The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-08-31
EZRA Cruz to Roatan

From Vera Cruz to Roatan,
An hack once more to Gran Cay
man,
With one long gun,
A cask o rum
An a hundred sacks of duros.
"Duros" means hard cash in Span
isb and this is one of the old pirate
songs which the peaceful tourist OF
the goth century may yet hear SUNG
nv the people of the Bay Islands, of
the coast of Honduras. The white
inhabitants of Roatan, Utila, Guanaca
and the rest of these idyllic Uses are
pure English, descended from the
gangs of Morgan and Capt. Kidd and
other notorious freebooters of LONG
ago.
In the good old days of Morgan,
Kidd, Laftte and Wallace, when
gentlemen of their kind roamed the
Spanish Main with but little fear OF
reprjsal. it was their custom now and
then to put in at Jamaica, where
they we're received by the British
governor with the honor due one of
mis- majesty's admirals.
In consequence of these visits ia
maica prospered, her merchants be-
ing enabled to purchase the loot from
the buccaneers at extremely modest
figures. selling in turn to England
or in Boston at a much greater sum.
Indeed, Morgan himself, because
of the peculiar prestige he had gain
ed by practically driving Spanish
commerce from the Caribbean sea
and the Gulf of Mexico and by rea-
son of his triumph over the Spaniards
at Panama, Puerto Bello and Mara
caibo and the destruction of those
places, was knighted and made gov
ernor of Jamaica.
pa With the hanging of Kidd piracy
began to wane, and those who still
serve under the skull and cross
bones began to ponder seriously at
the future, TO continue their course
would have been foolhardy; to land
at Jamaica. would have been hazard
Gus, why not, then, as some of their
number had suggested, settle down
on the bay islands, behind which so
many times they had lain in wait for
their prey?
A Garden of Eden.
Here was a garden of Eden, luxu-
rant in vegetation, producing all that
could be wished for, and healthy.
Here, removed from the pathway of
inuuisitive men-of-war, they could
pass their lives in repose and enjoy
ment, sending to England and ia
maica for women. This suggestion
struck home; the buccaneers agreed,
and on the islands some hundreds
established the settlement which,
known to but comparatively few, still
exists
Abandoning all thought of again
entering their past profession the
buccaneers now entered upon the
more peaceful pursuits of shipbuild-
ing, of agriculture and smuggling in
a small way. They brought slaves
from the Windward islands to till the
soil, and their schooners, shallops
and brigs, soon gaining much fame as
stanch and fast sailing vessels, were
ever in demand by gulf traders, and
the proceeds of their industry rem
dered the inhabitants prosperous and
happy.
In order to accentuate their real
nationality and allegiance the island
ers soon decided to hoist the British
flag and proclaimed their abode a
British colony, uttering threats
against the coast towns should the
Spanish authorities seek to subvert
their autonomy. Later on the occa-
sion of some prospective difficulty
between the government of Hondu-
ras, now an independent republic,
and the islanders a British frigate APP
peared, and, as if definitely to settle
matters, formally hOisted the royal
ensign on Roatan.
Some few years afterward, in 1887,
the governor of British Honduras dis
patched an armed expedition to af-
ford assistance to the inhabitants,
who were preparing to resist an in
vasiOn from the coast; and again in
1871 Col. Mcdonald, from Belize, tore
from its staff the flag of Honduras,
which had been raised at an obscure
spot on one Of the islands by hos
tile expedition just landed.
Self-GOverning Islands.
The British government finally
consented. however, to admit the
claim to sovereignty by Honduras,
with the understanding that the col
ony should enjoy a species of self