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river Sarstoon or Sarstun, in the Bay of Honduras; ascends that river as far as the rapids of Gracias a Dios; and thence, turning to the right, runs in a straight See also:

LINE

line to Garbutt's Rapids, on the Belize river. From this point it proceeds due See also:

north to the Mexican frontier, where it follows the river Hondo to its mouth in Chetumal Bay. British Honduras differs little from the See also:

REST (O. Eng. rest, reste, bed, cognate with other Teutonic forms, e.g. Ger. Rast, Riiste, rest, and probably Gothic Rasta, league, i.e. resting or stopping place)

rest of the Yucatan See also:

peninsula. The approach to the See also:

COAST (from Lat. costa, a rib, side)

coast is through the islets known as says, and through See also:

CORAL

coral reefs. It is both difficult and dangerous. For some See also:

MILES, NELSON APPLETON (1839— )

miles inland the ground is See also:

low and swampy, thickly covered with mangroves and tropical See also:

JUNGLE (Sans. jangala)

jungle. Next succeeds a narrow See also:

belt of See also:

rich alluvial See also:

LAND

land, not exceeding a mile in width, beyond which, and parallel to the See also:

rivers, are vast tracts of sandy, arid land, called " See also:

PINE (Lat. Pinus, Gr. srlrur)

pine ridges," from the red pines with which they are covered. Farther inland these give See also:

PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place, first, to the less elevated " broken ridges," and then to what arc called " Cahoon ridges," with a deep rich See also:

SOIL

soil covered with myriads of See also:

palm trees. Next come broad savannas, studded with clumps of, trees, through which the streams descending from the mountains See also:

wind in every direction.

The mountains themselves rise in a See also:

SUCCESSION (Lat. successio, from succedere, to follow after)

succession of ridges parallel to the coast. The first are the Manatee Hills, from 800 to l000 ft. high; and beyond these are the Cockscomb Mountains, which are about 4000 ft. high. No less than sixteen streams, large enougl} to be called rivers, descend from these mountains to the sea, between the Hondo and Sarstoon. The uninhabited See also:

COUNTRY (from the Mid. Eng. contre or contrie, and O. Fr. cuntree; Late Lat. contrata, showing the derivation from contra, opposite, over against, thus the tract of land which fronts the sight, cf. Ger. Gegend, neighbourhood)

country between Garbutt's Rapids and the coast See also:

south of Deep river was first explored in 1879, by See also:

Henry See also:

Fowler, the colonial secretary of British Honduras; it was then found to consist of open and undulating grasslands, affording See also:

FINE

fine pasturage in the See also:

west and of forests full of valuable See also:

TIMBER

timber in the See also:

east. Its See also:

ELEVATION

elevation varies from 1200 to 3300 ft. Auriferous See also:

QUARTZ

quartz and traces of other minerals have been discovered, but not in sufficient quantity to repay the cost of See also:

MINING

mining. The See also:

GEOLOGY (from Gr. yp7, the earth, and Abyor, science)

geology, See also:

FAUNA

fauna and See also:

FLORA

flora of British Honduras do not materially differ from those of the neighbouring regions (see CENTRAL AMERICA). Although the colony is in the tropics, its See also:

CLIMATE

climate is subtropical. The highest shade temperature recorded is 98° F., the lowest 50°. Easterly sea-winds prevail during the greater See also:

PART

part of the See also:

YEAR

year. The dry See also:

SEASON (0. Fr. seson, seison, mod. saison, Lat. satio, sowing time, the spring, from serere, to sow; in Late Lat. the word is found with its present meaning, the spring being considered as particularly the season of the year)

season lasts from the See also:

MIDDLE

middle of See also:

FEBRUARY

February to the middle of May; See also:

RAIN (O.E. regn; the word is common to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Regen, Swed. and Dan. regn; it has been connected with Lat. rigare, to wet, Gr. 13pixeav)

rain occurs at intervals during the other months; and almost continuously in See also:

OCTOBER

October, See also:

NOVEMBER (Lat. novem, nine)

November and See also:

DECEMBER (Lat. decent, ten)

December. The See also:

ANNUAL

annual rainfall averages about 81 in., but rises in some districts to 150 in. or more.

See also:

Government notes are issued to the value of 1, 2, 5, 10, 50 and 100 dollars, and there is a local currency of one cent See also:

BRONZE

bronze pieces, and of 5, 10, 25 and 5o cent silver pieces. The British See also:

SOVEREIGN

sovereign and See also:

HALF

half sovereign are legal tender. In 1846 the government savings See also:

BANK

bank was founded in Belize; branches were afterwards opened in the principal towns; and in 1903 the British Bank of Honduras was established at Belize. The revenue, chiefly derived from customs, rose from £60,150 in 1901 to £68,335 in 1905. The See also:

EXPENDITURE

expenditure. in which the cost of See also:

POLICE (Fr. police, government, civil administration, a police force, Gr. sroXumeia, constitution, condition of a state, roars, city, state)

police and See also:

EDUCATION

education are important items, rose, during the same See also:

period, from £5i,2io to i6r,800. The public See also:

DEBT (Lat. debitum, a thing owed)

debt, amounting in 1905 to L34,736, represents the See also:

BALANCE (derived through the Fr. from the Late Lat. bilantia, an apparatus for weighing, from bi, two, and lanx, a dish or scale)

balance due on three loans which were raised in 1885, x887, and 1891, for public See also:

WORKS

works in Belize: The loans are repayable between 1916. and 1923. Constitution and Admnistration.—From 1638 to 1786 the colonists were completely See also:

INDEPENDENT

independent, and elected their own magistrates, who performed all judicial and executive functions. The customs and 'precedents thus established were codified and published under the name of " See also:

BURNABY, FREDERICK GUSTAVUS (1842-1885)

Burnaby's See also:

LAWS

Laws," after the visit of See also:

ADMIRAL

Admiral See also:

Sir W. Burnaby, ' in 1756, and were recognized as valid by the crown. In 1784 a See also:

SUPERINTENDENT

superintendent was appointed.. by the See also:

home government, and although this See also:

OFFICE (from Lat. officium, " duty," " service," a shortened form of opifacium, from facere, " to do," and either the stem of opes, " wealth," " aid," or opus, " work ")

office was vacant from 1790 to 1797, it was revived until 1862. An executive See also:

COUNCIL (Lat. concilium, from cum, together, and the root cal, to call)

council was established in 1839, and legislative See also:

ASSEMBLY, UNLAWFUL

assembly, of three nominated and eighteen elected members, in 1853. British Honduras was declared a colony in 186e, with a See also:

LIEUTENANT

lieutenant See also:

GOVERNOR (from the Fr. gouverneur, from gouverner, O. Fr. governer, Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, to direct, guide)

governor, subject to the governor of See also:

JAMAICA

Jamaica, as its chief See also:

MAGISTRATE (Lat. magistratus, from magister, master, properly a public office, hence the person holding such an office)

magistrate: In 187o the legislative assembly was abolished, and a legislative council substituted—the constitution of this See also:

BODY

body being' fixed, in 1892, at three See also:

OFFICIAL (Late Lat. QJicialis, for class. Lat. apparitor, from officium, office, duty)

official and five unofficial members.

In, 1884 the lieutenant governor was created governor and commnder-in-chief, and rendered independent of Jamaica. fie is assisted by an executive council of three official and three unofficial mentbefs. For administrative purposes the colony is 'divided into six• districts—Belize, Corosal, Orange Walk, the Cayo, Stann Creek and' See also:

Toledo. The capital of the last named is Punta Gorda; the other districts take the names of their chief towns. English common See also:

law is valid 'throughout British Honduras, subject to modification by local enactments, and to 'the operation of the Consolidated See also:

LAGOS

Lagos of British Honduras. This collection of ordinances, customs, &c., See also:

war officially revised and published between 1884 and 1888. Appeals may be carried before the privy council or the supreme See also:

court of Jamaica, See also:

Religion and Education.-The churches represented are See also:

ROMAN

Roman See also:

CATHOLIC (Gr. KcaBoXuK6s, general, universal)

Catholic, See also:

ANGLICAN

Anglican, Wesleyan, Baptist and Presbyterian; but none of them receives assistance from public funds. The bishopric of British Honduras is part of the West Indian province of the See also:

Church of England. Almost all the See also:

SCHOOLS

schools, secondary as well as See also:

PRIMARY

primary, are denominational. School fees are charged, and grants-in-aid are made to elementary schools. Most of these, since 1'894, have been under the See also:

CONTROL (Fr. contrdle, older form contre rolle, from Med. Lat. contra-rotulus, a counter roll or copy of a document used to check the original; there is no instance in English of the use of " control " in this, its literal, meaning)

control of a' See also:

BOARD (O. Eng. bord)

board', on which the religious bodies managing the schools are represented. See also:

Defence.—The Belize volunteer See also:

LIGHT

light See also:

INFANTRY

infantry See also:

CORPS (pronounced as in French, from which it is taken, being a late spelling of tors, from Lat. corpus, a body; cf. " corpse ")

corps, raised, in 1897, consists of about 200 See also:

OFFICERS

officers and men; a mounted See also:

section, rehtnbering`about 40, was created in 1904. 'F'or the whole colony, the police' number about 120.

There is also a volunteer See also:

FIRE (in O. Eng. f j'r; the word is common to West German languages, cf. Dutch vuur, Ger. Feuer; the pre-Teutonic form is seen in Sanskrit pu, pavaka, and Gr. irup; the ultimate origin is usually taken to be a root meaning to purify, cf. Lat. purus)

fire See also:

BRIGADE (Fr. and Ger. brigade, Ital. brigata, Span. brigada; the English use of the word dates from the early 17th century)

brigade Of 335 officers 'and men. See also:

HISTORY

History.—" His See also:

MAJESTY (Fr. majeste; Lat. majestas, grandeur, greatness, from the base mag-, as in magnus, great, major, greater, &c.)

Majesty's See also:

Settlement in the Bay of Honduras,' as the territory was formerly styled in official documents, owes its origin, in 1638, to See also:

LOG (a word of uncertain etymological origin,possibly onomatopoeic; the New English Dictionary rejects the derivation from Norwegian lag, a fallen tree)

log-wood cutters who had formerly been buccaneers. These were afterwards joined by agents of 'the Chartered See also:

COMPANY

Company which exploited the See also:

pearl fisheries of the See also:

MOSQUITO (Span. mosquito, a gnat, diminutive of mosca, a fly)

Mosquito coast. Although thus industriously, occupied, the settlers so far retained their old habits as to 'make frequent descents on the logwood establishments of the Spaniards,' whose attempts to expel them were generally successfully resisted. The most formidable of these was made by the Spaniards in See also:

APRIL

April 17 54, when, in consequence of the difficulty of approaching the position from the sea, an expedition, consisting of See also:

ISAR (identical with Isere, in Celtic " the rapid ")

Isar men, Was organized inland at the See also:

TOWN

town of Peten. As it neared the coast, it was met by 250 British, and completely routed, ' The log-wood cutters were not again disturbed for a number of years, and their position had become so well established that, in the treaty of 1763 with See also:

Spain, Great Britain, while agreeing to demolish" " all fortifications which English subjects had erected in the Bay of Honduras," insisted oti a clause in favour of the totters of logwood, that " they or their workmen were not to be disturbed or molested, under any pretext. whatever, in their said places of cutting and loading logwood." Strengthened by the recognition of the crown, the British settlers made fresh encroachments on Spanish territory. The Spaniards, asserting that they were engaged in See also:

SMUGGLING

smuggling and other illicit practices, organized a large force, and on the 15th of September x774, suddenly attacked and destroyed the See also:

ESTABLISHMENT (0. Fr. establissement, Fr. etablissement, late Norm. Fr. establishement, from O. Fr. establir, Fr. etablir, Lat. stabilire, to make stable)

establishment at Belize, taking the inhabitants prisoners to See also:

Merida in Yucatan, and afterwards to See also:

HAVANA (the name is of aboriginal origin; Span. Habana or, more fully, San Cristobal de la Habana)

Havana, where most of them died, The survivors were liberated in 1782, and allowed to go to Jamaica. In x783' they returned with many new adventurers, and were soon engaged in cutting woods. On the 3rd of September in that year a new treaty was signed between Great Britain and Spain, in; vvhic it was expressly agreed that his Britannic Majesty's subjects should have" the right of cutting, loading, and carrying away logwoodin the See also:

DISTRICT

district lying between the river See also:

WALLIS, JOHN (1616-1703)

Wallis or Belize and Rio Hondo, taking the course of these two rivers for unalterable boundaries." These concessions were not to be considered as derogating from the rights of See also:

SOVEREIGNTY

sovereignty of the See also:

king of Spain " over the district in question, where all the English dispersed in the Spanish territories were to concentrate themselves within eighteen months. Thisdid not prove a satisfactory arrangement; for in 1786 a 'new treaty was concluded, in which the king of Spain made an additional ' See also:

grant of territory, embracing the area between the rivers Sibun or Jabon and Belize. But these extended limits were coupled with still more rigid restrictions. It is not to be supposed that a population composed of so lawless a set of men was remarkably exact in its observance of the treaty.

They seem to have greatly annoyed their Spanish neighbours, who eagerly availed themselves of the breaking out of war between the two countries in 1796 to See also:

CONCERT (through the French from Lat. con-, with, and certare, to strive)

concert a formidable attack on Belize. They concentrated a force gf 2000 men at Campeachy, which, under the command of See also:

General O'See also:

NEILL, JAMES GEORGE SMITH (1810-1857)

Neill, set See also:

SAIL

sail in thirteen vessels for Belize, and arrivedon the loth of See also:

JULY

July, 1798. The settlers, aided by the British See also:

SLOOP

sloop of war " See also:

Merlin," had strongly fortified a small See also:

ISLAND (O.E. ieg =isle, +land')

island in the See also:

HARBOUR (from M.E. hereberge, here, an army; cf. Ger. Heer and -beorg, protection or shelter. Other early forms in English were herberwe and haiborow, as seen in various place names, such as Market Harborough.. The French auberge, an inn, derived through

harbour, called St See also:

George's Cay. They maintained a determined resistance against the Spanish forces, which were obliged to retire to Campeachy. This was the last See also:

ATTEMPT (Lat. adtemptare, attentare, to try)

attempt to dislodge the British. The defeat of the Spanish attempt of 1798 has been adduced as an See also:

ACT (Lat. actus, actum)

act of See also:

CONQUEST

conquest, thereby permanently establishing British sovereignty. But those who, take this view overlook the important fact that, in 1814, by a new treaty with Spain, the provisions' of the earlier treaty were revived. They forget'aiso that' for many years the British government never laid claini`to any rights acquired' in virtue of the' successful defence; for so See also:

LATE

late as 1817-i819 the acts of See also:

PARLIAMENT (Anglo-Lat. parliamentum, Fr. parlement, from parler, to speak)

parliament See also:

RELATING

relating to Belize always refer to it as " a settlement, for certain purposes, under the See also:

PROTECTION

protection of His Majesty." 'After Central America had attained its See also:

independence (1859-1822) Great Britain secured its position by incorporating the'provisions of the treaty of 786 in a new treaty with 'See also:

Mexico (1826), and in the drafts of' See also:

TREATIES

treaties with New See also:

Granada (1825) and the United States of Central America (1831). The territories between the Belize and' Sarstoon ' rivers were claimed by the British in 1836. The subsequent peaceful progress of the country under British See also:

RULE

rule; the exception of Belize from that See also:

PROVISION (Lat. provisio)

provision of the See also:

CLAYTON, JOHN MIDDLETON (1796–1856)

Clayton-Bulwer Treaty(q.e.) of 185o which forbade Great Britain and the United States to fortify or colonize any point on the' Central American mainland; and the settlement'of the boundar. disputes with Guatemala in 5859, finally confirmed the. legal sovereignty of Great Britain' over the whole colony, including the territories 'claimed in 1836.' The Bay Islands were recognized as' part of the See also:

REPUBLIC (Lat. respublica, a commonweal or common-wealth)

republic of Honduras in 1859. Between 1849, when the Indians beyond the Hondo rose against their Mexican rulers, and 1901,, when they were finally subjugated, See also:

REBEL, JOHANN PETER (176o-1826)

rebel bands occasionally attacked the See also:

NORTHERN

northern and north-western See also:

MARCHES, THE (It. Le Marche)

marches of the colony. The last serious See also:

RAID

raid was failed in 1872.

frnl0GRAPH:v.-See also:

Por all statistical See also:

MATTER

matter relating to the colony, seethe-annual reports to the British Colonial Office (See also:

LONDON

London).' For the progress of exploration, see A Narrative of a See also:

JOURNEY (through O. Fr. jornee or journee, mod. Fr. journee, from med. Lat. diurnata, Lat. diurnus, of or belonging to dies, day)

Journey across the unexplored. Portion of BritishHgnduras, by H. Fowler (Belize, 18?9); and ! AnExpedi iontoihe Cockscomb Mountains, -by J. See also:

Bellamy, in Proceedings off the Royal See also:

GEOGRAPHICAL

Geographical Society, vol. If. (London, 1880). A good ' general ,description is given in the Handbook of British Honduras, by L. W. Bristowe and P. B. See also:

Wright (See also:

EDINBURGH

Edinburgh, 1892);; and the local history is ;recounted in the History ,of British Honduras byyA..

R. See also:

Gibbs (London, 18$3) ; in Notes on Central America, by E. J. Squier' (New See also:

York, 1855) ; and in Belize or British Honduras, a See also:

paper read before the Society of Arts by Chief See also:

JUSTICE (Lat. justitia)

Justice See also:

Temple (London, 1847)• (K. G.

End of Article: BRITISH HONDURAS

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