Doc. No. 75. 101 



San Salvador has passed a decree exempting American mail vessels in the 

 Pacific from tonnage duties or port charges for five years, showing thus 

 a wish to induce such vessels (steamers) to touch in some of her 

 ports. * * # I send herewith a manifesto, published by au- 



thority of the 2:overnment of Nicaragua, from which you will perceive that 

 Mr. Patrick Walker, professing to be the consul-general of Great Britain for 

 the preleaded Musquito kingdom, assuming to be guardian of their infant 

 King (crowned at Jamaica,) and on behalf of that kingdom, on the 1st of 

 January, 1848, took, with the assistance of a British man-of-war, forcible 

 possession of the port of San Juan de Nicaragua, then held and occupied by 

 * Nicaragua. On the 9tlj of the same month the troops of Nicaragua retool^ 

 this port, and two prisoners (Hodgson and Litde,) with the property which 

 had been before taken from them, and restored their flag; and on the 12th 

 of Jajuiary, 1848, G. G. Loch, commodore of the British man-of-war 

 jLlarm, with the force under his command, consisting of the said vessel and 

 crew, -again took forcible possession of said port, and of the whole of the 

 Rio San Juan de Nicaragua from the lake to the sea; and, as before, tore 

 down the Nicaragua flag and restored what was claimed to be the Musquito 

 iJag- and whilst affairs were in tliis condition, the treaty herewith en- 

 closed was concluded. 1 send a printed copy of the decree of the State 

 San Salvador, alluded to above. # * * # * 



With great respect, your obedient servant, 



ELIJAH HISE. 



Mr. Hise to the Secretary of ^tate, 



[Extracts.] 



Guatemala, February 8, 1849. 



^ir: I send herewith the San Salvador Gazette, which contains a com- 

 mtinicaiion from Jose de Marroletta, charge d'affaires from the government 

 'of Nicaragua to Paris, to the British minister. Lord Pahnerston, on the 

 Mosquito question, it might be urged, in addition, that old Spanish 

 grantSy issued during the dominiorj. of Old Spain, cover a great portion of 

 the country and coasts now claimed and occupied by the English, under 

 the shallovv'' pretext and subterfuge of protector of the Mosquito kingdom, 

 under a treaty with a person who was manufactured into a king for the 

 purpose- On this subject I refer your excellency to my previous letters 

 and despatches, for information on the Mosquito question. 



^ ^ ^ ^ %?f ^ ^ 



I send you the Guatemalian gazette of the 31st January, containing the 

 eorrespondence and addresses on the subject of, and delivered at, my 

 presentation. I have already addressed a note to Rodriguez, the Minister 

 of Foreign Affairs, in which he is referred to the treaty of 1826 with Central 

 America, and the De Witt treaty (unratified) of 1838, as the basis of a 

 new treaty with this republic, it being determined to-day, I have not 

 yet received an answer. I am in communication with the governments 

 vof San Salvador and Nicaragua, who will send commissioners here, with 

 a view of treating with the United States, I have no doubt, as soon as 

 ih&Y hear of the settlement of affairs here. I have also written to the 



