in this colony recon- structed. The Supreme Court of Judicature in this colony is now regulated by Ordin- ance 14 of 1879, "for the reconstruc- tion of the Supreme Court, and for other purposes relating to the better administration of justice in the colony, and to authorise the hearing of ap- peals before her Majesty in Council;" and by Ordinance 15 of 1879, which consolidates and amends the law relat- ing to the mode of pleading and pro- ceeding at common law and in equity, known as the code of civil procedure. Since amended by Ordinances 6 and 7 of 1880, and 14 of 1881. The court consists of the Chief- Justice. The Supreme Court exercises all the jurisdiction, powers, and author- ities possessed and vested in the fol- lowing courts and judges in England at the time of passing of "the Supreme Court of Judicature Act, 1873" (im- perial). 1. Her Majesty's Court of Queen's Bench, Common Pleas, and Ex- chequer of Pleas, or either of them. 2. Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery, the Lord High Chan- cellor of Great Britain, and the Vice-Chancellor, or either of them. 3. The Courts of justices of oyer and terminer and general jail delivery, assize, and nisi jyrius, or either of them. 4. Her Majesty's Court of Probate. The Chief-Justice has and exercises all powers and jurisdiction relating to the granting of probate and letters of HIGH OR SUPREME COMMISSION COURT. 103 administration according to any laws or Acts in existence for the time being. The Supreme Court has appellate jurisdiction over cases determined in all inferior courts, and in respect of any misdirections or misrulings of the judges thereof, and has power either to remit back the proceedings for judg- ment and execution in such inferior courts, or may originate its own ap- pellate judgment thereon, and enforce the same in like manner with any judgment of the Supreme Court, with or without costs, as may be thought fit by the court. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction in all causes and questions of escheats. All crimes and offences may be tried in the Supreme Court by information, and without the intervention of a grand jury. The Supreme Court holds sittings in Belize for the trial of criminal causes on the last Monday in February, May, August, and November: for the de- spatch of civil causes on the Monday next after the commencement of the criminal court. The sittings arc held at Corosal for the trial of criminal causes on thr nrst Monday in January, April, July, and October; and for civil business im- mediately after the termination of the criminal business. The Chief-Justice may hold a special court at any time for the trial of any civil or (and with the consent of the prisoner) criminal cause. The Supreme Court is open through- out the year for the transaction of the general legal business pending therein, other than the trial of civil or criminal causes. The Chief-Justice hears motions and transacts business in chambers, on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 a.m. Cases of urgency are heard at any time, application for the purpose being made through the clerk of courts. The sittings of the Supreme Court will take place as under:— Belize. Criminal Business. Civil Business. 27th August 1888. 3d September 1888. 26th November 2.r.th February 1889. 27th May „ . December 4th March 1889. 3d June „ COBOSAL. 2d July 1888. 1 at October n 7th January 1889. 1st April n Immediately on termination of crim- inal business. Establishment of the Supreme Court. Office. Name of Holder. Salary. Date of first appointment. Chief-Justice, .... Attorney-General, Registrar of the Courts, Provost Marshal, Keeper of Records, Registrar Lands Titles. Registrar Joint-stock Companies, and Librarian Supreme Court, William Meigh Goodman, . Charles Reginald Hoffmeister, $5000 2500 1883. 1886. | Frederick Hardyman Parker, . 2000 30th Sept. 1884. Clerk, Lindsay William Bristowe,. Ernest E. M'Donald, . Richard A. Cato, Henry Charles Usher, . 750 400 300 Fees. 18th Oct. 1880. 1887. 1867. Clerk to Attorney-General, Crier of the Court, Official Administrator, 104 THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. Practitioners enrolled in the Supreme Court, with Privilege of Practising in all the Courts of the Colony. 1 C. R. Hoffmeister, M.A., Attorney-General. 2 John Bristowe. J- Not practising. | Not in the colony. W. B. Aikman i J. H. Parker, M.A 1 A. Mallory Dillet. A. J. Thomson. 1 D. J. Watson, LL.B i R. H. Logan, B.A. i F. M. Maxwell, B.A. 1 R. H. W. Woodward, M.A. 2 Hall Towni Price. 1 William Mann Slorach. Supreme Court Fees. Courts' Fees. (A folio in this schedule is to consist of seventy- two words.) Summonses, Writs, Commissions, and Warrants. On sealing and filing a writ of summons for commencement of an action,. On sealing a concurrent renewed or amended writ of summons for com- mencement of an action, . On sealing a notice for service under sec- tion 79 of the Code of Civil Procedure, On sealing a writ of execution, On sealing a writ of mandamus or injunc- tion On sealing a writ of subpoena not exceed- ing four persons, .... 0.75 On sealing or issuing a commission to take evidence 5.00 On sealing every other commission, . 2.50 On sealing any pleading or document other than herein already designated, 2.50 Appearance. On entering an appearance for each per- son, $5.00 0.50 0.50 1.50 5.00 0.25 For a copy of a written deposition of a witness, examining same and marking same as an office copy, per folio, . 0.12J Office copies of any document, per folio, 0.12J Attendances. Of the Clerk of Courts or other officer at the judge's chambers to take deposi- tions, per hour, 1.00 If beyond the court-house, per hour, . 2.00 On every other attendance at chambers and noting proceedings, . . . 1.00 Oaths. For taking an affidavit or an affirmation, or declaration, 0.25 Swearing a witness in court or in cham- bers in all civil proceedings, . . 0.25 Filing. On filing any pleading or document, or copy of a pleading or document, . 0.25 1 Barristers-at-Law. 2 Solicitors of the Supreme Court of West- minster. On filing a special case or a caveat, . $1.25 On filing appeal from a magistrate's court, 0.50 On filing appeal from a summary juris- diction court, 0.50 On filing appeal from a district magis- trate's court, 0.50 Certificates. For a certificate of appearance or of a pleading affidavit or proceeding having been entered, filed, or taken, or of the negative thereof or any other certifi- cate, ." 0.50 Searches and Inspections. On an application to search for an ap- pearance or an affidavit, and inspect- ing same 0.25 On an application to search an index and inspect a pleading, decree, order, or other record unless otherwise expressly provided for by any Legislative Act or ordinance or this order, and to inspect documents deposited for safe custody or production pursuant to an order, . Examination of Witnesses. For every witness sworn or examined by an examiner or other officer in his office, including oath (personal fee), . For an examination of every witness by any such officer away from his office (personal fee) For taking depositions, whether at a judge's chambers, in the Clerk of Courts' office, or elsewhere, per folio, Payment of Money into Court. On the payment of money into court of $100 and under, On the payment of money into court over $100 at i per cent ad val. additional. On taking money out of court, the same. 0.25 1.25 2.00 0.25 1.00 For entering or setting down or re-enter- ing or re-setting down an appeal to the Court of Appeal, or a cause for trial or hearing, including a demurrer by way of motion for judgment, special case, but not a petition nor a summons ad- journed from chambers, Judgment Decrees and Orders. For entering a judgment, or a decree, or a decretal order, whether on the orig- inal hearing of a cause, or on further consideration, or by default, ex parte, or by confession, including a cause commenced by summons at chambers, and an order on the hearing of a special case, and any order of the Court of Appeal under 6 folios; above 6 folios at 12£ cents per folio,.... 1.00 Taking Accounts. On taking any account by order of court, per hour, 1.00 Taxation of Costs. For taxing a bill'of costs, . . . 1.00 106 THK JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. Drawing Documents. Drawing any document of what nature or kind so ever, per folio, . . . $0.25 Perusals. Of statement of complaint, statement of defence, reply, joinder of issue and other pleadings or other material docu- ment In a suit by the solicitor of the party to whom the same are delivered, per folio, 6| cents. Copies. Of pleadings and other documents when no other provision is made, per folio,. 0.12J Hearing Fees. On a summons in chambers, if opposed, 3.00 Of more than one hour, for every hour after the first, 1.00 If summons unopposed,. . . .2.00 In court on every special motion for rule or order, or to affirm or discharge same, $2.50 to 15.00 Whether in court or in chambers in the following cases: discovery, mandamus, injunction, interpleader, or inter- pleader summons, . . . .10.00 On argument of special case, $5.00 to . 25.00 On reference, $5.00 to . . . . 15.00 All ex parte applications to the court where no fee is specially provided, . 2.50 All ex parte applications to a judge in chambers where no fee is specially pro- vided, 1.25 Attendances. For every necessary attendance on the adverse party or his solicitor, or at the Clerk of Courts' or Marshal's office (where no fee for service is charged), or where such attendance is not included in any other fee,. . . . 0.50 On examination of witnesses before any examiner, commissioner, officer, or other person, for first hour (and for every subsequent hour or part of an hour, at $1), 2.00 Where the costs of the day are allowed, the same shall be half the lowest hear- ing fee. In case of judgment by default, no hearing fee shall be allowed except where judgment is in court, in which case and in cases of judgment, ex parte, half the lowest hearing fee only shall be allowed. Fees on hearing of a Suit. The fee on hearing will depend on the intricacy of the case and the length of time occupied, and will range from $10 to $100: Provided that no larger fee than $25 shall be allowed without cer- tificate of the presiding judge, to be applied for orally ex parte in chambers. Appeals. Preparing grounds of appeal, notice, and other preliminaries, $5 to . . . 10.00 Hearing fee the same as on final hearing of a suit. All other fees, according to the work done, shall be the same as in the original hearing of a suit. Witnesses. For the examination of every necessary witness before trial, or the hearing of a cause, included attendance, each, . $1.00 Higher Scale. Ten per cent on taxed costs. Attorney General's. (Fees in Escheat.) Searching title in the office of Keeper of Records, 5.00 Every necessary attendance, . . . 2.00 Drawing or settling every paper, per folio, 0.50 Copies for service, at per folio, . . 0.1' Service of documents, .... 0, Hearing fees, same as hereinbefore pro- vided for. And any other fee not herein provided, and which may be allowed to solicitors. Clerk of Courts. As in ordinary civil cases. Cost of Taxation. In all cases where the amount of the bill pre- sented for taxation is reduced on taxation by one- fourth of the amount originally claimed, the costs of taxation shall be paid by the party whose bill has been so reduced. Allowance of Witnesses. Every witness being a clergyman, or medical practitioner, or sworn land- surveyor, per day, . . . .5.00 Every witness being a journeyman, mechanic, or labourer, per day, $1 to . 2.50 All other witnesses above the grade of a journeyman, mechanic, or labourer, per day, $1.50 to . . . .3.00 Travelling expenses in the discretion of the taxing-master. Plans and diagrams, if necessary, amount to be in the discretion of tax- ing-master. The amount of any fee not hereinbefore provided shall be settled by the Chief- Justice. Law Library Fees. Payment by solicitors admitted to prac- tise, Ordinance 8—1882, . . . 125.00 Payment by solicitors, annual certificate, 25.00 Probate and Administration Fees. Entering caveat on the estate of a de- ceased intestate,. . . . Recording proceedings, other than herein- after specified, at the rate of, per folio, 160 words, Together with a filing fee of . Swearing witnesses to each will, and on the probate thereof; swearing ap- praisers, and on each warrant of ap- praisement, and on the qualification of executors or administrators, in each 1.00 0.37i 0.75 2.50 PEOBATE AND LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION, ETC. 107 Filing and recording petition for grant of administration, .... 82-50 If more than five folios, for each folio, . 0.37^ Besides a filing fee of . . . 0.75 For every administration or testamentary bond, if the estate be of value of under £60, 1.50 Of £60, and under £300, . . . 4.50 Of £300, and under £600, . . . 9.00 Of £600 and upwards, .... 15.00 Letters of administration in each case, if the estate be of value under £60, . 3.00 Of £60, and under £300, . . . 9.00 Of £300, and under £600, . . .18.00 Of £600 and upwards, .... 30.00 Filing and recording accounts of execu- tors, administrators, or guardians, . 1.00 Together with, per folio of 160 words, . 0.37 j For each search, the same, and under the same regulations as in the Supreme Court. Probate and Letters of Administration. The Court of Probate in this colony is regulated by Ordinances 17 of 1880 and 22 of 1881. "Applications for probate or letters of admin- istration must be made by petition to the chief- justice, and to every such petition there must be subjoined or annexed an affidavit verifying the allegations contained in such petition. "In the case of a will, the petition must state the deathof the testator, that the document pro- duced is believed to be his last will and testa- ment, that the petitioner is the person named as the executor, and that he knows of no other later will made as the last will of the testator. o "In the case of intestacy, the petition must state the death of the intestate, and that he died without leaving a will; and it must briefly set forth the grounds on which the petitioner has applied for letters of administration. "In the case of a petition for letters of admin- istration with the will annexed, the petition must set forth the grounds on which the application is based. "In every petition for probate or for letters of administration, there must be stated the probable value of the estate to be administered. "Notice of application for letters of admin- istration must be given in the Government 'Gazette' for three successive weeks before such letters shall be granted: Except in cases where the Chief-Justice is satisfied by affidavit or other- wise of the existence of any urgent necessity, that such grant should be made before the ex- piration of such three weeks, and shall likewise be satisfied that notice of the application has been given to all persons residing within the colony, whose claim to such grant may be prior or preferable to that of the applicant. In every such case the Chief-Justice shall have the power to grant to such applicant letters of administra- tion, limited or otherwise, as the circumstances of the case shall seem to require, within such time, before the expiration of such three weeks, as to him may seem necessary. But in no case shall it be granted until after one publication in the Government' Gazette.' "No probate of the will nor letters of admin- istration of the estate and effects of any person deceased will be granted by the Chief-Justice until the person or persons applying for such probate or letters of administration has given bond to the Chief-Justice for the time being, which bond shall be in such form as the Chief- Justice shall in his discretion by any general or special order direct: Provided, however, that such bond shall be in a penalty of double the amount of the probable value of the estate of the deceased person as stated in the petition on which the grant is made, or in such larger amount as the Chief-Justice may, by any order to be made in any particular case, direct. "Any person who takes possession of or in any way administers any part of the personal estate and effects of any person without obtain- ing probate of letters of administration shall be liable to a penalty of $100. "Under special circumstances, where it may appear to the court to be just or expedient, pro- bate or administration may be granted to some person other than the person ordinarily or by law entitled to such probate or administration." Official Administrator. By 33 Vict. cap. 2, the office of offi- cial administrator is provided for. The amending Ordinance 4 of 1876 simply provides for the seizure and sale of escheated lands at once, in certain cases. Under the former Act it is the duty of the official administrator to ad- minister on the estate and effects of persons dying intestate, and without next of kin. The official administrator files with the Clerk of Courts an information applying for letters of administration, whereupon the Chief - Justice grants the same, which the Clerk of Courts then notifies in the 'Gazette.' At the expiration of one calendar month, unless in the meantime letters are applied for, he proceeds to ad- minister the said estate. On proof that the party did not die intestate, the official administrator shall pay surplus of estate to the next of kin. He has to make a return to the Clerk of Courts of all inventories, &c., as other administrators are required to 108 THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. do. At the end of twelve months he may distribute assets among claimants. He receives five per cent on total receipts. "Law Library Rules made by his Honour the Chief-Justice, under and by virtue of Section 4 of' The Law Library Ordinance, 1882.' "1. The Law Library shall be open during the same oflice hours as the Judicial Depart- ment. "2. No smoking or loud talking shall be per- mitted. "3. No book shall, under any circumstances, be removed from the Law Library room except for reference in court, or before a judge in chambers. "4. A practitioner, before removing any book for reference as last aforesaid, shall enter in a book to be provided for the purpose the name of the work to be removed, the date of removal, and name of such practitioner. "5. Every book so removed shall be returned by such practitioner into the Law Library on the same day, and be replaced on the particular shelf from which taken. "6. The services of the crier of the court shall be at the disposal of practitioners for the purpose of porterage to and from the library, provided the court is not sitting. "7. No book shall be marked, injured, or mutilated. "Nothing herein contained shall be deemed or construed to affect the right of the district magistrates to have access to the Law Library for the purpose of reference. "The non-observance of, or non-compliance with, any one of the foregoing rules shall be visited with a penalty not exceeding $25 and not less than $2, to be recovered summarily in like manner as penalties are now recoverable for prac- tising as a solicitor without a certificate." The Vice-Admiralty Court. The Court of Vice-Admiralty is a branch of the Admiralty Court of Eng- land. The chief statute in reference to this court is the Imperial Act, 26 Vict, c. 24 (the Vice-Admiralty Courts Act, 1863), which makes provision for the appointment of a judge, a registrar, and a marshal. The 30 and 31 Vict. c. 45 (the Vice-Admiralty Courts Act Amend- ment Act, 1867) empowers the judge to appoint a deputy judge or judges to assist or represent him in the execution of his judicial powers. The new rules and fees of the Vice-Admiralty Court were established by the Queen's Order in Council, dated 23d August 1883, and came into force on the 1st January 1884. Establishment of the Vice-Admiralty Court. Date of first appointment to Public Service. Office. Name of Holder. Salary. Judge and Commissary, . Queen's Advocate, . Registrar, .... Marshal, .... William Hugh Goodman, Charles Reginald Hoffmeister, Frederick H. Parker, Samuel C. Price, Fees. Do. Do. Do. The District Magistrates' Courts. The system of magistracy and courts of summary jurisdiction, as carried on previous to the year 1846, would ap- pear to have been curiously original, and the duties of the magistrates purely voluntary on the part of private per- sons in the colony engaged in mercan- tile and other pursuits, their powers having been from time to time defined by various rules and regulations of the public meeting; but in this year, in consequence of numerous complaints having been made that these duties interfered with their private affairs, two Acts were passed (9 Vict. cap. 1, and 9 Vict. cap. 2) which abolished the old system of uuremunerated mag- istrates, and substituted a stipendiary police magistrate and justice of the peace instead, giving him jurisdiction over all matters of preliminary investiga- tion relating to crimes and misdemean- ours, and also a summary jurisdiction. Various other Acts were passed from 110 THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. Fees to be taken under 28 Vict. cap. 12. Appeals from Summary Jurisdiction, For drawing case and copy, where the case does not exceed five folios of 90 words, $2.50 Where the case exceeds five folios, then for every additional folio, . . . 0.25 For the recognisance in pursuance of the Act, 1.25 For every enlargement or renewal thereof, 0.62J For certificate of refusal of case, . . 0.50 Under Labour Ordinance, 1883. (Ordinance 15, 1883.) Cents. Fee for each attestation of signature, . 25 Information 50 Every summons, 25 Each copy 12J Every warrant, 50 Hearing fee, 60 Each witness examined, .... 12j Every order 50 Conviction, 50 Copies of proceedings, per folio of 72 words, 12.J The course of procedure is regulated by various local enactments. They have a limited criminal juris- diction. An appeal lies from the district court to the Supreme Court. The district magistrate is the coroner of his district. The Petty Debts and Damaoes Courts. These courts are now regulated by Ordinance 15 of 1880, amended by 21 of 1881 and 9 of 1883. Previous to this date, and until the passing of the local Act 9 Vict. cap. 1, the magistrates generally exercised the powers and juris- diction of judges in cases of petty debt; but the Act referred to provided for the appointment of a police magistrate, and gave to him sole jurisdiction, as well in petty debt claims as in criminal cases required to be dealt with sum- marily. Subsequent to the passing of this Act, it was found necessary to pass a special Act to amend and regulate the system of summary jurisdiction in civil cases, and in 1855 an Act was passed, commonly called the " Summary- Court Act," but which was entitled, "An Act to Improve the Constitution of the Police Court and of the Sum- mary Court, and to establish appeals therefrom." Under this law it was enacted that there should in future be two courts of inferior jurisdiction in the settlement—viz., "the Police Court" and "the Summary Court." The said Act, 18 Vict cap. 10, gave to the Summary Court jurisdiction over all debts and demands for liquidated damages not exceeding ten pounds sterling. These Acts are no longer in force. Under the present Ordinance the district magistrates sit in their respec- tive districts for the purpose of hearing and determining complaints or claims. Their jurisdiction extends to $100, in respect of— (a) Any debt created by special or simple contract. (J) Any partnership account. (c) Any claim for the wrongful de- tention of a specific chattel or article. (d) Any claim to a distributive share under an intestacy or to a legacy. (c) Any trespass to real or personal property. Minors may be plaintiffs for wages. Appeals lie to the Supreme Court. The Court sits on the first and third Monday of each month, in each dis- trict, and in Belize is held in the Su- preme Court-room. Writs of summons must be served seven clear days before each sitting, so as to ensure a hearing at first court after issue; but where the service is not effected in time for first court, it stands good for any subsequent court. All such writs must be served within three months from date of issue, or be re- turned to the office of the clerk of the court. Costs, consequent upon a judgment, are taxed in Belize by the Clerk of Courts at any time after hearing; THE PETTY DEBTS AND DAMAGES COUETS. Ill In the out-districts, by the magis- trate, either immediately after the hear- ing, or upon some other day appointed by him. The sittings of the above court will take place as under:— 1888. July 2. July 16. August 6. August 20. September 3. September 17. October 1. October 15. November 5. November 19. December 3. December 17. 1889. January 7. January 21. February 4. February 18. March March April April May May June June 4. 18. 1. 15. 6. 20. 3. 17. Petty Debt Court Fees. Magistrate's Fees— For trial of every action and giving judgment thereon, in- terlocutory or final, For each oath administered to a witness, or affirmation in lieu thereof, .... Taxing costs, .... Affidavits, each, Ckrk's Fees— Entering every action or plaint, filing particulars, issuing summons and copy for ser- vice Entering an appearance, . Filing any document Every search, .... Issuing summons and copies for witness up to two, For each additional witness above that number, Entering cause for trial, . Every order, rule, or notice, Writ of execution, commitment, or arrest, .... For every letter written and sent to a constable in another district, enclosing summons, writ, warrant, order for ser- vice, Receiving and paying money out of court,.... Replevin bond, . . . Bailiff's Fees— Serving any summons, rule, notice, or order in Belize, or within one mile of the court- house elsewhere than in Belize, Executing writ of execution, commitment, or arrest, Poundage 3 per cent on the amount raised and paid into court. All other incidental expenses of seizure, keeping possession, and sale, subject to review of the magistrate. Under $25. Over 0.25 0.50 0.121 0.25 0.25 0.12* 0.50 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.124 0.12| 0.50 0.50 0.124 0.12| 0.25 0.25 0.124 o.m 0.25 0.25 0.50 0.50 0.12^ 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.50 0.50 1.00 0.25 0.25 1.00 1.50 Mileage, 25 cents per mile, one way only. Under Over Solicitor's Fees— *25. *25. Letter before action, . . 0.50 0.50 Instructions to sue or defend, . 1.00 1.00 Preparing particulars for sum- mons (such particulars being signed by the solicitor) and attending and entering plaint, 0.75 1.00 Attendance at court conducting cause on day of hearing, . 5.00 10.00 Where judgment is deferred, attending court to hear it, . 1.00 1.25 Preparing bill of costs and at- tending at taxation of same,. 0.75 0.75 Occasional Costs— Notice to produce, notice to admit, notice of application for a new trial, or to set aside proceedings, including copies or duplicate originals, and notice of special defence and copies, including par- ticulars, and copies in cases of set-off, and attending lodg- ing the same with the clerk of the court, such notice, particulars, and copies being signed by the solicitor, . 0.75 1.00 Preparing affidavits, not ex- ceeding five folios, and at- tending to file, . . . 1.00 1.25 For every additional folio,. 0.124 0.12 j All applications to, and mo- tions before, the magistrate, or attending court to answer applications and motions, . 1.00 1.25 Witnesses— As may be allowed on taxation—from 50 cents to $2.50 per diem. For travelling expenses to witnesses, to or from places out of the town where court is held, as may be allowed by the magistrate, from $1 to $5. Scale of Costs to be received under "The Debtors' Ordinance, 1878," in accordance with the provisions of Sec. 34 of "The Petty Debt and Damages Ordinance, 1880." Court Fees— For every judgment summons, . . $0.50 Issuing summons and copies for wit- nesses up to two 0.25 For each additional witness above that number, 0.124 For every hearing of judgment summons, 0.50 For each oath administered to a wit- ness, or affirmation in lieu thereof,. 0.12J For every order made, . • . . 0.50 For certificate of clerk under order, . 0.25 Affidavits, each, 0.25 Filing any document 0.12. Every search, 0.1' Copies and extracts from proceed- ings, per folio of 72 words, . . 0.124 Taxing costs 0.25 Solicitor's Fees— Letter before application for judgment summons, 0.50 Preparing application for judgment summons, and attendance with same to obtain summons, . . .0.50 Preparing judgment summons, and copy for debtor 1.00 112 THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. Preparing affidavits, not exceeding five folios of 72 words each, and attending to file $1.00 For every additional folio,. , . 0.12j Each certificate prepared for signa- ture of clerk, 0.25 Attendance at court conducting or opposing summons on day of hear- ing 5.00 liiiiliff's Fees— For service of every judgment sum- mons, copy of order, summons for witness, or any other document in Belize, or within one mile of the court - house elsewhere than in Belize, 0.25 Summons for witness, if more than one be executed in the same cause, for each additional copy served, . $0,124 Executing writ of commitment,. . 1.00 Mileage—25 cents per mile, one way only, if process necessary to lie sent beyond the town where judgment summons granted. Witnesses— As may be allowed on taxation, from 50 cents to $2.50 per diem. For travelling expenses to witnesses, to and from places out of the towns where court is held, as may be allowed by the magistrate, from $1 to $5. Dated at Belize, this 30th day of March 1881. Establishment of the District Magistrates' Court. Office. Name of holder. Salary. Date of first appointment. District Magistrate, Belize, H. O. Usher, . R. W. Pickwoad, Hector Bell, J. E. Carillo, . F. E. Gabb, . E. A. Coffin C. Trumbach, . B. Travers, $2,000 2,500 * 500 420 1,500 2 1,500 2 1859 1870 1870 1880 1881 1878 1886 1882 District Magistrate, Northern District,! . Interpreter District Magistrate, Southern District, District Magistrate, Western District, Clerk and Interpreter 300 2,000 > District Magistrate, Toledo District, Alcaldes. On the 19th March 1858 the local enactment, 31 Vict cap. 13, entitled, "An Act to provide for the more speedy and economical administration of justice in the rural districts of this settlement, and for that purpose to invest certain fit and proper persons resident therein with a limited civil and criminal juris- diction," was passed. By a circular No. 7 of 1884, dated 4th June 1884, issued from the Col- onial Secretary's office to each of the district magistrates, the duties and powers of alcaldes and constables were fully explained, and the approval of the Secretary of State of such appoint- ments conveyed. This circular was necessary in consequence of the erron- eous ideas alcaldes and constables had as to their duties and powers, which had never been clearly defined to them. 1 The two districts of Corosal and Orange Walk were amalgamated in 1887 under the old title of Northern District. Eacli alcalde is supplied free of charge with a ziricote stick with a handsome silver head, on which is inscribed, "Al- calde of "(the name of village), as the badge of office; and with a red ensign to be hoisted in front of their house. The constable is supplied with a highly ornamented truncheon. It has been thought advisable to give the circular referred to above in full. Circular relating to Alcaldes. Circular No. 7, 1884. 11 Colonial Secretary's Office, Belize, 4tA June 1684. "Sir,—I am directed to inform you that the Secretary of State for the Colonies has approved of the appointment of alcaldes and constables in the Indian and Carib villages throughout the colony, and the exercise by the alcaldes of a vol- untary jurisdiction subject to appeal to the dis- trict magistrate. These alcaldes and constables will be elected annually by the villagers. The day appointed for the election is the oth December. The elect alcalde and constable will be supplied with a 3 Residence and travelling allowance, one at $500 and three at $250. ALCALDES—JUSTICES OP THE PEACE. 113 staff as an insignia of their respective offices, which is to be handed over to their successors on the 1 st January. The result of the election is to be reported to the district magistrate, and in the absence of any objections on his part to the person elected, the election will be confirmed. Each alcalde will receive a stipend of $5 a-month, and each constable $2 a-month, payable by the district magistrate. "The jurisdiction of the alcaldes will extend over the village for which he is elected, and be of a summary paternal character, in accordance with native customs, subject to the supervision of, and appeal to, the district magistrate. "Any serious case is to be reported to, and dealt with by, the district magistrate. "An alcalde is liable to dismissal and forfeit- ure of stipend in cases of misconduct. "The alcaldes are not to be appointed under the Alcalde Act, but are recognised officers of the Executive Government, and the position of the district magistrate towards them is that of an agent of the Government, to whom an alcalde as a subordinate officer has to refer. A district magistrate will therefore only interfere judicially when actually necessary, in which case he will proceed as the law directs. "As agent of the Government, a district magis- trate will support the authority of the alcalde as far as is proper, give him good advice, and such assistance as may be necessary in the interests of order and good government; at the same time the Government expect the agent to report any misconduct on the part of an alcalde or con- stable, with such recommendation as he may deem desirable. "The question of legislating on the subject is under the consideration of the Government. In the meantime the above general instructions will be a guide for you in the matter. "The Administrator requests that you will furnish him with a list of all Indian villages within your district, with an approximate num- ber of residents in each, noting such villages you consider sufficiently important to have an alcalde and constable, bearing in mind it is the aim of the Government to bring within the reasonable reach of all, as far as practicable, the means of order and protection. "The inspector of police has been requested to confer with you on the subject, and to visit the villages with you for the purpose of intimat- ing to the villagers the intentions of the Govern- ment, and carrying out these instructions, and you are authorised to call on the residents of the villages you may visit, and where the appoint- ment of an alcalde may seem desirable, to elect an alcalde and constable during your stay, and if you confirm the election, such alcalde and con- stable can be recognised and paid from the 1st of the ensuing month. Their term of office would be for the remainder of the year, the regular elec- tions for 1885 taking place on the 8th December next.—I have, &c., W. J. M'Kinney, Acting Colonial Secretary." Alcaldes for 1888. District. Place. First Alcalde. Second Alcalde. Northern— Corosal, . Orange Walk, . Western, Southern, Toledo. Patchakan, Sarteneja, . Corosalito, . Tasistal, . Trinidad, . Yo Creek, . Santa Cruz—Rio Hondo, Chorro, San Antonio, San Pedro,. San Francisco, . San Jose, . Soccoss, San Juan Creek, Benque Viego, . Stann Creek, Punta Gorda, Baranco, . San Antonio, Carmen Gomez, Primitivo Aragon, . Jose Garcia, . Jose Itza Manuel Padron, Juan Cal Carmen Alvarado, . Guillermo Manrique, Felipe Tun, . Asuncion Ek,. Jose Maria Mai, Feliciano Coqin, Jose Maria Tus, Juan Oroso, . Ponciano Rio Verde, Sebastian Serano, . Lopez Nunez, Teodoro Palacio, . Antonio Ta Cah, . Anastacio Villamil. Jose Gorosica. George Hume, piegario Na. Juan Gomez. Felipe Blanco. Marcelino May. Theodora Cocom. Juan Pedro Chi. Nolberto Xymenez. Luis Chuc. Juan Jose. Jose Maria Coeom. Nasario Chin. Daniel Ruiz. Tomas Estero. Isidro Florencio. Pio Nolberto. Jose Maria Paquial. Justices of the Peace. His Honour W. M. Goodman, Chief-Justice. Hon. Major J. E. Caulfield, Commanding Troops. H. E. H. Jerningham, Colonial Secretary. W. J. M'Kinney, Colonial Treasurer. C. R. Hoffmeister, Attorney-General. J. H. Phillips, M.L.C. A. Williamson, M.L.C. Hon. B. Fairweather, M.L.C. ii J. P. Robertson, M.L.C. „ W. S. Marshall, M.L.C. F. H. Parker, Esq., Clerk of Courts and Keeper of Records. H. C. Usher, Esq., District Magistrate, Belize. R. W. Pickwoad, Magistrate, Northern District. F. E. Gabb, Magistrate, Southern District, B. Travers, Magistrate, Toledo District. E. A. Coffin, Magistrate, Western District. H 114 THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. Captain D. M. Allen, 'Inspector Commandant Constables. Lieut. S. E. Kershaw, Inspector ConstalnUary. H. E. P. Cottrel, Colonial Engineer. Gordon Allan, Surveyor-General. Eyles, Colonial Surgeon. Thos. Graham, Esq. C. Milhado, Esq. Alex. Hunter, Esq. P. H. Brinton, Esq. Rev. Levi Pearce. C. Cj Price, Esq. Reginald Ross, Esq. J. C. Darby, Esq. David Bradley, Esq. J. W. Standing, Esq. Alex. Porter, Esq. W. G. Aikman, Esq. Jas. Hutchinson, Esq. S. Cuthbert, Esq. E. A. H. Schofield, Esq. L. Stansmore, Esq. Wal. L. Bennett, Esq. J. M. Moir, Esq. T. A. Watrons, Esq. John Jenkyns, Esq. Commissioners for taking Affidavits in the Supreme Courts. Hon. W. J. M'Kinney. Reginald Ross, Esq. F. H. Parker, Esq. Thos. Graham, Esq. H. 0. Usher, Esq. Dugald Taylor, Esq. R. W. Pickwoad, Esq. Rev. Levi Pearce. F. E. Gabb, Esq. J. W. Standing, Esq. B. Travers, Esq. A. E. Kershaw, Esq. E. A. Coffin, Esq. Hector Bell, Esq. Commissioners for taking Acknow- ledgment by Married Women. H. C. Usher, Esq. F. E. Gabb, Esq. Hon. A. Williamson. B. Travers, Esq. F. H. Parker, Esq. E. A. Coffin, Esq. R. W. Pickwoad, Esq. Notaries Public. The Act regulating the appointment of notaries is 30 Vict. cap. 2 of 1867, amended by 31 Vict. cap. 1 of 1868. The Governor is empowered to grant to a person whose fitness is certified by the Chief-Justice, a commission as a notary public, for which a fee is pay- able to the Colonial Secretary of $50. Before practising, his commission must be enrolled in the office of the clerk of the Supreme Court, for which a fee is payable of $3. The necessary oath or affirmation is administered by the Chief-Justice or commissioner for taking affidavits. Notaries. Hon. W. J. M'Kinney. Frederick H. Parker. Notaries' Fees. Noting a protest $3.00 ; a protest, with one affidavit, if ding three folios, . 9.00 Exceeding three folios, or with more than one affidavit $12.00 Other notarial papers or accounts, per folio, each figure counting as a word, 2.00 Notarial certificates to any papers, with seal of office 8.00 And for recording documents, per folio of 160 words 0.37J The Record Office. This office, which has always been combined with that of the Clerk of the Courts, is the most ancient of all the departments in the colony, and had its existence almost as early as the first establishment of the settlement, and during the primitive mode of govern- ment by the magistrates. As far back as the middle of the last century, in Burnaby's laws, we read that a certain Thomas Goemans was appointed to be Clerk of Courts and Keeper of the Records at St George's Cay, on the 15th May 1766, and his fees were settled at four times the amount paid for the same services in Jamaica, to be paid in Bay currency, and recoverable by warrant from any one magistrate. His duties in those days were most varied and responsible. He appears to have been a sort of legal adviser to the magistrates, was clerk to their various meetings for legislative pur- poses, as well as clerk of all the judicial courts, and Keeper of the Public Records. Finally his salary was fixed at £1000 per annum, old currency. There was also an assistant clerk of courts and keeper of records: this latter office seems almost as ancient as that of the former. Up to the year 1862, the duties of this important office had been solely confined to those of Clerk of Courts and Keeper of Records; but in that year the Lands Title Act was passed, and it was thought advisable to appoint the Keeper of Records Registrar of Land Titles. This office was paid by fees un- til the year 1880, when by Ordinance 9 THE RECORD OFFICE. 115 of that year the fees were made payable into the Treasury. In 1866 another office was added to this department by the creation of a Registrar of Joint-Stock Companies, under the Joint-Stock Com- pany Act, 29 Vict. cap. 5. This office is paid by fees. In 1880 the office of Provost-Mar- shal was added; and in 1881, under the Petty Debts and Damages Ordin- ance, 15 of 1880, the Clerk of Courts was also made clerk of that court until some person was appointed. In 1882, by Ordinance 8 of that year, the Clerk of Courts was also made Librarian of the Supreme Court. The office as it now stands is— Clerk of Courts (who is also custo- dian of the seal of the Supreme Court). Keeper of Records. Registrar of Land Titles. Registrar of Joint-Stock Companies. Provost-Marshal. Librarian. Clerk of the Petty Debts Court. There would appear to have been not only a Clerk of Courts and Keeper of Records, but also an assistant, until the year 1847, when a Mr Farquharson was appointed to the former office without an assistant. After this, assistance was obtained from time to time whenever required; but in 1858 a clerk was appointed at $750 per annum, which was continued until 1862. At that date, however, it was found absolutely necessary to fall back upon the old system and have permanent assistance in the office, when a Mr Aikman was appointed assistant clerk of courts and keeper of records, at a salary of £300 per annum. This continued up to 1870, when, in consequence of an Act passed in 1867, the office of assistant clerk of courts and keeper of records was again done away with, and a clerk appointed at £120 per annum. In 1884 the salary was increased to $750, bringing it back to the old figure "of 1858. In 1868 the salary of the Clerk of Courts, &c., was reduced from £600 sterling to £500, and a Mr T. W. H. Dillet was appointed. In 1880, when the office of Provost- Marshal was added to that of Clerk of Courts, &c., his salary was increased by £100, bringing it back to the old figure of £600, which had existed for nearly a century. Finally, in 1884, when the appoint- ment became vacant, in consequence of an Act passed in 1871, the salary was reduced to £400, and Mr Frederick H. Parker appointed to the office. Among the old records of the colony now preserved in the Record Office, certainly the most interesting are those marked "Magistrates' Meetings," which date from 1798, just prior to the battle of St George's Cay, up to 1849. A great many very curious old documents are to be found under the head of "Private Records," which in- clude bills of sale, manumissions, wills, &c., which date from 1771 to date. Keeper of Records—Fred. H. Parker. Clerk—Lindsay W. Bristowe. Note.—By Ordinance No. 14 of 1881, the clerk in the office of the Clerk of Courts and Keeper of Records shall have all the powers, privileges, and authority of the Clerk of Courts and Keeper of Records during his un- avoidable and temporary absence with- in the colony. Fees of the Record Office. For enrolling a notarial licence, . . $3.00 For enrolling certificates of naturalisa- tion and oath (Ordinance 13—1883), . 2.50 For enrolling each diagram of land when not subdivided, . . . .1.00 For enrolling any other diagram, . . 4.00 For attesting any copies of documents, . 0.25 For entering and recording all deeds and other instruments not herein specified, per folio of 72 words,.... 0.25 Every search, not exceeding an hour, . 0.25 Every additional hour, or fractional part of an hour, 0.25 Making copies of any document, per folio of 72 words, 0.25 116 THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. On every receipt given for documents lodged (29 Vict. cap. 3, sec. 6), . $0,124 For a certified copy of certificate of na- turalisation and oath, . . .2.50 For entering of record the certificate of a Measurer of Mahogany (Ordinance No. 3, 1873) 16.00 Land Surveyor's Certificates (record fees under sec. 13, Ordinance 3, 1886), each 25.00 Crown Lands, for every entry made in the "Crown Lands Books" (Ordinance 4—1886), 2.50 For every certified copy of such entry, . 1.00 For every copy of an award made under sec. 26, Ordinance 10—1886 (Belize Improvement Ordinance), . . . 0.50 The laws relating to the enrolment of deeds in the Record Office are 29 Vict. cap. 3, and Ordinance 21 of 1874. By the former Act the Keeper of Records shall not receive any instrument in writing to be enrolled, until the exe- cution thereof by the parties thereto is proved. The seal of the colony is sufficient evidence. The certificate of acknowledgment by married women must be signed by the Chief-Justice or a commissioner. All deeds executed out of the colony must be acknowledged before the au- thorities, and be certified under the seal of the country whence it proceeds. All deeds executed in a foreign country must be acknowledged before an am- basssador or consul, and be certified under the seal of such ambassador or consul. No deed will be received for record unless accompanied by a statement of the number of folios of seventy-two words that it contains. Any misstatement of folios makes the person doing so liable to the penalty of paying double fees. By the amending Act, 21 of 1874, sect. 4, a deed may be proved by the party or parties thereto acknowledging the same before a J.P., or a commis- sioner, or the Keeper of Records. Deeds may be recorded upon affi- davit being made that the parties ex- ecuting same and witnesses thereto are dead. Wills and codicils may also be re- corded upon affidavit being made, but it must further state that the hand- writing is known. The Lands Titles Registry. This department was established by the local Act 22 Vict. cap. 18, which came into force on the 29 th day of March 1859, and is now worked under the provisions of the Act 24 Vict. cap. 18 (local), as amended by the Act 29 Vict. cap. 18 (local), and Ordinance No. 9 of 1880. It appears by the book of laws that an Act had been passed in 1858 (21 Vict cap. 10) originating the registry: this Act, how- ever, was very faulty, and does not seem ever to have received royal assent. The Act 22 Vict. cap. 18 shows signs of want of care in drafting, and was defective in several particulars. Its chief faults were as follows: 1. No notice of any application for registra- tion was required to be served upon the neighbouring proprietors, the only notices provided for being three adver- tisements in the 'Honduras Gazette' and one in the 'London Gazette'; 2. No provision was made for the regis- tration of transmissions of interests as distinguished from transfers; 3. No sufficient protection was given to per- sons under disability; 4. There was no recognition of rights arising from adverse possession. This Act, 22 Vict. cap. 18, was re- pealed and re-enacted with amend- ments by 24 Vict. cap. 18, which remedied to some extent the defects of the former Act. The Act, how- ever, is still defective in not providing sufficiently for the transmission of estates and for registration of rights arising from possession adverse to the registered owner. The system of pro- tecting equitable interests by caveat is also very imperfect, and the Act is THE LANDS TITLES REGISTRY, ETC. 117 rendered less useful than it ought to be by looseness of construction and vagueness of expression in several places. It is to be regretted that this Act has become almost a dead letter, or it would, if generally taken advantage of, do much to lessen the amount of liti- gation as to title which is so prevalent in this colony. The fact that so little use has been made of the system of land registration is probably the result of the peculiar method of dealing with land which formerly prevailed in the settlement. The chief advantages of such a system are—(1) its cheapness and (2) its security: but it is the former which first makes registration popular; the latter serves merely to confirm and increase its popularity, when it has already come to be some- what frequently adopted. The former of these advantages is notoriously ab- sent in this colony. Titles are, as a rule, accepted without any investigation or requisitions, and the solicitor is merely instructed to draw the con- veyanca The other advantage of registration —viz., its security—is not presented to the minds of landholders, partly because so little land has been bought under the Act In consequence of the want of the complete operation of the above-men- tioned Acts, landowners have hitherto had little inducement to bring their lands under the Act; but there can be no doubt that if the present Act were replaced by a more comprehen- sive and more carefully drawn Ordi- nance, with a modified system of compulsory registration, the saving of expense to landowners by the dimin- ished frequency of boundary disputes and trespass actions would be very great. It is to be feared, however, that a complete system of registration will be impossible until this colony possesses a reliable Government survey. The Keeper of Records is ex officio Registrar of Lands Titles. Registrar—Frederick H. Parker. Clerk—Lindsay W. Bristowe. The following is the list of fees to be taken under this Act:— On application to be registered, . . $2.00 On investigation of application, . . 5.00 On notice of a claim, . . . 2.00 On notice of the withdrawal of a claim, 2.00 On notice of acquiescence in a claim, . 2.00 On notice by the registrar to the appli- cant or the claimant, or their respec- tive agents, by the person at whose instance the notice is given, . . 3.00 On entry made by registrar, by the per- sons in whose favour it is made, . 2.00 For every inspection of the register by the person inspecting, . . . 0.25 For every decision by the registrar on a claim, by the person against whom he decides, per day, . . . .5.00 For every notice by the registrar to a person who has lodged a caveat, . 3.00 For notice published in the 'Gazette,' or elsewhere, to a person who has lodged a caveat, when that person cannot be found, 1.00 For every entry of title or transfer made by registrar, 3.00 For every certificate of registration or transfer given by registrar, . . 3.00 For every summons for witness, . . 0.50 For copies of evidence, per folio of 160 words, 0.374 For preparing notices for ' Gazette,' . 1.00 For preparing notices for ' London Ga- zette,' 1.00 The Joint-Stock Companies Eegistry. By the local Act 29 Vict. cap. 5, that was passed in 1866, this depart- ment was established to provide for the incorporation, regulation, and winding up of trading companies and other as- sociations in British Honduras, and is known as the "Honduras Company Act, 1866." Strange to say, this Act was never made use of until very recently. In 1881 the first company that was regis- tered under this Act was the Colonial Press Association. Perhaps it may be interesting to give the names of the companies registered, and the objects for which they are established:— 118 THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. JOINT-STOCK COMPANIES. The following are the companies registered under this Act:— Tlie Colonial Press Association. Capital, $7500. Shares, $30 each. Belize. "The object for which the company is estab- lished was the introduction of a newspaper to be styled the.' Colonial Guardian,' through which the interests of the colony and the development of its resources may generally and impartially be discussed and furthered, and for the investment of any surplus funds in mercantile or agricultural pursuits." Registered 19th December 1881. The Colonial Trading Company. Capital, $50,000. Shares, $5 each. Belize. "The object for which the company is estab- lished is to invest its funds in such trading enter- prises as the company in general meetings shall from time to time determine." Director.—C. M. Vernon. Registered 10th November 1886. The British Honduras Steamship and Fruit Company. Capital, $200,000. Shares, $200 each. Belize. Directors.—C. Melhado (Chairman), A. W. Galomel (Treasurer), F. M. Maxwell, J. E. Mutin, H. Koop, W. S. Marshall, Henry Gavoz, E. Genico, L. L. Kerr (Secretary). "The objects for which this company is estab- lished are to purchase or charter steamers and other vessels, for the conveyance of goods, pas- sengers, and mails between such places as the company may from time to time determine, and also to purchase and ship fruit and vegetables to and from such places as the company may from time to time determine, and to enter into all con- tracts and do all other things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of these objects." Registered 1st December 1886. The Belize Creole Fruit Company. Capital, $3000. Shares, $50 each. Belize. "The objects for which the company is estab- lished are the culitvating and shipping of bananas and other fruits, and engaging in such other agricultural pursuits as the company may from time to time determine, and the purchase of such real and personal property as may be necessary for engaging in such pursuits." Joseph A. Tench, Secretary pro tern. Registered 14th January 1888. FRUIT COMPANIES. The British Honduras Fruit Company. Capital, $5000. Shares, $100 each. Plantation, Mullin's river. Directors.—I. Braddick, Esq. (Secre- tary), C. Bennett, Esq., James O'Neal, Esq., H. Lind, Esq., W. G. Aikman, Esq. (Treasurer), G. W. Richardson, Esq., B. Reneau, Esq. The Waliz Fruit Company. Capital, $15,000. Shares, $50 each. Plantation, Monkey river. Directors. — Hon. J. H. Phillips (Chairman), L. Stansmore, Esq., C. C. Price, Esq., Capt. James Leitch, R. Ross, Esq., W. A. May, Esq., A.M.S., John Hunter, Esq. (Secretary), M. J. Griffiths, Esq. Excelsior Fruit Company. Capital, $2500. Shares, $25 each. Plantation, False Bight. Directors.—J. Harley, Esq., H. A. Cowell, Esq. (Secretary), S. B. Kirk- connell, Esq., G. Osgood, Esq., W. M. C. Bowen, Esq., G. Haylock, Esq., C. Hempstead, Esq., R. M'Coy, Esq. The attention of persons interested in joint-stock companies in the colony is called to the following sections of the Act:— "Sec. 25. Every company under this Act, and having a capital divided into shares, shall make once at least in every year a list of all persons who, on the fourteenth day succeeding the day on which the ordinary general meeting, or if there is more than one ordinary meeting in each year, the first of such ordinary general meetings, is held, are members of the company, and such list shall state the names, addresses, and occupa- tions of all the members therein mentioned, and the number of shares held by each of them, and shall contain a summary specifying the following particulars:— (1.) The amount of the capital of the company and the number of shares into which it is divided. THE JOINT-STOCK COMPANIES REGISTRY, ETC. 119 (2.) The number of shares taken from the commencement of the company up to the date of the summary. (3.) The amount of calls made on each share. (4.) The total amount of calls received. (5.) The total amount of calls unpaid. (6.) The total amount of shares forfeited. (7.) The names, addresses, and occupations of the persons who have ceased to be members since the list was made, and the number of shares held by each of them. The above list and summary shall be contained in a separate part of the register, and shall be completed within seven days after such four- teenth day as is mentioned in this section, and a copy shall forthwith be forwarded to the Registrar of Joint-Stock Companies. "Sec. 26. If any company under this Act, and having a capital divided into shares, makes de- fault in complying with the provisions of this Act with respect to forwarding such list of mem- bers or summary as is hereinbefore mentioned to the registrar, such company shall incur a penalty not exceeding $25 for every day during which such default continues, and every director and manager of the company who shall know- ingly and wilfully authorise or permit such de- fault shall incur the like penalty." Registrar—Frederick H. Parker. Clerk—Lindsay W. Bristowe. Table B.—Table nf Fees to be paid to the Regis- trar of Joint-Stock Companies by a Company having a Capital divided into Shares. For registration of a company whose nom- inal capital does not exceed $10,000, a fee of $10.00 For registration of a company whose nominal capital exceeds $10,000, the fee of $10 with the following additional fees, regulated according to the amount of nominal capital; (that is to say) For every additional $5000 of nominal capital, . $1.25 For registration of any increase of capital made after the first registration of the company, the same fees per $5000, or part of $5000, as would have been payable if such increased capital had formed part of the original capital at the time of registration. For registering any document hereby re- quired or authorised to be registered, other than the memorandum of associ- ation, ... ... 1.25 For making a record of any fact hereby authorised or required to be recorded by the registrar of companies, a fee of. 1.25 Table C — Table of Fees to be paid to the Regis- trar of Joint-Stock Companies by a Company not having a Capital divided into Skares. For registration of a company whose number of members, as stated in the articles of association, does not exceed twenty, . .... $10.00 For registration of a company whose number of members, as stated in the articles of association, exceeds twenty but does not exceed one hundred, . 20.00 For registration of a company whose number of members, as stated in the articles of association, exceeds one hundred, but is not stated to be un- limited, the above fee of $20 with an additional $1.25 for every fifty mem- bers, or less number than fifty members, after the first hundred. For registration of a company in which the number of members is stated in the articles of association to be unlimited, a fee of . . . ... . . 25.00 For registration of any increase on the number of members made after the registration of the company in respect of every fifty members, or less than fifty members, of such increase, . . 1.25 For registering any document hereby re- quired or authorised to be registered, other than the memorandum of associ- ation, 1.25 For making a record of any fact hereby authorised or required to be recorded by the registrar of companies, a fee of . 1.26 List of Probates and Administra- tions GRANTED FOR THE TEARS 1885, 1886, AND 1887. 1885. No. Estate. 1. George Trapp, 2. John Rhaburn, 3. John Biddle, 4. Joseph A. Young, 5. John Jex, 6. John C. Hamilton 7. George Muschamp 8. Peter Gonsalz, 9. Elijah H. Wells, 10. Lenan White, 11. Charles H. Hadley 12. James MacDonald, 13. Susan M. Ireland, Personalty sworn— under $300 at ii under at under at under ii at under 1,500 6,000 300 5,000 300 800 300 1,200 300 300 5,000 300 1886. 1. Samuel H. Menzies, 2. Angel P. Ongay, . 3. Thomas Rowland,. 4. Henry Breaster, . 5. R. J. Downer, 6. Philip Pinckney, . 7. Catherine Carter, . 8. Ramon Valz, at under at 1,500 1,506 300 300 1,500 3,000 25,000 3,000 1887. 1. George Slusher, 2. Louisa Andrada, . 3. Abraham Smith, . 4. Abigail Martin, 5. Henry Pinks, 6. James Renford, 7. Eulogio Ongay, 8. John Bailey, . 9. Thomas Nugent, . 10. Porpirio Navarette, under lit 800 300 300 1,500 300 300 3,000 300 300 3,000 120 THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. 11. James Waight, ... at $3,000 12. John Beeks, , 1,500 13. Alfred S. Kindred, . . „ 1,500 14. Juanita M. Brown, . . „ 3,000 15. John H. M'Guinias, . . at $1,500 16. Andrew H. Hall, 3,000 17. Hubert R. M'Donald, . . under 300 18. Hugh Henderson, „ 300 Estates Administered on by Official Administrator for the years 1884, 1885, AND 1886. No. 1. 2. S. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Estate. 1884. Geoffrey Flowers, Charles Ronsha, Eutimeo Polanco, Ramperrad (Coolie), Adam Henry, David Betson, Carlos Kosado Josii C. Garcia, John Flowers, Elijio Lopez, George 'frapp, 1885. Pedro Loconia, Antonio (Chinaman), Charles Hutchinson 1886. Egbert Hasard, . John Will, John Williams (Coolie), Joseph Robinson, Henry E. Tarbutt, . John D. Hall, . William E. Wickham, John Hemsley, . James Watters, . Value. $46.52 232.49 217.25 63.97 25.50 5.53 64.13 20.81 57.00 14.06 16.25 23.97 400.50 23.00 191.30 473.88 35.58 5.20 No accounts filed. 132.44 30.00 Remarks. Official administra- \ tion porterage for 'year, $38.17. -Do., $22.50. [A Comparative JUDICIAL STATISTICS. 121 A Comparative Schedule (approximate), compiled by the Clerk of Courts for his Honour the Chief-Justice, showing the increase of Work and Fees in the Judicial Department Offices of the Clerk of Courts and Provost- Marshal, Keeper of Records, Kegistrar of Lands, Titles, &c. &c., from 1880 to 1887:— Department. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. 1886. 1887. Supreme Court—Clerk of Courts and Provost-Marshal— 42 17 127 9 2 36 26 22 100 14 29 22 96 7 44 36 117 13 46 33 100 15 11 63 36 53 37 45 138 18 18 90 Summons in chambers, Probate and administration, Official administrations, 37 101 31 98 13 3 8 8 36 9 51 41 48 1 3 2 78 1 9 2 1 Capital punishments, .... Lines on Fi facias, .... Arrest of debtors, .... "i l "i 1 1 1 10 1 ii 2 2 2 9 1 1 6 Attachments, 2 1 Supreme Court fees, .... $808 $505 $456 $972 $1153 $745 $1009 $1200 Records—Keeper of Records— Deeds, &c. (recorded for private) 89 138 121 130 122 186 162 171 Polios, .... $322 712 $337 880 $293 1112 $309 1175 $458 1360 $557 1483 $388 1453 $533 1628 Registry Lands Titles— Companies registered, $88 $138 2 $15 $30 $40 $30 $50 3 $46 1 Petty Debt and Damages Court— Number of plaints, .... Court fees, 2 211 $226 212 $245 190 $185 299 $351 262 $449 205 $293 248 $418 Total fees in each year, . $1218 $1206 $1009 $1496 $2002 $1781 $1740 $2197 Offences. Offences reported to the Police or the Magistrates. Year. Total number of offences reported. Offences against the person. Predial Larceny. Offences against property. Other offen- ces. 1883, 2002 418 24 239 1196 1884, 2312 454 19 178 1661 1885, 2048 333 27 190 1498 1886, 2085 398 21 188 1478 1887, 1818 302 13 187 1316 1 The excess of fees in 1880 and 1881 over 1882 was caused by a great many Lands Title fees having been included under head of Records. THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. 18'•. 3• :t-:: 2 Committed for triao. CO rH CO CO rH §3 :s • »: £§ DO CO SIS:10: rH •# CO CO S :S5 i «: OS !-i CO co :cm :io; §8 r-H o l-H CO CO IO O0 CO • CO CO ri rH CO CD • i-l: •ummarioy convicted. rH rH rH t«- to co CO CO OS CO rH OS CD US CM CN CO CO CO io CO rH iri N N ^ CO oHi CO CO OS (M OS i£5 os: r-H CO t— oHi © io 8 ' 8 ' os: OS CO CO CO rH • CO 8 ' *>. CM rH H4 OO CO CO CO • OS CO CD rH rH CO CO CO CM rH CO CO CN CO r-^ CO © CM CO l>- OS o rH to tm os: CO CM Dismissed on merits. t© i>. io co co: (M CO oO CO 'oO rH iO CO rH 4 IM •* N « r H; lO CO CM rH CO CM CO rH CO • CN t^- ka \ rH © CO CO •<# . CN rH rH CO CO 1 i-. to cm tm: ^ CO CM • 8 ' rH rH Discharged for want of prose- cution or evidence. CO CO CO CO !>. CM CO OO o* r-H O CN OS CO CO CO CM rH l£J CM CO CO op CO t-H tM rH rH CO CN iri S rt g S § 53 CO (N CM CO CO rH jrf I -• CM O CO • CO CO CM CO O i-l N CO CO CO r>. CO rH co 8'i t~ OO rH Offence. Against perso8'8, .... Prediao oarceny, .... Against property, .... Against Master 9Jd S'va' Act, . Other offences, .... Coroner,s inquest, .... Totao number of persons summoned ) or apprehended, . . . .J CRIMINAL STATISTICS. 123 Summary Convictions for various classes of offences, and the kind of punishment inflicted. Tear. Total num- ber of Offences. Assaults and other Offences against Person. Injury to Property. Predial Larceny. Other Offences against Property. Offences against Revenue Acts. Master and Servant. Other Offences. 1883, 917 248 7 19 129 51 322 371 1884, 1709 279 9 15 98 95 460 753 1885, 1463 197 3 22 94 47 353 747 1886, 1356 227 13 15 84 47 238 732 1887, 1169 169 7 8 101 26 174 684 Informations in the Superior Courts,1 including courts analogous to the courts of Quarter Sessions in England—i.e., district courts. Tear. Total. Murder. Man- slaughter. Attempt Rape. Other Offences against Person. Malicions Injury to Property. Other Offences against Property. Miscel- laneous Offences. 1883, 36 2 1 at Murder. 2 15 "2 13 2 1884, 2 63 7 1 2 14 29 8 1885, 48 2 1 2 17 21 5 1886, 75 82 1 6 30 22 1 9 1887, 90 2 ... 6 38 30 14 Comparative Table of Offences, Apprehensions, Convictions, and Acquittals for the last Seven Years. • 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. 1886. 1887. Offences reported to police, .... Number of persons apprehended by police or) summoned before magistrates, . . . j 802 1808 1075 1054 1174 1786 2305 2312 2076 1995 1982 1918 1818 1735 Summary convictions. 319 12 100 1067 173 16 68 229 15 113 602 280 15 105 1309 191 22 529 714 254 14 106 979 169 8 108 884 3. Against property other than do., 290 Convictions in the Supreme Court. 14 14 11 12 16 36 33 3. Against property other than do., "2 23 12 4 io 2 i'e 16 3 i'e 13 6 Persons acquitted. 5 6 267 15 50 9 474 555 11 380 5 479 572 18 13 14 1 There are no indictments, nor trial by grand juries. Informations only are filed by the Attor- ney-General. 2 Includes 18 nolle prosequi, of which 1, a prisoner, committed suicide before trial; and 5 cases in which nolle prosequi was entered on second count, prisoner having been found guilty on first. 3 1 acquitted of murder, but convicted of man- slaughter. 4 Includes 1 case of an attempt at suicide. 124 PART VII. CEMETEEIES. There are in Belize five public ceme- teries, viz.:— The Old Cemetery, Yarborough. The New n n The "Vaults." Lord's Eidge Cemetery. The Cholera Cemetery. The Old Cemetery, Yarborough, was given to the Government by a Baynian of that name, on the condition that it should be set apart as a place of burial. This was done at a public meeting of the inhabitants, on the 25th July 1787, and its entire management and control were placed in the hands of cemetery trustees. The ground was consecrated by the Bishop of Jamaica in 1826. For nearly one hundred years, or until 1877, when the management of public cemeteries was transferred to the Government, this was the only public cemetery in Belize; but in that year, owing to the increase of the population, and to the fact that the Old Cemetery was nearly full, the New Cemetery was formed a little to the south of the old one, the latter being then closed. The land, however, in the New Ceme- tery proved so low that it could not be dug to any depth, and the Government, at the end of 1881, closed the New Cemetery, and in 1882 opened the Vaults, a super-terrene structure, which had been erected in the previous year on the site known as Queen Charlotte's Town. In 1886, as the Vaults were full, Lord's Ridge Cemetery, a new cemetery constructed in 1885, and situated on a pine ridge due west of Belize and about a mile from it, was opened. The Lord's Eidge Cemetery is the only public cemetery which is really in use now, though bodies may still be interred in the Old and New Ceme- teries at Yarborough, if exclusive rights of interment were secured previous to their being closed. The cemetery is divided into rows and squares, two of the latter being set apart for the burial of Roman Catholics. The Cholera Cemetery, situated on Faber's Road, is only used for infec- tious and contagious diseases, such as cholera and yellow fever. In 1840 two cemeteries were set apart for denominational purposes, one for the Baptists at Freetown and the other for the Wesleyans, a little to the west of the present Vaults. Both these cemeteries are now unused, hav- ing fallen into disrepair, and Lord's Eidge Cemetery is now used for burials by both denominations. 126 CEMETERIES. Denominational Cemeteries. "1. No cemetery will be permitted within a reasonable distance of any dwelling-house in Belize. "2. Each cemetery must be enclosed with a substantial fence. "3. Each cemetery must be kept clean and in decent order; failing this, it will be liable to be closed by order of the Governor in Council. "4. Apian of each cemetery must be prepared, on which the 'grave spaces' to be occupied must be numbered, and a duplicate thereof sent to the Colonial Secretary's office for record. "5. A registry of burials must be kept, and a copy of each register of burial, giving name, age, sex, and occupation of the deceased, with the number of 'grave space' must be certified and sent to the Colonial Secretary for record within eight days of such burial by the minister of the denomination to which such cemetery belongs. "6. Burials will not be permitted in any cemetery except in graves the depth of which is 3 feet from the surface of the soil. "7. No grave shall be used for any subsequent interment within ten years from date of the last previous interment within. "8. Denominational cemeteries are to be open at all times to the inspection of persons author- ised by the Governor. "9. Any infraction of these rules and regula- tions is liable to the penalties provided by the ordinance." The Public Cemetery at Ponta Gorda. "1. The public cemetery at Punta Gorda shall be under the control of the police constable at Punta Gorda, and such persons as shall be associated with him as a managing committee, with the sanction and consent of the paid magis- trate of the Southern District, approved by the Lieutenant-Governor. "2. No interment of a deceased person, whose death has occurred in the village of Punta Gorda, or within a mile therefrom, shall be allowed elsewhere than in the cemetery, under a penalty of $5. "3. No grave shall be dug less than 3 feet in depth, and it shall be ridged 1 foot at least above the surface of the ground, under a penalty of $5. "4. The site for any grave shall be pointed out by the police constable in charge of the ceme- tery, or in his absence by one or more of the managing committee; and if any person having charge of a corpse shall inter the same elsewhere in the cemetery than the appointed spot, he shall incur a like penalty of $5. Establishment of Cemeteries. Office. Name. Salary. Keeper of Cemeteries, Belize, J. Clarke, Eli Bacchus,. T. Simmons, $600 Fees. $12 Keeper of St George's Cay Cemetery, MAEKETS AND SLAUGHTEE-HOUSES. Both the towns of Belize and Coro- sal are supplied with a public market and slaughter-house, maintained by the Government. The market of Belize is an old insti- tution, though the present building is a comparatively modern one. That at Corosal is quite new, having been erected in 1885-6. Under Ordinance 18 of 1878, sec- tion 1, the Governor in Council has power to make regulations from time to time for the management of public markets and slaughter-houses. These regulations do not come into operation until fourteen days after their date of publication in the Government 'Gazette.' The following are the regulations at present in force for both the markets and slaughter-houses at Belize and Corosal, which were passed on the 15th July 1886 and the 15th March 1887, respectively:— Belize Public Market and Slaughter- house Regulations. The Market. "1. The meat-market is to be opened at 5 a.m. daily (Sundays excepted), and closed at noon. On Saturdays the market will reopen at 3 p.m. and close at 8 p.m. On Christmas Day and Good Friday it will be closed at 9 a.m. Provided that under any special circumstances these hours may be altered with the consent of the Colonial Secretary. The fish and other stalls may be opened at 5 a.m., but closed at 6 P.M., except Saturdays, when they are to close at 8 p.m. "2. No person or firm shall be permitted, MARKETS AND SLAUGHTER-HOUSES. 127 directly or indirectly, to hold more than one stall in the market, but he may be allowed to rent any adjacent stall if vacant. Stalls will be rented to those persons only who occupy them personally, or by an agent who does not rent or manage any other stall in the market. "3. The stalls will be numbered and appropri- ated for meat, fish, turtle, fruit, or vegetables, groceries, bread, fee, and may be let by the day, week, month, or year, at the rate specified in the schedule hereto attached, to persons or firms approved by the clerk of the market. Pro- vided that, in the event of non-compliance with these regulations or the spirit thereof on the part of any lessee of any stall, or his or her agent, the tenancy of any stall may be determined forth- with, and a proportional amount of the rent paid may be refunded. "4. Persons renting or occupying any market stall are bound to keep the same clean and in proper order, together with the fixtures, fittings, and appurtenances thereto, and be responsible for any damage to the same other than by fair wear and tear, and shall not be permitted to affix extra fixtures or lights without special per- mission from the clerk of the market. "5. No persons shall be allowed to sell any articles whatsoever on the market premises other- wise than from proper stalls, or places set apart for such purposes. All that space between the water-side and lines drawn from the south cor- ner of the Belize Bridge to the north corner of the market, and from the south corner of the market to the corner of the warehouse of B. Cra- mer, such precincts and premises constituting "The Market," for the purpose of these regu- lations. "6. No live stock, except poultry or game, shall be brought into the market. No person shall sell goat or kid as mutton, under a penalty of $5 for each offence. "7. No person shall be allowed to have any meat, fish, &e, in the market, except in accord- ance with regulation No. 5. "8. No person shall expose for sale, or have in his or her possession in the market, any bad or unwholesome meat, fish, fruit, or vegetables, &e. Any such found shall be seized and con- demned under the direction of the clerk of the market, and if the owner protests against such seizure in writing, the clerk of the market shall immediately report to the Colonial Surgeon there- on, and such meat, fee., forthwith shall be in- spected by the Colonial Surgeon, or the medical officer acting on his behalf, and on his certificate shall be destroyed at the expense of the owner or person exposing for sale or selling such meat, fe5, and the owner shall, in addition to any fine to which he may be liable, pay all other reasonable expenses. "9. No dogs shall be allowed within the market or slaughter-house, and the police shall seize all dogs offending against this regulation, and unless the same be claimed within twenty- four hours from seizure, they will be liable to be destroyed: Provided always, that before the police deliver up any dog so seized, the claimant shall pay a sum of $1 to the clerk of the market. "10. No refuse or rubbish, or articles of any kind or description whatsoever, is to be thrown or deposited In the market, and any one so offending shall be summarily prosecuted by the clerk of the market or the police before the district magistrate. "11. No quarrelsome or riotous conduct, swearing, obscene language, indecency, or im- propriety of any kind whatsoever, is to be al- lowed in the market or slaughter-house, and any one so offending, if a stall-holder, shall, in addi- tion to any fine imposed under these rules, be liable to forfeit his fease and be disqualified from holding any stall for such period as the Governor in Council may determine. "12. No smoking shall be permitted in the market or slaughter-house. "13. No boat shall be made fast to the piles, pillars, or other parts of the market longer than is necessary for the purpose of lading or unlading produce therefrom. "14. The clerk of the market shall not, directly or indirectly, be concerned in the buy- ing or selling of any article exposed for sale in the public market. He shall attend at the mar- ket and slaughter-house as required, and be re- sponsible for the maintenance of order and the general management of the same. "15. Every article in the market square shall be deemed to be for sale, and the first applicant coming in person to purchase any article shall have priority of claim so to do at the current market rate. "16. No article of food shall be landed at the market wharf except by permission of the clerk of the market or other responsible Government officer. "17. Any person soiling the corridor of the market when landing meat or otherwise, shall immediately thereafter thoroughly wash and clean the same. "18. No barrels, blocks, or private property whatsoever shall be permitted to be placed in or about the market, other than such as may be deemed requisite by the clerk of the market for stall-holders in the prosecution of their business. "19. All meat, fee, on which the fees are charged according to weight, shall be weighed in the presence of the clerk of the market and according to his directions. "20. The rents of all stalls in the market shall be paid in advance. "21. No person shall be allowed to loiter about, sit, or lie on any of the stalls in or about the market, and any person so behaving may be summarily evicted by the police. Slaughter-House. "22. The slaughter-house is to be open from 3 a.m. to 6 P.M. daily (Sundays excepted), when it shall be opened at midnight: Provided always that under special circumstances, with the con- sent of the clerk of the market, these hours may be altered. "23. Cattle intended for slaughter shall not be tied up more than twenty-four hours previous to being killed. "24. Any person using the slaughter-house for killing any animal, turtle, &e., shall, immedi- ately after slaughtering such animal, turtle, &e, thoroughly wash and clean the flooring, tables, or other parts of the building soiled by such killing. "25. The clerk of the market shall examine the condition of all cattle, turtle, fee, brought to be slaughtered, and no cattle, turtle, &e, 128 MARKETS AND SLAUGHTER-HOUSES. shall be slaughtered until it shall have been ap- proved by him; and in the event of any cattle, turtle, &c., having been slaughtered and the meat being considered by him to be bad or un- wholesome, or unfit for human food, the same shall be seized and dealt with in like manner as provided for in Rule 8 hereof. "26. All meat, &c., shall be properly cleaned and dressed before leaving the slaughter-house, and shall be brought to the market ready for sale. "27. No person shall be permitted to enter the slaughter-house except on business. "28. The fees specified in Schedule B hereof shall be paid on demand to the clerk of the market for all animals killed at the slaughter- house or brought to the market for sale. Cobosal Public Mabket and Slaughter- house Regulations. The Market. "1. The meat-market is to be opened at 5 a.m. daily (Sundays excepted) and closed at noon. On Saturdays the market will reopen at 3 P.M. and close at 8 P.M. On Christmas Day and Good Friday it will be closed at 9 a.m.: Pro- vided that, under special circumstances, these hours may be altered with the consent of the district magistrate. "The fish and other stalls may be opened at 5 A.M. but closed at 6 p.m., except Saturdays, when they are to close at 8 P. M. "2. No person orfirm shall be permitted, directly or indirectly, to hold more than one stall in the market, or to sublet the same to a second party, but he may be allowed to rent any adjacent stall if vacant. Stalls will be rented to those persons only who occupy them personally, or by an agent who does not rent or manage any other stall in the market "29. Any person committing a breach of, or being guilty of an offence against, any of the regulations, shall be liable to a penalty not ex- ceeding $25. "30. Copies of these regulations shall be kept conspicuously posted up in the market and slaughter-house. "31. Any person opposing or obstructing the clerk of the market in his duties shall, on con- viction, be liable to a penalty not exceeding $25. "32. The regulations made by the Lieutenant- Governor in Council on the 12th day of Decem- ber 1878, and published in the 'Government Gazette,' No. 50, of the 14th December 1878, are hereby revoked. "33. These regulations shall come into opera- tion on the first day of August 1886. Day. $1.00 0.25 0.18| 0.18| 0.18J $1.00 2.00 0.25 0.124 Free. 0.124 0.25 0.50 0.25 0.12 J 0.25 "3. The stalls will be numbered and appro- priated for meat, fish, turtle, fruit, or vegetables, groceries, bread, &c., and may be let by the day, week, month, or year at the rate specified in Schedule A hereto, to persons or firms approved by the clerk of the market. Provided that, in the event of non-compliance with these rules or the spirit thereof on the part of any lessee of any stall, or his or her agent, the tenancy of any stall may be determined forthwith, and a pro- portional amount of the rent paid may be refunded. "4. Persons renting or occupying any market stall are bound to keep the same, together with the fixtures, fittings, and appurtenances thereto, clean and in proper order, and be responsible for any damage to the same other than by fair wear and tear, and shall not be permitted to affix extra fixtures or lights without special permission from the clerk of the market. "5. No person shall be allowed to sell any ar- ticles whatsoever on the market premises other- wise than from proper stalls, or places set apart for such purposes, excepting eggs, starch, corn Rents. (Schedule A.—Clause 3.) Year. For a general butcher's stall for sale of any kind of meat, according to size, For a poultry and game stall, to be kept for all comers, For use of fish stalls, For a turtle stall for sale of turtle only, For a general grocer's stall for sale of all groceries, &c., including dried fish, For do. do., other than dried fish, . For a greengrocer's stall for sale of fruit and vegetables (fresh or dried), For a baker's and confectioner's stall for sale of all legitimate articles of this trade, Fees. (Schedule B.—Clause 28.) For every beeve weighing above 100 lb., . calf weighing 100 lb. or under, Month. Week. $60 to $75 $6 to $8 $2 to $2.50 Free for one year. $10.00 $1.25 $0.50 25.00 3.00 1.00 25.00 3.00 1.00 20.00 2.00 0.75 20.00 2.00 0.75 20.00 2.00 0.75 lamb, pig under 10 lb., pig 10 to 50 lb., pig over 50 to 100 lb., pig over 100 lb., goat, kid, turtle, . .' . MARKETS AND SLAUGHTER-HOUSES. 129 chilli, and vegetables, which can be sold under the verandah free of charge. "6. No live stock, except poultry or game, shall be brought into the market. No person shall sell goat or kid as mutton, under a penalty of $5 for each offence. "7. No person shall be allowed to have any meat, fish, &c., in the market, except in accord- ance with Rule 5. "8. No person shall expose for sale, or have in his or her possession iu the market, any bad or unwholesome meat, fish, fruit, vegetable, or other article of food, and any such found shall be seized and condemned, under the direction of the clerk of the market; and if the owner pro- tests against such seizure in writing, the clerk of the market shall immediately report to the dis- trict surgeon thereon, and such meat, fish, fruit, vegetable, or other article of food shall be forth- with inspected by the district surgeon, or the medical officer acting in that behalf, and on his certificate shall be destroyed at the expense of the owner or person exposing for sale or selling such meat, fish, fruit, vegetable, or other article of food, and the owner shall, in addition to any fine to which he may be liable, pay all reasonable expenses. "9. No dogs shall be allowed within the market or slaughter-house, and the police shall seize all dogs offending against this rule; and unless the same be claimed within twenty-four hours from seizure, they will be liable to be destroyed: Pro- vided that before the police deliver up any dog so seized, the claimant shall pay a sum of $1 to the clerk of the market. "10. No refuse, rubbish, or article of any kind or description whatsoever is to be thrown or deposited in the market, and any one so offending shall be summarily prosecuted by the clerk of the market or the police before the district magistrate. "11. No quarrelsome or riotous conduct, swearing, obscene language, indecency, or im- propriety of any kind whatsoever, is to be allowed in the market or slaughter-house, and any one so offending, if a stall-holder, shall, in addition to any fine imposed under these rules, be liable to forfeit his lease, and be disqualified from holding any stall for such period as the Governor in Council may determine. "12. No smoking shall be permitted in the market or slaughter-house. "13. The clerk of the market shall not directly or indirectly be concerned in the buying or sell- ing for gain of any article exposed for sale in the public market. He shall attend at the market and slaughter-house as required, and be respon- sible for the maintenance of order and the general management of the same. "14. Every article in the market shall be deemed to be for sale, and the first applicant coming in person to purchase any article shall have priority of claim at the current market rate. "15. Any person soiling the market shall im- mediately thereafter thoroughly wash and cleanse the same. "16. No barrels, blocks, or private property whatsoever shall be permitted to be placed in or about the market, other than such as may be deemed requisite by the clerk of the market for stall-holders in the prosecution of their business. "17. All articles of food, on which fees are charged according to weight, shall be weighed in the presence of the clerk of the market, and according to his directions. "18. The rents of all stalls in the market shall be paid in advance. "19. No person shall be allowed to loiter about, sit, or lie on any of the stalls in or about the market, and any person so behaving may be summarily evicted by the police. Slaughter-house. "20. The slaughter-house is to be open from i a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Sundays, when it shall be opened at midnight: Provided that, under special circumstances, with the consent of' the clerk of the market, these hours may be altered. "21. Cattle intended for slaughter shall not be tied up for more than twenty-four hours previous to being killed. "22. Any person using the slaughter-house for killing any cattle or turtle shall, immediately after slaughtering such cattle or turtle, thoroughly wash and cleanse the flooring, tables, or other parts of the building soiled by such killing. "23. The clerk of the market shall examine the condition of all cattle or turtle brought to be slaughtered, and no cattle or turtle shall be slaughtered until it shall have been approved by him, and in the event of any cattle or turtle having been slaughtered, and the meat being considered by him to be bad or unwholesome, or unfit for human food, the same shall be seized and dealt with in like manner as provided for in Rule 8 hereof: Provided that the clerk of the market, or person in charge of the slaughter- house, may permit the owner or slaughterer of any hog discovered to be measly, to melt down the fat thereof, and take away the same when melted down, after it shall have been mixed with kerosene oil in the ratio of 1J pints to every 25 lb. of lard. "24. All meat, &c., shall be properly cleaned and dressed before leaving the slaughter-house, and shall be brought to the market ready for sale. "25. No person shall be permitted to enter the slaughter-house except on business. "26. The fees specified in Schedule B hereto, shall be paid on demand to the clerk of the market for all cattle or turtle killed at the slaughter-house. "27. Any person committing a breach of, or being guilty of an offence against, any of these rules, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding $25. "28. The word 'cattle' in these rules shall in- clude oxen, bulls, cows, calves, sheep, lambs, goats, kids, and swine. "29. Copies of these rules shall be kept con- spicuously posted in the market and slaughter- house. "30. Any person opposing or obstructing the clerk of the market in his duties shall, on convic- tion, be liable to a penalty not exceeding $25. "31. The rules and regulations for the man- agement of the public slaughter-house, Corosal, made by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council on the 28th August 1878, and published in the Government 'Gazette' of the 5th of October 1878, are hereby revoked. "32. These rules shall come into operation on the 4th day of April 1887. I 130 MARKETS AND SLAUGHTER-HOUSES. Rents. (Schedule A.—Rule 3.) For beef and veal stalls, .... For stalls for other meats, sheep, pork, goat, &c. For use of fish-stall, if the value of fish sold is $2.00 and over, For a turtle-stall for sale of turtle only, weighing 40 lb. and under, Do. do. over 40 lb., For a general grocer's stall for sale of all groceries, &c, including dried fish, . For a poultry and game stall to be kept for all comers, For a greengrocer's stall for sale of fruit and I F f vegetables (fresh or dried), . . .' For a baker's and confectioner's stall for sale of all legitimate articles of this trade, Year. Month. Week. Day. $25.00 $2.50 $1.00 $0.50 10.00 1.00 0.50 0.124 ... ... ... 0.124 0.061 0.12J 20.00 2.00 0.25 Fees. (Schedule B.—Rule 26. For every beeve weighing above 100 lb., . ii calf weighing 100 lb. or under, ii sheep, ii lamb, ii pig under 10 lb., ii pig 10 to 50 lb., ii pig over 50 to 100 lb. n pig over 100 lb., n goat, „ kid, . ii turtle, $1.00 0.50 0.25 0.124 Free. 0.124 0.25 0.50 0.25 0.12 J 0.25 The general superintendence of the market and slaughter-house is under the direction of the clerk, who attends daily at both places to enforce the rules and to see that order is kept. The salaries of officers connected with this department have, since 1886, been paid from the local revenue of the towns in which the market is situ- uated, and not, as before, from the gene- ral revenue. The following table shows the aver- age prices of articles sold in the mar- ket, but as these prices are in no way fixed, they are liable to change:— Average Retail Prices of Food. Beef, fresh, . . $0,124 to °-!8f per lb. salt, Butter, Cheese, Chickens,. Coffee, . 0.18f 0.50 0.31 „ 0.18J to 0.374 each. 0.38 per lb. Corn, Cornmeal, Ducks, Fish, fresh, n salt, Flour, Fowls, Goat, Ham, Lard, Mutton, Onions, Plantains, Pork, fresh, m salt, Potatoes, . Pumpkins, Rice, Sugar, Tea, . Turkeys, Turtle, Yams, 0.50 $4. 0. to 0. 0. 0. 0. 0 0.18| to 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. According 0. 0. 0.75 to 1. 1.50 to 2. 0. According 00 per barrel. 09 per quart. 75 each. 04 per lb. 124" 06 per quart. 50 each. 25 per lb. 31 19 „ 25 „ 12 „ 75 per 100. 18| per lb. 18| „ 06 to size. 09 per lb. 06 „ 00 50 each. 124 per lb. to size. The annexed table gives the return of all animals slaughtered at the slaughter-house, Belize, for the last four years:— MARKETS AND SLAUGHTER-HOUSES—WATER SUPPLY. 131 Animals. 1881. 1885. 1886. 1887. 784 790 804 864 25 45 36 48 Pigs, 460 576 624 696 2 4 2 7 Total, .... 1271 1415 1466 1615 Establishment of the Markets Department. Office. Name. Salary. Date of first appointment. Clerk, Belize, W. Fraser, $500 180 60 300 1885 1885 1885 1870 ii Slaughter-house, Belize, . Clerk, Corosal, W. Quamina, H. Bell, . ii Slaughter-house, Corosal, . WATEE The water supply of the colony is, on the whole, very deficient, the only way that water is obtained being from the rain-water collected in large tanks or cisterns. Nearly every person has at least one tank adjoining his house, but should there have been a dry season, water becomes very scarce in the town. The Government have a number of tanks in the town, and the water collected in them is sold at a low rate to persons requiring it. The fol- lowing are the rules passed in Novem- ber 1881 regulating the supply of water from these tanks:— "From and after the 1st January next the public tanks will be placed under the charge of the inspector of police, and rain-water therefrom will be supplied monthly at the following rates:— For 2 gallons each day, 25 cents per month. For 4 ii m 50 ii ii "Applications for water will be entertained at SUPPLY. the police office on any day, Saturday and Sunday excepted, between the hours of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., when, on payment in advance, according to the quantity desired, the applicant will receive as many 'tokens' marked 'Water supply, 2 gal- lons,' or '4 gallons,' as the case may be, as there are days in the following month, if the applica- tion is made at the end of a month. Should, however, applications be made during the month, the same charge of 25 cents or 50 cents, as the case may be, will be made, and as many 'tokens' as there are remaining days in the month will be delivered to the applicant. "A constable will be in attendance daily, from 7 until 9 o'clock in the morning, at the tank where the issue takes place, and will be provided with a bucket to hold two gallons. The water from the tank will be drawn in this measure, and then transferred to the bucket of the applicant. "To obtain water, a 'token' must be delivered to the constable, who will retain the same, and issue as many gallons of water as the 'token' represents. "'Tokens' will be issued free to such persons as can show beyond doubt their inability to pay for the supply, on certificate of such inability from the district magistrate. "Any disorderly conduct at the time of issue may make the person committing the same liable to be prosecuted under the Police Ordinance." 132 PART VIII. NATURALISATION OF ALIENS. Br Ordinance No. 13 of 1883, and 8 of 1885, and under the provisions of the Imperial Act, 33 Vict. cap. 14, to amend the law relating to the legal condition of aliens and British subjects, the Governor of British Honduras is empowered in Council to give or withhold a certificate of naturalisation as he thinks fit. An alien to whom a certificate of naturalisation is granted shall in this colony be entitled to all political and other rights, powers, and privileges, and be subject to all obligations to which a natural-born British subject is entitled or subject in this colony. Nothing contained in the above Ordinance qualifies an alien to be the owner of a British ship. The procedure under this Ordinance is as follows :— An application is sent through the Colonial Secretary to the Governor in Council for a certificate of naturalisa- tion, setting forth that the applicant has resided in the colony for not less than five years, and intends when naturalised to do so. He must adduce, in support of his application, evidence of his residence and intention to reside as may be required. If satisfied with the evidence ad- duced, the Governor in Council may, with or without assigning any reason, give or withhold the certificate, as he thinks most conducive to the public good, and no appeal shall lie from such decision. The certificate does not take effect until the applicant has taken the oath of allegiance, which must be done within sixty days of the date of the certificate, and shall be administered either by the Colonial Secretary, Chief- Justice, or a justice of the peace, to whom a dedimus must be specially directed for that purpose. It must be recorded within three months from the date of the certificate. Under sect. 3 of Ordinance 8 of 1885, the children of naturalised parents who, whilst under the age of twenty-one years, have become resident with such parents in this colony, are deemed naturalised British subjects within the colony. Aliens cannot be employed in the Government service except in the posi- tion of alcaldes or interpreters, by Ordinance 8 of 1886, entitled, "An Ordinance to remove the disqualifica- tion of aliens for the posts of alcaldes and interpreters." This was requisite in consequence of some of the persons holding office being aliens. The fees payable in connection with these proceedings are :— NATURALISATION OF ALIENS—LAND-SURVEYORS. 133 SCHEDULE B. (Sec. 9, Ordinance 13 of 1883.) Fees payable by applicant Fee. To whom payable. For certificate of naturalisation, $5.00 0.50 2.50 2.50 The Colonial Secretary. The officer administering same. The Keeper of Records. Do. do. For administration of oath, For recording same, .... For certificate of same, .... SCHEDULE C. Fees payable by applicant. Fee. To whom payable. For declaration of alienage or British 1 nationality J $0.75 The officer administering same. For certificate of readmission to British 1 2.50 The Colonial Secretary. For registering same with oath, For administration of oath. For transmitting declaration, with or' without oath, for registration in Eng- 2.50 0.50 The officer registering same. The officer administering same. 0.50 The officer transmitting same. For registration of declaration, with or without oath of allegiance, . . . j' 2.50 2.50 The officer registering same. The officer making same. For certified copy of any declaration or i certificate, with or without oath, . . ] LAND-SURVEYORS. Prior to the year 1852, every and any one could practise as a surveyor of land in this colony: the consequence was that no end of confusion was the result. Many of the plans that are at present in the Record Office, the handi- work of surveyors of those days, would puzzle any ordinary mortal to discover the situation, extent, and bearings of the land it pretends to represent. Some, again, are most gorgeously painted with every imaginable colour under the sun; others have, when any particular sur- veyor found it difficult to make both ends of a line meet with one sweep of the brush or swing of the finger, obliterated the obnoxious angle for ever. The first Act passed relating to surveyors was 15 Vict cap. 10, in 1852. The preamble to this Act reads, "Whereas many persons in this settlement have suffered great losses through the incapacity and ignorance of unqualified persons acting as sur- veyor of lands," showing how very necessary it was that the old system should be done away with. By this Act they had to enter into bond, and certain penalties are imposed for negli- gence, &c. But by sect. 3, no surveyor was to make a plan of any land unless he had actually surveyed the said land! No doubt this accounts for the puzzle that has always been set the judge, jury, counsel, and surveyors, wherever an old survey has to be referred to. What is still more remarkable is the great care with which, apparently, all the minute details are filled in on the plan of sites and marks that never existed! 134 LAND-SURVEYORS. This Act was amended by 21 Vict, cap. 11 in 1858, which required plans of all surveys to be lodged, under penalty. Plans had hitherto been lodged in a very irregular manner, but from this date they seem to have been very regularly kept up. These Acts remained in force till 1886, when, by Ordinance 3 of that year, these two former Acts were re- pealed. The present Ordinance is a very full and comprehensive one: it makes more ample provision with respect to the qualification, appointment, and duties of surveyors of land. Rules under sect. 29 of this Ordin- ance have been made by the Governor in Council on the 14th August 1886. 1. All candidates under this Ordin- ance shall, in the first place, forward an application in writing to the Governor, through the Surveyor-General, request- ing that a board of examiners may be convened to conduct the requisite ex- amination. This application shall be accompanied by a succinct statement of the candidate's previous career and ex- perience, together with copies of such testimonials as he desires to submit. The Governor may then, if he sees fit, order the board to be convened to con- duct the said examination under clause 7, who will report as provided under clause 6 of the Ordinance. The Board of Examiners consists of— The Surveyor-General, The Colonial Engineer, The Assistant Surveyor-General, and such other land-surveyors as shall be appointed by the Governor. After the examination, the Board of Examiners makes a report as to the applicant's qualifications to the Gover- nor, and a certificate may be granted by him if the applicant has given suf- ficient proof of his abilities to perform a surveyor's work. It is not necessary for any person appointed as Surveyor-General, Colonial Engineer, or Assistant Surveyor-General, to pass any examination. The fee for examination is $25. The fee for recording certificate is $25. Rules for Surveys. Towns. 1. In the case of new townships or extensions of existing townships the following rules are to be observed :— 2. A reservation not exceeding 66 feet in width for streets and roads is to be made in all places where streets and roads are considered necessary by the Surveyor-General. Town Lots. 3. Town lots are to be of the following dimen- sions: frontage, 60 feet; depth, 120 feet. 4. Lanes or footpaths may be reserved 10 feet in width, half-way between each main street or road. 5. A belt of land 10 chains in width round all townships, and of not less than % the total acre- age of the town lots, shall be reserved as park lands, except when otherwise ordered. 6. The intersection of each street or road is to be marked by a post or pillar having a broad arrow marked on it, and a copper nail driven in the top of such post or pillar. The pillars are to be not less than 6 inches square, and to project not less than 2 feet 6 inches from the ground. 7. Township boundaries are to be marked by pillars similar to those at street or road inter- sections, but with the name of the township marked on them. 8. A reserve is to be made for Government purposes of not less than six lots in one block, and in the best situation. Suburban Lots. 9. Suburban lots may be laid out in lots of 1 to 20 acres in area, and they will be situated in a belt 40 chains wide external to the park lands reservation. Rural Sections. 10. A reservation for roads of 1 chain in width is to be made wherever it may be required. 11. A reservation for rights of way and foot- paths, 12 feet in width, is to be made wherever they exist. 12. Reserves for Government purposes are to be made wherever they are most likely to be useful, and are to amount to not less than 1 per cent of the acreage of lands set apart for sale in each district. 13. The right of way along a belt not exceed- ing 66 feet inlwidth, measured from high-water mark, along river and sea frontages, is to be re- served for Government or public purposes. 14. All sections are to be provided with a suf- ficient outlet on to a public road, navigable river, or sea-shore. 15. All intersections of boundaries are to be marked by posts or pillars, as provided for in Rule 6. 136 FOR INVENTIONS. LETTERS PATENT being no such organ, then on the black board at the court-house. "8. All specifications in pursuance of the con- ditions of letters patent, and all complete speci- fications accompanying petitions for the grant of letters patent, shall be respectively written book- wise upon a sheet or sheets of paper each of the size of 21^ inches in length by 14j inches in breadth. The same may be written upon both sides of the sheet, but a margin must be left of 1 \ inch on every side of each sheet. "9. The drawings accompanying such specifi- cations shall be made upon a sheet or sheets of paper or cloth, each of the size of 21J inches in length by 14j inches in breadth, or upon a sheet or sheets of paper or cloth each of the size of 21^ inches in breadth by 29J inches in length, leaving a margin of 1J inch on every side of each sheet. Note.—It is recommended to applicants and patentees to make their elevation drawings according to the scale of 1 inch to a foot. "10. No warrant is to be granted for the seal- ing of any letters patent which contains two or more distinct substantive inventions. "11. No amendment or alteration, at the in- stance of the applicant, will be allowed in a pro- visional specification after the same has been recorded, except for the correction of clerical errors or of omissions made per incuriam. "12. The provisional specification must state distinctly and intelligibly the whole nature of the invention, so that the Attorney-General may be apprised of the improvement, and of the means by which it is to be carried into effect." Fees tO be Paid under this Act. To Colonial Secretary. On leaving petition for grant of letters patent, $0.50 On notice of intention to proceed with application, 0.25 On sealing of letters patent or duplicate, 5.00 On filing specification, . . . .0.50 On certificate of payment at or before the expiration of the third year, . 2.00 On certificate of payment at or before the expiration of the seventh year, . 3.00 On leaving notice of objections, Every search or inspection, per hour or $0.25 0.25 1.00 1.00 0.50 0.50 Entry of assignment or licence, Certificate of assignment or licence, Filing application for disclaimer, . Caveat against disclaimer, Copies of documents, per folio of 90 words, 0.25 On each certificate on copy, . . . 0.37J For preparing each advertisement, . 1.00 To the Attorney-General. By the person opposing a grant of let- ters patent, including summons, . 16.00 By the petitioner on hearing the case of opposition, including summons, . 16.00 By the petitioner for the hearing pre- vious to the fiat of the Attorney-Gen- eral allowing a disclaimer or memo- randum of alteration in letters patent and specification, .... 14.00 By the person opposing the allowance of such disclaimer, or memorandum of alteration on the hearing of the case of opposition 14.00 By the petitioner for the fiat of the at- torney-general allowing a disclaimer or memorandum of alteration on let- ters patent and specification, . . 16.00 On investigation of each application, and certificate and report thereon, . 10.00 Payments to be made to the Colonial Secretary and accounted for to the Pdblic Treasurer. On sealing letters patent, . . . $25.00 On every assignment or licence, . . 5.00 At or before the expiration of the third year, 50.00 At or before the expiration of the seventh year 100.00 On duplicate of letters patent lost or destroyed, 5.00 The following is a list of the patents granted under this Act:— Name of patentee. Date of letters patent. Purpose of patent. J. A. de Biaam, Do. 5th August 1863, . 28th September 1874, . An improved machine for dressing the leaves of the Agave and other plants, to separate and obtain the fibres thereof. The construction and application of a mechanical contrivance for regulating the receiving from gutters, pipes, or other conductors, and removal of sugar, concrete, and other substances, liquid or solid. J. G. Stephens,. 10th September 1885, . An improved method of, and apparatus or machinery for, cleaning and separ- ating the pulpy matters from the fibres of leaves and plants. RECEIVER OF WRECKS—POUNDS. 137 RECEIVER OF WKECKS. By Ordinance 7 of 1879, the law relating to wrecks, casualties, and sal- vage was consolidated. The duties of Receiver of "Wrecks, the powers and duties of Collector of Customs, &c., are all laid down in this Ordinance. An amending Ordinance was passed in 1884, No. 5. The duties of Receiver of Wrecks may be briefly summed up as follows :— To render assistance in cases of stranded or distressed ships or boats, including the preservation of life and property, and the suppression of plun- der, disorder, or obstruction. The following rules are to be ob- served by persons finding or taking possession of wreck within the limits of the colony :— "1. If the person finding the same is the owner, he is to give notice to the receiver that he has found the same, and he is to describe the marks by which the wreck is distinguished. "2. If he is not the owner, he is to deliver the same to the receiver. "8. If the owner neglects to give notice, he is liable to a penalty not exceeding $500. "4. If a salvor neglects to deliver the same, he forfeits all claim to salvage, has to pay double the value of wreck to the owner thereof or person entitled to the same, and is liable to a penalty of $500." Receiver of Wrecks for the Belize District. Hon. J. H. Phillips, M.L.C., Lloyds' Agent, London; and The National Board of Marine Underwriters, New York. Fees and Remuneration of Receiver. "For every examination on oath instituted by a receiver with respect to any ship or boat which may be or may have been in distress, a fee not exceeding $5, but so that in no case shall a larger fee than $10 be charged for examinations taken in respect of the same ship and the same oc- currence, whatever may be the number of the deponents. "For wreck taken by the receiver into his custody a percentage of 5 per cent upon the value thereof, but so that in no case shall the whole amount of percentage so payable exceed $100. "In cases where any services are reudered by a receiver in respect of any ship or boat in dis- tress not being wreck, or in respect of the cargo or other articles belonging thereto, the following fees instead of a percentage—that is to say: "If such ship or boat with her cargo equals or exceeds in value $3000, the sum of $10 for the first, and the sum of $5 for every subsequent day during which the receiver is employed on such service; but if such ship or boat with her cargo is less in value than $3000, one moiety of the above-mentioned sum." POUNDS. The following are the rates of pound- age leviable under " The Cattle Trespass and Pound Ordinance, 1878,"—Ordin- ance 6 of 1878. The following information respect- ing trespasses by cattle is given for general information:— "Any person may seize any live stock of what- ever description found trespassing in his house or land, and secure the same in any public pound, or if there be no public pound within three miles of the scene of trespass, then in any private pound or place of security, and keep the same until satisfaction be made for such trespass. "Such person is required to make complaint of such trespass to some justices of the peace within a reasonable time ; and until order is made by such justice, the animal impounded must be properly fed and treated. "No expense for keep of any live stock im- pounded shall be recovered for more than one week, unless the said stock shall have been ad- vertised with full description thereof, including marks, brands, colour, and height, by a notice in writing exhibited openly at the nearest district court-house. "Any person sustaining any damage from the trespass of any live stock can make complaint before any justice of the peace, who may sum- mons the owner of such live stock and adjudicate thereon. "Any person impounding live stock and not making complaint within a reasonable time to some justice of the peace, may be proceeded against as in the case of a person sustaining dam- ages by trespass of live stock. "Any person rescuing any cattle lawfully seized for the purpose of being impounded, or who shall commit any pound-breach or rescue where- 140 THE BELIZE FIRE-BRIGADE DEPARTMENT. "6. Each captain will be held responsible for the cleanliness and good order of his engine, and that all necessary appurtenances are always ready for immediate service. "7. Each fireman will be supplied with a red shirt, helmet, one pair trousers, one pair boots, one belt and buckle, for which he will be held responsible, fair wear and tear excepted. 8. It shall be the duty of each fireman, on the first alarm of fire, to immediately hasten to his respective engine, and as soon as there are sufficient firemen to move the engine to the fire, with all its necessary equipments, to do so with- out any delay whatsoever, or waiting for any orders at the time. "9. In case of any insufficiency of firemen at the fire, it shall be lawful for any superintendent or captain to call upon any onlooker or idler at the fire, and to direct him to assist in such man- ner as may be deemed requisite towards assisting in extinguishing the fire; and if he neglect or refuse when so called upon, he shall be deemed to disobey a lawful order. "10. Every superintendent or senior officer present at any fire may order and direct the de- struction of any house or other building for the prevention of the further spreading of such fire, should such destruction be, in his opinion, neces- sary for the protection of life and property. In such case, a report of the circumstances shall be forwarded without delay to the Colonial Secre- tary, together with an appraisement of the value of such building, for the information of the Governor. "11. The engine which first plays or pours a continuous stream of water on a fire shall be entitled to a sum of $30 as a premium ; the en- gine which does so second, to $20, and all others will receive $15, provided that the large engine shall receive $25 if second. Said amounts may be increased on the report of the superintendent or the officer acting in charge at the fire, under any circumstances that may arise to warrant an augmentation. "12. Any infraction of these rules, or any dis- obedience of any lawful order, will render the party guilty of the same liable to a fine or fines mentioned in section 5 of Ordinance 1 of 1878. "13. It shall be the duty of the superintend- ent to give such directions as will ensure the carrying out of the provisions of sections 6, 7, and 8 of the ' Fire-Brigade Ordinance, 1878,' rela- tive to giving orders for cleaning chimneys and removal of combustibles, and enforcing the law regarding insecure lights and fires, and lamps on board vessels lying near wharves, &c. "14. The keeper of the fire-engines shall keep the engines and apparatus clean, and he will be subject to the orders of either superintendent." Establishment of the Belize Fire-Brigade Department. Office. Name of Holder. Salary. Superintendent, . Assistant superintendent, . Captains of engines- No. 1 H. C. Usher $250.00 500.00 C. Hempstead, .... "1 S. G. Woods | 1.00 per practice. C. B. Ottley li Oy . , , F. W. Blockley n 4, . it 5 R. K. Masson Firemen— No. attached — No. 1 engine, it 2 ii . ii 3 n . n 4 ii 60 j 0.50 300.00 ii 5 ii . Keeper of fire-engines, 30 30 30 30 J. C. Murray, .... HAULOVER FERRIES. At the Haulover, the Belize or Old river branches off into two directions, one stream flowing direct into the sea, and the other making a detour of about 8 miles, and flowing through the town of Belize before reaching the sea. At this divergence, situated about 5 miles from the town by road, are the two ferries,—the larger connecting the main road with the road to the northern districts of the colony, and the smaller the road to the western frontier and Guatemala. The ferries are the property of the HACLOVER FERRIES—CARRIAGES. 141 Government, and are leased under con- tract for five years at a rental of $18 per month. Under the present contract, entered into in 1887, the contractor is com- pelled to keep an inn and make certain improvements on the land adjoining the ferries. The following list of tolls for the use of the ferries was framed by the Eoad Commissioners under the provisions of the Road Act, 1864, on the 16th February 1886, and approved by the Legislative Council on the following day:— For every foot passenger, . . . $0.12| ii ii horse or mule, including rider, 0.25 n ii head of cattle, including per-) son or persons in charge, ( .i .i hog, sheep, or goat, . . 0.06J For every carriage or cart with one"\ horse, including the dri- V $0.50 ver and two persons, . J ii ii extra horse or person, . . 0.12} And no extra toll shall be taken for any person, horse, mule, cattle, hog, sheep, goat, carriage, or cart returning the same day. The above tolls are charged between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., and double rates are charged between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6. a.m. Persons, horses, mules, cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, carriages or carts, &c.i which may be required to be conveyed across the ferry for Government pur- poses, are to be done so free of charge by the contractor. The present leaseholder, — Robert Young. CARRIAGES. The first Act passed regulating the keeping and hiring of carriages was in 1885 by Ordinance 21 of that year, which was amended the same year, in order to provide for carriages specially licensed, by Ordinance 30. Applications for licences to let to hire any carriage must be made to the inspector of police, who, after inspecting such carriage, and finding it in a fit and proper condition for public use, shall grant such licence. (See Schedule A of Ordinance.) Applications for licences as drivers of licensed carriages must be made to the inspector of police, who, if satisfied that he is a fit and proper person, shall grant such licence. (See Schedule B of Ordinance.) The inspector of police inspects car- riages and horses once every three months, or oftener, to see whether they are in a fit condition for public use, and if not he may suspend licence. The driver shall carry in his carriage a reasonable quantity of luggage for any person travelling in it without extra charge. Should the driver find in his car- riage any property, he must within twenty-four hours carry it to the police station, unless sooner claimed. Should any dispute arise between hirer and driver, the former may re- quire the latter to drive him to the station to settle the dispute. The table of fares given below must be exhibited on the inside of every carriage, and the number of persons to be carried. Carriages specially licensed are not subject to the scale of fares, &c., but special agreement must be made unless such carriage be hired from the stand for carriages, in which case they are subject to the same fares and rules. The carriage-stand is opposite the Government shed at the foot of the bridge. 142 CARRIAGES. Table of Pare.. For 1-horse Carriage. For 2-borae Carriage. Fares by Distance for one or two Persons. For every mile or part of a mile, provided no single fare shall be ) less than 25 cents, . | $0.18i $0.25 Fares by Time for one or two Persons. 1.00 0.25 For every additional quarter of any hour 0.18| Fares, Distance or Time. For each extra person—2 children under 12 years of age counting as ) Calling carriage off stand without hiring same 0.12 J 0.124 0.124 0.124 Driver, if hired by distance, is not compelled to drive more than six miles an hour. If hired by time, he may bo required to drive at any rate not exceeding five miles an hour. The hirer shall state, when hiring, whether the same is by distance or time; if not, it shall be presumed to be by distance. Double fares after 10 p.m. and up to 5 A.M. Distances. Fares for 2 Persons. Mileage. 1 Horse. 2 Horses. Miles. Yards From Court-House to north side of Belize Bridge, From Court-House to corner of Barrack Road, . From Court-House to corner of Eve Street,. From Court-House to Hospital Gate, .... From Court-House to Barrack Gate, .... From Court-House to Officer's Mess, .... $0,181 0.18? 0.18| 0.18? 0.185 0.37* 0.37* 0.374 0.56| $0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.75 0.75 211 533 770 840 X 1422 187 440 660 242 From Court-House to Barrack Room 1 1 From Court-House to Barrack Hospital, From Court-House to Branch Road, off Circular Road, From Court-House to junction with Haulover Road, . From Court-House to junction of streets with Cir-) 2 2 1443 0.75 0.75 0.75 1.00 3 979 1364 1470 From Court-House to Canal in Barrack Road, . From Court-House round Circular Road by Barrack ) 1.00 3 Road, to corner of Queen Street, . . . . ( From Court-House round Circular Road by Eve \ 1.00 3 Street, Barrack Road, to Court-House, . . . J From Court-House to Government House Gate, . From Court-House to centre of Yarborough Bridge, . From Court-House to Gates of Vaults, From Court-House to gate of Hon. J. H. Phillips' ) 0.93J 1.25 4 204 0.181 0.18? 0.18J 0.25 0.25 0.25 617 1325 1567 0.374 0.50 1 1028 From Court-House to Frenchman's Gate, . From Court-House to John Stephen's Gate, From Court-House to Canal in Orange Street, . From Court-House to gateway of Lord's Ridge) 0.374 0.374 0.18J 0.50 0.50 0.25 1 1 1100 1308 269 0.374 0.50 1 158 143 PAKT IX. THE CHUKCH OF ENGLAND IN BRITISH HONDURAS. The English branch of the Catholic Church of Christ entered this colony with the first settlers, inasmuch as they belonged to that portion of the Church; but its first official recognition took place in 1812, when the magistrates of Belize, by a formal deed, declared that a site had been allotted, and a church erected upon it, which the Bishop of Jamaica (to which island this colony was attached) consecrated. This church was dedicated to St John the Baptist, and stood in a fine open piece of ground which belonged to it. The building was erected at great cost, and solidly built, but without adequate foundations, and consists of the fol- lowing parts: (1) A chancel 19 by 14 feet, with a large east window of painted glass representing our Saviour in the act of blessing; (2) a nave 78 by 44 feet, lighted by ten windows: tbese were formerly in two parts—the upper separated from the lower by 4 feet of brickwork, which has lately been removed and replaced by glass panels; (3) a porch on the north side 16 by 15 feet; (4) a vestry on the south side corresponding to the porch; (5) a tower at the west end 15 feet square and about 50 feet in height, containing one large bell, which, how- ever, is only chimed. The upper part of the tower is now of wood, the former brickwork having been taken down many years ago, in consequence of the tower being con- sidered too weak to bear its weight. There is a large west end gallery for organ and singers. The church is lighted with lamps and candelabra, and furnished with high pews to seat 450 people. To this church the Government appointed a rector at a stipend of £600. Various men occupied the post in succession, the most noteworthy being Matthew Newport, D.D., a High Churchman of the old eighteenth-cen- tury type, who made the colony his home for thirty-four years, dying in 1860. During his ministry a com- fortable rectory was built facing the sea, a few minutes' walk from the church. About the middle of the cen- tury, the growth of the town on the north side of the river led to the erec- tion of a second church by the Govern- ment in that quarter. In 1851, a small wooden structure was put up in the midst of a low swampy lot. This building, ugly, low, and hot, was dedi- cated to St Mary the Virgin, but never consecrated. To this an incum- bent was appointed at a stipend of £400, but without a house, the in- 144 THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN BRITISH HONDURAS. cumbency being joined with the chap- laincy to the troops till the year 1884. St Mary's Church consists of a chancel 7 feet deep by 13 feet wide, raised two steps above a nave 40 by 26 feet, with two vestries on either side 8| by 7\ feet Originally there was an iron frame turret for a bell at the west entrance, about 30 feet high, but this was removed in 1886, when the building was moved bodily from the centre to the north end of the church- yard, to make room for the erection of the new church. There is a west gal- lery for children. The church is lighted by bracket and chandelier lamps, and seated with open benches, and accom- modates 150 people, which is very much less than the number of regis- tered communicants, who amount to about 250. In 1872 the well-deserved fate of disestablishment befell the Church. The example had been set in Ireland, and the principle established that a Church which has not secured the ad- hesion of a large part of the population should not be supported out of the taxes paid by those who deliberately reject its ministrations. The Church here fulfilled the con- ditions. It was supported out of the taxes, and was in consequence bound hand and foot by the State, and had become what such a fettered Church is sure to become. It had made no efforts to extend its influence beyond Belize, it had allowed itself to be supplanted in Belize by Roman Catholics, Wesleyans, Presby- terians, and Baptists; but the blow, which was a sore chastisement to the Church, brought an awakening to its sleeping conscience, and freedom to its fettered limbs. Terms, as good as could have been expected, were obtained. St John's Church, churchyard, and rectory, St Mary's Church and churchyard, were handed over to the Church. Vested interests were respected, but no com- mutation scheme was carried out; per- haps none was practicable. The rector of St John's soon left the colony; the rector of St Mary's, the Rev. Alfred Field, remained till 1876, trying to organise the Church under its changed conditions. At his departure, the So- ciety for the Propagation of the Gospel assisted the diocese by granting £100 a- year to his successor, who remained here till 1882. St John's being a wealthier and larger congregation, has always been able to maintain its rector with- out help. Since 1882, St Mary's has been self-supporting, though the struggle has been very hard, owing to the small size of the church, and the additional efforts required for the erection of a new one. This event seems to be not far distant. On February 14, 1888, the founda- tion-stone of the new church was laid, in the presence of a great assembly, by Dr J. N. Galleher, Bishop of Louisiana, U.S.A. A shortened form of evening service was held in the present church at 4 p.m., and a sermon, preached by the Rev. H. Nethercott, rector of St John's, at the conclusion of which a procession of choristers and clergy, with the bishop, left the church, singing "The Church's one foundation," and proceeded to the site, where, after ap- propriate hymns and prayers, the bishop gave a short address, in which he allud- ed in eloquent terms to our common brotherhood in the Church, although gathered from many climes. He spoke of the great office of the English Church, to carry the sacraments and the three- fold ministry, the Bible and Prayer- book in the tongue of Shakespeare, Milton, and Tennyson, with England's drum-beat round the world. He alluded with pathos to the ab- sence of the Bishop of Jamaica, his own pleasure and pride in being present in his place, and the kindness which had made him, though a stranger, feel at THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN BRITISH HONDURAS. 145 home in their midst, and ended by in- voking God's blessing on the house to be built, and the worshippers to be gathered therein. He then, with suit- able words and prayers, laid the stone, which enclosed a bottle containing news- papers and coins. The ceremony then concluded with prayers and hymns. His Excellency the Governor and many of the leading inhabitants were present; a detachment of the 2d W.I.E. kept the ground, under command of Major Caulfield. The Anglican revival, which com- menced half a century ago and has been spreading ever since, has only in- fluenced the Church here during the last fifteen years. It has caused the same heart-searchings here as elsewhere, bringing, as Christ said the truth pro- claimed would ever do, not peace, but a sword; but the tendency of the Church-life in the colony is undoubt- edly moving towards a broader, more historic view of Church doctrine, con- tinuity, and ceremonial, not, as our Roman brethren say, towards the dogmas of Trent and the ritual of the Middle Ages, but towards the truly catholic teaching of Mesa and earnest solemn usage of the primitive Church, which has been obscured by the Puritan- ism of the seventeenth and Erastianism of the eighteenth century, as much as by the corruptions of the medieval times. In 1882 a mission was started in the Northern District of the colony, embrac- ing Corosal and Orange Walk: at the latter place a good site was acquired, and a wooden building erected in two storeys, the upper part as a parsonage, the lower as a church. At Corosal a plain thatched building has been ac- quired and fitted up as a church. After a sharp struggle for existence, the mis- sion seems at last to have entered on a career of steady though slow progress. In 1884 a fine school building, the largest in the town, was put up, con- sisting of two storeys. The lower is occupied by a flourishing elementary school, the, upper is used at present only for classes, meetings, &c. The administration of the diocese of British Honduras is at present in the hands of the Bishop of Jamaica, though eventu- ally, when an endowment is provided, a separate bishop, which is the Church's greatest need, will be appointed. As the bishop is only able to visit here for a few days at a time, and at long in- tervals, his commissary administers the diocese, subject to his direction. The Synod of the Church consists of all clergy, together with lay representa- tives from each congregation, and cer- tain of the officials, if registered com- municants. This body meets for legis- lative purposes: when not in session a committee is appointed,—the Stand- ing Committee to aid and advise the bishop's commissary. This body con- sists of the bishop, any clergy who can attend, four laymen nominated by Synod, two by the bishop and the corporate body. This latter consists of three permanent trustees, who hold all church property. The clergy at pre- sent (Feb. 1888) in the colony are :— Rev. H. Nethercott, bishop's com- missary, and rector of St John's. Rev. H. M. Ward, MA., rector of St Mary's. Rev. J. W. Moore, assistant curate of St John's and head-master of the schools. Rev. E. D. Tinling, curate in charge of the Northern District. Services held are:— St John's. Daily.—7 a.m. and 7 p.m., with sermon on Wednesday. Sundays.—Holy Communion, 7 A.M., and on first Sunday in month at mid-day; morning prayer, 11 A.M.; evening prayer, 7 P.M. Holy Days.—Holy Communion, 7 a.m. Sunday-School.—3.30 p.m. St Mary's. Daily.—Evensong, 7 p.m. ; sermon on Thurs- day— except on Saturday, it is at 8 p.m., and Monday, no service. Sunday.—Holy Communion at 7 a.m., also on K 146 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. first and third Sundays in month at mid-day; mattins, 11 a.m. ; evensong, 7 p.m. Sunday-School.—3.30 p.m. Saints' Days.—Holy Communion, 7 a.m. ; and address at evensong. Freetown Mission Room. Open daily for reading, 6-9 p.m. Service, Tuesday, at 7 p.m. Wednesday.—Bible-class, 7 P.M. Sunday.—Services at 7 a.m. and 7 P.M. Sunday-School.—3.30 P.M. There are various classes and guilds in connection with both churches for different good purposes, and a small library attached to each church, and a small book-store at St Mary's rectory for prayer-books, texts, &c. There are four lay readers in the diocese autho- rised to hold service in the absence of the clergy :— Mr F. Fuller, at St Mary's. Mr C. Blockley, at St John's. Mr D. A. Young, and Mr R. W. Pickwoad, in the Northern District. Services at Corosal are—Sundays at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., with Sunday-school at 3 p.m.; and on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., with address. Orange Walk is visited by the curate monthly, when services are held at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. The table of fees for this diocese at present is:— For each certificate of baptism, if copied at the time, $1.00 If searched for at any other time, . . 1.25 Service of marriage, . . . 3.00 Certificate of marriage, . . . .1.00 Funeral service, .1.00 Tolling bell 1.00 Playing organ for marriage or funeral, . 2.00 THE PBESBYTERIAN CHURCH. In the course of the year 1850 a public meeting was called, and the fol- lowing resolution was adopted: "A considerable portion of the inhabitants of British Honduras are members of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and were accustomed to engage in public worship according to the rites of that Church, until they became residents in the settlement. They have long, very naturally, desired to possess the means of celebrating divine ser- vice in that Church in which the Chris- tian character of themselves and of their fathers was reared, and of receiv- ing religious instruction from a minis- tration under which they were taught their earliest lessons, and imbibed their first notions of the Christian truth, and to which they look back with gratitude and reverence." A. Montgomery, Esq., John Young, M.D., T. Stuart, Esq., and John Walker, Esq., were appointed a committee to carry this resolution into effect. A subscription list was also opened, which soon amounted to £500. This committee sought and were received into communion with the Pres- byterian Free Church of Scotland, and that Church was asked to send out a minister. A site for a church was secured on the river Belize, and immediately north from the Court-house. On this lot a temporary building was erected, and on 21st January 1852, the Rev. D. Arthur, formerly of Stewarton, Scotland, arrived, and took charge of the "kirk." In this temporary build- ing Mr Arthur at once began the work of the Presbyterian church, and also a school. In the great fire on the south side, this building was burnt down. Church and school then met in different places, and steps were taken to raise the present brick building. This church was opened early in 1863. Mr Arthur continued its minister till 1876, when he retired on account of old age. In November 1876, the Rev. John Jackson, formerly of Girvan, Scotland, also sent out by the Free Church, arrived in the colony, and PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH—ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, ETC. 147 until now carries on the work of the congregation as minister. At present the Sabbath and week-day services are as under:— Sabbath Services. 10.80 a.m., Public worship. 12 noon, Sabbath-school. 4 p.m. Bible-reading. 6.30 ii Public worship. Week-day Services. Tuesday, 7 P.M., Prayer meeting. Thursday, 7 n Practice of sacred music. Friday, 7 m Bible-class. ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. The mission was founded in 1848. Priests. The Holy Redeemer, Belize—The Rev. S. Di Pietro, S.J.; the Rev. F. C. Hopkins, S.J.; the Rev. A. M. Parisi, S.J. San Narcisso, Oorosal—The Rev. M. Antillach, S.J.; the Rev. J. Bar- rantes, S.J.; the Rev. S. Gillet, S.J. Immaculate Conception, Orange Walk—The Rev. P. Molina, S.J.; the Rev. J. Piemonte, S.J. Sacred Heart, Stann Creek—The Rev. H. Gillet, S.J.; the Rev. J. Kellet, S.J. Punta Gorda—The Rev. C. Gillet, S.J. Church of the Holy Redeemer, Belize. Services. Sundays.—Low Mass, 7 a.m.; High Mass and sermon, 9.30 a.m.; vespers,English sermon, and benediction, 7 p.m. Daily.—Low Mass, 6.30 a.m.; prayers, 7 p.m. THE WESLEYAN MISSION. This mission was commenced in the year 1825, towards the end of which the first missionary, the Rev. Mr Wil- kinson, arrived in Belize—the object of the parent society being to provide instruction and religious privileges for the slaves who were employed in cut- ting logwood and mahogany at various points in the interior or the river- banks. Mr Wilkinson spent some weeks in Belize preaching and cate- chising, and, after visiting the works up the Old river for some hundred and fifty miles, judged it best that the headquarters of the mission should be in town. In August of 1827 his pro- mising career was cut short by fever; but he was succeeded, early in 1828, by the Rev. Thomas Johnston, who prosecuted the work with great zeal and success, but with no sufficient regard for climatic conditions, and he also died, a victim to fever, from over- exertion and exposure, within six months of the time of his arrival. Soon afterwards Mr Wedlock was on the ground, and, acting with greater prudence, was able to consolidate the work, so that in 1830 the first Wes- leyan chapel built in the colony was duly opened for public worship with thanksgiving and the voice of melody. From that time the mission may be considered to have been fairly estab- lished. In 1829 a mission was projected by the same society for the benefit of the Indians on the Mosquito coast. The Rev. Mr Pilley and his wife arrived in Belize for that destination towards the end of that year, but did not secure a passage to Cape Gracias a Dios till the following spring. We have no par- ticulars at hand as to the method 148 THE WESLEYAN MISSION. adopted, nor of the special character of the difficulties encountered, in seek- ing to establish a footing there, but after repeated trial, both the efforts and the health of the missionary com- pletely failed; he and his wife were compelled to return to England, and the mission has never again been re- sumed. From Belize the work has gradually spread to the Bay Islands and Corosal, to Mullin's river, the Boom, Northern river, Manatee, Stann Creek, Sittee river, Monkey river, Point Ycacos; and, within the last three years, to Toledo, Punta Gorda, and also to Livingston (Guatemala) and Puerto Cortez, and now to San Pedro Sula (Spanish Honduras). There are now (1888) upon this ground seven European ministers and one native West Indian, having under their charge six circuits or principal stations—namely, Belize, Corosal, Rua- tan, Stann Creek, Toledo, and San Pedro—with seventeen sub-stations and fourteen other preaching-places. There are also 32 lay preachers, 151 Sabbath- school teachers, with 24 day-school teachers, and 1 catechist; 1647 church members, 1334 scholars attending the day-schools, and 1571 attending the Sunday-schools, with some 5880 at- tendants upon public worship. Within the colony the day-schools, which are supplied with certificated teachers, and are under Government inspection, re- ceive liberal aid, according to the num- bers in average attendance from month to month, from the Government of the colony, and are doing effective educa- tional work. There is also a high school in Belize, in which good work is being done, and where a number of the teachers have been trained; and it is hoped soon to have one established at San Pedro. The expenses of the work are met partly by church collections and contributions, and subscriptions on the ground, partly by Government grants in aid of schools, and partly by an annual grant from the parent society, London. Belize Churches. — Wesley Chapel, Albert Street, and Ebenezer Chapel, Barrack Road. Hours of Service. Sunday.—10.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. Sunday-Schools.—At 9.30 a.m. and 2.30 P.M. Wednesday Evenings.—Divine service at 7. Friday Evenings.—Prayer-meeting at 7. A Band of Hope meeting is held in the Wesley schoolroom every Thurs- day afternoon at 5.30, and a Gospel Temperance meeting in the same place on every alternate Thursday evening at 7. Various society classes meet on the Monday and Tuesday evenings at both places. Resident Ministers. Belize.—Rev. W. Tyson, chairman of the district, and general superin- tendent of missions and schools. Rev. J. B. Nowell, and one expected shortly for high school. Corosal.—Rev. J. W. Lord. Hours of service, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Stann Creek.—Rev. T. N. Robert. Toledo.—Rev. E. Jolliffe. Hours of service as at Corosal. There are day-school teachers sta- tioned at the Boom, the Northern river, Sibun river, and Manatee, in the Belize circuit; at Consejo and Orange Walk, in the Corosal circuit; and at Mullin's river, Sittee river, and Monkey river, in the Stann Creek circuit, in addition to those on the principal stations; and these usually conduct divine service each Sunday at 11 a.m. on the several sub-stations, which are also visited from time to time by the superintendent or other ministers. THE BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 149 THE BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Some time about the year 1820, certain merchants of this town—Messrs Angus & Co.—interested themselves in the spread of the Gospel, and called the attention of several of the then existing missionary societies to British Honduras and the Mosquito shore. As a result of these appeals, the Baptist Missionary Society determined to send a missionary to this colony. In June 1822, Mr Bourne, the first missionary, arrived at Belize. In 1825 Mr Bourne completed the mission -house and residence. The building was situated by the sea-shore, on the north side of Belize. In 1834 the Society removed Mr Bourne from the colony, and sent out Mr Alexander Henderson, who for nearly fifty years, until his death, laboured for the Church in Belize. In the Society's report for 1837, it states that "the mission at Belize has been favoured with considerable pros- perity, the congregation continues to increase, and several additions have been made to the church." In 1840, her Majesty's Superin- tendent presented the Baptists with a piece of ground at Freetown for the possession of a burial-ground. In June 1842 a small house was erected in Freetown. In this building prayer-meetings were held, and a Sun- day-school opened for the pensioners and others inhabiting Freetown. In 1845 a Mr Kingdon arrived from Jamaica to assist Mr Henderson. The following is extracted from an address from the members of the So- ciety in Belize to that in England, showing the high estimation in which Mr Henderson was held by them :— "That your late agent, Mr A. Henderson, after twelve years' experience and intimacy with him, has had, and still has, our full confidence, as well in the character of a Christian man as in the office of a pastor, or as a zealous and active missionary labourer, and have no wish to lose his labours amongst us, nor to exchange them for those of any other." Some parts of the New Testament were translated by Mr Henderson into the Carib, Maya, and Waika languages. Mr Henderson continued his labours, assisted by Messrs Braddick and Kelly, until 1879, when failing health com- pelled him to cease taking any active part in the church—the services being conducted by Messrs Braddick and Kelly until Mr Waring's arrival. Mr Waring arrived in this colony in June 1881. He found the church in a very discouraging condition, and everything connected with it in a state of general decay. By his energy and earnest attention to his duties, he not only succeeded in furthering the cause of his church, but filled the people over whom he presided with a portion of his own vigour. Unfortunately he died in 1888, much regretted. The church has now a membership of over 200, also a good day-school and Sunday-school. There are four out- stations; the services are conducted by native brethren under the supervision of the pastor in Belize. The work in Belize is being carried on at present by Mr Bryan, who was sent out as a mis- sionary schoolmaster by the Jamaica Baptist Missionary Society. The church hopes to have ere long a per- manent minister to take the place of their late pastor. 150 PART X. BRITISH HONDURAS FINANCES. Revenue and Expenditure for the Year 1887. The principal heads of the general rev- enue are—Customs, Excise, Postal Ser- vice, Port and Harbour Dues, and Land Revenue. The general revenue received during the year 1887 amounted to $280,140, and for local purposes $13,234, making a total of $293,374. The expenditure during the same year was—for general purposes, $294,298, and for local purposes, $12,874, making a total of $307,172. Local Revenues. By Ordinance 12 of 1886, "the Local Revenues Appropriation Ordinance, 1886," which was passed, the tax on lands and houses in certain towns in the colony may now be raised from the annual rate of 3 per cent to one not ex- ceeding 6, and appropriating this as well as other certain local revenues for local purposes. This constitutes a new departure in the fiscal arrangements of the colony, for hitherto all taxes have been treated as general revenue and appropriated for general purposes. Each of the towns of Belize, Corosal, and Orange Walk have separate local revenue and expenditure accounts. The following taxes are placed to the credit of the local account of the town in which the tax is levied:— 1. Land and property tax on the lands in the towns of Belize, Corosal, and Orange Walk. 2. Fire-tax. 3. Cemetery fees. 4. Dues and taxes of drays, horses, and other animals. 5. Carriage licences. The local expenditure consists of the maintenance and improvement in each town of the drainage, fire department, the market, the public cemeteries, the streets, the water supply, or any other similar object of a public character, or for the payment of loans raised to carry out improvements. The expenditure for the year has therefore exceeded the revenue by $13,798. A careful perusal of the different items of revenue and expenditure will show that this excess has resulted from various causes. The yield of the general revenue during the year 1887, without any in- crease of taxation, was $21,567 in ex- cess of the amount received in the previous year. The chief increases were as follows: $6650 under the head REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE KOR THE YEAR. 151 of Customs; $5498 under the head of Excise; $3602 under that of Postal; and under that of Reimbursements to Government, $7625. While the only decreases worthy of notice were $5412 under the head of Land Revenue, and $7431 under that of Land Tax. Of the former, however, a comparison of the Blue-books for 1887 and that of 1886 explains itself — the sales and rents of Crown lands for 1887 exceed- ing that of 1886 by $656; the deficit occurring only under Licences to cut wood, the amount received in 1886 being $6067 in excess of that for 1887. Of the latter amount of $7431, it can hardly be called a deficit—this item having been transferred to a consider- able extent to the Local Revenue ser- vice under the Ordinance 12 of 1886. The general expenditure of the colony for the year 1887 shows a decrease of $5601 from that of the preceding year, which can be accounted for chiefly by decreases under the following heads :— Taking the first item, under the head of Salaries to Public Officers, there is a decrease of $10,894 from that of the previous year. The next large decrease in the ex- penditure of 1887 from that of 1886, is under the head of Works and Build- ings, the same having been reduced to less than one-half—viz., $7338. Under the head of Roads, Streets, and Bridges, there is a decrease of $2400 from that of the year previous. Again, under the head of Drawbacks, fyc, there has been a decrease of $2293. And finally, under the head of Mis- cellaneous, there has been a decrease of $7348. Against these decreases, however, there should be put increases, under the following heads :— The only increase that is largely in excess is that under the head of Mili- tary, which exceeds the previous year by $9200. This was caused not from any actual increase, but by being placed under its proper head—the year previ- ous it was put under that of Police. The next item that is in excess is Constabulary, which exceeds the previ- ous year by $4000, and was caused by cost of recruiting in bringing the force up to its full number. Another item of increase comes under the head of Mails, which exceeds the previous year by $4000; this increase was caused by the establishment of a new coastal service to the Northern District. Finally, a new item of $5332, under the head of Loans, is introduced; this is interest paid on the debentures issued under the Belize Improvement Loan. That the revenue of the colony is in a fairly healthy condition, and that it has steadily increased during the last nine years, may be seen on referring to the comparative table, which will show an increase of upwards of $90,000— from 1879, when the revenue was $201,624, to 1887, when the revenue was $293,374. Public Debt. A sum of $55,750 was raised in the colony, under Ordinance 13 of 1885, authorising a loan of $100,000 to pro- vide for the cost of carrying out the improvements in the town and harbour of Belize, recommended by Baron Sic- cama, C.E. A further sum of £9000 is authorised to be raised in England, under Ordinance 1 of 1877, as the amount of $44,250, the balance of the former loan, was not forthcoming in the colony. This loan bears 5 per cent in- terest, and will be repaid in thirty years by means of a sinking fund A sum equal to 1 per cent on the total amount of the loan is to be appropriated half- yearly out of the general revenue of the colony, and remitted to the Crown Agents, to be invested in securities of the Imperial or Colonial Governments. 152 BRITISH HONDURAS FINANCES. Abstract of the net Eevenue of the Colony for the year 1887. Customs— Ad valorem, at 12j per cent, . . . $59,833.00 Ad valorem, at 17£ per cent, Specific duties, . Excise duties, Fees of Office— Colonial Secretary, Clerk of Courts, . Magistrates' courts, Fines and forfeitures— Supreme Court, . Magistrates' courts, Land revenue— Sales of Crown lands, . Rents of n n Licences to cut ma- hogany, . 2,297.39 77,494.57 $139,624.96 46,342.15 $64.71 2,096.65 3,346.09 $50.00 3,287.97 $2,126.62 1,342.50 4,731.55 1,643.84 $80.00 400.00 13,092.50 Land and Property Tax— Mahogany and logwood works, . . . $10,147.94 Land elsewhere than in town, Liquor licences— Distillery, . Wholesale, . Retail, Port and harbour dues— Light dues,. Storage on gunpowder, Warehouse rent,. Postal revenue— Postage receipts, Commission on money- orders, Imperial contribution, Incidental. Reimbursements to Government— Hospital patients, . $1,359.21 Lunatic asylum do., . 511.50 Printing jobs, &c., . 275.98 Prisoners, maintenance of military, . . 144.67 Sundry reimburse- ments, . . . 7,855.46 $4,573.64 4,740.03 9,783.78 5,507.45 3,337.97 8,200.67 11,791.78 13,572.50 $7,687.78 775.70 5,951.05 14,414.53 19,097.45 Sale of Government property- Unserviceable stores, &c., . Receipts in aid of Revenue. Interest, . . . $1,364.47 Loans, .... 2,535.03 Miscellaneous receipts, . 3,390.61 10,146.82 813.47 Belize, . Corosal, . Orange Walk, Local Revenue. . $11,705.08 . 1,095.33 433.54 7,290.11 Total revenue, 13,233.95 $293,373.81 Abstract of the net Expenditure of the Colony for the Year 1887. Salaries of Public Officers. Colonial Secretary, Constabulary, Councils, Ecclesiastical, Jails, Governor, Judicial, . Lands, Lighthouses, Magistrates, Medical, . Treasury, Works and roads, Total salaries, $9,321.01 34,244.21 500.00 450.00 5,636.48 14,340.20 11,041.00 4,074.46 2,184.00 11,764.80 7,704.00 13,700.97 4,600.00 $119,561.13 Expenditure exclusive of salaries. Administration of Justice, Charitable allowances, Drawbacks and refund of duties, Education, Jails, Hospital, Asylum, and Poorhouse, . Interest, Lighthouses Loans, repayment of, Mails, Military Miscellaneous services— Contribution to Imperial Insti- tute,. . . . $1,000.00 Furniture Government House, and mainten- ance of grounds, . 947.28 Printing, stationery, and furniture, public offices, . . . 2,336.56 Sundry expenses, remit- tances, Sc., . . 19,727.79 Land-Survey expenses, &c., .... 8,529.98 Agricultural Society, . 380.64 Revision of laws, . . 3,277.13 Registration of births, deaths, &c, . . 1,022.00 Unforeseen and extra- ordinary expenditure, 6,158.02 Queen's Jubilee celebra- tion, .... 1,315.70 5,169.93 260.94 3,096.37 11,866.09 8,938,19 9,147.66 1,033.02 2,612.53 5,332.09 25,479.28 13,743.44 Pensions, allowances, and gratuities, Police (constabulary), Revenue services, . Roads, streets, and bridges, Transport, Works and buildings, 44,695.10 6,524.21 15,850.00 2,837.11 6,419.14 4,848.13 6,883.96 Local Expenditure. Belize, 11,705.08 Corosal 1,116.45 Orange Walk 51.75 Total expenditure, . $307,171.60 154 BRITISH HONDURAS FINANCES. h w q co a h 8 ' to co sciococo^ooxnh ICS W r- CO OS W N l^T xrT CO* -hT to" ICS oT tcT rjT to" r-T (—T i-H CM rH rH rH woi IO r H A O0 r H H o*IO•^OOCOOOrHCN ci" to~ t-T tn~ oo" ics • • CO CO CM 03 N CO CO Tj( N D5 CO N • * O OS OO r H N COrHCNCTjirH^fM ••CO^rHOSCMNrH m t-» co 8 ' ics i 0> M r H N CM i oi ai oo rH O0N(MNC»Ot)C*05 COMNMhCOMCON COMrHOMSOnCOO) CD OO WCONCM-*rHCCt0 Oi N IQ CM • N (N" t0 i#" r-T ICS co (n" rH IM N «0 N CO CM • rH O N • OS CO CO N CN to 5 CO CO CO O0 © CM O b» ( » co w co s i-i ( MO CO • tO CO' b» -* 8 ' co as OSCMNNCOCOCO•CO MirttO•NtDiONOi (>f © of io" rjT oi r-*T i-i (N CO r H O I s3 CNSlOCOCO^OOCiO^HH^ i-iCO'HrJ'-*kOCOtOl01CMODCO'* IO • iM N Oi m oo -hh to CN CO CO © OS to tC oo" let -^T tjT tC (n" co" CO CO rH CO^ «© rH CO (• ©^ ©^ rH CM N CO CO K CO (n co to ^tT to" tC i-T ©" ^*" of co" (n" to" rH CO rH rH N N M N • CO_ O0 CO r H W' CO CO CO to" to" I CO N IO IO N CO 1 r H W m CO r H t • r H r H r H CO OI bjCONCNO•NiO NOCOWtOCOlOCO U^CN^-^b^iO-^ rH CM CM rH Oi ICS ICS IC} CM O-f N CO OS v. ^ -,. : 8 ' os 10 8 ' O0 '_ ICS CO i-T co" (n" CM* CM CM CO i N« W r H 1 — " ^ CO CO - i l-H o .1 § Z s rH" - S £ a 5 3 » 8's a i s 5 g « k a 9 "s a IS s 1C QC P 9 8 2 o o o co 157 PAKT XL IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. The import trade of the colony is prin- cipally carried on with the United Kingdom and the United States; there is also a fair amount of trade with the neighbouring republics, including Mexico. During the year 1887 the import trade stood thus: From the United Kingdom, $477,606; from the United States, $407,389; and from the neigh- bouring republics, $164,099; making a total of $1,097,721. The imports of the colony show a decrease of $82,092 on that of the previous year. The export trade of the colony stood thus in 1887: Value of exports to the United Kingdom—produce of the colony, $773,300; in transit, $12,205 —total, $785,203; to the United States—produce of the colony, $199,133; in transit, $160,740—total, $359,873; to the neighbouring re- publics, $20,007; in transit, $171,094 —total, $191,101: making a grand total of $1,349,709. The exports show a decrease of $60,525 from that of the previous year, but an increase of $128,318 over that of 1885. The following Table shows the total value of the Imports and Exports of the Colony during the year 1887 :— Exports thereto. Countries. Total imports therefrom. British, Foreign, and other Col- onial produce and Manu- Produce of the Colony. factures. Total. United Kingdom, .... §177,606.00 $773,300.00 $12,205.00 $785,805.00 Bahamas, 231.00 1,876.00 1,400.00 3,276.00 Caymans, 2,473.00 128.00 817.00 945.00 Montserrat 10.00 ... British Guiana, .... 155.00 ... France, 26,694.00 ... ... ... Germany 15,434.00 ... ... Spain, 1,199.00 ... Holland, 713.00 8,125.00 8,125.00 Italy 230.00 United States, .... 407,389.00 199,133.00 160,740.00 359,873.00 Mexico, 25,447.00 1,052.00 10,675.00 11,727.00 Guatemala, 28,215.00 8,343.00 11,751.00 20,094.00 Honduras, 75,805.00 6,448.00 125,431.00 131,879.00 Nicaragua 34,632.00 4,164.00 22,957.00 27,121.00 Costa Rica, 280.00 280.00 Cuba 1,194.00 884.00 884.00 Brazil, 294.00 Total, $1,097,721.00 $1,002,569.00 $347,140.00 $1,349,709.00 158 IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. The following return shows the Quantities and Values of the items of produce of the Colony exported, and the countries to which they were exported during the year 1887 :— Article. Country to which exported. Quantity. Animals—Hogs, Turtle, Bananas, Cedar, . Coeoanuts, . Coffee, . Fustic, Hides and skins, Limes, . Logwood, Mahogany, . Mangoes, Oranges, Pears, . Pines, . Plantains, . Rosewood, . Rubber, Rum, . Sarsaparilla, Sponges, Sugar, . Tortoise shell, Ziricote, Mexico, United Kingdom, United States, . United Kingdom, United States, United Kingdom, United States, . United Kingdom, Do. United States, Do. United Kingdom, Holland, United Kingdom, United States, . Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. United Kingdom, United States, United Kingdom, United States, United Kingdom, Guatemala, . Honduras, . Nicaragua, . Bahamas, United States, United Kingdom, United States, United Kingdom, United States, Guatemala, . Honduras, . Nicaragua, . Caymans, Bahamas, United Kingdom, Uniteil States, . Do. bunches feet lb. cwt. lb. barrels tons feet u barrels bunches tons ii lb. gals. 11). lb. ii tons 85 426 235,708 15,5851 11,187 I 326,990 1 1,140,910 J 225 11 26,414 184 18,944.6* 325 4,162,264 ) 29,000 J 87 233 15 8,178 480,125 10.14) 15.10 f 324 ) 23,643 f 3,320 \ 12,178 8,045 > 3,298 j 1,685) 4,111 10,755 > 11,229 i 1,022,463' 983,670 18,125 36,697 53,789 2,750 16,200 1,840 1 392 f 5 The following are the Principal Articles of Import for the year 1887 :— Animals— Cattle, . Horses, Hogs, . Turtle,. Beer, porter, 4c., Clothing,. Cotton goods, . Cigars, Coffee, Drugs, Furniture, Hardware, Hats, Ice, . Indian corn, . each it ii •i gals. m! Quantity. Value. 1,451 $32,140 185 10,165 347 2,602 2,307 4,009 14,920 13,118 14,863 107,575 1,381 11,129 80,399 14,279 11,382 6,009 35,228 15,120 2,615 2,855 Lumber- Dressed, Rough, Millinery, Paints, Rice, Salt, Spirits— Brandy, Cordials, Gin, Rum, . Whisky, Sugar, . Tobacco, . Wines, Woollen goals. lb. ii gals, ii n n lb. ii gals. Quantity. 218,300 909,260 1,077,692 645,390 4,396 603 5,455 65 3,409 58,541 64,823* 18,053j Value. $4,574 15,012 98,027 5,033 20,341 2,553 11,131 1,044 2,797 119 5,328 2,508 8,068 20,852 20,035 IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. 161 The subjoined Table gives the compara- tive statement of the Imports and Exports of the Colony from 1857 to 1887:— Year. 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, Imports. $1,343,450 1,039,540 876,465 1,004,345 1,158,720 1,056,785 1,328,755 1,455,720 1,053,375 845,165 952,475 887,415 Exports. $2,201,360 1,901,890 1,440,805 1,579,595 1,462,880 1,781,945 1,953,215 1,865,985 1,615,845 1,385,775 931,345 1,018,295 Year. 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, Imports. $755,945 921,685 903,300 844,045 1,183,075 891,885 876,605 817,015 836,160 957,450 799,165 1,186,020 1,009,055 1,164,410 1,344,865 1,187,690 1,273,280 1,179,813 1,097,721 Exports. $875,165 859,885 1,038,355 1,017,800 1,084,960 1,203,140 1,012,560 1,032,100 622,515 1,175,035 938,365 1,264,275 1,237,013 1,253,163 1,514,348 1,587,246 1,221,401 1,400,234 1,349,709 Total Number, Tonnage, and Crews of Sailing-Vessels Entered at Ports in the Colony of British Honduras from each Country, in the year 1887. Countries whence arrived. With Cargoes. In Ballast. Total. Vessels. Tons. Crews. Vessels. Tons. Crews. Vessels. Tons. Crews. EUROPE— United Kingdom, 4 1,085 34 "i "9 4 1,085 34 France, 435 1 435 9 Spain, 1 389 9 1 389 9 Africa— West Coast, 1 293 8 1 293 8 America— United States, . 12 1,393 79 "2 12 1,393 79 Mexico, 60 1,189 254 389 13 62 1,578 267 Guatemala, 10 147 36 1 10 1 11 157 37 Honduras,. 79 3,181 332 77 1,170 190 156 4,351 522 Nicaragua, 15 266 52 2 323 11 17 589 63 British Guiana, . 9 2,821 75 9 2,821 75 Brazil, 18 6,037 158 18 6,037 158 Dutch Guiana, . 2 567 15 2 567 15 U.S. Colombia, . 2 679 16 2 679 16 Wbst Indies— Barbadoes, 20 6,677 175 20 6,677 175 Trinidad, . "i i'i 1 297 9 1 297 9 Grand Caymans, 112 "i "9 2 112 11 Martinique, 346 1 346 9 Guadaloupe, "i "8 2 559 15 2 559 15 Cuba, 61 1 28 5 2 89 13 Jamaica, . 1 66 6 1 66 6 Total, 183 7,434 806 142 21,086 724 325 28,520 1,530 162 IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. Total Number, Tonnage, and Crews of Sailing-Vessels Cleared at Ports in the Colony of British Honduras to each Country, in the year 1887. ] Countries With Cargoes. n Ballast Total. to which departed. Vessels. Tons. Crews. Vessels. Tons. Crews. Vessels. Tons. Crews. Europe— United Kingdom, 62 20,177 543 62 20,177 543 Holland, . 1 294 8 1 294 8 America— United States, . 8 827 48 2 89 11 10 916 59 Mexico, 6 85 26 52 1,083 214 58 1,168 240 Guatemala, 3 138 19 10 120 35 13 258 54 Honduras,. 132 3,298 426 24 1,024 97 156 4,322 523 Nicaragua, 14 237 50 1 66 6 15 303 56 West Indies— Grand Caymans, 2 112 11 2 112 11 Cuba, 2 364 21 2 364 21 | Total, 230 25,532 1,152 89 2,382 363 319 27,914 1,515 Total Number, Tonnage, and Crews of Steam-Vessels Entered at Ports in the Colony of British Honduras from each Country, in the year 1887. Countries With Cargoes. In Ballast. Total. whence arrived. Vessels. Tons. Crews. Vessels. Tons. Crews. Vessels. Tons. Crews. Europe— United Kingdom, 18 18,739 527 18 18,739 527 America— United States, . 48 32,645 1,287 1 17 7 49 32,662 1,294 Mexico, 1 40 10 1 40 10 Guatemala, 20 13,088 547 14 6,955 348 34 20,043 895 Honduras,. 2 1,771 61 8 5,694 183 10 7,465 244 Venezuela, 1 864 26 1 864 26 West Indies— Montserrat, 1 960 28 1 960 28 Total, 88 66,243 2,422 26 14,530 602 114 80,773 3,024 Total Number, Tonnage, and Crews of Steam-Vessels Cleared at Ports in the Colony of British Honduras to each Country, in the year 1887. Countries to which departed. With Cargoes. In Ballast. Total. Vessels. Tons. Cre ws Vessels. Tons. Crews. Vessels. Tons. Crews. Europe— United Kingdom, 9 7,823 245 9 7,823 245 America— United States, . 48 33,654 1,296 1 525 18 49 34,179 1,314 Mexico, 1 1,455 34 11 11,625 299 12 13,080 333 Guatemala, 27 15,592 716 12 9,351 329 39 24,943 1,045 Honduras, 5 2,624 116 5 2,624 116 Total, 85 58,524 2,291 29 24,125 762 114 82,649 3,053 164 PAET XII. EDUCATION. Previous to the passing of the local Act, 31 Vict. cap. 10, on the 27 th February 1868, the schools which re- ceived aid from the Government were under the supervision of a Board of Education, which did not then consist entirely of Government officers, as does the present one created under the Act. This Act vested the administration and management of all public moneys granted from time to time in aid of education in the Governor and the Executive Council, and empowered and authorised them to supervise and con- trol all schools receiving aid from public funds, and also all teachers of such schools. Under section 3 of this Act, they were also given power and authority to frame regulations for the following purposes:— 1. For the Government inspection and public examination of all schools which may receive aid from public funds, and for the government of the teachers, and for determining the ages within which children shall be admis- sible thereto. 2. In securing a just and equitable distribution and appropriation of all funds at their disposal for the pay- ment of teachers and the rent and repair of schoolrooms, in supplying school necessaries, and in defraying all other incidental expenses; and 3. Generally for establishing, en- couraging, maintaining, and testing efficient education throughout the colony. Regulations to the above effect were framed, and in 1877 the giving of aid was placed on a secure footing by the "School Regulations," which were then passed in Council. On the 17th Sep- tember 1886, they were again revised, and the regulations then passed by the Council came into effect on the 1st October of that year, and superseded those made in 1877. Teachers, or heads of denominations on behalf of teachers, desirous of re- ceiving aid from the public grant for education, must send to the Colonial Secretary, or to the Inspector of Schools, an application in writing, accompanied by testimonials of moral character, and submit to have their, competency for teaching tested by examination. According to the way in which this examination is passed, a teacher will be granted a first or second class cer- tificate. In order to obtain a first-class cer- tificate, a teacher is examined in writ- ing, dictation, reading, grammar, geog- raphy, arithmetic, and history, and the papers are prepared from the books in use in the schools in which the can- didates propose to teach. For a second- EDUCATION. 165 class certificate all the above subjects, with the exception of history, form the examination, which, at the same time, is not so hard as that for a first-class certificate. The examinations are held during the midsummer and Christmas holidays. The fees for the examination are: first - class, $5; second - class, $2.50. These fees are payable to the Inspector of Schools. Teachers of schools situated in the towns of Belize, Corosal, Orange Walk, and Stann Creek, who have a daily average of twenty-five pupils and up- wards, receive a monthly payment upon the average number of pupils attend- ing the school, as follows :— First-class teachers— For adults, ii infants, Second-class teachers, 50 cents per head. 25 25 „ In the case of teachers of schools situated outside the above-mentioned towns, they receive as follows, should the average daily attendance of all the pupils amount to 25 :— First and second class teachers, $15 per month. When the average is above 25, the following are the rates at which teachers are paid on each pupil above that number per month :— First-class, Second-class, 75 cents. 50 m The Inspector of Schools publicly examines the pupils of each school once a-year, and teachers receive a bonus according to the passes in the several standards—of which there are five, the following being the rates of the bonus for each standard :— Infant, No. 1, 2, 3, 4, $0.25 for each child. 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 It will be seen from the list of schools that, with the exception of one private, all the schools receiving aid from the Government are carried on by the different religious bodies. There are at present 27 schools receiving aid, of which 8 are in the Northern, 12 in the Central, and 7 in the Southern Districts. These schools are maintained thus:— Church of England, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Wesleyan, Baptist, Private, 1 1 11 12 1 1 27 The teaching is purely elementary, and the English language must be taught in all schools receiving aid. Since the introduction of the present system, there has been a gradual but steady improvement annually in the attendance of the scholars. The number of scholars on the roll of all the schools in 1887 was 2612, the daily average attendance was 1794, and the average number of days the schools were opened during this year was 204. The following extracts from the In- spector's report for 1886 may be in- teresting :— "The schoolrooms are generally in very good condition, and in all there were signs of some in- terest in keeping them in repair, and in a clean tidy state. Two schools were in need of extensive repairs, and new schoolrooms were purposed to be put up. One that had been left almost a com- plete ruin by the great gale in August, was in very creditable condition at the time of the ex- amination in October. "The daily attendance was seriously affected by the sickness prevalent over most of the coun- try, but still it compares favourably with the year before. Remarks on Several Branches. "1. Reading.—There has not been much pro- gress in this branch. Generally the letter 's' is better treated than formerly, but the sound of 'th' is still rather improper. Earnest and thorough drill must still be applied to the vowel and diphthong sounds, and more careful drill to the syllabication of words. By such drill the 'enunciation' would certainly become as good as the' pronunciation' has generally become. Read- ing has become 'fluent,' but the modulating and sustaining of the voice throughout a sentence do not yet receive the attention and care they de- mand, to make the reading ' expressive'; 'intel- ligence' is still making some progress. "2. Writing.—This branch has made little or o OS c, c H O > Ekturn ,f Sch,,l8 -- 5-5 Name of District and Place where School is situated. Northern District5 Orange Wale, . San Estevan . CorosaL . Progreso, . Pachakan, Consejo, . Sarteneja,. Cesttral District- Northern river- The Boom, Belize, Slbun, Manatee, . 9outhern District5 Mullin's river, . 9tann Cre,, . { Regalia, . 9ittee river, Monkey river, . Pasta Gorda, . Totals, . What class of School. In connection with what Church. | Roman Catholic, Roman Catholic, Wesleyan, . l Roman Catholic, J- Wesleyan- . . Roman Catholic, Private, Presbyterian. . | Wesleyan, . . Baptist, Church of England- . \ Wesleyan, . . / Wesleyan- . Wesleyan, . Roman Catholic, Roman Catholic, | Wesleyan, . Schoolmaster or Mistress. Rev. J. Keller, . H. J. Marchand- . Rev. H. Gillet, . J. M'Neil, . R. Pasos.l . Miss D. Lopez, . A. Noble.l . E. Kenyon, . A. E. Ouley, J. Tucker, . Sister M. avangelists, Mrs A. Cato, O. Mitchell,. Miss M. Reneau,. A. M'Field, . Miss M. Hewlett, Rev. J. Bryan, Rev. J. W. Moore, Miss S. Runnals,. J. D. Meighan, . A. J. Frajer, Chas. Ottley, Rev. S. Gillet, . J. 8. Hope, . Jos. Kemp, . R. T. Coe,i . Rev. J. Piemonte, Number of Scholars. Male. Female. Total. -88 5S !S0 TO t- 80 8S 8 8 80- ' S- 8 899 - 8 9 n 8- 5 ' '0 - ' 5(i 8,0-8 89 88 8 5- M 5 22 5 ' 89 0- 5 '.'5 8-- 8 05 It 8- 8» ' 08 88 - 8 8888 88- *9 850 8- 5 50 8' 8S 899 888 800 138 8 ' 80 888 84 8 5 ' 8,88 Mode of Instruc tion. S How supported. Government Voluntary Grant. Contributions. *0-0.85 -89.-- 808.- 58.00 8-8.50 50.50 98.50 '0.00 88,- 8'9.00 9-.8 08.00 500.00 --8.- 0-8.00 88.85 5'.85 58.85 888.00 8C8.0O 888.- '8.-5 85.00 '8.- 58.- 000.50 $',*8.08 £-8.88 90.85 95.8 89-.82 88.50 88.- 88.89 9.00 8-.-8 878.50 50.85 8.00 8808.' 85-.- '-.89 '0.00 55.00 58.00 09.- 58.' 08.58 8-8.8 85.00 5.50 58.58 8.00 -9.50 -0-8-.58 Expense of School. ?000.00 80.00 5.08 1.00 K-. 808. 8'.00 8-. ■MIS. 8-80. 880. 80-8. 8'. 988. --3. 0--. b-0 uo. 5-. 050.50 0-.89 88-!50 088.- 850.00 8-5.00 $5,8-0.8- Remarks. 'Opened on 8st June 8'-. rNot constantly open during t the year. (Opened on 8st \ April 8'-. 'A new Bchool built in 8'-. I These teachers only hold a second-class cert-ficate. 168 PABT XIII. AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES. It is difficult to arrive at a fair or even moderately correct estimate of the total acreage under cultivation in this colony, in the absence of official returns made under the provisions of an Act to enforce the rendering it compulsory on all cultivators of the soil to make such returns at stated periods. According to the Blue-book returns for the year 1887,1 the estimated acreage of cultivated lands in the colony was 44,6012 acres; and of land uncultivated, 4,155,399 acres— the total acreage of the colony being estimated at 4,200,000 acres. Indian Corn or Maize (Zea mays), which is the staple food of the Indians and Spanish population, undoubtedly occupies the largest area of cultivated land, the total estimated number of acres being, for 1887, 5157, and for 1886, 6578. Although so large a number of acres are returned as under the cultivation of maize, the whole of the produce is consumed in the col- ony—none being at present exported. In spite of the rude and unscientific 1 No returns having been sent in for the Belize district for the year 1887, it has been thought advisable to give the returns for the year 1886 as well, which includes the Belize district. 2 This is the same as given in the Blue-book for 1886. method of planting, by making holes in the ground with a pointed stick and placing the seed therein, it yields about 28 car gas, or nearly 56 bushels to the acre. Sugar-Cane.—The manufacture of sugar is carried on in various parts of the colony, the total number of acres under cultivation being, for 1887, 2119J, and for 1886, 2502. There are 15 mills worked by steam and 47 by cattle; and there are 21 stills in connection with the estates. Beyond the sugar used for home consumption, 952J tons were exported in 1887. Canes grow in the colony equal to any elsewhere. They require less cul- tivation than is usually the case, and have been known to ratoon for over twenty years. The estates in the colony have been profitably worked with experienced management; but the present great depression in the sugar- market is being keenly felt here as in other sugar-producing countries. Bananas and Plantains, &c.—The cultivation of this fruit for the Ameri- can market has within the last few years been started, in consequence of steam-communication having been reg- ularly established under contract with AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES. 169 New Orleans, and is daily becoming more important and profitable. Bana- nas, &c., have now become staple articles of export. The total acreage under cultivation, together with other minor products, amounts to 6306 for 1887, and for 1886, 6306. The prices obtained for bananas during 1887 averaged 37£ to 50 cents, and for plantains, 75 cents to $1 per bunch. Pine-Apples.—Little attention has been directed as yet to the cultivation of this finest of West Indian fruit. The local market is usually supplied by those grown at Red Cliffe by the Caribs, and various other places along the coast. A few are shipped for the American market: 8178 were shipped during the year 1887, value $585. Oranges, Limes, and Lemons.— These are grown in small quantities, but hardly sufficient to supply the local market. No attention is paid to their growth; the consequence is that the fruit is not of the fine quality seen in the West India Islands. A few of these, also, are shipped for the American market: 18J barrels (value $55) of lemons, and 233 barrels (value $571) of oranges, were exported for the year 1887. Mango. — This tree is widely dis- tributed in the colony; but the fruit of the particular variety under cultiva- tion is not good, and steps should be taken to procure a fruit which sells well, and for which there is a large demand. The trees already established might be grafted with advantage, as the finest East Indian varieties are raised in this way. Eighty-seven bar- rels of mangoes, value $283, were ex- ported during the year 1887. Fruits and Vegetables.—The Avo- cado Pear (Persea gratissima) is a vegetable rather than a fruit suited for exportation. The edible portion, or pulp, is known as "subaltern's butter," and from the seed a fine oil is ex- pressed. "Loquats, mangosteen, Durian, the Cherimoyer of Peru, and other valuable varieties might be introduced; the Jew plum, Brazil nut, Sabucaja nut, papaw, tamarind, naseberry, warn- pee, date-palm, common fig, the olive, and many other tropical and sub- tropical plants of economic value." All kinds of pumpkins, cucumbers, marrows, and melons grow on the rich soil of the interior. Tomatoes, for which there is great demand in the States, might be grown to any extent, and if shipped during the winter months would command very remun- erative prices. Of Vegetables — such as cabbages, peas, beans, parsnips, carrots, beet, artichoke, and onions; of salads—such as lettuce, radish, chillies, eschalots, and endive—there is at present a great dearth in the planters' gardens, though they might be grown in sufficient quan- tities for local use as well as for distant markets. At the present moment, when English capital is flowing so freely over to the United States, and especially to the State of Florida, for the development of its oranges, lemons, and other trop- ical products, it is worthy of consider- ation to inquire whether a portion at least of this capital may not be more profitably diverted to our own British colony, which is capable of competing with Florida in every market, and where climate, temperature, and other natural advantages are all in favour of British Honduras, which, unlike the State we have named, is absolutely free from the effects of frost on deli- cate fruit products. Cocoanuts. — The cultivation of cocoanuts is occupying far greater - 170 AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES. attention, than formerly. The export of them for the last twelve years has shown a remarkable development. A reference to the table of exports will show the steady increase that has occurred. Cocoanut trees occupy a considerable portion of the Cays and the coast-line. Mr Morris says, "The general appearance and prolific char- acter of the trees which came under my observation in the neighbourhood of Belize, on the outer Cays, and near the southern settlement, surpass anything I have seen." The whole of the sea- board is eminently fitted for their cultivation. The island of Long Cay, the property of the Hon. J. H. PhiUips, M.L.C., and the island of Turnefle, the property of the Belize Estate and Produce Com- pany, have probably the greatest num- ber of trees in the colony. Another fine cocoanut property is the Commerce Bight Estate, owned by Mr C. T. Hun- ter and Dr Alexander Hunter, which has about 10,000 trees upon it. The colony took the first prize for the best cocoanuts at the New Orleans exhibi- tion. The total number of cocoanuts shipped and exported for the year 1887 was 1,467,900, averaging from $12 to $30 per thousand. Cacao.—Although the fact does not appear to be generally known, one, if not more, species of the cacao plant, producing the cacao nibs of commerce, is a native of British Honduras. In the forests along the banks of the Rio Grande, in the neighbourhood of the Toledo settlement, and again in the forest on the western frontier, near the upper portions of the Belize river, cacao trees are found wild in the woods, with their stems covered with flowers, and often loaded with fruit. The yellow- fruited cacao of the colony is the finest quality of cocoa which can be grown anywhere, and is found growing wild in patches throughout the colony, with pods measuring from 6 to 8 inches long, and 2J to 3| inches in diameter. Coffee.—The native plant produces on suitable soil, and at the altitudes where it is found growing, as market- able a quality of coffee as any that is brought for export from the neighbour- ing republics; whilst coffee grows on the low lands at the sea-level equal to the Liberian species. Labour is, however, difficult to obtain at present in sufficient quantity for any extended cultivation of the crop; and until the roads into the interior are completed, planters must "look for remuneration from other agricultural pursuits." The Hon. Mr Fowler, Colonial Secre- tary, adds the following facts :— "An experienced coffee-planter lately (1879) accidentally visited the colony, and I induced him to go up to the Cayo, in the Belize river, where Indian labour is available, and he could see, as I did, coffee growing uncultivated, and be able to judge for himself the prospects of success of coffee-planting in the colony. He went, he saw, and he was conquered. Besides, he is satisfied that this side of the continent is much preferable to the Pacific slope, where so much coffee is grown, on account of the soil and climate, and more particularly as regards the effect of the sun, for it is more or less cloudy here throughout the year, which gives the requisite shade to the plant. He has taken up 4000 acres of land, and has already commenced operations, instead of carrying them on elsewhere, as he intended. His partners, with their families, have since arrived. This," says Mr Fowler, "must be convincing." Besides the native plant, which is abundant, imported varieties do well. Liberian coffee comes into crop the third year—about 3 cwt. per acre in the fourth, worth 90s. the cwt. The fact that the American market is so favourable to this large-berried and prolific coffee gives its cultivation in British Honduras all the aspects of a thoroughly sound investment. The Liberian coffee grows equally well on the low lands; whilst the hill planta- tions already established—now in their fourth year—though short-handed, be- gin to yield a harvest of berries of a fine quality, sure to command high prices in the market. AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES. 171 It is clear, therefore, that coffee estates only require starting, and suc- cess can hardly fail to be achieved. Coffea Arabiea can be seen growing wild and uncultivated on Mullin's river, a few feet above sea-level, equal to the Liberian species, having acclima- tised and adapted itself to its position. 135 acres are returned as being under cultivation in 1887. India-Rubber.—Next to cacao, the most interesting plant found wild in the forests of the colony is the India- rubber tree, called by the natives toonu. The toonu in British Hon- duras is found in most of the Cohune ridges of the country, and especially along the banks and in the valleys bordering Mullin's river, Sittee river, and the Eio Grande in the south; as well as along the Sibun river and the upper waters of the Belize river in the west. The tree is very abundant in some places. The number of pounds shipped in 1887 was 23,967. Sarsaparilla.—Fine specimens of this valuable medicinal plant are met with wild in the woods of the western districts, as well as in the southern parts of the colony. There is no reason why a large trade could not be developed from sarsaparilla, partly collected from wild plants in the woods, as well as from plants under systematic cultiva- tion. But even as it is, sarsaparilla has always swelled the returns from minor products. The number of pounds ex- ported in 1887 was 14,529. Cohune Palm (Atallea cohune).— This, the finest of all the palms growing in the colony, is found in abundance on "ridges" to which they give the name, which are of a deep rich soil, and of an estimated extent of 1,280,000 acres. With the forests of mahogany, cedar, rosewood, and all the lesser palms growing up with it, the Cohune palm occupies at least 30 per cent of the vegetation. It bears clusters of nuts, each as large as a pheasant's egg, 500 to the bunch; these, when divested of their exceedingly hard shells, yield an oil of great commercial value, when compared with the finest cocoanut oil. "Scores of tons of these nuts found in the woods contribute nothing at present to the wealth of the colony." Fibre Plants.—The Pita or Silk Grass (Bromelia pita) is abundant in the west, where it covers extensive tracts of country. The rheea, rhamie or China grass, plantain, banana, pine- apple fibre—the last being of special commercial value and easily extracted —these with henequen or sisal hemp deserve the earnest consideration of the planters who own soil suitable for their several cultivation. The 'Textile Record' (America) states that "the essence of the henequen trade is its certain and abundant profit." The fibre costs the planter 1^ cent per pound to place in the market, whilst the price paid for sisal hemp in England is about £30 per ton, equal to £23 profit: all these fibres sell at from £25 to £50 per ton. Fodder Plants.—The native grasses are not abundantly represented; the cultivation of Guinea grass receives attention. Para grass has been intro- duced from Demerara. Bahama grass is being cultivated with success. There is a broad-leaved grass (Paspalum dis- tichwn) which forms a close herbage much liked by cattle. The Guango, a shade-tree, yields abundance of pods, which are greedily eaten by cattle and pigs. As the plantations extend, the land will be laid down with permanent pasture, hedged in by these trees, which yield food for cattle in abundance, the cost of such operations being trivial when the gain derived from the first outlay is taken into account. 172 AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES. Tobacco grows luxuriantly, and cigar manufacture is carried on in a small way with fair results, which should encourage further efforts. Planters under these circumstances have a fair prospect before them. The want of adequate capital appears to be the only drawback to the establishment of large flourishing plantations, for there is soil and climate adapted to the cultivation of all tropical products, and as small plantations pay well under existing conditions, there is no reason to doubt the success of larger operations. Banana-Planting in British Honduras. By Walter L. Bennett, Esq., Mullin's River. Since the great depression in the sugar - markets, agriculture in this colony has been confined almost en- tirely to planting bananas and plan- tains. These fruits are now exported to the value of nearly $10,000 per month, and yet there is no one, so far, who is in a position to lay down hard-and-fast rules as to their cultivation. Our most experienced planter, when appealed to as an authority, says, "I am only learning about bananas." This being the case, I can only, in attempt- ing to advise possible settlers on banana- planting, give my own opinions with- out pretending to quote laws. Choosing Land. In the selection of land for bananas, one has two objects in view—the suita- bility of the soil for their growth, and the suitability of the position for easy access to the sea-coast. There are lands which will grow the most magnificent crops, but from which the cost of the transport of the fruit to the steamers would swallow up all profit; the lands nearest to the sea being, on the other hand, in general swampy, and other- wise unfit for cultivation. Hitherto those selected have been immediately on the banks of the rivers, and about five miles from the coast; the fruit being conveyed in paddling canoes to deep water, and there trans- ferred to larger craft, which deliver it on board the steamers which anchor for the purpose off the mouths of the ovarious rivers. It is now, however, difficult to ob- tain good land with river frontage without going so far up the rivers that it is a question whether it would not pay as well, or even better, to take up back lands nearer to the coast, and to convey the fruit overland to deep water on the rivers, thus dispensing altogether with the small canoes, and being independent of floods, which, in some cases, render it impossible for the canoes to return for a second load of fruit. The most suitable soil for bananas seems to be sandy alluvial deposits along the banks of rivers and streams, and the next best a red loam. Here again the question of floods occurs; a river-side flat, which is covered an- nually by a flood, undoubtedly receives a most valuable top-dressing, and if the water runs off within forty-eight hours, the banana plants benefit thereby. On the other hand, if the water settles on the land in pools, and the rain is succeeded by a hot sun, the roots of the plants appear to be scalded, and (especially in the case of young plants) all growth stopped.1 Another source of damage in floods is the number of loose logs lying about a plantation, which, being floated and carried along by the water, sweep down the plants in their course. Even put- ting aside the unhealthiness and dis- comfort of living on such lands, I should decidedly advise a new-comer 1 This does not apply to any portion of the Northern District, where floods do not prevail. BANANA-PLANTING IN 173 BRITISH HONDURAS. to avoid any land liable to be flooded. The presence of the Cohune palm, and the large size of the timber growing on the land, are indications of good soil. It is hoped that information as to Crown lands available for banana- planting will soon be obtainable at the Surveyor-General's Office. Felling and Clearing. Having selected land combining as nearly as may be the two desired points, the first thing to be done is to mark out the field for the first year's clear- ing. Make a rough sketch of the whole block of land, divide it off into rec- tangular fields of suitable size, leaving belts of bush, say two chains in width, between each field, and open your es- tate on this definite plan. You will find the small extra trouble amply repaid in the greater ease of ultimately working such a place; your boundaries are straight, you go on regularly from No. 1 field to No. 2, and so forth; you know exactly where you are at all times, and new labourers are not liable to lose their way, and consequently their time (a by no means unfrequent occurrence whilst carrying fruit out of a large old plantation). The advan- tages of leaving belts of bush between the different fields are various: firstly, they answer as landmarks; secondly, they prevent fire from running from a new clearing into land already under cultivation; thirdly, they are a great assistance in stopping the spread of grass and weeds from an old field which may be abandoned into an adjoining plot; fourthly, they are handy reserves whence to cut sticks and leaves for thatching and other purposes; and last, though by no means least, they protect the bananas from high winds. Wind indeed is very destructive to bananas1 (though so far it is their only known enemy), 1 This applies but very slightly to the north, where gales very seldom blow. and this should be borne in mind when deciding on the size of the fields—i.e., when deciding on the frequency of the belts of bush; every ten chains one way, and every twenty chains the other way, is sufficiently close, and divides the land up into 20 - acre fields The only disadvantage these belts have is that of keeping the morning sun from the plants immediately under their lee, but this is trifling compared with the benefits they confer. The boundaries of the field or fields that are to be opened the first year having been marked out by means of a narrow path cut round the four sides, the underbrush is first cut down, and afterwards the large timber. The or- dinary allowance in this colony is four men to the acre for underbrushing, and six men to the acre for felling; but these tasks are so light that a man seldom takes more than five hours to accomplish his day's work. Care should be taken that all the lines or tie-ties 2 (some of which are as much as twelve inches in girth) which cling to the large trees are cut off close to the ground, as otherwise they remain green and hinder the progress of the fire. All branches which stand up after a tree has been felled should be lopped off; in fact, the whole mass of vege- tation should be made to lie as closely to the ground as possible, the object being to get a good "burn," as the less timber there is on the ground after the clearing has been burnt off, the easier will every future operation be found. Cut down every tree in the field: if any are left standing on account of their timber, fruit, or for any other reason, the fierce fire will probably kill them, and then a high wind will send their branches crashing down and destroy your bananas: they also interfere with the lining of the field. Felling should be finished by the 2 Lianas. 174 AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES. end of March, and the fire-stick ap- plied about the second week in May. Where "ruinate," or land which has already been under cultivation, is being reopened, two or three weeks in hot weather is sufficient to allow for dry- ing. After the fire it is generally necessary to go over the field and collect the smaller timber which has been unconsumed into heaps and burn it, the large logs being left alone; but if the bush was sufficiently dry in the first instance, and the lopping was properly attended to, this work is trifling. Where a clearing is opened im- mediately on the banks of a river, it is advisable to leave a fringe of bush, to prevent logs carried down in floods from being washed into the plantation. Lining. The next operation is to lay out the rows for the plants. This may be done sufficiently well for bananas, simply by the eye and three straight sticks; but if it is intended to cultivate any permanent crop between the rows, or if appearance is studied, the extra trouble and cost of lining properly will be found very small. The proper distance apart at which bananas, should be planted depends principally upon the soil: in ordinary situations, 16 feet apart is sufficient; in very good land, 18 or even 20 feet is better. Having decided, we will say, upon planting 16 feet apart, which gives 170 plants to the acre, you pro- ceed to line off in this way: Choose a tree of soft wood which splits easily, cut it into lengths of 20 inches, and split up the blocks into pegs (a boy can split and sharpen 600 pegs a- day). Take a small rope, about 1 inch round and about 250 feet long, stretch it thoroughly, and then, by opening the strands, insert a tag or piece of cloth every 16 feet. By means of three sticks, or a prismatic compass, run a line straight down the middle of the field, stretch your rope tightly along this line, and at every tag put in a peg. Have one man at each end of the rope with a 16-feet measuring-stick, and three boys with bundles of pegs between them. The first or base line being finished, the two men measure off by their sticks 16 feet to one side, stretch the line tightly between them, and the boys put in the pegs, the line being moved 16 feet farther each time. Wherever in crossing a hollow the line is up in the air, a stone should be held under the tag and dropped, the peg being in- serted where the stone falls. There are other more accurate and complicated ways of lining, but this will be found sufficient for practical purposes, and does not cost more than $1 per acre, including the pegs. Holing, Deep planting is a mistake for bananas.1 Some people advise deep planting as a precaution against the plants being blown down in high winds. My experience teaches me that banana-suckers, if strong and healthy, are more likely to be broken in a high wind than blown down, even though planted only 4-6 inches under the ground. It is also claimed that planting a sucker deeply, in the first instance, prevents the stool from grow- ing out of the ground so fast (a habit which bananas undoubtedly have) ; but I very much doubt whether the advo- cates of deep planting could tell eigh- teen months afterwards whether the original plant of a stool had been covered with 10 inches of soil or only 4, and no one advises more than 10 inches of soil over a sucker. Dig the holes 7 or 8 inches deep, and allowing 3 inches for the sucker itself, this will 1 Other planters who have actually tried it find deep planting anything but a mistake. BANANA-PLANTING IN 175 BRITISH HONDURAS. give a covering of earth of 4 or 5 inches. The width of the hole depends upon the nature of the soil—the stiffer the soil the wider the hole—but 10 inches is generally enough. Of such holes a boy or a coolie woman can cut 200 to 250 per day. Take care that the labourers do not throw away the pegs, but leave each one at the edge of the hole. Planting. To obtain plants, whole stools of old bananas are dug up, and the roots divided. Small young bulb-like suckers may be detached from the mass, and only these utilised; or the large bulbs may be cut into pieces, each having one or two eyes, much in the same way as potatoes are planted; or, again, the young shoots, or "followers" as they are called, may be cut off with the rootlets and bulbous swelling at the base. It matters very little which class of plant is used; for myself I prefer the last, if the shoot is not more than 8 inches above ground at the time. The variety of banana which is gener- ally cultivated here is called the "French banana," and care must be exercised that only this one is taken for seed, as there are three other kinds occasionally met with in plantations, the fruit of which is unsaleable to the steamers; and still another variety, which, though yielding at first very large bunches, is not durable as a plant. The usual task for digging plants, where the old stools have to be up- rooted and the bulbs split up, is 200 pieces, or "split suckers," as they are called. Sacks are the most convenient means of conveying the plants (suckers) to the holes. The actual planting is a very simple matter. Put a piece of the bulb, with the eye or eyes downwards, into each hole,1 cover it over with the same earth that was dug out of the 1 This is practically the same as deep planting. hole, and press the earth down lightly with the foot, but do not trample it firmly. Stick in the peg again, so that in the event of a sucker failing to grow, the exact spot is marked where the "supply" or fresh sucker must be planted. Roads and Drains. The land sufficiently near the coast to be available for bananas being gener- ally nearly flat, or only undulating and almost entirely free from rocks, little road-making is necessary for plantation purposes. For a 20-acre field, one road through the centre is enough, and all that is necessary is to clear away the logs and stumps down one row between the bananas, and to cut a drain 18 inches wide and 18 inches deep along one or both sides, 2 feet from the banana-plants, throwing the earth into the centre of the row; this gives a roadway of 12 feet. Very little draining either is neces- sary, as there is practically no surface- wash, and a damp piece of land with shallow top-soil over a stiff cold sub- soil will seldom repay thorough drain- ing for banana purposes. If the land requires anything more than one or two leading drains, to run surface-water out of hollows, it would be better not to open it for bananas at all. Cultivation. The cultivation of bananas has been confined hitherto to weeding, thinning out, and moulding up. Weeding is the torment of a planter in this colony, he having an incessant struggle to cope with the grass. There are, of course, various kinds of weeds which spread rapidly through a plantation, but it is "running grass " which does the most injury to banana-suckers, and which is the hardest to keep down. The gene- ral way is to cut it down as close to the ground as possible, with cutlasses {machetes), three or four times a-year, 176 AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES. a man doing '25 yards square, or 1 meedte, for. a task. In old and thoroughly weedy clearings this is the best plan; but if a new field is taken in hand directly after the burn, and weeded with hoes once a-month for the first year, and once every two months afterwards, it will be found no more expensive in the actual work, as a coolie woman can do 3 mecdtes a-day (I have done this on my own estate with coolie women and children, giving as a task a row of 16 chains long X 16 feet wide, and they frequently finished in six hours), and far more satisfactory as regards the health of the plants and getting about the plantation. For in- stance, a 20 - acre field weeded with machetes four times a-year, at a 1- meedte task, is 160 tasks x 4=640, or weeded with hoes twelve times a-year, at a 3-mecdte task, is 54 tasks X 12— 648. But to do this you must begin weed- ing three weeks after the burn. The weeders should cut off with machetes, not tear off, all dead leaves, and lay them with the old stems, from which the fruit has been cut, in the centre of the rows—unless the old stems are chopped up and placed around the stools as manure, though I doubt if much good is derived from this latter course. In good soil, when about eighteen months old, the stools will often have eight or more stems: it is advisable then to go over the field and thin out the stools, cutting out as near the root as possible (to prevent their growing again) all above, say, five stems, leaving those which will bear soonest, and leav- ing also, whenever possible, one "fol- lower," or young shoot, to each large stem. "Moulding up" is sometimes practised in conjunction with "thinning out ": after cutting out the superfluous stems, earth is thrown up around and into the centre of the stools. When this is done, care must be taken that the earth is dug from the middle of the rows, and not from close around the stool, or more harm than good will result. In cases where land has been under cultivation before, the cost of reopening and working is very much less than when virgin forest is felled—as the al- most entire absence of logs and stumps makes it possible to use ploughs, culti- vators, grass-cutters, or other labour- saving apparatus. So far old cane-fields, put into bana- nas, have not proved a success; and whether old banana-fields, allowed to lie idle for some years and then ploughed up and replanted, will answer or not we do not yet know. Manuring, as far as I am aware, has not yet been tried in this colony for bananas. Crop. A bunch of bananas is ready for shipment in from six weeks to three months, according to the time of year, after the appearance of the blos- som. From a clearing planted in June returns should begin to come in in the following May. Men go regularly through the plan- tation, row by row, and selecting those bunches which are ready for shipment —i.e., those rather more than half matured in summer, and those nearly full in winter—cut partially through the stem of the sucker as high as they can reach with a machete, so that it falls over gradually, either by its own weight or with a slight pull on the hanging leaves; then seizing the "tail," as it is called, of the bunch with their left hand, and supporting the weight against their thigh to prevent its falling to the ground, sever the stalk about 6 inches from the fruit. The tail is then cut off, leaving a small portion for convenience in handling, and the bunch laid upon the ground. The stem itself (as it will bear but the one bunch of fruit) must now be cut off about 4 feet from the ground and hauled into BANANA-PLANTING IN BRITISH HONDURAS. 177 the middle of the row. The reason for not cutting the stem off close to the ground is, that part of the moisture it contains may drain back into the stool. When the fruit is fairly plentiful, a man can cut 300 bunches a-day. Other men follow the "cutters," and picking up the bunches carry them on their shoulders to the water-side, where they are left in the shade until put into the canoes, which take them either to the mouth of the river or to meet the larger boats in deep water. Bananas require great care in handling—a very slight knock showing, after a day or two, as an ugly black mark. They also readily burn in the sun—one side of a bunch being turned black after an hour's ex- posure. A bunch of bananas from good land may stand 4 feet in height, weigh 90 lb., have 12 "hands" or clusters, and number 180 bananas—exceptional bunches being even a good deal larger than this; whilst an ordinary " pass" bunch would weigh about 65 lb., have 8 hands, and number 110 bananas. From good land, planted 16 feet by 16 feet and kept in good order, a return of 250 bunches per acre may be reckoned upon in two years from date of planting. Forty acres of two-year-old bananas gave me 35 bunches per acre per month for six months. I will now give an estimate of the probable expenses and receipts on opening a 20-acre field of bananas, situated on the bank of a river or good road, taking labour at 50 cents per day. The usual course would be to open an- other field the second year, and another the third, and so on; but for the sake of making the estimate clear, I shall presume the plantation to remain at the original 20 acres. First Dr. To purchase of land, .... $40.00 ii felling and clearing, . . . 200.00 „ lining, 20.00 ii holing, 8.50 ii purchase of plants: 3500 at 50 cents per 100, 17.50 ii draining, 10.00 ,i reading, 20.00 u weeding, seven months,. . . 189.00 ii bush house, 100.00 n labourers' house 25.00 ii one doray (canoe),.... 20.00 „ tools, 25.00 „ living 600.00 ii contingencies, 10 per cent, . . 127.50 $1,402.50 Or. By balance $1,402.50 $1,402.50 Second Year. Dr. To balance, ii weeding, first six months, $162.00 ii do. second do. . 81.00 cutting and shipping 2600 bunches, at 6} cents, '. . . . one doray, living contingencies, 10 per cent, $1,402.50 243.00 162.50 20.00 600.00 102.55 $2,530.55 Cr. By 2600 bunches at 50 cents, n balance, $1,300.00 1,230.55 $2,530.55 M THE WOODS OF BRITISH HONDURAS. 183 the past year. A paragraph in my last annual report appears to have drawn attention to the promising nature of this cultivation, and I am glad to be able to report that several energetic planters are taking it up. "As supplementing what I have already men- tioned under this head, I would add that the tree does not thrive in a sandy soil, but prefers a deep, loamy, red, or friable soil, and while it requires a warm humid atmosphere and a plentiful sup- ply of rain, it is very impatient of stagnant water near the roots. Again, 'a spot selected for a nut- meg plantation cannot be too well sheltered, as high winds are most destructive to the tree, in- dependently of the loss occasioned by the blow- ing off of fruit and flower.' The trees may be planted in 'seasonable' districts at about 20 feet to 25 feet apart; when first put out, the plants require to be well shaded, and if the weather be dry, to be watered regularly for a week or ten days. "It would not be advisable to establish nutmeg plantations at elevations exceeding 800 feet above sea-level, and in districts with a mean annual rainfall of less than 70 to 80 inches. "With regard to the nuts, after being thor- oughly dried, they cannot be too soon sent to the market. But with the mace it is otherwise; that must be kept till it has assumed a rich golden colour, which it does only after the lapse of sev- eral months. Red blades, that is, fresh mace, are looked upon with suspicion, and seriously affect the sale of the produce. "Tobacco. "The best qualities of tobacco are raised from seed obtained direct from Cuba, that from the celebrated 'Vuelta Abaja' plants ranking first. The first supply of this seed was obtained in 1873, through her Britannic Majesty's Consul-General at Havana, and subsequent supplies of very valu- able tobacco seeds, obtained from different parts of the world, as Shiraz, Latakia, Manilla, Bhilsa, Virginia, &c, were received from Sir Joseph Hooker, who from the first has taken a deep interest in this industry." THE WOODS OF BRITISH HONDURAS. The rise and progress of the colony of British Honduras has been indissolu- bly connected with the fortunes of its trade in timber and dyewoods. Sub umbra floreo, in allusion to the mahogany tree, is the motto gratefully chosen by the colonist; but it is to the humbler denizen of the forest, the log- wood shrub, that the colony owes its first recognition and early celebrity as a British plantation or settlement. The chief industry of the colony is woodcutting, which has now been car- ried on for over two hundred years, and as a result, much of the finest timber within easy reach of the principal rivers and their creeks has been cut down; but there are still vast tracts of virgin forests in the interior, abounding in some of the finest timber-trees to be found in any part of the world. The difficulty is that they are beyond the reach of rivers, and until the iron horse is introduced to solve the problem of bringing out our woods and stimulating the production and export of the old staples of the colony, must continue so. However, the fact remains that the quantity of wood exported maintains a fair average of the transactions for the last hundred years.1 Indeed dur- ing the last ten years the average ship- ments have been more than doubled. The improved price of mahogany in 1883 stimulated its production; but the export, as in the case of logwood, depends upon market prices. Mahogany (Swtetenia mahogani).— The best qualities of mahogany come from the limestone soils to the north of Belize, those from the south being de- ficient in density and fine grain. In the present century a tree was cut, by a Mr Charles Craig of Honduras, the trunk of which yielded a log of 15 tons weight. It measured 5168 super- ficial feet, squaring 57 inches by 64. The log was trucked out by Mr Craig, and the limbs of it would probably when "manufactured "—that is, pre- pared for shipment—more than pay all expenses.2 Reliable returns are not procur- able further back than 1802, when 2,250,000 feet are mentioned as the quantity exported; 1803, 4,500,000 feet; 1805, 6,481,000 feet. In 1824 it had kept the same figure; in 1840 1 Gibb's ' British Honduras.' 1 'Honduras Observer,' 1843. 184 THE WOODS OP BRITISH HONDURAS. it was reduced to 4,500,000 feet, but there had been over-exportation in the few years preceding, and stocks had accumulated in the home markets: in 1837, for example, there were shipped from Belize 8,500,000 feet. The same mistake was made in 1845-46. In the first of these years the returns show 9,919,507 feet; and in 1846 the enor- mous increase of 13,719,075 feet. A portion of these annual quantities was wood cut outside of the limits. The depression in the years 1848, 1849, 1850 is not difficult to account for. In 1874 the quantity had come down to the old figure of about 6,000,000 feet, and in 1878 lower still, 3,146,582 feet. The cost of cutting down and getting ready for shipment is about from $40 to $50 per thousand feet.1 Cedar (Cedula odorata).—Growing with the mahogany, it is a member of the same family. The export of this wood from the colony has greatly in- creased within the last few years. In 1876 the number of feet shipped was 18,923; in 1883, 469,144; in 1884, 348,341; in 1885, 277,111; in 1886, 132,498. In the colony the trunks of the largest trees are hollowed out to make dorays and pitpans, for which purpose they are admirably adapted on account of the light and durable char- acter of the wood. Logwood (Deeandria monogynia).— This wood really comes next to maho- gany in export value. It is found in rather moist lands, and grows luxuri- antly in the swamps to the north and west, where it forms immense thickets. The stem is crooked, and grows 16 to 24 feet high, seldom thicker than a man's thigh, the branches also crooked and irregular, thorny; leaves winged, and flowers pale yellow. The trunks are perpendicularly ribbed, and when cut down, the outer white or sapwood 1 GibVs ' British Honduras.' is removed, leaving only the reddish or dark heartwood, which is cut into con- venient logs suitable for shipment. It is claimed for Honduras logwood that it is superior to that grown in Jamaica and St Domingo, and that its market value is fully 40 per cent higher. The yield of this wood is almost inexhaust- ible, as it seeds freely, and can be recut in ten to fifteen years. Its ori- ginal value was £100 per ton, then £40; in 1825, £16, and it is now quoted at £5 to £7. Its export from the colony in 1713 to 1716 was 5740 tons; in 1824,over 4000; in 1874, 9210 tons. The average for the last ten years has been 16,000 tons. Its production for shipment requires less capital than mahogany, and is fre- quently undertaken by small capital- ists employing small gangs, who pay a royalty for cutting on the estates. It is brought down the rivers in "bark logs," or floating cradles made of the cabbage-palm; and in dorays, in which it is also conveyed along the coast. Amongst the other woods of the colony are:— The Sapodilla (Aehias sapota).— This is a most durable wood, difficult, on account of its extreme hardness, to work on, but it does work up hand- somely in furniture. The tree grows tall and free from branches; and one variety bears a sweet fruit with a rough rind, the naseberry, the seeds of which are used as a diuretic. It is much used locally for uprights and beams in house- carpentry, but, owing to the great weight of the logs, cannot be floated down the rivers to the ports. If this difficulty of transportation be overcome—say by the introduction of railways—this wood must find its way to European and other markets in much larger ship- ments than is the case now. At present it can hardly be said to be exported. There are two varieties, the THE WOODS OF BRITISH HONDURAS. 185 black and the red, one rather scarcer than the other, and not half so lofty, although about the same girth. It is a tree which grows abundantly in Honduras. Eosewood (Dalbergia sp.)—A very heavy, rich, dark-reddish wood, very desirable for cabinet purposes, and plentiful in the colony, growing to a height of 30 feet, with a girth of 36 to 38 inches. Owing to its weight, it is dif- ficult to transport by water, an obstacle to the exportation of many of the native furniture-woods yet to be overcome; about 150 to 200 tons are probably the average exportation. The so-called Bastard Rose is a distinct variety, the wood of which works up much redder in colour; and there is another illegi- timate of the family, the Pix, found in the colony. Sam or Salmwood (Jacaranda sp.) —A brown, very durable wood. On account of its being avoided by all kinds of insects, it is much appreciated for lining wardrobes, &c. It would therefore be very suitable for specimen cases for collectors of Natural History objects, especially entomological speci- mens. The tree grows 50 feet high, with an average diameter of 2 feet. It is not exported. Ziricote is by some considered a description of rosewood. Mr Morris. Director of the Botanical Garden, Jamaica, who made a professional tour through the colony a few years ago, at the request of the colonial Govern- ment, states it to be scarce, but it is abundant in the Northern District. It is only exported in small quantities. The same authority classes it amongst other timbers of the colony as yet unclassified and unknown to com- merce. Fustic.—A yellow dyewood; is well known to commerce and the trade; the Morus tinctoria. It is used locally for furniture-work, and about 100 tons are annuallj' exported. Poisonwood.—Of so-called Poison- wood there are apparently three varie- ties, but "Chechem" is simply the Indian name for all kinds of wood locally so designated. The trees are so named on account of their secreting an acrid juice, which dropping on the skin of the woodcutter blisters it; and a local authority, a writer in the ' Col- onial Guardian,' reviewing the prelim- inary Exhibition in Belize, describes the " Chechem" as a kind of Upas, to be under the shade of which for any time inflames the skin of the face and the eyes. The writer calls the wood of the same tree the "King of Woods," but he means of cabinet woods. The trees of the black variety are large and umbrageous, and both kinds grow abundantly in the region, the height averaging between 80 and 100 feet, diameter 24 to 30 inches. The white variety of "Chechem" appears to be the largest in its growth. Santa Mahia {Calophyllum calaba). —Very suitable for shingles and heavy machine-work and buildings; its seeds also yield an abundant oil adapted for lamps. It is unsurpassed for ship- building. Height 80 feet, diameter 24 inches. The wood is hard and durable, and is used in the construc- tion of mahogany-trucks. Mahol (Paritum elatum) yields a darkish green wood of great value; as also the celebrated Cuba bast, an article of commerce prepared from the inner layers of the bark. Balsam (Myroxylon tolifera).—Aver- age height 40 feet, and diameter 20 inches. It resembles both mahogany and sapodilla, the latter most in colour 186 THE WOODS OF BRITISH HONDURAS. of the wood. Both the gum and bark are used medicinally. Bullet, or Bully Tree.—Height 60 to 80 feet, with a diameter of 18 inches. Plentiful. "Wood not very workable, and therefore not much used. Tree yields a resinous gum. Timber-Sweet.—A low stout tree, bearing a yellow berry, 25 to 30 feet in height, 24 to 30 inches diameter. Wood light, not used. Madre Cacao (Erythrina umbrosa). —A plentiful tree. Height 40 to 50 feet, 15 inches in diameter. A fine hard wood, much used in house-posts, and also as a shade in coffee and cacao plantations. Mr Morris suggests as a preferable shade for cacao the India- rubber plant, giving more shade, and very profitable to the planter. Grows easily from slips. Bastard Rosewood. — Plentiful. Grows to 40 or 50 feet, 12 inches in diameter. Wood takes a high polish, and is very tough. White Maya. — A very tough wood, and takes a polish. The tree grows 60 feet, with 20 inches in diameter. Calabash (Crescentia cujete). — A pretty-growing tree, with the leaves peculiarly arranged on the branches (sub-pinnate). The edible pulp of the large round nut is hollowed out, and drinking-cups are made of the shell. Plentiful. Cabbage-Bark Tree.—Grows plen- tifully, 40 feet by 15 or 20 inches. The wood hard and durable, used in house-building, and in the composition of trucks or spokes, &c. Cinnamon, Wild. — Plenty of it. 30 feet by 16 to 18 inches diameter. Bark only used. Buttonwood. — Extensively used locally to burn, is occasionally intro- duced as a variety in inlaid cabinet- work or veneering. The tree is not above 20 feet by 16 or 18 inches thick, and grows in swampy places. Used for ships' timbers. Salaam. — A hard durable wood, little known. Locally used for fur- niture, inlaid work, and capable of taking a fine polish. Blackheart. — The tree attains a height of 30 feet, with a diameter of 12 inches. Wood hard, yellowish- brown in colour, with a deeper-coloured heart. Takes a high polish. Billy Webb.—In local use only. Height 30 feet, diameter about 24 inches. Used in constructing mahog- any slides and trucks. It is plentiful, and an exceedingly tough wood. Grandy Betty.—Grows plentifully; 40 feet by 12 inches. Wood not in use. Leaves used for a decoction. Boy's Job.—Plentiful; 30 or 40 feet by 18 inches. A tough, hard wood; not in use except the leaves medicinally, and for snake-bites. John Crow.—Plentiful; 35 feet by 16 inches. Not used. Pigeon Plum—Plentiful; 40 to 50 feet by 12 to 15 inches. Allspice (Pimento) {Eugenia pimen- to).—A favourite wood for walking- sticks. Its seeds are known and ap- preciated as a spice everywhere. The tree grows plentifully in the colony; 50 feet in height and 20 inches in diameter. 192 THE CURRENCY. cents to be equivalent to $1, thus in- troducing the decimal system. Although the coinage of the neigh- bouring republics was in use, it did not by any means oust British money, which could always be obtained in con- siderable sums up to the year 1880 or thereabouts; but the currency had be- come so defective that serious steps were contemplated for a reform. In addition to British coins, almost any other passed current (although never sanctioned by legislation or Queen's proclamation), perforated, defaced, and cut money, and even tokens issued by the merchants for want of a sufficiently small coin to express a "quartee" (3 cents), of which some issued by Mr John Jex are still extant. Most of the perforations in the coins were caused by the young female Span- iards, who used to string them into necklaces with which to adorn them- selves at frequently recurring fiestas; while other defacements were made by silversmiths and others filing away por- tions of coins to obtain material with which to work. The first step towards the reform was taken in October 1876, by the mercan- tile community, who agreed that for the future no damaged, defaced, worn, or perforated coin should be accepted; and in spite of some little discontent displayed at the time, these have now almost entirely disappeared, except in Corosal, where "holey" coin still passes current. The great difficulty which had now to be dealt with was the quantity of large money, such as whole dollars, which obtained, to the almost entire exclusion of small change. There were very few coins, comparatively speaking, of smaller value than Is. (25 cents), and although the tokens above referred to, some even made of cardboard (these principally issued by the Chinese and smaller traders), were plentiful, the want of rials and half-rials was sadly felt. Accordingly, in May 1879, a farther resolution of the merchants de- preciated the dollars of Guatemala, Chile, and Peru to 87J cents only, although the fractional parts of these coins were allowed to pass at their full value, and in a short time there were but few "sols" to be seen. Between this period and the year 1884, there were several attempts made both by the Government and the mercantile community to proceed with the reform, but the question, although much thought was expended thereon, seemed far from solution. In October 1884, a select Committee, appointed for the purpose, sent in a report on the question, which was afterwards published. The principal recommendations of the Committee were as follows:— 1. That the currency continue to be expressed in dollars and cents. 2. The English sovereign to be the standard for gold. 3. Silver dollars of the United States to be standard for silver. 4. Silver to be legal tender to $100. 5. Coins of smaller value than 12 J cents, legal tender to $1. This report led to much discussion, the leading parts being taken by Mr J. Gentle, who advocated reform, and Mr Mutrie, who took an opposite view; but the question still remained un- solved, when, in April 1885, a settle- ment of the point was sought to be obtained by the law courts, first by Messrs Brodie & Cuthbert, and after- wards by Mr Gentle. The first case was. that of Carter v. Brodie and another, in which the plain- tiff sought to recover a debt of £275. The defendants paid into court 1325 Mexican dollars as payment in full, urging that the proclamation of 1838 valued the Mexican dollar at 4s-. 2d. sterling. In the absence of all evi- dence of the proclamation, and as the 194 THE CURRENCY. therein described, called one-cent pieces, of British Honduras currency, struck and to be struck at Our Mint in London, should pass cur- rent in Our Colony of British Honduras, and Whereas the coin actually in circulation in Our said Colony of British Honduras consist now partly of the current coins of our United King- dom of Great Britain and Ireland, including gold coins coined at the Sydney branch of Our Mint, partly of the said bronze coins called one cent pieces, of British Honduras currency, and partly of Guatemalan, Chilian, Mexican, and Honduras silver coins called Dollars, and partly Peruvian silver coins called Sols, and whereas it is expe- dient to reform the currency in Our Colony of British Honduras by declaring a new standard of value, and specifying the coins which shall con- stitute legal tender, and the rates at which such coins shall, as measured by the new standard of value, circulate and be received in payment: Now Therefore, We, by and with the ad- vice of Our Privy Council, have thought fit to declare and ordain, and by the advice aforesaid, We do hereby declare and ordain, as follows:— (1.) This Proclamation shall come into opera- tion on a day to be fixed by the Governor or Officer administering the Government of our Colony of British Honduras, by Proclama- tion, from which day the current coins of Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland shall cease to be legal tender in Our Colony of British Honduras. (2.) Our aforesaid Proclamations of the four- teenth day of September, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, the nineteenth day of August, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, the tenth day of November, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, and the fourteenth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, shall be, and they are hereby declared to be revoked so far as regards Our Colony of British Honduras, and Our aforesaid Procla- mation of the nineteenth day of May, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-five, shall be and is hereby revoked. (3.) The standard of value in British Hon- duras shall henceforth be the Guatemalan Dollar, containing 385'8 grains troy of silver of the millesimal fineness of 900'0. (4.) The coins hereinafter specified shall be deemed to bear to the Guatemalan Dollar the ratio which is respectively set against the name of each coin in the first column of the List of Coins. (5.) A tender of payment of money, if made in any of the said coins which have not become diminished in weight by wear or otherwise so as to be of less weight than the weight specified in the List of Coins as the minimum weight, and which are of the fineness speci- fied, shall be a legal tender in our said Colony of British Honduras: In the case of Dollars, Sols, Pesos, and Five Bolivar pieces, for a payment of any amount. In the case of the other silver coins named in the List of Coins, for a payment of an amount not exceeding Fifty Guatemalan Dollars, but for no greater amount. In the case of one cent pieces of British Honduras currency, for a payment of an amount not exceeding half a Guatemalan Dollar, but for no greater amount. (6.) Nothing, however, herein contained shall be construed to alter or affect any contract made before this Proclamation comes into operation. [List of Coins. THE CURRENCY. 50 Guatemalan Dollars. 50 Guatemalan Dollars. 'Guatemalan Dollars. i- -- 50 Guatemalan Dollars. None. 'Guatemalan Dollars. 50 Guatemalan Dollars. 50 Guatemalan Dollars. None. 50 Guatemalan Dollars. Limit of Tender. -. .- -- .. •- -- M II -- n -- .- J Guatemalan Dollar. -. Grammes. None. None. None. None. None. None. '- -5 5 95 88'99 5 8- i Weight '-- 88--- 8 98- 58- 8- 8- '-- 9' 0-- 5 8- 85 '-- 85 '5- 5 8' 55-8 8- '8 '-- '--5 8- 8- '-- '8-5 5 8- '-- '--- 8 98 '8- 89,. '-- '8- 0-- 58- 88- I X K N O i- H ^1 * H O CN iO l- « '5 « m T'O ?1 - C ?l 7l r- O O l- « N fl if) CN H "2 f O CN O H * O O » f iO OI '5 f l H X » * ■ 1 o o :I f i". O O f i" M 8 ^ T O O O CM 0-- 0- -8 roe. a 1 © Hh MrH CO r* T rH «H CO it CO i-i rH 00 ri 'Weight. j Grammes. sags g ossssgs s ss s s gssa g gas Standard Gra-ns. --8-0 8958 9505 8--5- 89- 8 8-5 5 8088 --- 8--5- 8808 8885 89590 98'05 0''0 '--- 800-085 08'-0 '- '- 8-85 89590 -- - 8--5- 899 8-5 8O 8958 --- 8--5- 8-580 89590 9505 8958 9505 8885 89590 --- '-5- 89-9 50 Millesimal i i 0. a §§ail§3S83§§§iSs§S§§§§§S§§§§§§§§§§§§§^ c B a n 8. Metal. Silver. Bronze Quarter-Dollar, Venezuelan Dollar, or Five Bolivar Piece, One Bolivar, ... ... Quarter-Dollar, Half-Peso, or 50 Centavos, .... Quarter Pesos, or 85 Centavos Half-Dollar, or 50 Centavos, .... One-fifth Dollar, or' Centavos, Decimo, or one-tenth Dollar, .... Half-Decimo, or one-twentieth Dollar, . Half-Dollar, Half-Sol One-fifth Sol. Dinero, or one-tenth Sol, .... Half-Dinero, or one-twentieth Sol, . One-cent piece of British Honduras, ( d One-tenth Peso, or 80 Centavos, One-twentieth Pesos, or 5 Centavos, O Equivalent in Guatemalan Dollar. 8. H i-t rl *"* iH p* H — LABOUR IN BRITISH HONDURAS. 197 ilock there in large numbers towards this time. The labourer wants money to buy- clothes and a few articles necessary to take with him to the bush, as well as a little spare cash to enable him to en- joy his brief holiday in town. The employer makes the agreement between himself and his labourer more binding on the latter by getting him at once into his debt. This is done by giving the labourer, on his hiring, from two to six months' wages—most of which is spent in the various stores and grog- shops of the town. It is true that the evil has somewhat abated of late, but it is still sufficiently great to retard agricultural development. The follow- ing extract from the 'Colonial Guar- dian' of the 28th January 1882 relates to the evil of this system of advances to labourers, and the remarks then made, to a great extent hold good to- day:— "When he is able to wield the axe and the machete, the too ready 'advance' finds its way into his hands, and opens to him new vistas of illicit pleasures. Thus, the one thing that might have saved him from a too rapid downward career—employment—becomes the very means of impelling him to a more swift destruction. For very often having spent his advance in riotous living, when he gets on the sugar-estate he finds himself so involved in debt that he is barely able to obtain the necessaries, and quite unable to obtain the ordinary comforts, of life. In vain he importunes his master for money. The latter very naturally points out that he already owes too much, and should he die the debt already incurred would be a dead loss. If he be a man of uncommon energy and determination, he will stint himself and work hard, until he has cleared his debt; and soon begins to earn a little money. But it is much more common for the labourer to become first indifferent, then lazy, and then really bad. He then frequently goes to jail for some misdeed or another, until he either runs away altogether or becomes completely hardened. Once hardened and lost to all shame and self- respect, he is wholly incurable, and will some- times unblushingly own his preference for the jail, rather than for that honest labour which is never degradiug, but, on the contrary, dignifies man. We have observed three instances of such utter loss of self-respect that the men, who had been in jail, when their sentences had expired, had voluntarily asked to be incarcerated, as they had made up their minds not to work on the estates." The labour of the colony will never be thoroughly efficient until the ad- vance system becomes a thing of the past. Writing of the advance system, Mr Morris, in his book on the colony, says:— "The advance system is evidently most ob- jectionable and pernicious in its tendencies, and doubtless in time it will be abolished. It has arisen and gradually grown from the peculiar circumstances incidental to the solitary and remote life of most of the mahogany-cutters, who, having only one holiday in the year, are determined to 'keep Christmas' in accordance with the old customs of the settlement. If all employers were to combine, and if all hired on the same plan, and resolutely set their faces against the advance system, it might be abolished within a very short period. There is no doubt that the system places the labourer more com- pletely in the power of the employer, and it may have had its uses amidst the lawlessness of for- mer days; but there can be no justification of its use at present, and its continuance as an institu- tion connected with the employment of labour in the colony is to be greatly deplored. Associated with the advance system, and indeed an integral part of it, is the so-called truck system, which requires, or at least encourages, the labourers to take a portion of their wages in goods from their employer's store. When in the remote woods of the interior, with no stores within some thirty or forty miles, the employer must naturally supply the labourers with necessary food and tools ; but under every circumstance, and especially in the neighbourhood of settlements, it would be far better to pay the workmen in cash once a-fort- night or once a-month, and allow them to make their purchases wherever they please. The flock- ing to Belize at Christmas-time of nearly every one connected with the mahogany works, tends to foster the spirit of dissipation and recklessness which characterises the mahogany and logwood cutter; but unless hiring-places are established at different places in the colony, and recognised by a mutual arrangement between the employer and employed, it is difficult to break through an old established custom, and the more so that to many it is an absolute necessity to visit Belize at least once or twice a-year. For the most part, I believe, employers in the colony treat their work- people fairly and honestly; and it is with no desire to reflect upon them that exception is taken to systems which they did not create, but which, nevertheless, are quite inconsistent with the spirit of liberty and personal freedom, to which they, no less than their workpeople, lay claim as the birthright of Englishmen." The supply of agricultural labour is exceedingly inadequate to meet the de- mand of the ever-increasing plantations of the colony, and the question that has now to be solved is, How is the demand to be supplied 1 The West Indies or India would doubtless be able to supply the de- 198 LABOUR IN BRITISH HONDURAS. mand, were the employers of labour to offer inducements to labourers to come here, and combine for that purpose. The following extract from a de- spatch from Administrator Fowler to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in the Blue-book for 1886, is given as dealing with the question of labour supply:— "It is a well-known fact, and now realised by all, that there is not sufficient labour in the colony to enable the limited capital to be em- ployed that would be devoted to fruit-growing. "As all the available labour is employed to its fullest capacity, it is clear no further develop- ment of the colony can take place beyond its present state unless arrangements are made for introducing labourers. A loan for this purpose will not be sanctioned by the Government. The planting interest is not sufficiently strong to com- bine for the purpose of importing labour, and the wood-cutting interests do not care to encourage planting or the absorption of the labour of the colony in such a capacity. "The only satisfactory solution to cure the inefficiency of labour, the frequent offences com- mitted under the Labour Ordinances, and the evils of the advance system, is the importation of labourers into the colony. The waste and defici- ency of labour used to be made up from Jamaica; but that source of supply is cut off by the demand there for the Panama Canal, and the want of direct communication with the colony. The im- portation of labour cannot be carried out by private enterprise, for it would be too great a task for one firm, although private efforts have not been wanting to import labourers, nor is there much chance of combination amongst em- ployers being effected. Their interests are di- vergent. Wood-cutters cannot be conveniently imported, for they are a race sui generis, and are only to be obtained from the colony, hence the employers of this class of labour do not see why they should contribute towards the importation of labourers for the planters, although it should be clear that if not directly they would be in- directly benefited by being freed from competi- tion with planters for labourers. The planters are not strong enough yet to undertake the task alone, and are not yet able to combine together." The Labour Law. The law relating to the employment of labour recently passed, which has consolidated all previous legislation on the subject, is Ordinance No. 15 of 1883, since amended by Ordinance No. 7 of 1884 and Ordinance No. 9 of 1887. The changes that have been effected in the law were communicated to the magistrates and justices of the peace in a circular from the Colonial Secretary, and are as follows :— "The law has been consolidated, and is based on the lines of previous legislation and that of the imperial statute relating to masters and seamen, as the circumstances attending labour operations, away from towns or villages in the forests of the colony, are similar to those of sailors hiring to go on a sea-voyage. "There are three kinds of agreements, viz.:— (a) Agreements made in the colony for labour to be performed within th(e colony; (b) Agreements made out of the colony for labour to be performed within the colony; (c) Agreements made in the colony for labour to be performed outside the colony. The same form is to be used in all agreements— viz., that in Schedule B of Ordinance 7 of 1884. "Additional regulations may be inserted in agreements under section 4, by consent of parties, provided a district magistrate may deem such additional regulations proper, but no such regu- lation can be made for the payment of wages otherwise than iu cash (this does not apply to places mentioned in sect. 2 of Ordinance 9 of 1887), nor any regulation that is contrary to law. "In the exercise of his discretion as to whether a regulation is proper, the magistrate is guided by the general principle pervading the new labour Ordinance, which is to the effect that, whilst exceptional privileges are given to an employer, the law is made for the due protection of the labourer, not only against himself but also against any employer who might wish to take advantage of a labourer's ignorance, otherwise it might be considered objectionable to interfere by legislation with freedom of contract, or to make an exception to the commou law of master and servant. "The changes that have been effected by the new law are chiefly as follows :— The period of lawful hiring has been extended from one to three years (sect. II). Written agreements are compulsory for the hiring of any person defined as a labourer beyond the period of one month. It has, however, to be understood that domestic servants do not come under the operation of this law as formerly; they are subject to the common law of England relating to masters and servants. Verbal or any other agree- ments, for the month or a less period, are not affected by the present law, and such agreements can be renewed from time to time (sect. 12). Provision is made for due accounts of wages being rendered (sect. 13)-- For accounting for the wages of deceased labourers (sect. 15). For insufficient rations (sect. 22). For cancellation of agreements (sect. 24). For limiting the amount of advances or debt recoverable in a court of law (sect. 25). For punishing au employer for compounding or arranging cases of fraudulent advances (sect. 26), and For continuing to employ a labourer for the purpose of workiug out a debt (sect. 27). "With reference to the recovery of advances, it has to be borne in mind that it is not illegal to make advances exceeding the amount of three months' wages, sect. 25 only provides that any THE LABOUR LAW—POPULATTOX. 199 excess or debt exceeding such amount is not re- coverable in any court of law. The practical effect of which is, that should a labourer be in debt to his employer on the termination or can- cellation of his agreement, the employer cannot recover by legal process any sum beyond the amount of three months' wages. "The provision regarding the punishment of an employer for compounding or being a party to arranging cases of fraudulent advances has been enacted for the purpose of putting an end to an evil practice arising from the competition between employers for the services of a labourer. Such a practice holds out an inducement to a labourer to secure extra advances by means of a fraud, for he knows if the offence is detected he is not likely to be prosecuted, and the matter will be arranged between the employers con- cerned. By this means he is tempted to secure double advances, and now that the employer is liable to punishment as well as the labourer, it is hoped such a demoralising practice will be stopped. "Section 27, relating to debts of labourers being worked out or transferred, is considered by the Government the most important addition made to the law. It is well known that a sys- tem has prevailed iu the colony unchecked, more particularly as between the Spanish - speaking portion of the inhabitants and the Indians, of labourers being kept in debt by their employers for the purpose of securing a continuance of their labour, as such labourers consider themselves bound to serve until such debt is extinguished. Advantage has been taken of the ignorance and submissiveness of such labourers to keep them in debt by either supplying them with goods or drink for the purpose, and they thus become virtually enslaved for life. The labourers, know- ing nothing of English law and dreading the law courts, are thus imposed upon. It is essential for the maintenance of the honour and reputa- tion of English Government that such labourers should be made aware that such a system is illegal, and that they should be duly protected in the matter. The Government therefore rely on the district magistrates taking every oppor- tunity of letting the law on this subject be known, and of applying judicious measures to- wards remedying such an unsatisfactory state of affairs. The fine for contravening this provision, as in all other cases, is left to the discretion of the magistrate up to a maximum amount, so that if the mere knowledge that such a system is illegal, and now renders a person practising it liable to a heavy penalty, does not have the effect of stopping it, magistrates can inflict such penalties as they may think will secure a due observance of the law. The Ordinance and agreements have also been printed in Spanish and distributed freely, with the view of extending the knowledge of the subject in every possible way. "Appeals are specially provided for by sect. 29. Under the old law there was practically no appeal until the enactment of the Ordinance, No. 2 of 1879, regulating appeals from summary jurisdiction. "Having pointed out the principal changes, it will be found the law beyond these is much the same as formerly. The penalties, procedure, and jurisdiction are similar, and the only other differ- ence to be noted is that all persons hiring labour- ers to work outside the colony are now required to give a bond, in consideration of which such agreements are brought under the provisions of the Ordinance, and labourers are subject to the penalties thereof as under the original Act, with the exception of the penalty in the last proviso of sect. 23. Employers who are not permanent residents of this colony cannot, however, enter into such agreements without the consent of the Governor in Council. "The object of the Legislature in enacting this law is simply to provide a definite and well-under- stood contract between employers and labourers, and to provide due protection for the latter from impositions, on the assumption of their being un- able to take adequate care of themselves." By the amending Ordinance, No. 9 of 1887, cash payments equivalent to the value of, and in lieu of rations, may be allowed under the following circum- stances :— In respect to "agreements" made under the principal and amending Ordinances, in the case of any labourer engaged to work within seven miles of any of the following places: Belize, Corosal, Orange Walk, Cayo, and Punta Gorda Court - Houses: San Estevan, Monkey river, Stann Creek, and Mul- lin's river Police Stations: and at Sittee river Serpon landing. POPULATION. By the census of 1881, prepared under the superintendence of the late Captain Mariner, the population of British Honduras, taken and enumer- ated on the 3d April in that year, was reported and returned as 27,452, of whom 14,108 were males, and 13,344 females. From these returns it ap- pears that the Northern District has 11,439—the Central District, 11,209 —and the Southern District, 4804 j1 1 For the purpose of taking the census in 1881 the colony was divided into three districts, the Northern, Central, and Southern; but this must not be confused with the present districts it is now divided into for the purposes of magisterial jurisdiction, &c. POPULATION. 201 In the Central District the black and coloured element predominate—there being about 8700 black and coloured to 2000 Spaniards. In the Southern District the popu- lation may be divided into three ele- ments—viz., the black and coloured, Spaniards, and Caribs. The Carib element is almost equal to both the blacks and Spaniards put together—there being 2037 Caribs to about 1561 black and coloured, and about 1000 Spaniards. Taking the three districts together,— The total Spanish element may be placed at 12,157 The black and coloured at . . . 12,148 The Caribs at 2,037 The Europeans at ... 423 Miscellaneous at .... 687 This making a total of . . 27,452 • Taking into consideration the natural increase, and various other causes, the population may be fairly classified and estimated at present as follows :— The Spanish element, .... 13,400 The coloured and black do., . . 13,400 The Carib do 2,200 The European do., .... 500 Miscellaneous do 500 Total, . . 30,000 This is calculated at the very small rate of a little over one per cent for the last seven years, from April 1881 to April 1888. * Of the 30,000 inhabitants of the colony, upwards of a third are esti- mated as native Indians, and the descendants of Indians and the first Spanish conquerors and settlers, com- prising all the varieties of shade and colour between the two races, and are generally known and referred to as the Spanish people of this place—main- ly from the fact that the language spoken amongst them is Spanish, the Maya language being confined almost exclusively to the pure Indians, the ma- jority of whom are to be found in the Northern and North-Western District of the colony, interspersed with Yuca- tecan, Guatemalan, and other Central Americans of mixed race in which the Spanish element is largely developed, but not to the extent of destroying the predominance of the Indian blood, or more distinguishing characteristics of race, colour, or feature. The Indian in stature is short; his limbs are well proportioned, rather fleshy, and muscular; his hair black, straight, and of a coarse texture, with little or no beard. In form of coun- tenance and prominence of the cheek- bones the Indians resemble Mongolians, but their features are generally more distinctly marked. The nose, which is more prominent, is also sometimes aquiline, and the general expression more intelligent and pleasing. Their constitution is delicate and susceptible, but their bodily diseases and infirmities are naturally few. Their diet is ex- ceedingly simple and frugal, consisting of corn-cakes and frijoles—a kind of bean—eggs, and occasionally poultry, game, wild hog dried, or pork. They live industriously and inoffensively in villages scattered over the district, cultivating their patches of maize and pulse in small and neatly enclosed fields known as milpas, together with pigs and poultry, which are allowed to range round and about their stations and places of abode—those near the coast engaging in fishing and cutting log- wood and trading with Belize. The Ladinos of Central America and Mexico, as the descendants of Spaniards and Indians are designated in these localities, are light or dark in complexion according to the degree of admixture. Though not above the medium stature, yet, as compared with the Indians, they appear tall and less muscular: they are nevertheless ath- letic, and have far more activity and physical energy. The more favourable circumstances of their lot have also given them the advantage in freedom 202 POPULATION. of thought and manners, as well as information and enterprise. To this class most of the artisans and operatives belong. They also constitute a large portion of the cultivators employed in the milpas, and in the cultivation of maize and small sugar-estates in the Northern District. The Coloured Population, composed as it is of the various shades and admixtures of colour between the European and African, including the pure blacks, forms considerably more than a third of the whole people, and, together with the whites, are, in fact, the backbone of the colony. In this most important element are to be found not only the owners or repre- sentatives of a considerable portion of the property and business capital, but the best and most effective portion of the labour of the colony. The Bel- ize creoles, of European and African descent, as they proudly call them- selves, are a hardy, strong, and vigorous race of people, who are the woodcutters of the interior, and the main instrument in keeping up the commerce of the colony and supplying the markets of England and the continent of Europe with the splendid mahogany and dye- woods of Central America. The Caribs. The Caribs, who form about one- tenth of the inhabitants of the colony, are a peculiar people in appearance and language, customs and traditions; and although, to all appearance, of true African origin — being a black and woolly - headed people — they are a mixed race of the aboriginal Carib, with a large admixture of African blood. The black Caribs of British Hon- duras are the scattered remnants of the warlike and terrible Caribs found by the first European navigators on the smaller of the West Indian Islands— St Vincent, Guadaloupe, and Antigua —so dreaded by the more gentle and peaceful natives of the larger and more important islands of Cuba and His- paniola or St Domingo, on account of their savage nature and cannibal pro- pensities. The Spaniards, finding the Caribs such bold and determined adversaries, did their uttermost to exterminate the whole race; and finally succeeded in expelling them, with the exception of a small remnant—some of whom found refuge on the coast-lands of the neigh- bouring continent, near the mouth of the Orinoco river, and others of them amongst the almost inaccessible moun- tains of the island of St Vincent. It is generally supposed that on the introduction into the New World of African slaves by the Spaniards, some of whom escaped to this island, they massacred the greater portion of the Caribs, and took the women prisoners. In the course of time a new race sprang up totally dissimilar from the original red Caribs, who are described by D'Or- bigny as "yellowish in complexion, stature middle, forehead not so much arched as in other races, eyes obliquely placed" — these Caribs having the appearance of an ordinary - looking negro, thick-lipped and woolly-headed. The English, after their numerous and successful contests with Spain for territorial possession in the West Indies, found the black Caribs as troublesome and difficult to deal with as the Span- iards had done; but at last they got rid of them by conveying them to one of the Bay islands in 1796, from whence they soon afterwards found their way to the mainland in the Bay of Honduras. They are to be found all along the coast of this colony, south of Belize; and, according to the census returns, form one-half of the population in the Southern District. THE CAEIBS. 203 The usual division of labour among savage nations is observed by them. The daily drudgery of the household belongs to the women, who also cul- tivate the small fields in which the cassava (the root from which they make their bread) and other crops are raised. The men pursue their hunting and fishing, and undertake the more severe labours attendant upon the building of their huts, the clearing of new ground, &c. Maize, with cassava, yams, potatoes, and other roots, constitute their principal vege- table food. The cassava is prepared by grating or scraping, and subsequent pressure in a receptable of basket-work. This strainer, called a "wowler," is constructed in the form of a long tube, open at the top and closed at the bottom, to which a strong loop is attached. The pulpy mass of cassava is placed in this, and it is suspended from a beam. One end of a large staff is then placed through the loop at the bottom, the woman sits upon the centre of the staff or attaches a heavy stone to the end, and the weight stretches the elastic tube, which presses the cas- sava inside, causing the juice to flow through the interstices of the plaited material of which it is made. This liquor is carefully collected in a vessel placed beneath, and the sediment which falls to the bottom is starch. The liquor is a most deadly poison; but after being boiled it becomes perfectly wholesome, and is the nutritious sauce called easareep. It would be altogether beyond the scope or object of the present work, even had we the time and space to devote to it, to enter fully into a lengthened disquisition on the ethno- logical phenomena involved in the re- markable distinction of race and colour observable at a first glance in the mixed population of British Honduras; but we have deemed it advisable to give rather an exceptionally full account of the Caribs of this place, forming as they do a considerable portion of the popu- lation, and especially as being a race so different from all others on the American continent. But we may remark, as the tide of civilisation ad- vances, the distinctions referred to are bound to disappear, and population to increase in a legitimate and steady course, although the amalgamation of some races may probably, if ever ac- complished, occupy a far greater length of time than the admixture of others. Census 1881. Districts. Male. Female. Total. Increase. Total. Per cent. Northern District, 6084 5355 11,439 887 8.31 Central M ... 5554 5655 11,209 301 2.75 Southern n ... 2470 2334 4,804 1554 47.81 204 RAILWAYS. Towns. Belize 5767 Corosal, 1780 Orange Walk, 1227 Stann Creek, 1337 Cayo, 1108 Punta Gorda 430 San Estevan, 694 Northern District. Ranchos near Corosal, .... 1,138 Villages and settlements in Corosal district 2,866 Corosal, 1,780 San Estevan 694 Ambergris Cay 770 Cay Caulker, 82 Orange Walk, 1,227 Villages and settlements in Orange Walk district, 2,882 11,439 Occupation of male population. Agricultural labourers, .... 1238 Labourers not agricultural, . . . 1100 Woodcutters, 840 Mechanics, 250 Engaged in trade and commerce, . . 200 Central District. Belize, . . . 5,767 houses, 1333 Rural districts, . . 5,442 n 1570 11,209 Occupation of male population. Labourers, 1018 Domestic servants, 920 Agricultural labourers, .... 610 Mechanics, 419 Engaged in trade and commerce, . . 389 Woodcutters, 226 Southern District. Population, . . 4804 houses, 1231 Occupation of male population. Agricultural labourers, .... 725 Labourers, 260 Engaged in trade and commerce, . . 95 Mechanics . 64 RAILWAYS. The importance, if not the absolute necessity, of constructing one or more railways in such a country as British Honduras is so obvious to every per- son of intelligence, that although we have, unfortunately, none of the statis- tics of a completed or even commenced line to refer to, yet several propo- sitions have very recently been made by responsible parties for the construc- tion of one or more railways, and these propositions have been deemed of suffi- cient importance to warrant the Gov- ernor and Legislative Council of the colony in giving them their serious con- sideration. Special mention is there- fore made of the subject, in order that our readers at home and abroad, and the public generally, may be fairly posted up thereon. The numerous natural re- sources of the colony are now univer- sally admitted, and especially its all but boundless wealth in mahogany and other valuable timber. Its unexhausted, if not inexhaustible, treasure of log- wood and other most valuable dye- woods, still to be found after two hun- dred years of almost continual demand and supply, cannot fail to attract the attention of capitalists and intending settlers in the colony, when once the means of communication by rail is assured by the enterprise of wealthy projectors, aided and countenanced, if not materially assisted, by the local Government. The proposals referred to as having been recently submitted to the Govern- ment and public of the colony may be stated briefly as follows :— Ea8'lway Schemes. 1. Probable route to be adopted, . 2. Preoiminary surveys, by whom to be made, and at whose expense. 8. Gauge, 8'. What grant of oand required per mile, 5. What further rights claimed, 9. Taxation release, whether perpetual or oimited. •. Ownership of timber, whether absolute or subject to royalties. 8. Right to cut timber for use, and construc- tion of railways. 9. Right to cut timber with or without royal- ty, on lands not granted in concession. 10. Cost of line per mile 11. Amount of guarantee or interest required annualoy. 12. Years for which such guarantee is needed, 8'. How to be repaid, 18'. Importation of goods for railway construction, 15. Importation of food, 19. Right of way and terminal grounds in Belize. 1•. Oboigatory construction of wharf, 18. Bonded warehouses 19 Other claims, 20. Construction of oine to be completed, •yndicate (same as Mr Cottrelo). Company,s. 8, 98 ' and 8'0 lb. to yard, . 8'0•0 acres per mile freehold, . To construct aoo railways within radius of 8' miles on each side of raioway. 1J cents per acre, Absooute On payment of royaoty upon timber on land adjoining, within 9 miles radius. £5B00—^2•B00 up to 90 miles, 8 ' per cent, .... Twenty, After completion of each sec- tion of 20 miles. ,o All, Claimed, Excousive right coaimed. Do., and special \ per cent ad vaoorem duty on aoo goods to be transmitted by raioway. 2 cents per ton per mioe on traffic arising out of half oand put into cultivation on ex- penditure of £10•,00•. Within four years of date of re- gistration of the company. Waddington. 8, 98'. None, onoy land for raioway, Free use during construction, and five years after. To be fixed by Colonial Govern- ment. 4 per cent interest, . Twenty-five, . Government to acquire line at cost 8of construction and 10 per cent. By arrangement, Parker. 2000 acres by seoection, For twenty-five years. Absolute for twenty-five years. $25,000—£58'00, . 8 ' per cent, Twenty, upon 825,000 per mioe. But not to come into effect before 8' miles constructed. All. ,o. Coaimed. C. T. Hunter. To western frontier vid Orange Walk, Cayo; conditions con- necting Guatemala if required. i square miles, 208'0 acres by selections. Absooute free gift. £88'00—$158'0•. 8 ' J per cent. When profits justify. Within three years from com- pletion of survey. N.B. -Mr Parker promised that his principal's wouod undertake to introduce immigrants into toe cooony, but there was no definite undertaking so to do. REPORT ON THE LANDS TENURES SYSTEM OF THE COLONY. 207 made by the Superintendent in the name of his Highness the Prince Re- gent.1 From 1819, therefore, onwards, and especially in 1837-1838, in Colonel Macdonald's time, a great number of Crown grants of land have been made. 2. As in all colonies consisting of densely wooded, ill-defined tracts of country, it is possible, and undoubtedly it was the fact in British Honduras, that, for every Crown grant of a large block of land to the favoured grantee, there would be many persons and squatters claiming parts of the identical land by adverse possession: the pro- ceedings in the courts and Lands Registry Office testify this up to the present time. 3. Further, as regards military set- tlers and pensioners, it appears that at the conclusion of the protracted Con- tinental wars England had been waging in the Old and New Worlds, the nu- merous black—so-called West Indian— regiments were reduced. It happened that two, the 5th and 7th Regiments, were actually disbanded in Honduras. The pensioners chiefly settled on plan- tation banks at Sibun, Manatee, and on the Belize river, while others, no doubt, went to cut wood, and the em- ployers of labour in the colony must have hailed their advent. Few, if any, of these settlers, or those claiming through them, can now show title-deeds. The Honduras Lands Titles Acts having then come into force, the Crown grantees became the registered owners under the Acts in very many instances (as in those at Sibun, &c., mentioned in the minutes of the late Surveyor-General, Mr Griffiths, and of the Colonial Secretary, Mr Fowler), excluding the possessory rights of original squatters and the pensioners; although, as a matter of fact, Messrs Toledo & Co., in past days the monopolists of the lands 1 See Report of Commission appointed tiy Colonel Arthur in 1818. Recorded Book "Z," folios 274-293, Record Office, Belize. of the colony, seem to have acted with liberality, and really respected them. Be this as it may, inasmuch as the Lands Titles Acts provide for notice of registry and service of notice on all oc- cupiers, the legal maxim must prevail, Vigilantibus nondormientibus subservient leges; and to reopen this question would, in our opinion, be useless and unwise. 4. The area of the colony extending as it does over nearly 8000 square miles, it is interesting to note on the map recently compiled by Alfred Usher, Esq., that the extent of lands still in possession of the Crown is very large in the Southern and Central Districts, while in the Northern District the Crown has hardly, if any, land at all, and what Crown lands there are, have been stated to be worthless for agri- culture. As Mr Morris remarks—" The Crown lands lie south of a line drawn from the Sibun river to Garbutt's Falls," &c. The difficulty therefore arises that the Northern District is compara- tively closed to settlers. There the land is in the hands of private proprietors (it may be said practically of five); not so, however, in the Southern or Cen- tral Districts, where there are not only extensive tracts of Crown land, but where even proprietors, showing a liberal spirit, give every facility to settlers de- siring to purchase or lease land. The deeds of conveyance and lease now re- corded at Belize are proof of this. 5. If evils exist in the north, the improvident Crown grants of former days are the cause, and only time, and its inevitable stream of events, can remedy them. Some years ago the lands and fortunes of other parts of the colony were in the hands of monopo- lists, and are only in the present day being more freely and equally distri- buted. 6. From the evidence adduced it would be idle to deny that evils exist in the Northern District which do not exist elsewhere in the colony. Few 208 REPORT ON THE LANDS TENURES SYSTEM OF THE COLONY. facilities are offered by landowners in the Northern District to settlers to buy or lease lands, and this in the face of the fact that no Crown lands are avail- able. The owners of the chief logwood works in that district frankly admit that, in their opinion, the milpas and plantations are ruination to the forests and wood trade in which they are in- terested ; and milperos and planters who lease lands from them are restricted by certain arbitrary conditions, and are further liable to loss should the cattle used in the operation of cutting and carrying wood, enter and damage their plantations. The tenants endeavour to procure the best land they can to grow provisions, corn, rice, &c.; and as this very same land produces the best woods, a conflict arises between the interests of landlords and the interests of their would-be tenants. From the evidence it appears as follows: Tenants cutting saplings, or destroying timber, &c., on their plantations are heavily fined. $5 per 100 mecdtes seems the usual rental in the country; town lots average $3 per annum; the tenancies are from year to year, without written lease; but an obnoxious tenant can be got rid of at any time, also a tenant in arrear of rent. The terms of tenancy are generally that, in addition to the small rent, so much land shall be cultivated. On the trans- fer of tenancies the outgoing tenant is said {by landlords) to be always allowed to sell any improvements to the incom- ing tenant, the landlords always con- senting. Tenants, however, deny this. Also, when the incoming tenant takes a place with so many mecdtes of cane, it is understood the tenant shall leave the same amount in cultivation when he vacates; and so on. All these being merely verbal arrangements, the system appears very loose, especially among half-educated people. Notwithstand- ing there may be some good landlords, there are sure to be others the reverse. Before the recent Agricultural Holdings Act in England, a landlord might turn round on his tenant and claim all im- provements, it having been held in the famous case of Elwes v. Marr, by Lord Ellenborough, that the privileges estab- lished in the courts of law in favour of tenants in trade improvements did not extend to agricultural tenants, so as to entitle them to remove things which they had erected for the purposes of husbandry, although they left the prem- ises in the exact state in which they found them on their entry. It was to remedy this state of affairs in England that subsequent legislation, culminating in the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1883, took place. The old and severe law of England, however, remains in force in this colony. 7. It has been urged that persons wishing to lease lands should go where Crown lands are plentiful, if private landowners will not sell or lease; but, besides the scarcity of Crown land in the Northern District, there is another difficulty there in respect to the Indians and so-called Spaniards from the neigh- bouring republics, who are averse to going elsewhere or of leaving places they once settle in. This leads us to the question, What classes of persons are principally interested in obtaining leases from landowners in the Northern District 1 (a) The Indians or Mayas, pure and simple, are truly a peculiar people, though a stiff-necked and perverse one. They seem averse to going further south, as in the Northern District they live and work in a manner and with surroundings similar to what they were accustomed to in their original homes in Yucatan and other places over the borders of the colony. The Indian settlers are mostly milperos, planting only annuals, corn and rice, for their bare subsistence, and not perennial fruits. "Their houses are only make- shifts, and perish with themselves. As the soil becomes exhausted, they con- THE CLIMATE OF BRITISH HONDURAS. 213 tion. The medical officer in charge of the troops in 1860, remarking on the epidemic, says: "It was exceptional, it being the only time that an epidemic of this disease has visited the place. It does not appear to have affected the soldiers, no case having been recorded among the white, and only one—which, however, proved fatal—among the black troops." The mortality in the public institu- tions and the military hospital will bear comparison with similar institu- tions in any part of the world. The troops are recruited from the West Indian Islands and the coast of Africa, Jamaica and Barbadoes contrib- uting the greatest number. In no case is a native of Honduras enlisted. They enjoy capital health—the number of admissions to hospital being smaD, and the mortality among them very little. The paucity of labour in the colony has always acted very beneficially (in one sense) for the working man. The wages being high, and provisions cheap, render it unnecessary for him to work for more than three or four days in the week. When employed in wood-cut- ting and on plantations the men are generally worked hard; but the greatest care is taken that they be kept in good health and in a fit condition to do the work. The scene of wood-cutting oper- ations is, as a rule, salubrious—the rivers affording good water, and the banks being usually high and healthy. The situation of estates is generally selected with a view to health, and as a rule good houses are built for the labourers and hands working on sugar- estates. The average sick-list of a sugar-estate is from two to four per cent, the mortality very little. In conclusion, I may say that my own experience in twenty-five years has led me to think that, for the black man, no better country exists; and that as a temporary residence for a European it equals any, and surpasses many, of the West Indian colonies. The yellow fever, which had not been known in the colony for many years, visited it both in 1886 and in 1887, but fortunately there were not many cases, and it did not become epidemic. The cause of the outbreak has given rise to much difference of opinion among the medical men in the colony, and nearly each one of them will assign a different reason for the outbreak, if asked for an opinion on the subject. The climate of the colony during the year 1887 has been much the same as that of former 4 years. The baromet- ric readings have been very equable throughout the year. Very little varia- tion takes place in the atmospheric pressure; and on looking at the meteo- rological table it will be seen that one month differs from another only to a very slight extent. A. reference to the meteorological tables for the last seven or eight years will show more conclusively than a long dissertation, the nature of the climate and kind of weather prevalent. The highest temperature that was registered during the year 1887 was 91°, and the lowest 59°, as against 90° and 54° in the previous year. The rainfall during the same year amounted to 100.16 inches, giving a monthly average of 15.84. r 218 SOCIETIES AND CLUBS. dent and 40 non - resident members. On the 15th January 1886, the Club moved into its now premises in Regent Street. The Club-rooms are open daily (Sundays excepted), and are well pro- vided with papers, magazines, a library, two billiard - tables, piano, and other amusements. A large and commodious hall is attached to the premises. The office-bearers for 1888 are— President—Mr J. E. Mutrie. Vice-President — The Hon. J. P. Robertson. Secretary—Mr Sydney Cuthbert. Treasurer—Mr John Harley. Custodian—Mr F. M. Maxwell. Librarian—Mr W. Morley. Committee—Dr D. Gentle, Messrs J. M. Currie, James Arthur, S. G. Woods, C. Melhado, and J. M. Cuthbert. THE COLONIAL CLUB LITERARY ASSOCIATION. This branch of the Club meets on the first Monday in each month, in the Club hall, when essays are read, and debates on matters of interest en- gaged in. The office-bearers for 1888 are— President, the Rev. John Jackson; Hub-Committee, Dr D. Gentle, Mr F. M. Maxwell, and the Rev. H. M. Ward. THE BELIZE LITERARY ASSOCIATION. This Association was merged in the Colonial Club during the early part of 1886. The funds of the former were devoted towards the purchase of books to form the nucleus of a library, and this handsome donation was presented to the Club at a public meeting held on the 5th June 1886. THE COLONIAL CLUB BOATING ASSOCIATION. The Boating Association, though a branch of the Club, has its own office- bearers, and is governed by its own rules. The boat-house has been erected by the Club on its wharf, and is rented by the Association. The boats are the property of the Association. President, the Hon. C. R. Hoff- meister; Secretary, Mr Sydney Cuth- bert; Treasurer, Mr John Harley; Committee, Messrs P. B. Wright, A. Batty, C. J. Robertson, F. M. Max- well, L. L. Kerr, A. W. Gabourel, and R. Grant. THE COLONIAL ORCHESTRA. The Orchestra consists of members of the Colonial Club and a few others. Practices are held weekly in the Spanish Club Hall. The Orchestra has a dis- tinct organisation of its own. The office-bearers are— Honorary President, Mr Sydney Cuthbert; Conductor, Mr J. A. Var- gas; Secretary, Mr P. Lopez; Trea- surer, Mr N. Cervantes; Members of Committee, Messrs J. R. Rosado, L. Bouloy. Cricket Clubs. The fine old English game of cricket is fairly well kept up in the colony, there being now seven clubs, as fol- lows :— The Belize Wanderers' Cricket Club. The University Cricket Club. The Excel Cricket Club. The Non Plus Cricket Club. The Unity Cricket Club. The Bon Accord Cricket Club. The Invincible Cricket Club. The oldest of these is the first mentioned. It is also the largest, hav- ing on its books 13 honorary and 46 playing members. Matches are played and practices are held on the old parade-ground at Yarborough. The entrance-fee is $3, and the an- nual subscription $6, payable quarterly, in advance. Uniform—white flannel shirt and trousers, and straw hat with a blue ribbon, with the monogram of the Club worked thereon. NEWSPAPERS—NAVY. 219 The following are the office-bearers for 1888:— President—H. E. Oswald. Captain—P. B. Wright. Vice-Captain—C. M. Evans. Secretary—C. A. Metzgen. Treasurer—A. R. Usher. Committee — J. G. Dawe, C. J. Robertson, R. H. Logan, S. Wolff- sohn, A. B. Lacroix, W. B. Gut- teron. Standing Umpire—S. G. Woods. NEWSPAPERS. The following are the newspapers and periodicals published in the colony:— Title of Paper. Name of Proprietor or Editor. When issued. Date of Com- mencement. The Angelus, The Roman Catholic Church . George Smith Banham, . Monthly. Weekly, 1885. 1886. The Belize Advertiser and ) British Honduras Gazette, j The Belize Diocesan and j Parish Gazette, . . J The Episcopal Church, . Monthly, 1883. The Colonial Guardian, Frederick Galme, M.D., . The Government, . Weekly, Weekly, 1882. 1835. The Government Gazette, . Taking them in the order in which they stand, their circulation, price per copy, annual subscription, and price for advertisements, is as follows:— Annual Subscription. Circulation. Price per copy. Advertisements. In Colony. Abroad. 1. 12A cents, By arrangement. $150 per year per column. $15 ii ii n page. $140 ii ii ii column. First insertion, per 10 lines, $1. 2. about 500, l3 „ 12* „ $5.00 1.50 4.50 3.50 3. over 250, 4. ,i 400, 124 „ $5.54. 4.54. 5. „ 140, 12$ „ The two Church periodicals deal with all that concerns the colony; entirely with Church matters; the whilst the 'Gazette' relates entirely to 'Colonial Guardian' and the 'Belize the Government affairs, being published Advertiser and British Honduras by authority. Gazette' are the two papers dealing NAVY. British Honduras is in the command of the North American and West Indian stations, and is occasionally visited by one of her Majesty's ships stationed at Jamaica. Vice-Admiral Algernon M'L. Lyons is at present in command. The following are the ships on the station:— 220 NAVY. Name of Ship. Bellerophon, flag ship, . Bullfrog, Canada, Comus, Emerald, Forward, Lily, . Mallard, Py lades, Sparrowhawk, sur veying vessel, Terror, iron float ing battery, Tourmaline, . Urgent, depot ship, Wrangler, Description. Screw iron ship, armour- \ plated, . . .J Screw,composite gunboat. Screw corvette, steel and) iron, cased with wood, / Do. Composite screw corvette, Screw composite gunboat, Composite screw gun-1 vessel, . . . j Screw composite gunboat, Screw composite corvette, Schooner, Armour - plated (late^ screw, machinery re- > moved), . . .) Screw composite corvette, Screw composite gunboat, Guns. Tonnage. 20 4 10 12 12 4 14 12 / 7550 1(4270) 465 2380 2380 2120 465 720 455 1420 86 fl844 |(19 2120 / 28011 1(1081)/ 465 Horse- power. 6520 \ (1000)/ 420 2430 2450 2170 450 8301 (95)| 400 1640 2000 480 Captain. Bouverie F. Clark. j Lieut, and Com. J. \ Masterman. Lewis A. Beaumont. T. S. Jackson. R. H. Hammond. C Lieut, and Com. J. (. E. Bearcroft. Commander H. W. S. Gibson. f Lieut, and Com. E. ( J. Sanderson. E. N. Rolfe, C.B. ( Lieut, and Com. A. I Havergal, ( Robert P. Dennis- ( toun. M. Byles. Henry Hand. 'Lieut, and Com. H. D. Law. NEW ORLEANS AND BELIZE—NEW YORK AND BELIZE. 223 agents of the Royal Mail Steamship Company at the different ports of call for its steamers, to whom application should be made for any further information :— Name. Place. Address. John Hunter, British Honduras, Belize. Macheca Brothers,. United States of America, (129 Decatru Street, New t Orleans. Anderson & Owen, De Leon & Alger, . Binney & Melhado, Guatemala, .... Spanish Honduras, Livingston. Puerto Cortez. Do. ... Truxillo. New York and Belize. Messrs Williams & Rankin e, of 19 Whitehall Street, New York, managers of the Honduras and Central American Steamship Company Limited, have two steamers which perform the voyage to Belize from New York once every three weeks. The steamers, after their arrival in Belize, proceed south to Livingston, Puerto Cortez, Ruatan, Truxillo, Cape Gracias a Dios, San Andres, Greytown, Boca-del-Toro, and Colon, and thence return to New York via Jamaica. Messrs Williams & Rankine are in communication with the Government with the view of obtaining a contract to perform a mail-service between New York and Belize via Jamaica, but no arrangements have as yet been made, although the Legislative Council passed unanimously the following resolution at a meeting of the Council on the 14th October 1887 :— "That Messrs Williams & Rankine be com- municated with, and the sum of $1000 offered them for one year to send a steamer to Belize from New York, calling at a port in Jamaica en route every six weeks." This offer was not accepted, Messrs Williams & Rankine offering in return to perform such a service, as an experi- ment, for one year, if the light dues payable at Belize were not imposed upon their ships. As it was impossible to grant such a concession, the matter is still under consideration of the Gov- ernment. The following are the steamers at present performing the service:— Name. Tonnage. Commander. 1013 1012 J. Adair. Brownrigg. The agents, from whom any further information can be obtained, for this line of steamers are :— Name. Place. Address. John Harley,.... British Honduras,. Guatemala, .... Spanish Honduras, Belize. Anderson & Owen, Livingston. J. D. Merrielees, . Puerto Cortez. Binney & Melhado, Do. ... Truxillo. F. A. Pellas, .... Do. ... Jamaica, .... Greytown. Solomon, Ashenheim, & Co.,. Kingston. JAMAICA AND BELIZE—LONDON, LIVERPOOL, AND BELIZE. 225 Name. Place. Address. Temperleys, Curter, & Drake, Richard Bulman & Co.. England, . London. J. W. Jones n • . . 18 Chapel Street, Liverpool. M. Langlands & Sons, . Scotland, . France, . II 19 Chapel Walks, Manchester. 88 Great Clyde Street, Glasgow. Paris. J. M. Currie & Flint Ramsay, J. M. Currie, .... ii . . Havre. Bordeaux. Hamburg. Belize. James Moss & Co., ii ... Germany, Nissle & Gunther, B. Cramer & Co.,.... British Honduras, . Spanish Honduras, . J. F. De Brot, .... Puerto Cortez. Truxillo. Binney, Melhado, & Co., ii n Guatemala, H. S. Wardlaw, .... Livingston and Santo Thomas. Jamaica and Belize. There is as yet no direct communi- cation between Jamaica and Belize; but should the Honduras and Central American Steamship Company come to any arrangement with the Government, one of the stipulations in the contract will be that the steamers touch at a port in Jamaica, either on the voyage here and back to New York, or on the voyage here alone. At present the steamers of the " Har- rison," " Honduras and Central Ameri- can," and "London" lines touch at Kingston, Jamaica — those of the "Harrison" and "London" lines oc- casionally only on the voyage to Belize, and those of the "Honduras and Cen- tral American" line only on the return passage to New York; so that the most direct communication with Jamaica, and the way the mails are sent, unless a steamer of the " Honduras and Central American " line happens to be sailing from Belize, is via New Orleans and New York. Any information respecting rates of passage, freights, &c., can be obtained from the owners or agents of the re- spective lines mentioned above. London, Liverpool, and Belize, via New York and New Orleans. Over this route the mails to and from the colony travel, and it is the quickest by which England is reached, the whole journey being performed in from eigh- teen to twenty-one days. Starting from London, the train must be taken to Liverpool, thence New York is reached by one of the numerous At- lantic lines; from New York to New Orleans the journey is by train across America, and thence by one of the con- tract steamers to Belize. Should, how- ever, one of the boats of the Honduras and Central American line be sailing for Belize, the journey thither may be performed in this manner. The mails are never sent by this route, on account of the contract existing between the Government and the owner of the steamers running to New Orleans. The following table gives the fares and rates of freights charged by the various lines:— p 226 COASTAL SERVICE. Line of Steamships. Places. Fares. Freight Cabin. Steer- age. Royal Mailf Steamship-! Co.,. . . Belize aud New Orleans, M Livingston, it Puerto Cortez, i, New York, . ii Livingston, . ii Puerto Cortez, Truxillo, . . ii Greytown, . n Jamaica, . . $30.00 6.00 12.00 60.00 10.00 15.00 15.00 30.00 50.00 $18 4 7 J-15 cents per cubic foot. f Honduras and Central Amer- ican Steam-1 ship Co., Ltd., v f Mahogany, . 50s. per ton. 1 Logwood, . 40s. ii \ Sugar, . . 50s. „ Loudon-Line, .-| Harrison Line, .-| i, London,1 . . i, Nassau, . . £26 5s. 7 7 Weight or Mea-|60s d 1Q% \_ surement, ) '<= ii Liverpool, ii Vera Cruz, . ,i New Orleans, e"o j-By special arrangement. 6 03 The cost of the journey from Belize sleeping-car, is $93 ; and to London, vid to New York, vid New Orleans, per New Orleans, New York, and Liver- contract steamer and rail, including pool, is about $150. COASTAL SERVICE. Until the year 1887, no regular steam-communication existed between Belize and the other ports of the colony, in spite of the offers of the Colonial Government to subsidise a steamer to run to the ports in the north and .south, and to place them in regular communi- cation with the capital. The difficulties of the navigation of the shallows between Belize and Coro- sal, the depth of the water being in some places only 4 feet, and sometimes even less, and of the New river be- tween Corosal and Orange Walk, where there are some exceedingly sharp turns, had baffled the steamers, which were employed at various times by persons who endeavoured to perform the con- tract, from carrying out the service. On the 10th February 1887, how- ever, a contract was entered into with Mr James Leitch, the present con- tractor for the foreign mail-service, 1 Return tickets are available for 12 mouths— to London, £47, 5s. ; to Nassau, £12, 12s. 1 When steamers go there direct from Belize. who, for a subsidy of $7500 annually, agreed to provide a steamer of not less than 80 feet in length to run three times monthly to Corosal and Orange Walk in the north, and once a-month as far south as Punta Gorda, calling at the in- termediate ports. The steamer Freddie M. performs this service, leaving Belize for the north in the morning of the second day after the arrival of the mails from New Orleans, and for the south, according to the time-table. The rates of passage - money and freights are not to exceed the following: First-class passengers to or from Corosal, $4 Second-class n ,, n 2 First-class M M Orange Walk, 7 Second-class n i t n 3 Between Corosal and Orange Walk— First-class passengers, .... 2 Second-class h .... 1 Freight for bananas and plantains not to exceed 8 cents per bunch, 100 plantains being taken as 1 bunch of bananas. For further information, application should be made to the agent, Mr John Hunter, Belize. COMMERCIAL DIRECTORY—PROFESSIONS AND TRADES. 229 General Merchants and Dealers—continued. Firm in Belize. Address. Agent or Firm in England. Gentle, John, & Co., North Front Street, Robert Jobson, 23 Great St Helens, London, E.C. Partners—John Gentle and David Gentle. Harley, John, .... Heitler, Sigismund, South Front Street, Back Street,. . . P. Leckie & Co., London. De Long, Mayer, & Co., New York. Lefebvre, Krug, & Oswald, . Partners—Philip Lefebvre, Herman Krug, and Herman E. Oswald. North Front Street, Philip Lefebvre & Co., Paris. Lind, Henry, & Co., North Front Street, P. Leckie & Co., London. Mutrie, Arthur, & Currie, . Partners—John Eadie Murtrie, James Arthur, and James M'Murrich Currie. North Front Street, P. Leckie & Co., 23 Lime Street, London. Pahmeyer, C, & Co., Market Square, C. Pahmeyer & Co., 2 Crown Court, Milton Street, London, E.C. Partners—Charles Pahmeyer and Otto Hofius. Steven Brothers & Co.,. South Front Street, James Steven & Sons, 17 Gracechurch Street, Lon- don, E.C. Partners—Ewing Steven, Jose Maria Rosado, and John Pourie Robertson. PROFESSIONS AND TRADES. Auctioneers. Hempstead, Christopher. Wolffsohn, Sally. Bakers. David, Johnston. Gansz, Henry. Metzgen, Charles. Barbers. Abdulah. Barrow, Samuel. Nicnor. Wallace, James. Williams, John. Billiard-Tables. Banham, George. Lainfiesta, Ignacio. ONeil, James. Blacksmiths. Ingram, Thomas. Moodie. Peters, Charles. Raboteau, Walter. Boats for Hire. Arnold, Henry. Arnold, Richard. Beeks, Alfred. Bevins, Joseph. Collins, Joseph. Garnett, E. C. Loche, George. 234 RECORD OF THE SERVICE OE Watson prize; honours in the Facul- ties of Arts and Laws; scholarship in conveyancing and property law; Middle Temple, Trin., 1879; called to the bar, Trin., 1880; employed in Canada Pacific Railway Commission; admitted to the bar, British Honduras, 1881; notary public of the colony; De- puty Attorney-General on the Corosal Circuit, 1882 ; acting Attorney-General and Admiralty Advocate, 1883-85-86- 87; ex officio member of the Execu- tive and Legislative Councils; standing conveyancing council to the Supreme Court; Registrar of the Supreme Court; Keeper of the Records and Provost-Marshal, December 1884; also Registrar of Lands and Titles, Regis- trar of Companies, Registrar of the Admiralty Court, J.P. of the colony, visiting justice, commissioner of deeds, commissioner for oaths, &c.; member, Board of Agriculture; secretary, Crown Lands Board; chairman, Lands Tenures Commission; commissioner, Colonial and Indian Exhibition; acting Chief- Justice of the colony; Judge in Ad- miralty, and judicial member of the Legislature, 1886-87. PICKWOAD, Robert Williams.— Private secretary to Mr (now Sir) W. W. Cairns, when Lieutenant-Governor of British Honduras, 28th July 1870; chief clerk to the Colonial Secretary, and clerk to the Legislative Council of British Honduras, 28th March 1872; acted as Colonial Secretary, May to October 1877; acting additional magis- trate, Northern District, October 1877; magistrate, Northern District, April 1878; district magistrate, Orange Walk, 1885; ditto, Corosal, August 1886. PORTER, Alexander.—Acting dis- trict magistrate, Orange Walk, from 1st August to 21st November 1886; foreman of works from 1st December 1886 to July 1887; acting Colonial Engineer from 12th July to 30th Sep- tember 1887; acting district magis- trate, Cayo, from 4th November 1887 to 24th February 1888; resumed duties as foreman of works. PRICE, Samuel C.—Acted as clerk to the Clerk of Courts, May 1883, and again in 1884; assistant revenue officer, September 1883; third clerk in the Treasury, January 1888; is also Marshal of the Vice - Admiralty Court. TOMPKINS, A. C—Sub-Inspector B. H. C, 1888. TR AVERS, B.—District magistrate, Western District, British Honduras, June 1882; ditto, Toledo, March 1884; Corosal, January 1885; Orange Walk, August 1886; and Toledo, 1887. TRUMBACH, Charles M.—Acted as clerk to the Clerk of Courts, August 1885 to January 1886; clerk to the Attorney - General, 1886; clerk to magistrate, Western District, Decem- ber 1886. USHER, Henry Charles.—Clerk in the Colonial Secretary's Office, Hon- duras, June 1859; in the Public Trea- sury, July 1865; Provost - Marshal, July 1869; police magistrate and Be- lize valuator, November 1878; January 1882, title changed to district magis- trate of the Belize district; in charge of the Public Treasury from June 1866 to July 1867, and from April to June 1869; and in charge of the Belize jail from May to August 1872; has acted as registrar of shipping, surveyor of shipping, and inquisitor of wreck and casualty.; and also acted as inspector of police; was Marshal of the Vice-Admiralty Court, and is a commissioner for the execution -of deeds by married women; as police magistrate is ex officio judge of the HANDBOOK OF BRITISH HONDURAS ADVERTISER > Handbook of British Honduras Advertiser. A. E. MOELAN, ^ o H pq H 1*3 Pianos, Organs, Organinas, Music-boxes (all styles), Music Holders and Books, Sheet Music, Sewing-machines, Clocks from $1.50 to $100 (every style); Spectacles in Gold, Silver, Nickel, and Steel (made specially for the climate); Ladies', Gents', and Boys' Gold, Silver, and Nickel Watches (prices from $5 to $150); Finger-rings of every description; Gold and Silver Thimbles; Gold, Silver, and Plated Bracelets and Bangles; Gold and Silver Necklaces, Guard and Vest Chains, Lockets, Seals, Charms, Crosses, Watch-keys, Sets, Pins, and Ear-rings; Brooches for Ladies, Gents, and Chil- dren; Gold and Silver Pens, Pencils, and Toothpicks; Solid and Plated Silver Spoons and Forks, Cups, Mugs, Children's and Misses' Sets in Cases; Fruit, Cake, and Cheese Knives; Soup - ladles, Cruet - stands, Fruit and Berry Dishes, Waiters, and Salvers; Cake-baskets, Jewel Caskets, Card Re- ceivers and Cases; Napkin-rings (Plain, Fancy, Combination, and Emblematic); Pickle-stands, Biscuit-jars, Sardine-boxes, Butter-dishes, Spoon Racks and Holders, Epergnes, Syrup and Cream Pitchers, Tea Sets, Ice-pitchers; Holders and Sets, Nut- QaH cracks and Picks, Egg-stands, Knife-rests, Vases, Collapsion Cups for travelling, Napkin - holders, Mustard-pots, Jewel Cleaning Caskets, Sugar Shells and Tongs, &c. &c. JJ^T These Goods are all guaranteed to be as represented, and yon are respectfully requested to call and examine Goods and Prices. The Stock, for Variety, Quality, and Price, mil compare with any City in the World. QUEEN STREET, BELIZE. Handbook of British Honduras Advertiser. Royal Mail Steamship Company. LONDON & BELIZE via NEW ORLEANS. THE STEAMER WILL LEAVE BELIZE for NEW ORLEANS direct (Currying the United States, English, and International Mails) Every Ninth and Twelfth Day alternately; ALSO (After arrival here from NEW ORLEANS) FOB LIVINGSTON, PUERTO CORTEZ, and TRTJXILLO. Steamshi}-) "CITY OF DALLAS," C. W. READ, Commander. Steamshiji "WANDERER," H. GALT, Commander. Through Bills of Lading sicned to all European and American Ports, and Railroad Tickets sold throuch to any part of the United States. AGENTS:— Mr JOHN HUNTER Belize. Messrs De LEON & ALGER Puerto Cortez. Messrs MACHECA Bros., New Orleans. Messrs ANDERSON & OWEN, .... Livingston. Messrs BINNEY & MELHADO, .... Truxillo. 7 Handbook of British Honduras Advertiser. James Brodie & Co., MERCHANTS AND COMMISSION AGENTS, ALBERT STREET. GENERAL IMPORTERS OF BRITISH, AMERICAN, AND CONTINENTAL MANUFACTURES. ^ LARGE ASSORTMENT of HIGH-CLASS MILLINERY, DRAPERY, HOSIERY, and FANCY GOODS always kept, and SPECIAL ATTENTION is devoted to the upholding of these Departments. A Full Stock of GENERAL GOODS, including HARDWARE and PROVISIONS, always on hand at very LOWEST CASH PRICES. SOLE AGENTS FOR THE Celebrated BRADBURY SEWING-MACHINES. Town and Country Letter-Orders promptly executed and carefully packed, and SPECIAL QUOTATIONS given to WHOLESALE BUYERS. TERMS—Net Cash, or Three Months on approved credit. BELIZE, BRITISH HONDURAS. o Handbook of British Honduras Advertiser. Model Grocery, AT THE CORNER OF QUEEN AND DALY STREETS. James O'Neal, WHOLESALE AND RETAIL LIQUOR AND PROVISION DEALER, IMPORTER OF WINES, SPIRITS, CORDIALS, BEERS, &c. &c. &c. BILLIARD-ROOM ATTACHED; ALSO RE ST A URANT, WITH THE FINEST VIANDS AND OBLIGING WAITERS. Post-Horses and Carriages for Hire. 12 Handbook of British Honduras Advertiser. The following products are exhibited this year at the International Exhibitions at Glasgow, Melbourne, Brussels, Barcelona, Ostend, and at the Anglo-Danish Exhibition. Will also be shown at the Health Exhibition, Bristol. More than 70 Prizes have been awarded them at previous Exhibitions. HEALTHFUL TOILET REQUISITES (Luxurious and Economical), Highly recommended by the Medical Profession and Press. Supplied by all Chemists and Perfumers. "LANOLINE" COLD CREAM. Prepared from a specially purified wool fat, which possesses remarkable antiseptic healing and emollient properties, preventing roughness, chapping, wrinkles, and irritation of the skin. In glass pots, Is. 6d. each. TOILET "LANOLINE." Similar to above, but in collapsible tubes, convenient for travellers, 6d. each. "LANOLINE" POMADE. Is unequalled for its restorative influence on the hair and scalp (as the fat employed is natural to these tissues), thus preventing dandruff, loss of hair, and for a time greyness also. In pots, Is. 6d. each. "LANOLINE" SOAP, PURE AND FRAGRANT. A natural skin soap which aids in restoring its softness and brilliancy. Preventing chapping and roughness. Is. per cake. "LANOLINE" EUCALYPTIA SOAP. An agreeable antiseptic soap containing Eucalyptia, the pure volatile oil of Eucalyptus globulus. Is. per cake. "ALPINE" COLOGNE. A delightful, healthful perfume and toilet water, possessing remarkable antiseptic and refreshing properties. Distilled from "Pinol," obtained from the snowy regions of the Alps. Is. per bottle. COLGATE'S CASHMERE BOUQUET SOAP. The most luxurious and fragrant of all toilet soaps. Preferred by the Slite of Society before all others, and has the largest sale of any superfine Toilet Soap. The Star says: "It is exquisite—creamy, smooth, and with a ready lather; after using it, I felt for a while as if my complexion were as fresh and smooth as a baby's." Is. 3d. per cake. COLGATE'S CASHMERE BOUQUET PERFUME. Unequalled for its delicate and lasting fragrance. 1 oz. bottle, 2s. 6d. FLORIDA WATER. (Murray & Lanman.) This is a combination of the choicest floral perfumes, and besides its delightful toilet pro- perties, is antiseptic and a beautiful tonic for the skin. Added to the water before washing, it renders it agreeably redolent and refreshing. Bottles, Is., 2s., and 3s. each. LUNDBORG'S PERFUMES. These are the rarest, choicest, and most delicate of all fragrant odours. Thejr are none of them heavy, nor, on the other hand, are they quickly evanescent. Connoisseurs pronounce them of inimitable delicacy and sweetness. Lily of the Valley. Marechal Niel Rose. Alpine Violet. Fascination. Tally-ho! Edenia. Goya Lily. All at 2s. 6d. per bottle. SUPPLIED BY ALL CHEMISTS. 13 Handbook of British Honduras Advertiser. Alfred Beeks, LICENSED PUBLICAN. WHOLESALE AND RETAIL GROCERIES AND PROVISIONS. WINES, SPIRITS, AND MALT LIQUORS. CELEBRATED "BARLEY BR EE." LUNCHEON ALWAYS READY. OPPOSITE THE COURT HOUSE, REGENT STREET, BELIZE, BRITISH HONDURAS. Handbook of British Honduras Advertiser. BUILDER and CONTRACTOR. PARTICULAR ATTENTION GIVEN TO SHOP BUILDING AND REPAIRING. PLANS AND ESTIMATES Furnished at short notice and at Reasonable Rates. BELIZE, BRITISH HONDURAS. 32 Handbook of British Honduras Advertiser. Lainfiesta's Union Hotel. TEE GREAT RESORT FOR TRAVELLERS AID VISITORS TO THE COLONY. MEALS AT ALL HOURS; TABLES SUPPLIED WITH ALL THE DELICACIES OF THE SEASON. A Selected Stock of Wines and Liquors always on hand; ALSO, THE CELEBRATED BRAND OF CIGARS FROM SAN ANDRES, TUXTLA. ENGLISH AND AMERICAN BILLIARDS. LARGE, AIRY, AND WELL-VENTILATED BEDROOMS, FURNISHED IN THE MOST MODERN STYLE. Lainfesta's Union Hotel. EN ESTE ESTABLECIMIENTO SE ENCUENTRAN GRANDES CUNODIDADES, Y PRECIOS MÓDICOS. MESA ABUNDANTE Y VARIADA. CANTINA SURTIDA. MAGNIFICOS BILLARES. Los cuartos para pasajeros, espaciosos, frescos bien ventilados y con buenos muebles. NODA SE DICE DEL TRATO PER INNECESARIO. BELIZE, BRITISH HONDURAS. I