M 1 S C E L L A N E O U S. 



C75 



natives. We learn from Mr. Ed- 

 wards, Hist. West Jndies, Vol. I. 

 . p. 55, 56, that as early as the dis- 

 covery of Columbus, the people 

 of the islands he visited were 

 found abundantly furnished with a 

 substantial cotton cloth of native 

 manufacture. This they stained 

 with various colours ; but the one 

 they most admired was red. A com- 

 mon origin, to go no farther, may 

 perhaps be affixed to the inhabi- 

 tants of the different islands in this 

 part of the western world and the 

 people of the adjacent continent ; 

 hence the striking conformity in 

 , manners, customs, &c. which have 

 been so frequently traced as cha- 

 racteristic of both. 



The rivers flowing through this 

 extensive countrj' are ver}' nume- 

 rous, and most of them are navi- 

 gable a considerable distance for 

 canoes or small vessels. The 

 many spacious lagoons with which 

 it abounds, render it also, in a pic- 

 turesque point of view, singu- 

 larly interesting. 



Of the former, the most de- 

 serving of notice are. Black, or 

 Uio-Tinto, Plantain, Patook, Po- 

 yers, great and little. Cape, Coree, 

 Towkcas, Bluefields, &c. Of the 

 latter, Black-river, Brewers, Cara- 

 tasca, Wava, Pearl-key, Blue- 

 fields, &c. 



Fishes of infinite variety are the 

 inhabitants of both ; and the 

 neighbouringgrounds abound with 

 deer, antelopes, warree, and pec- 

 cary. Birds of various species, 

 adorned with all the richness of 

 plumage so peculiar to tropical 

 situations, enliven every spot. And 

 the whole of these may be viewed 

 as almost holding an undisturbed 

 possession of their native haunts ; 

 for necessity alone, and that of 



the most imperious kind, can 

 ever impel the Indian to seek for 

 either. 



The cattle are small, but, from 

 the vast extent and excellence of 

 the pasturage, the meat they sup- 

 pi)' is fat and extremely well fla- 

 voured. Horses are also very nu- 

 merous, and though generally 

 small, not unhandsome. Hogs 

 are raised in extraordinary num- 

 bers ; and poultry of all kinds is 

 abundant and large. 



Many of the Mosquito Indians 

 are of a mixed breed, between 

 that of the Aboriginal, and the ne- 

 gro of the Samba country. Ac- 

 cident produced this variety, from 

 the circumstance of an African 

 slave-ship, many years past, having 

 been wrecked on their coast, from 

 which several women were saved, 

 and who were immediately chosen 

 by the natives for wives. 



The men in general are athletic 

 and well formed. Their height, 

 on an average, may be taken at 

 five feet eight. The women are 

 frequently handsome ; their chil- 

 dren, when young, are particu- 

 larly so. Their habits and inter- 

 course with each other denote 

 much affection, the old and the 

 young being found in continual 

 association. 



They wear little cloathing. Sel- 

 dom any thing more, men and 

 women, than a small kind of 

 wrapper, which reaches from the 

 lower part of the waist to the 

 middle of the thigh. On particu- 

 lar occasions the chief men usu- 

 ally appear in British regimentals, 

 the military titles of which nation 

 they invariably adopt. Many of 

 them hold commissions from the 

 governor of Jamaica, and from his 

 Majesty'ssuperintendant of Hon- 

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