Abolition Act; the changes in the labour system disrupted the economic structure of the Caymans. The islands had a largely seafaring culture; natives were familiar with the area from turtle fishing and other activities. Former slaveholders from the Cayman Islands were among the first to settle in the seaside locations throughout primarily western Roatán. During the late 1830s and 1840s, former slaves also migrated from the Cayman Islands, in larger number than planters. All together, the former Cayman peoples became the largest cultural group on the island. For a brief period in the 1850s, Britain declared the Bay Islands its colony. Within a decade, the Crown ceded the territory formally back to Honduras. British colonists were sent to compete for control. They asked American William Walker, a freebooter (filibuster) with a private army, to help end the crisis in 1860 by establishing an independent, English-speaking government over the islands; he eventually fell into the custody of the Honduran government, which executed him. In the 20th century, there was continued population growth resulting in increased economic changes and environmental challenges. A population boom began with an influx of Spanish-speaking Mestizo migrants from the Honduran mainland. Since the late 20th century, they tripled the previous resident population. Mestizo migrants settled primarily in the urban areas of Coxen Hole and Barrio Los Fuertes (near French Harbour). Even the mainlander influx was dwarfed in number and economic effects by the overwhelming tourist presence in the 21st century. Numerous American, Canadian, British, New Zealander, Australian and South African settlers and entrepreneurs engaged chiefly in the fishing industry. Later, the diving industry, provided the foundation for attracting the tourist trade. In 1998, Roatán suffered some damage from Hurricane Mitch, temporarily paralysing most commercial activity. The storm also broke up the popular dive-wrecks Aguila and Odyssey. Demographics At the time of the 2013 Honduras census, Roatán municipality had a population of 41,831. Of these, 52.06% were Mestizo, 20.97% Black or Afro-Honduran, 12.41% White, 11.19% Indigenous (3.73% Chʼortiʼ, 3.49% Lenca, 1.26% Miskito, 1.07% Pech) and 3.37% others. The Islanders The English-speaking people who have been established in Northern Honduras (specifically, the Bay Islands) since the early 19th century are chiefly of European and British-Afro-Caribbean descent and are called "Islanders" or "caracoles" (snails). They are called "caracoles" by Spanish-Speaking Hondurans, a term deemed offensive by native Islanders who have a long-standing rivalry with Spanish-speaking Hondurans because of their differences