NOTES anp 
QUERIES: 
A MEDIUM OF INTER-COMMUNICATION 
FOR 
LITERARY MEN, ARTISTS, ANTIQUARIES, GENEALOGISTS, ETC. 
* When found, make 2 note of.” — Caprain CurtTLe. 
No. 27.1 SatrurpDAy, May 4. 1850. Erlee Pipeenences 
= Stamped Edition 4d. 
apts Page 1. As to the origin of the name. T believe it 
Nowaets to be probably derived from a native name of a 
pe micnanite Country 2 , 2 i - 495| tribe of Indians in that part of America. The 
Noteeon Bacon and: Jeremy. Taylor 9 = - ee Spanish Central Americans speak of Moscos. 
Phe by Parnell. iF Peter Carningaan a > 4, | Juarros, a Spanish Central American author, in, 
Barly) English and Early German Literature, by S. mr his History of Guatemala, names the Moscos among 
Folk Lore: — Charm for the Toothache—The Evil Eye 
— Charms — Roasted Mouse - = = 429 
The Anglo-Saxon Word “ Unled,”’ by S. W. Singer - 480 
Dr. Cosin’s MSS — Index to Baker’s MSS., by J. E. B. 
Mayor - - - - - - - 433 
Arabic Numerals” - - - - - - 433 
Roman Numerals - - - - - - 434 
Error in Hallam’s History of Literature - - - 435 
Notes from Cunningham’s Handbook for Londo - 435 
Anecdote of Charles I. - = - - - 437 
QUERIES : — 
The Mandelyne Grace, by E. F. Rimbault, LL.D. - 437 
““Esquire’’ and ‘* Gentleman”’ - - - - 437 
Five Queries (Lines by Suckling, &c.)  - - - 439 
Queries proposed, No. I., by Bolton Corney - - 439 
Minor Queries : — Elizabeth and Isabel — Howard, Earl 
of Surrey — Bulls called ‘ William’? — Bawn — Mutuat 
— Versicle and Response — Yeoman — Pusan — Iklyn- 
ton Collar — Lord Karinthon — Christian. Captives — 
Aneient Churchyard Customs—‘ Rotten Row” and 
** Stockwell”™ Street - - . - - 439 
REPLIES : — 
Early Statistics - - - - = - 441 
Byron's Lara - - - - - - 443 | 
Replies to Minor Queries: —Dr. Whichcot and Lord 
Shaftesbury — Black Doll— Journal of Sir W. Beeston 
— Shrew — Trunk Breeches— Queen’s Messengers — 
Dissenting Ministers —Ballad of the Wars in France — 
Monody on Death of Sir J. Moore - ~ - 444 
Tron Rails round St. Paul’s - Ps - = - 446 
Miscettangous : — 
Notes on Books, Sales, Catalogues, &e. - . ~ 446 
Books and Odd Volumes wanted - - - - 446 
Notices to Correspondents - - - - 446 
Advertisements - - - - = - 447 
THE MOSQUITO COUNTRY.—ORIGIN OF THE NAME. 
— EARLY CONNEXION OF THE MOSQUITO INDIANS 
WITH THE ENGLISH, 
The subject of the Mosquito country has lately 
acquired a general interest. I am anxious to in- 
sert the following ‘* Notes and Queries”’ in your 
useful periodical, hoping thus to elicit additional | 
information, or to assist other inquirers, 
other Indians inhabiting the north-eastern corner 
of the tract of country now called Mosquito : and 
in the ‘“ Mosquito Correspondence” laid before. 
Parliament in 1848, the inhabitants of Mosquito 
are called A/oscos in the Spanish state-papers. 
How and when would Mosco have become Mos- 
quito 2 Was it a Spanish elongation of the name, 
or an English corruption? In the former case, it 
would probably have been another name of the. 
people: in the latter, probably a name given to, 
the part of the. coast near which the Moscos lived. 
The form Mosquito, or Moskito, or Muskito, (as. 
the word is variously spelt in our old books), 
is doubtless as old as the earliest English inter- 
course with the Indians of the Mosquito coast ;. 
and that may be as far back as about 1630: it is, 
certainly as far back as 1650, 
If the name came from the synonymous inseet, 
would it have been given by the Spaniards or the, 
English? Mosquito is the Spanish diminutive 
name of a fly,: but what we call a mosquito, the 
Spaniards in Central America call by another 
name, sanchwjo. The Spaniards had very little 
connexion at any time with the Mosquito In- 
dians; and as mosquitoes are not more abundant 
on their parts of the coast than on other parts, or 
in the interior, where the Spaniards settled, there 
would have been no, reason for their giving the 
name on account of insects. Nor, indeed, would 
the English, who went to the coast from Jamaica, 
or other West India Islands, where mosquitoes 
are quite as abundant, have had any such reason 
either. At Bluefields, where the writer has re- 
sided, which was one of the first places on the 
Mosquito coast frequented by English, and which 
derives its name from an old English buccaneer, 
‘there are no mosquitoes at all. At Grey Town, at 
the mouth of the river San Juan, there are plenty ; 
but not more than in Jamaica, or in the towns of 
the interior state of Nicaragua. However, names 
are not always given so as to be argument-proof, 
