Doc. No. 15. So5 



ment of Nicaragua will readily consent to the importation of this missioo 

 in the State^ provided its object is not religions propaganda against the 

 one professed by the State^ which they are obhged to protect—! say con- 

 sentj if its aim is to civilize tho^e tribes, to educate and reduce them to 

 social hfe^ and so make of every individual a useful member of the State, 

 doing which they will fufil the wishes of that government always en- 

 tertained; and for the attainment of this important object they have done 

 all in their powder to put those Indians in immediate contact with the 

 civilized people^ flattering them with the idea of independence^ whicli they 

 have entertained ever since the Spaniards, in their mistaken system of con- 

 quest, separated them from the community they were part of. Your ex- 

 cellency will see in the copy I have the honor of enclosing, the treaties 

 which have been made between the government of Nicaragua and some 

 of the chiefs of the tribes that wander betwixt the rivers Limon and 

 Punta Gorda, after those Honduras had concluded in 1843 with the 

 tribes under the government of Lowry Robinson, on the cap of Gracias 

 a Dios, which I suppose have come to the knowledge of your excellency. 

 These treaties, and the declaration of Mr. George Hodgson, ex-counsel- 

 lor of his Mosquitian Majesty, in which he says that the Mosquitos do 

 not approve or wish the occupation of San Juan, but, on the contrary^ 

 they fled, not to be forced to take part in the operations which were pre- 

 pared with false pretences by the counsel, Mr. Walker, show plainly 

 that the government of Nicaragua did not make a mistake when they 

 said that it was not the Mosquitos, but some adventurers living on the 

 coast, who had moved these questions, and they have obtained by sur- 

 reptitious reports that her Majesty's government should take an active 

 part in them. 



After having expressed all I have to say relatively to the points of the 

 letter I refer to, which might affect the rights of my country, and de- 

 manding of your excellency the proper explanation, I have only to give 

 an account of what has passed between my government and Mr. Christie;, 

 on his return from Costa Rica. 



Mr. Christie, who, it appears, has been appointed by her Majesty's gov- 

 ernment consul-general at Mosquito, addressed to his excellency the 

 Minister for Foreign Relations of Nicaragua a letter, in which he says 

 that he is instructed to communicate directly with that minister, with the 

 object of cultivating the friendly relations now existing between that State 

 and Great Britain. So unexpected a manifestation made him say, in reply 

 to Mr. Christie, that the government of Nicaragua would feel pleasure in 

 receiving him with all the consideration due to a distinguished subject of 

 her Majesty, but that the government could not recognise his character of 

 consul-general near the Mosquito tribes, whose independence had not 

 been recognised. His answer is simple enough, and being examined by 

 the light of reason, it will be found that the government of Nicaragua did 

 nought but to choose the medium between two extremes; by which 

 means he thought to concihate the honor and dignity of the State with 

 the respect and consideration he has always shown towards the govern- 

 ment of a nation with which they wish to cultivate the best relations., 

 and produce the same result Mr. Christie proposed to himself. In fact, if 

 he had thoroughly understood the terms in which the said minister's 

 note was couched, he might have avoided promoting a question which, 

 under other circumstances, and with any other nation not Nicaragua, 



