No. 70.
Mr. Braida
to Mr. Uhl.
Consulate
of the United States,
San Juan del
Norte, July 11, 1894.
(Received July 25.)
Sir: I beg to transmit you herewith copies of No.
1, Capt. B. B Seat’s, our consular agent at Blueflelds, report, concerning
the last uprising; No. 2, copy of a “bulletin,” etc.; No. 3, copy of Chief
Clarence’s proclamation, resuming his former government.
Knowing that Captain Commander O’Neil had gone to Port Limon in order to
cable the events, I shall only give Hon. L. Baker telegraphic information
from Port Limon per royal mail steamer.
The British man-of-war Magicienne was absent when all
occurred. The consul of Her Britannic Majesty, Mr. Bingham, is instructed
not to go to Bluefields, in whatever such case, any more. He cabled to
London and to Guatemala. The outbreak of a revolution in the interior is
generally expected every day and publicly discussed.
Our mail communication is very bad, the bar being very dangerous and often
closing even for small caril crafts.
I have, etc.,
S. C. Braida,
United States Consul.
[Inclosure 1 in No. 70.]
Mr. Seat to Mr.
Braida.
United
States Consular Agency,
Bluefields, Nicaragua, July,
1894.
My Dear Sir: I have the honor to report
herewith an unexpected and radical change in the situation since my last
official note to you. On Thursday, the 5th instant, a number of
employees of the provisional council, composed chiefly of Jamaicans, who
had been acting as policemen, presented their claims at the headquarters
of General Cabezas, demanding their pay for services previously
rendered. The provisional treasurer, one Aubert, endeavored to put off
matters, and this incensed the Jamaicans. This led to an angry
altercation between the officials and the Jamaicans, the latter claiming
that they were badly treated in not being promptly paid for their
services. They were finally paid off, however, but not until after a
squad of the Nicaraguan soldiers had attacked them and several of the
Jamaicans had been beaten with guns and wounded by the bayonets.
After this episode all the police force resigned and all the officials of
the provisional government except Aubert and Mongrio (the judge).
Three of the Jamaicans were sent to jail by order of General Cabezas, and
the order was executed by the soldiers.
At once excited groups appeared all along the principal street, and this
continued until night.
[Page 118]
At about 9 p.m. a large crowd surrounded the new Government buildings and
opened a heavy lire on it. The attacking party was composed of natives
and Jamaicans.
The firing was kept up at intervals until after midnight—the Nicaraguan
soldiers returning the fire from the buildings.
After about 1 o’clock the firing ceased and all was apparently quiet
except one occasional shot, which gave assurance that the excited crowds
were still scattered along the street, where they remained until
daylight. On the morning of the 6th instant a bulletin was issued and
posted on the streets, signed by Robert Henry Clarence, declaring that
he had reassumed his rightful authority as hereditary chief of Mosquito
and calling on all persons to recognize his said authority in the
Mosquito Reserve.
The excitement continued, and late in the evening a formal demand was
made upon Cabezas to surrender. He asked until morning to consider the
terms proposed, and it was finally granted to him.
The same evening a small party sailed out to the bluff, and after killing
two of the Nicaraguan soldiers and wounding a third, they captured six
or seven prisoners, one Krupp gun, and about three hundred rifles, all
of which were brought to Bluefields.
On the morning of the 7th instant Captain Commander O’Neil was on shore.
Cabezas sent for him, and after a few hours Cabezas was permitted to
send his 35 soldiers and the prisoners away to Rama, and Cabezas himself
was permitted to remain as the Nicaraguan commissioner to the
reserve.
The Krupp gun and rifles were to be turned over to Captain O’Neil. All
the public records and archives were to be turned over to the Mosquito
delegation, and Cabezas was to issue an order to Nicaraguan officials
along the coast to vacate and turn over to the Mosquitos.
On the night of the 5th, when it was known that an attack on the
buildings of Cabezas had been planned, I signaled the Marblehead with rockets and sent off a boat with a dispatch to
Captain O’Neil, accompanied by a petition from the American residents,
asking that a force be placed on shore for the protection of life and
property.
The dispatch did not reach the Marblehead until
about 1 o’clock in the morning, and owing to the roughness of the bar
the marines did not reach Bluefields until on the 6th, about 1 p.m.
Sixty of them came on shore and are now bivouacking at the courthouse
under command of Lieutenant Bowman.
A magistrate was appointed and a police force of some thirty men was
organized, which is now the civil authority of the reserve.
The Marblehead sailed to Port Limon to forward
dispatches on the night of the 7th, and returned this morning.
Much excitement continues and rumors are numerous on the streets, the
last to the effect that the Nicaraguans at Rama are organizing a force
of 500 men and that they are coming down to wipe out
everything—Americans and negroes, and men and women and children alike.
I am satisfied that only the presence of the American man-of-war will
prevent them from making an attack, and that if they should be
successful in such attack it would be disastrous to natives and
foreigners alike. Of course they are now claiming that the Americans
were connected with the assault, as I learned to-day. But if there were
any of them so connected with this movement it was only two or three
irresponsible parties, who are entirely unknown. I don’t believe any of
them had anything to do with it, but that it was an impromptu uprising
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of the natives and Jamaica
negroes. If they should make an attack now it will be quite different
from what it was when Lacayo came here a few months ago.
Yours, respectfully,
B. B. Seat,
United States Consular Agent
[Inclosure 2 in No. 70.]
Bulletin.
Patience has ceased to be a virtue—Nicaragua’s
hostile treatment toward the civilian police creates an uprising—A
reinforcement from the bluff threatens to lay the “niggers”
low—balls whooped though the town last night—Prisoners set at
liberty—Flags torn down—General Cabezas and Provisional Treasurer
Aubert said to be responsible.
For several weeks there has been a general growling among the employees
of the provisional government for payment of salaries due them.
Continued appeals and frequent visits were made at the headquarters for
settlement, but alas! the same old cry, “There is no money in the
chest.” On Saturday last, when it was seen that four large bags
containing about $1,200 were conveyed thither, employees cherished a
hope of being paid. Fortunately a few provisional ones were, but the
unfortunate policemen were not.
Yesterday, 5th instant, at 3.30 p.m., about ten police and other
employees (laborers) visited the treasurer in order to be paid. They
were kept in suspense for a long while and became exasperated and talked
loudly. They were threatened to be put out, but afterwards called by
General Cabezas, but so soon as they followed him inside in another
apartment they were met by a guard of Nicaraguan sentinels, under arms,
who charged bayonets on them and further demanding silence. The men,
realizing their position, tried to resist this piece of austerity, which
resulted in a collision between staffs, bayouets, and gun butts. Of the
several blows inflicted both ways, one police sustained loss of some
blood, having received a cut on the forehead from a bayonet. Command
from a superior authority terminated the conflict and the police were
paid forthwith, except three, who were confined. Those that were paid
demanded release of the others, but were put out with threats and at the
point of the sword, which threats meant that soldiers from the bluff
would come in to keep them (the negritos) low as they were boisterous.
Matters remained quiet for a while, but the inhabitants were in a fever
of excitement when the bugle was sounded at the quartel at about 8.30
p.m. Rifle shots passed through many houses in various directions from
10 p.m. until almost daylight, causing alarm and great fear to the
general public.
Luckily only one man was hurt from a bullet. The cuartel and the houses
opposite, from the effects of the shattered boarding and broken glass
windows, apparently seem to be the spot of the conflict in which
civilians and soldiers fought to a finish. At daybreak the flags of both
Mosquito and Nicaragua were discovered to be missing off the flag pole,
and all prisoners released. Signs for assistance were appealed to from
the American warship Marblehead lying off the
bluff, but she failed to comply, as the bar was rough at that hour.
Had the greater part of the male population not been on their plantations
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the result might have been
very disastrous, as such a raid would not be permitted.
The citizens are determined not to allow any more of dogged intrigues to
be played on them. It is the general opinion that if General Cabezas had
not sent away the money, and if Treasurer Aubert had paid the men
previously, this occurrence would not be likely to occur, but report
says that the Nicaraguans intend to lay the “niggers” low, consequently
an uprising is imminent at any moment, as soldiers are expected to
arrive from Rama. But the civilians are on the qui vive.
Nicaragua fails to govern American marines and blue jackets landed.
Provisional council members resign. Natives, now is your time to form a
new council and protect yourselves. Delay is dangerous.
Mosquito flag floated again predominant at 12.30.
[Inclosure 3 in No. 70.]
Proclamation.
Mosquito Reservation,
Bluefields, July 6,
1894.
I, Robert Henry Clarence, hereditary chief of Mosquito, hereby proclaim
that I have reassumed my rightful authority as chief of Mosquito; and I
call upon all law-abiding and loyal residents to obey my authority and
that of my office.
Robert Henry Clarence,
Chief of Mosquito.
