Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-03-12
rHE RRITISH IN BLURFIELDg.


The story OF tho Landing Oh the British
Troops-NIearauEuan Took Possession
of the Town and the Mosquitoes We're
Scared.
SAVANNAH, GA, March 1.-THE re-
port Of the landing Of the British at
Bluehelds In the Mosquito reservation
was confirmed by the arrival Of the
steamer Elliot, Captain A. Brown.
The Elliott. which is British
steamer, left Bluefeds Sunday morn
ing, March 4. She arrived there Feb
ruary %, just one day too late to wit
ness the arrival OF the Nicarag uans.
Captain Brown says the Nicaraguans
entered Bluefeld on February 20 and
-. lie did not know the exact numer-
ical strength, but there was force Of
40 or 500 of them al BiuehelGs 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 Nicara-
guam flag over the custom house and
over the other public buildings. The
flags remained up during the time the
Elliot was in port. There was no tight
ing. The Mosquitoes were considerably
terrified by the presence of so large an
armed force, as they were practically
without protection 10 the city. Captain
Brown says the reports that reached
this country with regard 70 the name of
the British warship there are inerror.
1t is not the Cleopatra, ne said, but the
lamar.
The Mosquitoes, he states, fearing
they might be attacked by the Mica
raguans, appealed to the lamar for
protection. Thursday, March 1 the
lamar, without any authority from
the British Government, as they had
not time TO get any such authority,
sent three boat loads Of armed men
ashore Captain Brown did not know
the exact number Of men, but between
so and 100 landed. They were armed
with carbines and cutlasses. The men
went ashore in the steam launch Of
the man of war, and carried with
them TWO gatling guns and three field
pieces The British forces did not land
at B.ueields but al BiuefeldS Bluff,
about Jour or five miles northwest OF
the city. There was some understand
ing between the Mosquito chief and
the officer In charge Of the lamar,
the chief asking thaJ the men be land
cd for tho safety and protection OF his
people. The British soldiers went into
Bluefelds from the bluff. They could
not not go by land but had to use the
steam launch in which they car
ried one Of the gatling guns. There
was no fight Of any kind between
March /, the day the men landed and
March f. the day the Elliot sailed.
There was little excitement among the
people. The Mosquitoes were frightened
when the Nicaraguans first entered, but
after the landing Of the British troops
all excitement subsidized and the people
seemed willing to rest easy and let
things 60 on as they were until the
trouble with the Indians and Nicara-
guaus is settled.
The Nicsraguans, of course, objected
TO the landing of the British troops and
charged the British officer with an open
violation of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty.
Little attention was paid to this by the
British. The Nicaraguans wanted
them to stick to the terms of the treaty.
The lamar sailed from Blue6elds
Thursday night for Colon for the pur
pose Of cabling to England for advices.
In the meantime the troops were left in
camp at Bluefelds Bluff. The Tamar
returned to Buefelds late Saturday
night.
Captain Brown did not learn the re-
suit of the correspondence with the
English Department Of Foreign Affairs,
as be was five or six miles away from
Bluefelds, and did not land there again
before leaving Sunday morning, when
the soldiers were still in camp az the
Bluff.