The subjoined extracts, from various published works and memoirs of acknowledged authenticity, and from original documents, exhibit the condition of the people of the Mosquito Shore, their habits and modes of life, from the year 1700 up to the present time. It will be seen that few if any changes have taken place for the better, in this long period of a hundred and fifty years.
1710.
From Dampier’s “Voyage around the World,” London, 1717, p. 7-11.
“The Mosquito Indians are but a small nation or family, and not a hundred men of them in number, inhabiting on the main, on the north side, near Cape Gracias à Dios.... They are coveted by the privateers as hunters.... They have no form of government among them, but take the Governor of Jamaica to be one of the greatest princes in the world.”
1757.
Extracts from “Some account of the Mosquito Territory, written in 1757, while that country was in the possession of the British, by Col. Robert Hodgson, formerly His Majesty’s Commander-in-Chief, Superintendent, and Agent on the Mosquito Shore.”
This Colonel Hodgson was son of the Captain Hodgson who was sent to the Mosquito Coast, in 1740, by Governor Trelawney. He states that the population of the shore, at the time of his writing (1757), exclusive of aborigines was: “Whites 154, Mestizoes and Mulattoes 170, Indian and Negro slaves 800—total 1124.” He observes that the “whites are without laws,” but, nevertheless, living with great regularity; and that, if the number of white children is small, “it may be imputed to most of the women having lived with so much freedom formerly.” He then proceeds to give a very clear and accurate account of the country, its products, and people, as follows:—
“The face of the country is various. The sea-coast, from Cape Cameron to Bluefields, is low and level, but the land rises gradually up any of the large, fair rivers with which it abounds, and whose regular flowery banks form beautiful avenues, and about twenty miles up is high enough for any purpose. But the lowland is full of swamps. Near the coast are several large lagoons, whose length, for the most part, is parallel thereto, and are so joined to each other by narrow necks of water, that half this distance may be gone inland, upon smooth water; in the flood times this may be called a range of islands, lying close in with the main, but the land is not much overflowed. To the westward and southward of the above capes, the land is high, almost to the sea-side, the hills rising gently like the swell of the sea. The greater part of the higher land is covered with large woods; but the lowland consists chiefly of large, level lawns, or savannahs, as they are called, with scarce a tree, and some of them very extensive. The whole country is remarkably well watered by many fine rivers, which have a long course; by innumerable smaller ones, and by creeks and lagoons; but all the rivers have the inconvenience of shoal bars at their mouths. The soil of the high woody land is the best, and is every where excellent; being either a deep black mould, or rich brick clay. What low woody ground is interspersed among the lawns is not so good; but the inhabitants who hitherto have chosen it for their plantations, have found that it will produce what they want very well. The savannah lands are the worst; the soil is light sand mixed with some rich mould, but might be greatly improved and made very useful. At present they are used for pasturage. The swamps or marshes are very rich soil; and if the wood which grows on them were cut down, they would either dry up, or, with a little more pains, might be drained.”—P. 21.
“Indigo grows all about the country, of the same kind with that of the province of Guatemala, which is esteemed the best in the world.
“Cotton grows every where, in the worst land; the staple is remarkably good. There are three species of that kind which is manufactured, one of which is a light reddish brown, and looks like silk.”—P. 23.