Secretary and Accountant, G. F. Messervy, 6501. by 50l. to 750l. Class I Clerk, J. W. Fraser, 3571. 10s. by 201. to 4171. 108. Class II Clerk, Miss I. W. McKay, 2621. 10s. by 15l. to 3071. 10s. Land Surveys Section Superintendent of Surveys, F. Ray, H. Green, A.R.S.M., A. Inst.M.M., 7001. by 251. to 8001. Government Surveyors, W. T. Lord, F.S.I.. J. Phang, 5001. by 25l. to 600l.; R. S. Kaufman, C. P. de Freitas, A. Lee Own, J. B. Bamford, 2901. by 151. to 500l.; E. M. Cossou, 2451. by 151. to 2901. Draughtsman, C. A. Cole, 3071. 108. by 15. to Judicial. Chief Justice, M. V. Camacho, 1,6001. First Puisne Judge, J. Verity, 1,2001.; Second Puisne Judge, C. G. Langley, 1,0501. Registrar of Deeds and of Supreme Court, E. M. Duke, 7001. to 8001. 1st Class Clerks and Sworn Clerks and Notaries Public, G. H. Westmaas and J. B. Sharples, 4251. to 5751. Class I Clerk, H. F. Earl, 3571. 108. to 4171. 108. Class II Clerks, J. H. Nathoo, 2621. 10s. to 3371. 108. (with service allowance of 401. and duty allowance of 751.); J. F. Todd, 2621. 10s. to 3371. 10s. District Stipendiary Magistrates, A. V. Crane, LL.B., D. E. Jackson, 6751. to 775l., J. H. S. McCowan, 5751. to 6751., J A. Veerasawmy, F. O. Low, A. C. Brazao, 500l. to 6501. Clerks, Badri Nauth, C. F. Collins, D. P. Debidin, C. J. Croal, 2621. 10s, to 3371. 10s., A. McL. Thorne, 951. to 2501. Law Officers. Attorney-General, (vacant). Assistant Attorney-General, S. E. Gomes, 8501. Clerk to Attorney-General, I. de Freitas, 3571. 10s. to 4171. 10s. Stipendiary Magistrates in Georgetown. A. V. Crane, LL.B., 6751. to 775l., J. H. S. McCowan, 6751. Clerk, Badri Nauth, 2621. 10s. to 3371. 108. Official Receiver and Public Trustee's Department. Official Receiver, Public Trustee and Crown Solicitor, P. W. King, 900l. to 1,0007. Class I Clerk, M. K. Khan, 3571. 10s. to 4177. 108. Class II Clerk, A. J. Gaskin, 2621. 108. to 3771. 108. Government Analyst's Department. Government Analyst, K. Wallis, B.Sc., A.I.C., 7501. First Assistant Analyst, N. Newsam, 350l. to 500l. Department of Agriculture. Director of Agriculture, Prof. J. Sydney Dash, B.Sc., 1,2001. with free quarters. Deputy Director of Agriculture, F. Burnett, M.C., M.A., 9001. Entomologist L. D. Cleare, F.R.E.S., 600l. to 750l. Chemist, D. W. Duthie, M.A., B.Sc., Ph.D., F.I.C., 600. to 750l. Veterinary Surgeon, (vacant). Sugar Agronomist and Plant Breeder, C. H. B. Williams. M.A., A.I.C.T.A., Dip. Agr., 500l. to 7001. Botanist-Plant Pathologist, and Superintendent, Botanic Gardens, E. B. Martyn, B.A., A.I.C.T.A., 500l. to 6001. Assistant Chemist, C. L. C. Bourne, 400l. to 500l. Agricultural Superintendents, E. M. Peterkin, H. D. Huggins, M.Sc., Dip. Agr., A. A. Abraham, E. G. A. Benson, B.Sc., Dip. Agric., A.I.C.T.A., 500l. to 6001. Assistant Agricultural Superintendent, E. M. Morgan, 350l. to 4501. Agricultural Instructors, C. C. Dowding, F.L.S., F.R.H.S., 260l. to 310., H. A. Cole 2371. 10s. to 300l., O. F. J. Churaman, Dip. Agric., 1907. to 2501. Senior Clerk, J. F. Irving, M.C.. 3251. to 3751. Class II Clerk (Registrar of Banks), W. G. Delph, 3251. to 3371. 158. Militia. Commandant, Colonel C. P. Widdup, V.D. p.a. Public Health Department. Government Medical Officer of Health, (vacant). 3 Assistant Government Medical Officers of Health, P. A. T. Sneath, M.C.P. & S. (Ont.), M.B. (U. Toronto), M.D., D.P.H., 650l. to 800l. Travelling according to scale. O. M. Francis, M.D., C.M. (McGill), L.M.S. (N.Scot.), D.P.H. (Lond.), D.T.M. & H. (Eng.), 650l. to 8001. Travelling according to scale. One vacant. 3 County Sanitary Inspectors, F. J. July, M.R.San.I., Berbice, H. A. Moonsawmy, F.R.San.I., F.R.E.S., Demerara, 3251. to 3751. each, house allowance 751. or house provided and travelling according to scale, F. A. Iloo, Essequebo, 3251. to 3751., travelling according to scale. History. The coast was discovered in 1502 by Columbus, and its early settlement is supposed to have been effected from Jamaica, about 1638, by adventurers, who were attracted by the logwood which grew on the banks of the Hondo and other rivers. Their headquarters were long at St. George's Cay. The name of the present chief town and of the River Belize is alleged to be a corruption of the name of the buccaneer Wallis, who was driven from Hispaniola in that year, and who is said to have been the leader of the settlers. The Spaniards frequently endeavoured to expel the logcutters ; but, though they succeeded in driving them from the northern coast of Yucatan about 1717, they failed to dislodge them from the eastern coast. An earlier settlement had been made by chartered company, of which the Earl of Warwick was chairman and John Pym treasurer, on two small islands off the Mosquito coast, in 1630. The Mosquito natives were very friendly to the English settlers, and their king, shortly after the conquest of Jamaica, placed himself under English protection, and the Governors of Jamaica exercised sort of supervision over the affairs of the settlement. In 1739 the native king made a treaty resigning his country to Great Britain, and forts were built in 1742 at the Island of Ruatan, and at Black River on the mainland. Ruatan was abandoned in 1749, but at the same time an officer was formally appointed Foreign Consuls. Sweden, T. R. Cowell, Hon. Consul. M. Fernandes. France, P. Fisseux (resides in Trinidad); Consular by the Government of Jamaica to superintend the Agent, S. Psaila. settlements on the Mosquito Coast. As a result of the treaty of Paris in 1763, the forts were dismantled and the garrisons withdrawn. The settlers remained, however, and from that date until 1798, when the last attempt to establish the sovereignty of Spain over the territory was defeated by the inhabitants in the "Battle of St. George's Cay," the Spaniards made frequent but ineffectual attempts to expel the woodcutters by force of arms. By the Treaty of Versailles of 1783 Spain recognised. a district (within what is now British Honduras) within which the British logcutters might work without interference; and by the Convention of London signed in 1786, it was agreed that the British Colonists should evacuate the Mosquito Coast and the adjacent islands. In spite of these treaties, many of the settlers remained outside the agreed limits; and it was not until the treaties of 1859 with the Republic of Honduras and 1860 with Nicaragua that the Bay Islands and the Ecclesiastical Establishments. Bishop, Rev. A. J. Knight. For Missionary purposes for work among:- Upper Essequebo R. Indians, 341. 78. 6d. Church of Scotland. Moderator of the Presbytery, Rev. A. E. Dyett. Roman Catholic Church. 78. 6d. The Methodist Church. The Netherlands, E. M. Walcott. Republic of Venezuela, J. I. Sanchez. Belgium, W. S. Jones. Italy (Jurisdiction added to the Consulate at Trinidad), Dr. C. Romiti, Consular Agent. Denmark, E. M. Walcott. United States of America, Consul at Trinidad. *BRITISH HONDURAS. Situation and Area. of Central America, bounded on the north by Bay of Honduras. It lies between 18°.29 and 15o-54 Finland, W. S. Jones, Hon. Vice-Consul. • See under the Windward Islands for general map of the West Indies. Mosquito Coast were finally recognised as belong, ing to those states, Nicaragua agreeing to allow the Mosquito Indians autonomy in the Reserve which was assigned to them. On the 10th of September, 1931, Belize was visited by a hurricane and tidal wave which caused great damage and loss of life. Constitution. The first settlers from 1638 to 1786 managed their own affairs. Persons were annually elected to act as Magistrates at public meetings held for the purpose. These Magistrates discharged all Resolutions executive and judicial functions. were passed at public meetings, and they formed the laws binding on the community. In 1765 these customs were formally recognised by the King's Government, after the visit of Admiral Sir William The Burnaby to the settlement in that year. customs of the settlers were codified and published, and became known as "Burnaby's Laws." In 1786 a Superintendent was appointed by the Home Government, but during the years 1790-1797 elected Magistrates again ruled the settlements. From this latter date Superintendents were regularly An Executive Council was appointed until 1862. established in 1840 to assist the Superintendent, and in 1853 a Legislative Assembly was formally constituted consisting of 18 elected and 3 nominated members. The settlement was declared a Colony on the 12th May, 1862, and a Lieutenant-Governor was appointed subordinate to the Governor of Jamaica. In 1870 the Legislative Assembly was abolished by a local enactment, and a Legislative Council substituted therefor, consisting of five official, and not less than four unofficial, members, with the Lieutenant Governor as President. The constitution of the Council was altered in 1892, after a dispute with the Governor, and became three ex-officio members and not less than five (nominated) unofficial members with the Governor as President. Since 1913 the Council has consisted of six official and seven unofficial members. A new Legislative Council was constituted in 1936 (under Ordinance No. 13 of 1935) with the Governor as President, three ex-officio and two nominated members, two unofficial members nominated by the Governor and five unofficial members elected by four constituencies. On the 31st October, 1884, Letters Patent were proclaimed constituting the office of Governor and Commander-in-Chief, which rendered the Colony independent of Jamaica. These were renewed by Letters Patent proclaimed on the 10th September, 1909. the capital at the mouth of the river of the same name; the Northern District; the Cayo district; the Stann Creek district; and the Toledo district, the main station of which is Punta Gorda. The English Common Law and all statutes of the Imperial Parliament "in abrogation or derogation or in any way declaratory of the Common Law" passed before 1899 extend to the Colony as far as local circumstances render such extension suitable, and subject to modification by Colonial ordinances. Pursuant to Ordinance No. 31 of 1923, a new and revised edition of the Laws of this Colony has been published in two volumes. This edition, referred to as "The Consolidated Laws, 1924," came into force on the 4th February; 1925, and supersedes the revised edition published in 1915 and all ordinances passed before July, 1924. Appeals to His Majesty in Council are regulated by Chapter 155 of the Consolidated Laws, 1924. The Executive Council consists of the Governor, and official and unofficial members; three of the official members are ex officio, five other members being appointed. General Description. In its physical outlines the Colony resembles other parts of Central America, the land being of the coast line, and gradually rising as the flat and swampy throughout the greater portion interior is approached. The characteristic soils of the Colony are known as Cohune ridge (the vegetable alluvium along the river valleys), the Pine ridge (sandy tracts covered with pines, scrub, and wiry grass), and Broken ridge (intermediate between these two). Besides these there are swamp, savannah, and mountain. For administrative purposes the Colony is divided into five districts-Belize, which includes The chief rivers are in the north of the Colony, and run in a north-easterly direction, the Belize reaching the sea on the east, and the Hondo and the New River on the north. The northern district, of which the Hondo forms the natural boundary, is but little raised above the sea; but towards the south the character of the country becomes more elevated, until in the Cockscomb Mountains a height of some 3,700 feet is attained. That district of the Colony remained until 1879 wholly unexplored, when it was traversed by the then Colonial Secretary, Mr. Fowler, from Garbutt's Falls on the Belize River, at the western frontier, to the sea coast south of Deep River. The country proved to be a succession of valleys and hills, from 1,200 to 3,000 feet above sea level. The westerly portion was an open undulating grassy country, forming magnificent Towards the coast it was all pasturage lands. forest, full of valuable timber. No inhabitants were seen, but ancient Indian ruins, consisting of large stone buildings, were discovered. The soil generally was rich, and indications of minerals were noticed. Industry, Trade and Customs. For more than 200 years the Colony has subsisted A mainly on the natural resources of its forests. Forest Department has been in existence since 1922. The chief items of export in 1937 were as follows:Mahogany logs, 426,037 cubic feet; mahogany lumber, 305,605 cubic feet; cedar logs and lumber, 23,960 cubic feet; chicle, 659,916 lbs.; coconuts, 4,958,980; copra, 356,708 lbs.; bananas, 938,985 bunches; plantains, 198,200; grapefruit, 14,852 cwt.; grapefruit, canned, 893 cwt. Belize is a port of registry, and there were registered on 31st December, 1937, 187 vessels aggregating 2,694 tons net. The imports consist mainly of mahogany and chicle in transit, cotton goods, petroleum oils, hardware, haberdashery and millinery, boots and shoes, spirits, tobacco and provisions. The percentages of the Imports, Exports and Total Trade during 1937 as between Empire Countries and Foreign Markets are shown here under : Imports. Fxports. Trade. 21.94 8.19 % % % 29.08 19-63 5.44 2.29 4.53 .28 2-83 31.06 67-38 45.26 34.28 .97 26-84 .. |