I spent some time at the National Archive yesterday afternoon, and like always, I walked out having learned something new. That place is full of quiet little treasures. This time, what I found was a handwritten letter dated August 17, 1861, written in Roatan by Franco Bernández, who at the time was the appointed authority of the Bay Islands. The letter was addressed to the Minister of the Treasury of Honduras, based in Comayagua. At first glance, the letter is just administra