44 



Doc. No. 75. 



No. 4. 



Mr. Chatfield to the Principal Secretary of "the gover?imettis of Honduras 



and Nicaraorua. 



Guatemala, Septembrr 10, 1847. 

 Sir: Questions having arisen, at various times, with the States of Hon- 

 duras and Nicaragua, as to the extent of the coast frontier of the kingdom 

 of Mosquito, her Majesty's government have carefully examined the va- 

 rious documents and historical records which exist relative to this subject, 

 and they are of the opinion that the right of the King of Mosquito should 

 be maintained as extending from Cape Honduras down to the mouth of < 

 the river San Juan; and I am therefore instructed to inform the supreme 

 government of the States of Honduras and Nicaragua, as I have now the 

 honor to do, that this is an extent of coast to which her Majesty's govern- 

 ment consider the King of Mosquito to be entitled, without prejudice to 

 the right of the Mosq^iito King to any territory south of the river San 

 Juan; and that her Majesty's government will not view with indifference 

 any attempt to encroach upon the rights or territory of the King of Mos- 

 quito, who is under the protection of the British Grown. 



I have, (fcc, 



FRED'K CHATFIELD. 



[Translation.] 



Government House, Managua, 



October 14, 1847. 



This supreme government — being without any answer from you to the 

 communication which this ministry addressed to you on the 19th of No- 

 vember, 1842, (an authorized copy of which is hereby enclosed,) sup- 

 porting incontestably the rights of this State on the coast called Mosquito 

 and the port of San Juan on the north, on the occasion of the proceed- 

 ings of Colonel Alexander Macdonald, ex-superintendent of Belize, 

 against Colonel Manuel Quijano, then the administrator of that port, and 

 in disregard of the best relations of peace, amity, and commerce with 

 British subjects — has seen with extraordinary surprise your note of the 

 lUth of last month, wliich, supporting questions of territory between the 

 nomad tribe of Mosquito and the States of Honduras and Nicaragua, 

 states that, after a careful examination of various historical records, her 

 Britanuic Majesty's government are of opinion that the proper extension 

 of that imaginary kingdom is from Cape Honduras to the mouth of the 

 river San Juan on the Atlantic; and that, as their ally, they are disposed 

 to grant every protection against any aggression which these States may 

 make upon it. 



You know, sir, very Avell, that the established practice of a society 

 which considers itself capable of assuming the rank of a nation to obtain 

 its recognition as such, is, that its chief, by his ministers or direct ac- 

 credited agents, should formally solicit the recognition of his sovereignty 

 according to international law; and it is certain that the pretended King 

 of Mosquito has never applied by any agent of his own to the govern- 



