338 DOTTING^ ON THE ROADSIDE. [Cjiap. XXI.—B. P. 
Nicaraguans under a Colonel Quijano, who in 1836 
took the place by surprise from the few unarmed and 
unprepared English settlers and Mosquito men resid¬ 
ing there. 
Colonel Macdonald, superintendent of Belize, then 
appeared on the scene; and not only summarily ejected 
the intruders, hut conveyed Colonel Quijano to another 
part of the coast; he had hardly, however, returned 
to Belize before the Nicaraguans again took possession 
of the Port, and this time they were allowed to re¬ 
main until the question had been referred to Eng¬ 
land ; when in due time Nicaragua was politely asked 
on what ground she claimed the locality. 
The question was perhaps difficult to answer, or 
some contempt may have been felt for so meek a me¬ 
thod of handling the matter, and this may account for 
the delay of some years during which it remained 
in abeyance; the King of Mosquito at last lost all 
patience, and gave notice that he would only wait 
until the expiration of a certain time before repos¬ 
sessing himself of Grey town. This intimation having 
been treated with contempt, the king was as good as 
his word and reoccupied the place; hut no sooner was 
the town once more left to itself than, emboldened by 
the past, down came the Nicaraguans, and again 
patched an agent to Central America and New Granada, c to open 
negotiations with those Governments for the purpose of effectually 
protecting, by suitable Treaty stipulations with them, such individuals 
or companies as might undertake to open a communication between 
the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by the construction of a Ship-Canal 
across the Isthmus which connects North and South America. 
(President Z. Taylor’s message to the Senate, 22nd April, 1850.) 
