Evening journal., 1894-03-12
INVITED THE BRITISH IN
An English Version of the Blue,
fields Incident.
MOSQUITOES ASKED FOR PROTECTION

When the Nicaraguans Appeared In Force,
the Natives Sent TO the British warshIp
lamar For Assistance Troops Were
Landed, but There Was No Fighting.
SAVANNAH, March 12.-The report Of the
landing Of the British at Bluefelds, in the
Mosquito reservation, was confirmed by
the arrival of the steamer Elliot, Captain
A. Brown. The Elliot, which is a British
steamer, left Bluefelds on Sunday morn
ing, March 4. She arrived there Feb. 27--
just one day too late to witness the arrival
Of the Ncaraguans.
Captain Brown says the Ncaraguans en-.
tered Bluefelds on Feb 25 and 20. lie did
not know their exact numerical strength
but there was an armed force of 400 or 500
Of them at Bluehelds when he arrived
They brought no cannon with them. They
simply entered under arms and without
any resistance on the part of the natives.
They hoisted the Nlcaragltln flag over the
custom house and over the other public
buildings. The Gags remained up during
the time the Elliot was in port. There was
no lighting.
Mosquitoes Terrified.
The Mosquitoes were considerably terri
fled by the presence of so large an armed
force, as they were practically without
protection in the city Captain Brown
says the reports that reached this country
with regard TO the name Of the British
warship there are in error. It is not the
Cleopatra, he said, but the lamar.
The Mosquitoes, he states, fearing they
might be attacked by the Nicaraguans mp
pealed to the lamar for protection. Thurs
day, March 1, the Tamar, without any au-
thority from the British government, as
they had not time TO get any such author
ity, sent three boatloads of armed men
ashore. Captain Brown did not know the
exact number of men, but betweea 80 and
100 landed. They were armed with car
bines and cutlasses. The men went ashore
in the steam launch of the man-sf-war and
carried with them two gatling guns and
three fieldpieces. The British forces did
not land at Bluefelds, but at Bluefelds
bluff, about four OF five miles northwest of
the city.
There was some understanding between
the Mosquito chief and the officer in charge
of the Tamar, the chief asking that the
men be landed for the safety and protec-
tion of his people. The British soldiers
went into Blueii6lds from the bluff several
times while Captain Brown was there
They could not'go by land, but had TO use
the steam launch, in which they carried one
Of the gatling guns. There was no fight
of any kind between March l., the day the
men landed, and March T. the day the Ell
liot sailed Captain Brown says there was
little excitement among the people.
Nicaraguans Objected.
The Mosquitoes were frightened when the
! Ricaraguans first entered, but after the
landing of the British troops all excite
ment subsided, and the people seemed will
ing to rest easy and let things 90 as they
were until the trouble between the Indians
and the Nicaraguans is settled.
The Nicaraguans Of course objected TO
the landing Of the British troops and
charged the British officers with an open
violation of the Clayt6n-Bulwer treaty.
Little attention was paid TO this by the
British. The Nicaraggaus wanted them
to stick TO the terms ofthe treaty.
The Tamar sailed from Bluefelds on
Thursday night for Colon for the purpose
of cabling TO England for advices. In the
meantime the troops were left in camp at
Blueields bluff. The Tanner returned ia
Bluefields late Saturday night Captain
Brown did not learn the result Of the cor
respondence with the English department
Of foreign affairs, as he was five or six
miles away from Bluefelds, and he did
not land there again before leaving Sun
day morning, when the soldiers were still
in camp at the bluff.