Year: 1853
Type: book
Abstract: a ment, and living on the most unneighbourly terms.This disunion has retarded the complete subjugation of the Indian tribes, and left large tracts of the country almost unknown.Such is particularly the case with the Isthmus of Darien, which for the last century and a half has been completely abandoned to the Aborigines.Of the interior of this country nothing is known, the direction of the principal rivers and the elevations of the mountain ranges being quite hypothetical.During my stay in London I consulted members of the Geographical and Geological Societies, and the answer I invariably got was, " We know nothing definite-nothing that we can give you as a fact-we must look to you to supply us with the information you come to obtain."The reasons generally given for this lack of knowledge is the difficulty of visiting the country, the climate, incessant rains, and the savage state of the Indian tribes -all combining to render the entry difficult, and the return still more so.To these must be added the usual obstructions of an unexplored district, such as impenetrable woods, swamps, rivers, mountains, snakes, wild beasts, &c.&c.Of these, however, I trust to be able to give a more detailed account, should it please Providence to allow of my return.There can be no doubt that both Spaniards and b 2 4 THE BUCCANEERS.Indians often created difficulties to dissuade others from judging for themselves-the former in carrying out those selfish views of monopoly by which they hoped to be enriched, and the latter by the bitter recollection of the cruelties their ancestors suffered from their conquerors.In the 16th century might was right -a conqueror was an autocrat, responsible to no one for his acts, and encouraged by his Home government to oppress and plunder those he had dispossessed of their natural territory.A fearful history of rapine and cruelty is given by all the old historians of the conquest of this portion of America, and I regret to say, that among the Buccaneers or pirates of the 16th century, the English held a most prominent and unenviable part.These pirates, not content with pillaging and sacking all the towns and villages on the then called North Sea (Carribean Sea), used to make frequent inroads into the interior, and in some instances crossed the Isthmus, and carried on their depredations into the South or Pacific Ocean.Their history, as recorded by several of themselves, and translated into English in 1741, affords the only authentic information as to the Isthmus of Darien.It was crossed several times by them, the Indians in most instances acting as their guides, either voluntarily or by compulsion ; but after carefully reading these excursions, and those SUMMARY OF PROJECTS.5 related by Wafer, I feel satisfied that in no case did they take the nearest or lowest ronte between the two oceans.They generally moved in large bodies of from 100 to 400 men, having to procure their subsistence on the way, so that they shaped their course to the points where provision was to be got, and where the Indians had made paths or provided canoes.It is remarkable also that in no case did any party go and return by the same route, the authors themselves laying down this circumstance to the cunning of the Indians, who purposely misled them, so as to prevent any inroad upon them- selves.* Since this was written Col. Childs' report has been published, and proves the practicability of this route for a small class of Navigation, t Page 135.t Staff Surgeon Le Blanc.NICARAGUA LAKE.V some of the Mosquito territory from encroachments by the state of Nicaragua.The expedition consisted of eight boats, the largest of which, the pinnace, was coppered, and when laden drew 3 \ feet of water.This boat could only be got into the river when empty, or nearly so, and the other boats were con- stantly running on sand banks, the position of which was always changing ; besides which, the land at the mouth of the river is very low and full of lagoons, the position of the sand banks in the harbour itself being dependent on the state of the river water.After thirteen days voyaging the boats reachedNicaragua Lake, the pinnace having often to be unloaded, and the boats tracked or poled up rapids.The distance is about 104 miles, so that the average * Baily's Map, published by Trelawny Saunders, 6, Charing-Cross, Loudon.
Author: Lionel Gisborne
Language: English
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W218619274