The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-03-14
In Hts FIRST PANTS.
Robert Charles Frederick |. and
His Queer Transactions.
AN OLD DUTCH PIRATES DoINGs.
EoSqulas. Nicaragua, one Of the Loveliest
Countries Under the Sun---Natiyes
and Old Age.


IHR HERALD. Though only a few days
san from New York and fewer from New
Orleans, and just now of especial interest
to the United States because it borders
upon the projected ship canal, this portion
OF Nicaragua is almost
A COMPLETE TERRA INCoGNITA
to the world at large, Notwithstanding that
England and Spain fought over it two or
three hundred years, varying the monotony
d the contest by an occasional bout with
the United States on the same subject.
History is almost silent concerning it, tell
ing us only that Columbus sighted the
O Mosquito coast in 1902, followed during the
hrst hundred years by several other Span
lsh Toyagers, every one of whom claimed
10 be the original discoverer.
In 1888, an old Dutch pirate, named Es-
quemeling, visited it. and two years later
PCbhshed very queer book, detailing all
the particulars of his discovery" and in
l!O4 a French pirate, De Lussan, published
bis discovery of it. For more than a cen
tury 1t was the general rendezvous of Eng
glish buccaneers and filibusters all of whom
were on intimate terms with the successive
governors Of Jamaica. and shared with
them their spoils. When the wars with
Spain were brought to a close, so that it
was no longer possible to conniVe at free
booting, these enterprising worthless de-
termlned to obtain possession of it in be-
half of the British nation.
1t would be tedious to enumerate the
ludicrous series of events by which these
English "agents''-many of them ex-buc-
cancers, but acting under orders-pressed
their pretended rights to this Mosquito
coast Under the British protectorate. one
negro after another was crowned king"
and upheld in his Office until the farce
ended by the death of three consecutive
majestieS IRON Overindulgence in Jamaica
rum. Sir Hans Sloan relates how one Of
these black kings has taken to Jamaica
for the purpose of educating him and that
his royal highness escaped the lessons
by climbing to the top of tree.
In the spring of 1925 a miserable creature
was selected from among these savages,
and invested by the English simultaneously
with
HIS FIRST PAIR OF BRBECHBs
and the title of liking" Robert Charles
Frederick las this sambo was respect
fully addressed by the British agents
Immediately after DOMINIC the imperial
purple Tor rather blue) jeans, proceeded to
make over the entire coast Of Nicaragua,
Belize and Honduras, to company Of CAPT
talists receiving in pay for this princely
grant, several barrels Of Jamaica rum and
bundle of cotton pantaloons" These barrels
of rum fortunately proved too much for
the delicate constitution of Robert Charles
Frederick l, and before giving up the
ghost he again transferred his kingdom to
Colonel Macdonald, superintendent of
Belize. His son, George William Clarence,
succeeded to the purple and was duly pro
claimed king, while the governors of Mica
ragua and Honduras, on behalf of their
distressed people, were making earnest but
vain appeals to Great Britain for redress.
In 1S4S, two British war vessels steamed
into the harbor Of San Juan del Norte, tore
down the Nicarsguan flag, and changed the !
old name to GraytoWn, which it now bears |
They also seized Tigre island, in the bay of !
Fonsrea, on the western side of Nicaragua. |
with a view to securing both ends Of the !
inter-oceanic route then proposed, but the |
latter scheme was in a measure thwarted |
by our energetic countryman, Hon. E. G. |
Squier, who was then charge to Central |
America.
Had our government reasserted and en-
forced the Monroe doctrine with its Gus |
tomary promptness, the veXed question |
would long before have been settled, but |
that precious document the Bulwer- Clay |
ton treaty, bobbed up like Banquo's ghost !
at every fresh outrage on the part of Brit |
ain. Not until 1860 was permanent and |
sensible arrangement made, giving the |
islands and their dependencies to the re-
public of Honduras, and this Mosquito
coast to Nicaragua.
The grants made by Robert Charles
Frederick l.. the drunken negro king, to /.
the New York company of spectators,
were taken to Europe and actually made
the basis Of two or three attempts at coloni-
zation. all of which, however, terminated
with the death of the deluded immigrants
from fever and other diseases Of the terra
calienti. Finally the grants found their
wa TO New York, and into the hands Of
Mr.. H Z. Kinney, who purchased them
conditionally and set on foot that short !
lived enterprise known as the kinney ex-
petition" In the autumn of 1855 this |
gentleman, &C. lpanied by
ANUABHR OF RAGER ADVENTURES.
awaited themselves of the grants and priv
leges thus purchased, proceeded to Gray !
town, and at once commenced the execu-
ton Of their plans. Owing to difficulties
then existing between officers Of the 'Ac-
cessory Transit company and the citizens
of Graytown and vicinity, Mr.. Kinney and |
his company met with unforeseen difficulties
and discouragementS, and though their |
leader was soon afterWard made governor
most Of the kinney colony" one by one,
deserted to join the forces Of General |
Walker, the filibuster, who by this time
was making great pretensions in Nicaragua,
and at last Governor Kinney himself de-
parted in haste, between two days" with |
his name endorsed on another mans pass
port.
Mosquito proper, beyond narrow strip of
syyaInpy coast, is one Of the loveliest coun-
tries under the sun-a regular ideal
Acadia, with the bluest skies, the balmiest
airs, the grandest mountains and endless
summer without excessive heat. The latter
fact is owing to its mountainous character,
4he western portion being traversed by a
lofty chain stretching across the country
from north to south, furnishing the source
of several important rivers, all of which
flow into the Caribbean sea. The largest of
these are the Roman and Aguan rivers, the
CUNTS. Segovia and Escondida.
The remarkably fertile sell produces the
most luxuriant tropical vegetation, includ-
ing all the staples Of the West Indies; i'm
mense quantities of mahogany and other
timber, dyewoods, drugs, etc.
Along the sea the hot and humid coast IS
enough to kill even a Jamaica
negro: but in the highlands it is about like
New England May from year to year, and
30 salubrious that the natives find it diff
cult to die at the good old age of ninety
years. In fact. they don't seem to die here
thew Wither up and dry, like walking mum
mics. Though doubtless they have them some
where, / have not as yet seen a cemetery
in Mosquito, but l have seen people who
are known to be
MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
and met one man who looked fully seventy,
vino begged me to look up his grandfath-
sr's town near Blewfeld.
Valuable minerals are said to abound in
A., .Ay,,-.~ 4 oil oil