New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-09
AN OLD PORT TARASCON.
MEMORIES OF THE DARlEN COLONIZATION
SCHEME.

SCHEME.
An ancient "srong- box" OF sheetiron, thchy
studded with rvets lying neglected In vault Of the
Bank OF Scotland at Ednburgh-that Is the only tang'
bic relic OF OF tho most notable COLONIZATION
schemes OF early days I'm America. 1t was the treas
ure chest OF the Daren Company, corporation whose
name once filled great place In the World nut
now dead and almost forgotten. writer IN me
scottish Review recalls its history, which is unknown
TO the present generation, but which might well rank
by the side OF the story Of Port Tarascon ITSELF
The enterprise originated in the mind OF one Pater.
son soon after the union Of the English ana SCOTTISH
crowns at a time when Scotland was as yet deriving
small advantage thcrefrom According 10 law, no
goods could be exported imported from Asia
Africa and America except I'm English Irish bottoms
while OF the crews OF the vessels tlree0uruls must
be English. Only English-built ships were allowed
to conduct the coasting trade no product oil Inc
plantations" could he imported into Scotland direct,
and all land traffic between scotland and England had
10 pas, through either Carlisle or Berwick, and was
subject TO tolls But after the Revolution OF 1858
the nation began TO have hankering after unre
strcted commerce and desire for share OF the COCO
things OF the Indies. \ nervous restlessness toox
hold OF the people who were IN such m0od thas
Paterson's proposal found eager listeners ana en-
thusiasic supporters. 1t was really an old idea OF
his and was doubtless suggested by what he he'd seen
OF the spaniards and their traffic In tropical America
The original idea a capital OF 100000, OF
which one-haf should be furnished by England ana
one half by scotland, but when England dropped on
Scotland unable 10 make up the whole OF inc
deficit An appeal was made to Hamburg for sup
port and subscriptions promised there 10 the
extent OF $500 OOO but the English capitalists got
political influences to bear and the liamDurgers never
took up the stock. All that scotland could do vas 70
add another 100000 to the original allotment ana
this with difficulty for the last subscription OF $4,000
10 compete the - 600 900 q bogus" one. The
of Q
guarantee from the companya proof that the devices
Of company promoters were even then not unknown
The Court OF Directors lost time in beginning bus'
ness, their first proceeding being TO purchase TWO
houses Offices and stores I'm Millss square, Edn'
burgh at a cost OF S4,25O. Then they proceeded 70
organize staff TO lay down Office regulations and 70
arrange salaries. An eght-hour day practically
provided viz. from til II in the forenoon and from
tn In the afternoon, but the cash had 10 be bah
anced every night before the Office was closed But
although the directors TO begin business
II Is important TO note that nothing In the original
referred TO Daren the ostensble object of the
enterprise being to trade with Africa and the indies
1t was indeed, not until two years after the capital
had been subscribed that the first expedition sailed
1t Is not easy account for this long delay, but
that the public enthusiasm endured through II all u
certainly remarkable
The first vessel purchased the Caledonia. the
next the Instauraton. Both were lying at Hamburg.
and were brought over TO Leith under convoy. The
scots Privy Council granted them letters OF marquee
and toward the end Of July 1C0S the first expedition
left Leth with some 1000 colonsts and seamen.
They had very vague idea OF where they were go
Ing but they were filled with the highest hopes and
fired with the greatest ENTHUSIASM. OF the / 200 men
who formed the first expedition large number were
Hlghlanders and we're soldiers who had been
discharged at the Peace OF Ryswick Darien was
reached on November A. 1898 and the settlers pro-
cecded to fortify the landing. place by landing fifty
cannon and erecting what they called Fort st. Andrew.
on the other side OF the harbor there was mountain
a mile high. on which they placed a watch-house,
which. IN The mrihcd air within the tropics gave them
an immense range OF perspective topreyentall surprise
10 hi, place IL was observed that the lshlanders
often repaired to enjoy the cool air and TO talk Of
proclamation declaring freedom OF trade and OF
religion they sent friendly messages to the spanish
the natives for the purchase OF land council was
e eplcny and nndamenta Constitutions for its per-
petual rule were ordained The news OF their settle
on March So 1895 and was celebrated with the most
extrayagant rejoicngs. Thanks were publicly offered
up 10 God In all the churches OF the city
The first expedition arrived out safely as has been
said dsembarkng at Acta where they obtained t me
building the fort already mentioned They We're wen
by the anG a %c passsd a for !
time. But by and by the hot weather came on. ana
with 1t whole troop of tropical diseases . their pro-
visions ran short relief reached them, ana tney
died of rapidly. Finally after eight months OF ms MS
cry and mtarvatIon. the shattered remnant OF the
Mics for Them was DISPATCHED from the Clyde In
January, l6D9 but shipwrrcked ana two otner
relief ships delayed that they did not arrive
the sihmus until two months after the desertlon
OF the colony. But. meanwhile, before all ms was
known at home second expedition OF four ships had
set sail from RoheSay Bay. This was In sepiemnearJ
LOO some 100 of the second lot OF colonlst aie On
the voyage out, and although the ships put mo
M0niserrat for supplies tley were reiuS'u ooh ,n
and provisions by the Governor, acting under IN.
SrctiOns received from England, 10 the erect INA.
the Darlen Colony was Illegal and improper ana
not be cOuntpnanCpd
subjects. They arrived at caledonia" only to nnd.
Instead OF happy. prosperou, settlement 81 .neli
feowcountrymen waste and bowling wnderh es
ond expedition fitted out not 10 settle a colony.
but recruit one supposed to be already In worhlnS
Campbell Of Fnab arrived shortly afterward in
sloop with provisions and some more men so IL va
resolved to hold on To the place Then the spaniards
came. invested the fort and blockaded the harbor.
Disasters accumulated fast until Boreland writes,
What with bad water. salt-Spoled provisions ana
absence Of medicines, the fort was indeed like an
cral. seeing their condition. offered easy terms OF
capitulntion. agreeing help them OF the coun-
Try II they would leave their guns and ammunition
and promise not To come back again. By this uine
hardly 300 OF the cOlonstS fit for duty, and the
deaths al the rate Of sixteen per day. Finally
after n stay ~ four months and n half The broken.
on board the ships that had brought them ont, and
three others that had since arrived. Numbers died OF
hardship at sea- malignant fever broke out on board
one ship sprang "A leak and had TO he run into Cara.
genn, where she sold To the Spaniards. another
was wrecked near Jamaca and on board the others
some go persisted from disease the voyage
between Caledonia and jamaica. At jamaica more
deaths occurred. intemperance Fastening the end OF
many and the numbers were further diminished by
again sailed for England. hut the Rising Sun was lost
of Charlestown with about l4O souls. How. many
survivors Of the two expeditions reached Engand e
hardly Known. but they were very few. 70 ended ~
s.aat OQCon coloplxa Alton acboWos