St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-12
British From a Man-of-War at
Bluefields Bluff.
M0SQUIT0S ASK PROTECTION
Because Of an Invasion of the
Nicaraguans.
THE THOMAS SAILORS RESPOND
But Without Authority From
British Government.
NICE DIPLOMATIC PROBLEM.

SAVANNAH, Ga, March 1.-THE re-
port of the landing of the British at
BluefieldS in the Mosquito reservation
was confirmed today by the arrival of
the steamer Elliott. Capt a Brown.
The Elliott, which is British steamer.
left Bluefelds Sunday morning, March
4. She arrived there Feb. 27, Just one
day too late to witness the arrival of the
Nicaraguans. Capt. Brown says the
Nicaraguans entered Bluefields on Feb.
25 and 26. He did not know their exact
number and strength, but there was an
armed force of 400 or 500 Of them at
Bluefields when he arrived. They
brought no cannon with them. They
simply entered under arms and without
any resistance on the part of the ma
tives. They hoisted the Nicaraguan
flag ovel the custom house and over the
public houses. The flags remained up
during the time the Elliott was in port.
The Mosquitoes were considerably stirred
by the presence of so large an armed
force, as they were practically without
protection i'll the city. Capt. Brown
says the reports that reached this coun-
try with regard to the name of the Brit
ish war ship there are in error. 1t was
not the Cleopatra, he said, but the
lamar. The Mosquitoes, he states,
fearing that they
MIGHT BE ATTACKED
by the NicaraguanS, appealed to the
lamar for protection. Thursday,
March l. the Tamar, without any au-
thority from the British government, as
they had not time to get any such au-
thority, sent three boatlOads of armed
men ashore. Capt. Brown did not know
the exact number of men, but between
fifty anu hundred 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 no.
land at Bluefetds. but at Bluefelds
Bluff. about four or five miles northwest
of the city. There was some misunder.
standing between the Mosquito chief
and the officer in charge Of the Thomas,
the chief asking that the men be landed
for the safety and protection of his
people. The British soldiers went into
Bluefields from the bluff. 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 4, the day
the Elliott sailed. There was little ex.
element among the people. The Mos
quitoS were frightened when the Mic
araguans first entered, but. after the
landing of the British troops, all sub
sized and the people seemed willing to
rest easy and let things &c on as they
were until the trouble between the In
dians 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 BulWer treaty.
Little attention was paid to this by the
British. The Nicaraguans wanted them
to stick to the terms of the treaty. The
Thomas sailed from Bluefields Thurs
day night for Colon for the purpose of
cabling to England for advice. In the
meantime the troops were left in camp
at Bluefields Bluff. The Thomas re-
turned to Bluefields late Saturday night.
Capt. Brown did not learn the result of
the correspondence with the English
department of foreign affairs, as he was
five or six miles away from Bluefields,
and did not land there again before
leaving Sunday morning, when the sol
diers were still in camp at the bluff.