The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-05-07

was not TO disturb the local government
Of the Indians SO long as they did not
interfere with the sovereign powers of
the republic.
After this treaty had been made the
Indians and all the inhabitants of Blue
fields, which had sprung up as o sea
port town ON the Caribbean coast, held a
general council and adopted a constitu
ton providing for a republican form of
government, divided into executive, leg
islative and judicial departments. The
new government began its administra-
ton Sept. IL, 1861, and has since been
the sole source of authority I'm the Mos
quito reservation.
In 1881 some enterprising Americans
went down there and began the cultiva-
ton and expectation of tropical fruits,
leasing land for their plantations from
the Mosquito government. Gold was
discovered, and the Americans did not
hesitate to invest their capital in the
mines. The cutting and shipping of ma
hogany and other valuable woods and
also the india rubber trade developed
into an extensive commerce. In the
gold, hard wood and rubber industries
alone Americans have So, 600, 900 of cap
ital invested.
Twelve years ago the commerce of the
Mosquito reservation amounted to moth
ing, and now the volume of trade
amounts to "a, 600, 900 annually. Twelve
steamers ply between Bluefields and the
southern ports of the United States,
making "a voyages each month. Two
million lunches of bananas are export
ed annually, besides the large quantities
of mahogany, gold dust, rubber and CO.
coanufs, and all to the United States.
The United States send back in return
25, 600 half barrels of -four annually, be-
sides large quantities OF beams lard,
pork, beef, corn, rice and many other
products.
The Mosquito government is controlled
by the following officials: The chief
and president is Robert Henry Clarence,
q Mosquito Indian, 90 years old. The
vice president is a half breed Indian of
the name of Patterson. The treasurer il
a German Of the name Of Burgenhagen,
who il the head man of the Moravian
church. The attorney general is j. w.
Cuthbert, a Jamaican negro, who Is as
black as coal and who is o subject of
Great Britain. The supreme court is
composed of Stephen Hodgson, a native
Mosquito; John Taylor, a native or Co
lnmbia, South America, and John O.
Thomas, another Jamaican negro who
is q British subject.
The management Of public affairs has
not been entirely satisfactory. The
British lion . paw was altogether too FREE
quently observable In the adminisfra-
tion Of affairs to sqit the American resi-
dents, Of whom there are five times rs
many as Of all other foreign nationalitiee
combined It was under the pretense Of
reforming things that Lacayoproclaimed
martial law and attempted the role Of
dictator.
The Mosquito coast Id historically In
teresting as the place where Columbus
made his first landing ON the continent
four centuries ago. Ills landing place,
which he named Cabo de GEacias aDins
Cape Of Thanks to- Godl is at the north
ern boundary Of what Is now the Mos
quito reservation, n strip OF territory e.
tending some 200 miles along the Carib.
bean coast and averaging about 81 mile
I'M width. The friendly Indians whom
Columbrs found there, and whoreceived
him with cordial hospitality, were thf
progenitors or the Mosquitoes or today.
They were inoffensiye, sleepy children
of nature who had never learned the
utility Of exertion, because ample srst
t~enance was provided for them BY M
ture without the asking. Their re-
ligion was the nm worship Of the an.
ciest Incas of Feru