[ 674 ] 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Manners, Customs, Laws, S^x. of 

 the Mosquito Indians. 



[From Capt. Henderson's Account of 

 Honduras.] 



THE Mosquito Indians inhabit 

 a considerable !^pac•e of coun- 

 try on the continent of America, 

 nearly extending from Point Cas- 

 tile, or Cape Honduras the south- 

 ern point of the B;iy of Truxiilo, 

 to the northern branch of the 

 river Nicaraijua, called usually St. 

 Juan's; and comprehending within 

 these limits nearly 100 leagues of 

 land on the sea coast, from lati- 

 tude 11 to 16 degrees. A chain 

 of high mountains may be consi- 

 dered as the natural barrier be- 

 tween their nation and the Spanish 

 possessions in this part of the 

 world. 



These people have long been in 

 alliance with the King of Great 

 Britain, and entertain generally 

 a most exalted opinion of the jus- 

 tice and magnanimity of (he Eng- 

 lish, and a perfect detestation of 

 their neighbours the Spaniards. 

 A tradition has long prevailed 

 amongst them, that the grey-eyed 

 people, meaning the English, have 

 been particularly appointed to pro- 



tect them from oppression or bond- 

 age. And they may enviably be 

 classed witii the very few tribes 

 whose libt rties have remained un- 

 interrupted by European aggres- 

 sion on this side the Atlantic. 



The soil they inhabit is abun- 

 dantly fertile, and capable ofmany 

 Hjodes of cultivation. Indian corn 

 of the finest quality, plantains, 

 ca-'Sava-root, varieties of the yam 

 and sweet potatoe, are plentifully 

 raised from it. The sugar-cane, 

 cotton, and tobacco thrive equally 

 well ; and in the mountainous si- 

 tu itions, coffeL', no doubt, might 

 be produced, not inferior to that 

 which is raised in the West India 

 islands. 



In this country there is also 

 plenty of mahogany, and many 

 other kinds of wood, which might 

 probably meet the purposes of or- 

 namental use extremely well. But 

 the entire want of harbours of 

 sufficient depth for any vessels but 

 those of the smallest burthen, 

 must prevent any material advan- 

 tage resulting from these sources. 

 Several species of dye-wood are 

 likewise found, some of which 

 are used in colouring a coarse kind 

 of cloth, the manufacture of the 



