New-York tribune., 1891-05-24
AMONG THE MOSQUITOES.
AN INDIAN RESERVATION RULED BY Me-
GROES.
B1UEF1ELps AND ITS ASoMALIEs-A sTRoN''
HOLD OF PRoTEsTANTTsM IN SPANISH
AMERIcA-A RICH COAST.


BlueHelds, March l2.-This is region OF anon
allies BlueAelds lies the twelfth parai'ei iion'
the Equator. yet is delightfully."- cool and has an
eouable and invigoratng climate. IL Is on INC
track Of one of the famous voyages Of Columbus.
and consequently in one Of the Oldest sections OF
Spanish America; but English Is almost the only
language spoken There is not Catholic churcn In
the town and there are no adobe houses with nab
roofs and enclosed gardens II Is the capital OF an
Indian reservation but negroes are the runpg
class. and administer laws which they themselves
have made IL is in the heart of Spanish America
vet is under the religious influence OF the MoraViah
Church. and Is governed by the bluest OF SUNDAY
law series of surprises awaits tnc uravenei
who arrives at Bluefelds. IL Is miniature Ming
ston with background of trackless foreso' Ienan'-
ed by a few Thousand of incorporate Indian waruS,
Seven miles from high bluff at the entrance oi
long shallow lagoon, there Is a Struggling line Oh
frame sheds on stills. There are pltched rooh,
some of them thatched and others OF shingles anu
iron; and there are low piazzas and unregenera'e
pioneer American house fronts flanking the stony
road trod by the negro saints, singing, Jordan am
hard road to trabble." From the knoll where tne
Moravian buildings are clustered. this alley winds
along the shore to picturesque heights, with cumps
Of cocoanut palms, where commanding prospects OF
tbe lagoon and town. and midway there Is another
road leading to the court house and Jail and the
edge of the forest. Along these neglected roads
there are negro cabins and Yankee stores, but not
trace of Spanish architecture is to be seen. ms
is Sambos clearing There is an Indian chle1'
who is nominally the head Of the government,
but the negro rules collects the taxes, makes and
enforces laws sits in Judgment when white sinners
offend and calls the Indian to repentance.
Praise the Lord it is the year of Jubilee"
Something like series of anomalies was needed
in order to restore my interest in Spanish America
when I arrived at Bllefelds. The little steamer
ON which I had journeyed from New-Orleans had
opened crack seven feet long in the boiler, and
for twenty-four hours had been wallowiDg in the
trough Of the sea- with fires extinguished, with
out steerage way and at the mercy OF high wind
and heavy swell. During the long watches OF
seepless night had listened to the shrill shrieks
of Spanish woman whenever there was deep
lurch seward and TO the ceaseess cannonade of
chairs and sofas bowling against the cabin doors
When the engineers had completed the repairs
steam could only be carried at low pressure and
the vessel reached the bluff two days oehlnd
time and the first announcement from the customs
boat was that there would be no steam communica-
ton with Greytown for fourteen days. AS
day rather than fortnight in Bluefeds had been
of an energetic travellers bones. The run across
the lagoon was made in silence and with dismal
feeling of depression. But when the town was
reached there was q reaction An American
landlord provided well-seasoned and paatable
dinner and opened for the accommodation of his
guests rooms which were both clean and cool
English was spoken at every turn, and Americans
were at hand to pilot strangers in their first stroll
through the town. Rough and unpretentious as
it was Bluehelds was found to have picturesque
charm of its own and setting Of tropical vegeta
ton of real beauty. A foreign colony of American.
English and German merchants engaged in the
banana, rubber and mahogany trades and conduct
ing the commerce of the Mosquito reservation with
thrift energy and success, was revealed in most
hospitable mood
The mission bell tolled the hour for evening
service for it was Sunday; and motley con-
gregation of negroes of many shades of color as
sembled in the church-men and boys sitting on
benches to the right of the preachers desk, and
women and girls to the left. To traveller who
had been tramping for months through Latin
cathedrals and Spanish churches. and witnessing
the pomp and glory of religious professions and
ceremonals, this simple and orderly Protestant
service was an almost startling surprise. The
preacher spoke with marked German accent.
and his sermon was homely, plain and practical
! The prayers were short, While the hymns were
long, and the swarthy congregation listened and
sang with lassitude which was probably to be
explained by climatic influences; but there was
! genuine devotional feeling. Hogarth might
have found conical studies for caricatures in the
| negro boys perched on high benches scratching
their backs during prayer time and toddling out
to the doors with prudent forecast before sermon,
or In the groups of aged Jamaicans in the back
rows who struggled unsuccessfully to keep awake
through the homily and then lifted up their voices
with precpitate rush in the closing hymn. There
were grotesque glimpses Of negro character, but
there was more in the mission service to COM
mand respect than TO excite ridicule. ALI forms
of Sunday amusement are prohibited in Bluefeds
There is cockpit; there are no gambling
houses saloons closed and vrtuous inhabitants
are expected TO be in their beds not long after
| curfew. II Phistines persist in playing draw
poker until midnight, 1t is at their own risk, and
with doors closed and shades drawn down. Blue
fields under negro rule rejoices in the reputation
of being a strictly moral town.
The M6favian missions were organized on this
coast in 1s49, when two preachers from Jamaica,
Pfeifer and Reinke, established a station at Cot
ton Tree Point One of the Mosquito chiefs sub
sequently offered to give to the missionaries the
land where the buildings now stand. The
chapel destroyed by hurricane in ls65 and
then rebuilt and enlarged. In addition TO two
churches the Morayians have a school, store
house, tradng-store, and two houses for the
superintendent and his assistants. The work of
| evangelization among the Indians has been con-
Quoted with energy and success. There are twelve
stations in the reservation Buefelds, Roma, Mag
dala, Bethany, Sharon, Ephrata, Quamwatla, Ku-
kallaya, Layasksa, Karata, Yulu and Iwappi. At
these stations there ten day7Schoos and eleven
Sunday-schools and missionary force of twenty
| agents, forty-seven native helpers and re-
! ligious following of 1900 negroes and Indians.
The missions are economically conducted at an
expense of about $1,000 year. The trading
i kn