Doc. No. 75. 



13d 



Rica trade, is shortly progressing. The entire distance to be' (i6ristructed' 

 (to the Serapique river) is sixty miles, of which fifteen are now built. 

 The Costa Ricans are endeavoring to negotiate a loan for its completion 

 in England, but I learn that the prospect of their obtaining it is not good. 

 I am unprepared as yet to say v^hat would be its probable return, if com- 

 pleted, I shall seek for information upon this point when I get into the 

 interior. 



The English in ^cm Juan'. 



Since the seizure of this port by the English, its municipal and other 

 regulations have been dictated by the English authorities^ at the head of 

 which stands her Britannic Majesty's consul general, Mr. W. D. Christy. 

 He has taken up his residence here, and assumed the entire control of 

 affairs. No written laws or regulations have been promulgated, and this 

 gentleman is de faclo a dictator, his will being the law beyond which 

 there is no appeal. He has made himself extremely obnoxious to the 

 inhabitants without exception, and his arbitrary conduct is the subject 

 of complaint on every hand. His sole adherents are half a dozen officials, 

 one of whom is vice-consul, another harbor- master, others '^'policemen," 

 ifcc. Although the so-called Mosquito flag is flying, yet apart from this 

 there seems to be no deference to Mosquito authority on the part of the 

 cons^il general. He has taken upon himself to disregard all leases and 

 grants of land made hj the Nicaraguan authorities before the English con- 

 quest, and assumes to sell the same, not as the agent of the Mosquito 

 King^ but as her Britannic Majesty's vice-consul. A copy of one of the 

 deeds is appended-, (A.) 



This assumption may not be deemed of much importance, but it will 

 tend to show that here it is hardly deemed worth the while longer to keep 

 up the shallow disguise of Mosquito authority." 



Mr. Christy, some months ago, made a visit to the interior, to Nicaragua 

 and Costa Rica. Whatever may have been his reception by the latter 

 State, he has no reason to be proud of his success in Nicaragua. He 

 made one or two communications to the authorities, but they refused tO' 

 recognise his official character, and finally returned him his letters un* 

 opened. From all I can learn, the hostility of * * * * towards 

 the * * * * knows no bounds. Indeed, they carry it so far as to 

 purchase of the boatmen at the port of San Carlos (on the head of the 

 San Juan) all supplies intended for this place. It is, in consequence, 

 almost impossible to obtain hei^ the fruits and other articles of consump- 

 tion which were formerly furnished in great abundance from that quarter. 

 The consul general has hinted his intention to retaliate, and also expressed 

 his determination to impose an export duty on all products brought from 

 the interior; but I hardly think he will venture upon the latter measure. 



The duty levied upon imports to this port is 2^ per cent, ad valorem, 

 except upon the following articles: 

 Tobacco, SI per 100 lbs. 



Powder, $2 50 per 100 lbs., or about 25 per cent. 



Wines and other liquors, 12\ cents per gallon. 

 The Nicaraguans formerly levied a general duty of 25 per cent, ad 

 valorem. It has been reduced, since the seizure of San Juan, to 23 per 

 cent. There are some exceptions; but, as 1 shall forward a copy of the 



