Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VIII.djvu/808

 790 HONDURAS ican wolf is common ; there are several varie- ties of armadillos and ant-eaters ; pacas are numerous, and their flesh is by some accounted a delicacy ; and to these may. be added two spe- cies of deer, red and brown, peccaries, warees (wild hogs), tapirs, raccoons, opossums, squir- rels, and hosts of monkeys of different varieties. Alligators abound in every river and lake, and sharks along both coasts. Lizards of various kinds are extremely numerous, among them being the iguana, often 4 ft. in length, the flesh of which is commonly eaten. The rattlesnake and corral are the only venomous serpents, but many harmless species exist. The green and hawksbill turtles, the latter furnishing the tortoise shell of commerce, and many kinds of land turtles, are found. Endless varieties of edible and other fish inhabit the rivers and lakes, and abound on the coasts; and there are several species of edible mollusks, and crustaceans, such as oysters, lobsters, crabs, &c. Bees are plentiful and yield large quan- tities of honey. Mosquitoes are unknown, save in the marshy regions of the Caribbean coast, where the nigua, a small insect which burrows under the skin of the feet producing sluggish sores, is also found in considerable numbers. Tarantulas, scorpions, and enor- mous scolopendrae infest all regions ; and my- riads of locusts sometimes visit the country, darkening the air as their column passes, and utterly destroying every green thing where they alight. Hawks, vultures, and zopilotes or turkey buzzards are the only predatory birds ; pelicans and many other aquatic birds abound ; partridge, quail, snipe, pigeons, wild turkeys, plovers, and similar birds are numer- ous in the interior ; humming birds of many varieties are found, as are also numerous spe- cies of warblers. Agriculture is extremely backward ; laborers are scarce, and the na- tives are strongly opposed to continuous ex- ertion, especially in the open air ; so that even the comparatively small portion of the country under cultivation is very imperfectly tilled. In the plains of the interior large numbers of cattle, horses, asses, and mules find rich and abundant pasture ; yet little care is taken of these animals, except the mules, by which almost all the carrying trade is per- formed ; and the quantities of hides and other animal products exported are comparatively insignificant. The manufactures consist ex- clusively of coarse woollen stuffs and rude utensils for domestic and field uses, and are analogous to those of Guatemala and Mexico. Mahogany cutting is an important occupation during the months of August, September, and October. Of the commerce of the republic it is difficult to give accurate statements, there being no official returns published. The chief staples of export are mahogany, tobacco, cat- tle, hides, sarsaparilla, indigo, and other dye- stuffs. According to a communication of President Medina in 1872, the value of the exports may be estimated at $1,230,000, dis- tributed as follows : bullion, $600,000 ; indigo, $200,000; cattle, $150,000; timber (mahoga- ny, &c.), $180,000; hides, &c., $100,000. The imports comprise cotton and silk fabrics, hard- ware, and machinery, the first two mainly from Great Britain, and much of the others from the United States. The internal communica- tion is chiefly effected, as already observed, by mules; on some of the rivers, however, the transportation is carried on in bongos or large canoes. There is an interoceanic railway in process of construction from Amapala to Puer- to Cortes, through the transverse valley of the Goascoran and Humuya rivers ; the total length is to be 232 m. ; the first section, extending from Puerto Cortes southward 56 m., is built, and it was reported in 1873 that the traffic was already sufficient to almost meet the running expenses. The line, according to the terms of the contract, was to have been completed in 1872; but it has been retarded by civil wars and the lack of adequate capital. A material drawback to the public welfare is the want of suitable roads, very few worthy of the name as yet existing. In 1873 some measures were taken by the government for repairing a road leading from the capital to Potrerillos, and other- wise facilitating the transportation of merchan- dise. Honduras is divided into the seven de- partments of Choluteca, Comayagua, Gracias, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Tegucigalpa, and Yoro, each of which is subdivided into dis- tricts. The same uncertainty attends the sta- tistics of population as those of commerce ; no official census has ever been taken, nor has the government published any data on the subject. It may fairly be presumed, however, that Honduras has 400,000 inhabitants, of whom some 184,000 are Indians, 205,000 mes- tizos, 5,750 whites, and 5,250 negroes. The whole country E. from the longitude of the river Aguan is almost exclusively occupied by independent aboriginal tribes, the two best known of which are the Jicaques and the Poyas, both probably being branches of the Carib stock. Numbers of them have embraced the Catholic faith, and are fairly entered upon the career of civilization ; their chief occupa- tion is husbandry. There is in the region adjacent to the Laguna de Cartago a people called black Caribs, who have evidently a large admixture of African blood. The whites are mostly descended from the early Spanish set- tlers ; they inhabit the larger towns, especial- ly the seaports, and the extensive haciendas scattered through the interior in the western portion of the country. The government is based upon a charter promulgated in Novem- ber, 1865. The executive power is vested in a president elected for a term of four years, and aided in the administration by a council of state composed of two ministers appointed by himself, a senator elected by both houses of congress, and the judge of the supreme court. The legislative power rests in a con- gress consisting of a senate and a chamber