Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-06-21


after oil, ihe Inconvenience danger from such sources 10
chiefly imaginary, and exists in the anticipation than
the reality.
From what has been said it win be seeu that Gan Jusn
has resources Of its own, and derives present impo
lance solely from the trade which Is carried on through il with
the interior considerable part of the exports and imports
Of Nicaragua passes here consisting. the latter Of indigo
Brazil wood hides and bullion and the former of manufsc
ured goods of every description suitable for general uss
The indigo and bullion 60 in great part to England by the
British West Indian line of steamers which touches here
monthly and which has already nearly monopoized the
carrying Of those articles of high value and small bulk upon
which It is desirable to realize quick returns. The Brazil
wood and hides on the other hand pass chiefly to The United
States and Jamaica. By far the greater proportion Of the
carrying trade is in the hands Of Americans. conducted
through native houses and through travelling agents in the
interior and considerably than two thirds Of the tonnage
entering the port is American. An Italian vessel
twice year, and couple Of French vessels occasionally
as also some Hondescpt coasters bearing the New Grenadan
or Venezuelan fsgs portion Of the trade of Costa RIGA,
via The rivers San Juan and Serapiqui Is carried
through this port There Of ascertsning its
value, nor that Of the general of San JuaB mas
much as no regular tables have been kept Previous to the
seizure Of the port by the English in ls4s the duties collect
90 nsrs ey the Nicasuan Government amouned to about
per snnum and q the average rats impcss
about twenty per cent, the value Of the imports may be APP
proximatey calculated at nearly $500 O0O Since the En-
81 h usupaion the trade has seriously diminished, in con-
sequence Of the depression and uncertainty which it has
created in the INTERIOR and which have induced many of the
native merchants their business also in conse-
quence Of the additional duties levied by the usupng autho-
rites. The latter have imposed import and export duty
Of two and half per cent I'D valorem, and made other
onerous restrictions on merce Under these they have
nevertheless lately afmcd out the customs at 900 per
snnum; which, this is apart from the Of collection
implies trade Of at least The actual trade Of
the port may now be roughly estimated at $500 000 not
allowing for the increase which has already followed the
general commercial activity induced by the California move.
ment for the direct influences of the partial opening Of
the Nicaragua route Of transit and the consequent direction
public attention and individual enterprise that quarter
the Central American lshmus. As oil the trade Of Mica
rsgua by way Of this port must pass through the river San
Juan the Ncaaguan customs establishment has been fixed
the old fort Of San Carlos at the head Of the river the
lake. The average rate of duty exacted under the Mica
aguan tariff is about wenyo per ad valorem which,
added the British mposons San Juan makes the total
duty to be paid articles passing into the interior about
twenty flour per cent
When the political questions connected with British ag
gressons in Nicaragua shall have been satisfactorily and per
maneny adus and the projected canal really commenced
this port will become Of the first importance if not the
most important the continent Its prospective value
hardly be estimated for, apart from its position in respect to
the proposed work. it is the only Atlantic port Of one Of the
finest countries under the tropics, possessing nexhsusbe
agricultural and mineral resources. which recent movements
indicate with certainty destined to speedy development
As already observed, this the only possible Atlantic ter
minus for the (pobab only possible ship canal route across
the continent And this is to be regarded the great and
controlling fact which led to it's seizure by the English at the
when it became certain that California would fall into
the hands Of the United States and the question of inter-
oceanic communication became Of immediate and pact
cal importance The seizure, is well known, made
under the shallow preex Of supporting the territorial preten
sions of tribe of savages mixed negroes and Indians
called Moscos Mosquitoes. and in virtue Of eqnvoca
relations which the pirates Of Jamaica sncienty maintained
with them When, however, it is known that this the
principal port Of entry Of Nicaragua under the Spanish do
mnon that for than three hundred years it the
through which its trade conducted that the river
flowing past it defended by massive and costly works.
tknkun ia
Indian resided here that oil its inhabitants were and
with the exception of few foreign merchants and the Eng
sh officials still Nicaaguans and that England herself
recognised pertaining to Nicaragua by bockadng
part of her territories; and when to all this added the fact
that the Mosquito Indians themselves pretended any
territorial rights here elsewhere until induced to do by
British agents. the enormiy Of the seizure is rendered appa
rent But the facts connected with these and similar
croachments will form the subject Of separate chapter it is
unnecessary refer further to them here Since the seizure
the port and ia udcrous commentary the assertion Of
the British Government that its sole design in taking that step
was the "reestabisent of Mosquito rights and auth y,
its municipal and other regulations, not excepting its port
charges and customs rates. have been promulgated and fixed
by officer styling himself Her Britannia Msjestys Con-
sui" /" Vice Consul who has for his executive force
few Jamaica negroes called, probably, in irony, "poicc
He is in fact dictator Of the lace, and the inhabitants
subject without appeal to his will for there written
laws fxed regulations of any kind He dispose
Of and and gives titles under his consular seal does he
remotely appear recognise the called Mosquito
King Indeed the Only evidence that this arcca character
held in remembrance at all is that flag, said to be his
occasionally hosed In open space ia the centre of the
town. The English flag, however, floats what is call
ed the cuson-h0use and is the only for which any
degree Of respect is exaced The tariff promulgated
here in April 1850, signed 81. M DAILY, Collector
and did pupo have been enacted by any superior
thory Indeed the present situation Of the town. overawed
constantly is by one two British vessels is anomalous
in the extreme IT. is pretended this port belongs the
supposious Mosquito King, s difficult understand how
second party exercise sovereignty upon what
principles Of international law the consus Of nation
assume municipal and general administrative auhoriy in the
ports Of another The simple fact is that Great Britain hav
ing secured possession Of this important port under pree
which deceives nobody, longer to suy hersh by
affecting to conform to it The thing too absurd to Dc con-
tinued.
The river San Juan reaches the by several mouths
The divergence lakes place about twenty mills from The
forming low delta, penetrated by numerous canals or as
they called the Lower Mississippi bayous, and lsgu-
The principal branch is the Colorado, which carries of
least Of the water Of the river and which empes
into the ten fifteen miles to the southwark Of
the port There almost mpassabe bar At the entrance
which would preclude the ascent of vessels the depth
Of water above permitted Of their proceeding after pass
ed The little steamer Orus, nevertheless after repeated
trials succeeded in passing It in August last There an
other small channel called the Tdo which reaches the
midway between The port and the mouth of the Colorado
The branch empyng into the habo the through which
the ascending and descending boats carries off only about
third of the of the river 1t too has bar ct the
mouth e. at it's point of debouchere into the harbor-
upon which, low tide there but three four feet Of
This passed. the bed Of the river wide and studded
with low islands but excepting in the channel which is mar
and crooked the water very shallow. II has been
suggested that the Colorado branch might be damned, and
coumn of thrown the other San Juan