Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress with the Annual Message of the President, December 2, 1872, Part I

No. 229.
Mr. Baxter to Mr. Fish,

Legation of the United States,
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, December 4, 1871. (Received Jan. 1.)

No. 43.]

Sir: Honduras still continues in a very unsettled state, owing to the yet unconquered and unsubdued band of Indians and desperadoes, of which I have made mention in previous dispatches. Although they have been met and routed several times by the soldiery, the country is such that when attacked, if overpowered, they are enabled to disperse for the time, flee to the mountains, and soon reunite in some other locality in their full strength, to continue their outrages and robberies, thus rendering the entire southern portion of Honduras insecure and unsafe for travel or transportation, and business almost entirely paralyzed. It is with great difficulty that communication is had with Amapala and the interior, rendering our mails very irregular and uncertain.

There are now vague rumors of the probability that the governments of Salvador and Gautemala may unite to overthrow the present government of Honduras; but with how much foundation I am unable to say.

I have, &c,

HENRY BAXTER.