The morning call., 1894-04-22
MOSQUITO SHORE.
British Efforts to Obtain
Control There.
AN INTERESTING HISTORY.
The Puppet Monarchs Set Up - A
Favorite Resort of
Pirates.
AN INTERESTING HISTORY.


Mosquito Shore"
While discharging the duties of United
States Minister to Guatemala from 1861 TO
1865, under President Lincoln's admins
tratlOn. l was selected by the Commits
sioners to act as presiding judge and umpire
to the mixed commission that held It's
sessions tn the city of Guatemala In 1862
and 1868 to settle treaty stipulations
between Great Britain and Honduras
growing out of the Mosquito protectorate,
which Great Britain had at one time s.
sumed over the Mosquito shore, and some
Islands in the bay of Honduras over which
the latter State claimed Jurisdiction and
sovereignty.
The most important matters submitted
tor the consideration of the umpire for
final decision were the rights claimed by
British subjects to lands and grants of
privileges derived from the so-called "kings
or chiefs" of the Mosquito tribes of
Indians. IN violation Of the rights and
sovereignty of the Republic of Honduras.
Looking for the origin Of any kiugly au-
thority 10 grant title TO lands within the
boundaries of Honduras since its indie
pendence from Spain every available au-
or was consulted, especially those that
mentioned the Mosquito shore and the
tribes that Inhabited that section of coun-
try.
The boundary of Mosquito is somewhat
vague and indefinite, but 1t seems to have
been generally considered all that shore of
Central America extending from Cape
Gracias on the north, south as far as San
Juan River and back t. the rising ground
Of the interior. About the time of
the Independence of the Central American
State from Spain England. always alert to
extend its commercial supremacy and find
places for English colonies, assumed sort
e .nntr fl.n T,,,tF rhA
where English subjects from Jamaica and
other West India islands had established
intercourse and trade with the natives of
that particular section Of country.
Bluefields, situated on the bay of that
name. is said to have derived its name
from Bluevelt, noted Dutch pirate, ang-
liciZed Bluefelds, and became the capital
of MO>quit0 country, and 1.-The bay gave
shelter TO the English and other pirates"
in the early days. 1t has since become a
town, and center for trade and commerce,
and as 1t Is not far north of San Juan
River, the entrance on the east TO the pro-
posed Nicaragua canal. has. for the reason
that it might dominate that great highway
by any nation that held the town and bay
of Bluefelds and the surrounding country.
assumed unusual lmpOri ance.
La the early part Of 1901. De Lussau, one
of the fraternity of pirates, writes that
Cape Gracias and the country around had
(mulattos), since Spanish ship from
Guinea, freighted with slaves, was lost
there. The wrecked negroes were kindly
received by the natives and intermarred
with them. These negroes were increased
by the runaway negroes of the Spanish
settlers in the interior, and these. also
mngllDg With the women Of the Indian
fishermen of the coast originated that
mixed race now callad the Mosquito In
dams.
Still later, when English planters from
Jamaica attempted to establish them selves
on this coast, they brought their negro
slaves with them, and these contributed TO
the negro element, as they were constantly
running away from the plantations and
! hiding among the native huts and habita-
| tons scattered through the denSely
wooded country of the coast plains.
| Many of the buccaneers were English
men, and all had commercial relations
more or less intimate with Jamaica,
where they often shared their profits with
| the authorities IN return for such assist
| ance as tie latter were able to afford; in
| deed. it was notorious that the Governors
| of Jamaica were often partners of
| the pirates of the Mosquito shore that
harbored their light swift craft IN
| B,uefields Bay and the other secure
hiding-places along that coast aud darted
| out IN numbers to Overtake and ulunder
| The Spanish treasure ships that lett the
Isthmus Of Darien with the gold and silver
| of Peru and South America brought across
! the isthmus from Panama.
These Governors Of Jamaica had the
| project Of securing permanent possession
| of The Mosquito country and founding
| colony en- behalf of the British crown. AS
early as 1857 one of the Mosquito chiefs, or
head men, was carried to Jamaica for the
| purpose of placing his country under the
| protection of the British crown, and Sir
hoc laff M fofE fho.
having escaped from his keeper. he pulled
| of the European clothes that they put on
| him, when he climbed TO the top of tree
to escape" He was. however, pacified
with the promise that he should be taken
| back to Bluefields, where he could wear
the unadOrDed skin nature had given him
without European clothes. He was there
upon given a commission by the Cover
nor, under the seal of the island of ia
maica, which conferred upon him the title
of King" and his visible sign of royalty"
was cooked hat and plume and gilt
sword, which he carried IN his hand, with
very little else in the way of royal robes
except what nature had kindly given him.
These facts give significance to the dec
laratiOn of Dampier in ITO: "Tbe Mos
quito Indians have no form of government
among them, but take the Governor of
Jamaica to be one of the great princes Of
he world" Robert Hodgson writes forty
years ldIeT. U6 Ming Oh lno nUsQultoS
has his commission or patent from the
Governor of Jamaica, and other chief peo-
pie have commissions as admirals. CAP
tains and other great officers, giving them
the names of Ki"g Edward. Admiral Dilly,
General aobby. Captain jumper" and ali
the popular names Of the English nobility
were freely bestowed upon these half
breed savages.
In 1740 Trelawney, Governor of Jamaica,
wrote to the Duke of Newcastle. suggest
| Ing that the Mosquito indians be aroused
against the Spaniards. He represented
that there were about 100 Engllshmen
there, mostly such IS could live nowhere
else" who might be brought together and
be REINFORCED by the Mosquito Indians.
with these The Spaniards can be driven
out. and an absolute cession from the Mos
quito King of his country 10 the English
crown obtained"
In pursuance of this scheme Governor
Trelawney commissioned Robert Hodgson
To proceed to the Mosquito shore, where
he arrived. laden with presents. on April
s. 1740. He gathered king Edward"
admiral DIliy," General Hobby" Cap
tain Siam" and some others. and on the
10Th of the month proceeded to explain to
them that as they had long acknowledged
themselves subjects of Graat Rritaip s.tba