The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-21
No CHEAP REVOLUTION
-
Is That Now in Progress
Down in Nicaragua.
ENGLAND BACK OF IT ALL
Playing a Deep Game for a
Magnificent Stake.
ENGLAND BACK OF IT ALL

Boston, Feb. 2O-The Globe says: The
annual revolution in Nicaragua has been
inaugurateG, this time. at Bluefelds, the
capital of the Miskito reservation. The
reports state that General Juan Pablos
Reyes, in charge Of the department of the
Atlantic, which extends from Cape Gar
cias to Greytown, is at the head Of the
insurgents. The British residents at Blue
fields have asked authorities at Jamaica
for protection of their interests, and the
! second class cruiser Intriped has left
Kingston for that port, where the United
| States ship Marietta and Machias have al
ready arrived.
| The present revolution looks promising
! from the fact that General Reyes, the
! leader, is an able man OF some political
Z strength in the rpubhc. Until lately he
enjoyed the confidence of President Ze-
laya and is in complete control of all the
military forces and supplies along the At
| lantic coast of Nicaragua. He holds pos
session Of Greytown, the key to the in
terror. This port is the Atlantic terminus
Of the proposed canal and is situated at the
mouth of the San Juan river. which is the
only line of communication withe the in
terror, thus effectually blocking reinforce
ments from the capital and other interior
cities.
General Reyes has also captured the
Nicaraguan navy, which consists 2 one
| vessel. a tog boat purchased from the
Maritime Canal company upon the failure
If
ment, but is valuable because it affords
the only means of rapid communication
| between Bluefelds and Greytown, having
! a carrying capacity Of about fftl soldiers
during calm weather.
The trip generally consumes twelve hours
and as the available troops consist of
about one hundred men, ii would be pos
sIble to mobilize the entire army at either
point in a day or two.
The Nicaraguan soldier is generally a
native, a decendent Of the early Spaniards
and the aborigines He is usually dressed
In a striped cotton blouse, trousers of the
same material and pattern and a straw
hat. He is armed with a musket of an
tiquated pattern, with a fixed bayonet.
To prevent tearing of his blouse, he knocks
the sight off his gun, and al the command
of fire" he shuts his eyes and blazes
away. There are no marksmen or sharp
shooters in the Nicaraguan army. 1t has
been stated that he is paid off occasionally,
but that is a matter Of great doubt, as a
paymaster he is unknown. In his belt he
| carries a nachete. He always goes bare
foot. A sergeant occasionally wears one
old shoe or a discarded slipper. while a
lieutenant sometimes manages to capture
two minated shoes, the lacinng of which
| is probably prohibited by the regulations.
| This luxury is reserved for captains.
No officer under the rank of major Is
ever seen with a pair of shoes matched
and fully laced. On dress occasions a
! colonel sports a pair OF boots. while the
| rank of general is indicated by cavalry
boots with tremendous spurs. The usual
mark of an officers rank are not carried
on his shoulders. but are infallibly indi-
Gated by his footgear. A stranger in the
country is perfectly safe in using vigorous
language toward a barefoot soldier, but
he must be particularly careful how he ad-
! dresses a pair of boots. especially q pair
equipped with spurs.
Bluehelds, the headquarters Of General
Reyes, is a charming town Of about 300
| inhabitants. chiefly composed OF natives,
Jamaica negroes, several hundred Chinese
| and a sprinkling of British, German and
American traders. II is the seat Of the
banana industry Of Nicaragua and the
base o fsupples for the lumbermen ex-
ploring the forests adjacent to the streams
flowing into the estuary on which the
town is located, and for the miners, now
working the rich gold placers of the
PrinzapuIca, Wawa, Coco and other rivers
to the north. The town is essentially
English, vicar Of the church of England
being located there. who has a furnishing
! congregation of Jamaica negroes. all Of
whom are without exception British sub
jects and aggressively assertive of their
rights as such.
There is also a branch Of the Mora
Wan church established there, the mission
| aries connected with it devoting all their
time and labors to work among the Mis-
| kito Indians. They have written q gram
mer and compiled a dictionary Of the
| language.
The name Of this tribe Of Indians IS
not, as Is generally supposed, pronounced
mosquito, Miski,o. These Indians thus
| designate themselves and their language
! Is not barharous or inarticulate one
! II Is rather well built and rich in vowels.
| II IS difficult 10 bound with anything ap-
| preaching accuracy the reservation Of
| these Indians. It IS located between Hon
! duras. Nicaragua and Costa Rica. extend
| ing along the Caribbean sea. Its AGRA IS
( v5riously estimated a from 5000 to a6. coo
! square miles. Its inhabitants. numbering
/ about 1oooo are raCsJly a51cs sinal In s,sgs.
whose chief calls himself king Of Niskiso
/ The residents and its inhabitants we're
under English protection until 1852. when
! it WAS coded TO Honduras. which in 1850
/ handed it over 20 Nicaragua. which :
/ actually bent or keeping il. The last king
/ Of Nlskito was Clarence. an amiab.e young
man. who was deposed about four years
/ ago by the N:carasuans Clarence was
/ taken away from Bluefelds on a British
/ man-o'-war 10 Kingston. Jsmiaca. where
/ he IS NOW being educated 1t the eNpe.se