1 64 THROUGH THREEFOLD TENSION 



concluded by Great Britain in 1859 and 1860 

 with Honduras and Nicaragua respectively. In 

 these conventions all claim to a British pro 

 tectorate over the Mosquito territory was relin 

 quished and the sovereignty over that territory 

 within their respective frontiers was recognized 

 to the Central American states. The Bay 

 Islands were recognized as an integral part of 

 the republic of Honduras. In this adjustment 

 the contention of the United States as to the 

 effect of the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty was sus 

 tained in full. British Honduras was, indeed, 

 left to the dominion of Great Britain; but this 

 was in accordance with the view adopted by 

 the Americans that the territory was outside 

 of Central America, and therefore was not af 

 fected by the provisions of the treaty. So 

 far as concerned control over the expected 

 canal through Nicaragua, neither the United 

 States nor Great Britain had a privileged posi 

 tion in Central America. The great work 

 might, therefore, be expected to be brought to 

 completion promptly for the benefit of man 

 kind. Unhappily, by the time when the way 

 became clear, all hope of progress in the actual 

 construction of the canal had been relegated to 

 an indefinitely distant future. Capital proved 



