Chapter I: Preface: SCENE.—A lonely shore

_Enter YANKEE and MOSQUITO MAN._

Well, my dark friend, who are you?

“_Waikna!_” A man!

And what is your nation?

“_Waikna!_” A nation of men!

Pretty good for you, my dark friend! There was once a great
nation—a few old bricks are about all that remains of it
now—whose people were proud to call themselves —— but then what
do you know about the Romans?

“Him good for drink—him grog?”

Bah! No!

“Den no good! bah, too!”

_Exeunt ambo._

Now such a dialogue took place, or might have taken place, on the Mosquito Shore. For all artistic purposes it did take place; and, as my book is chiefly devoted to the Mosquito man and his country, it shall be called WAIKNA—a word that, in the Mosquito tongue, means simply MAN, but which is proudly claimed as the generic designation of the people of the entire coast.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

CHAPTER I.

Jamaica, and how the Author got there—A solemn Soliloquy—An
Artist Tempted—Painting a Portrait—The Schooner Prince
Albert—Captain and Crew—Antonio—Superstitions—Gathering of the
Storm—A Scene of Terror—The Shipwreck 13

CHAPTER II.

“El Roncador”—The Escape—Coral Cays—Scene with the Dead—A Night
of Fever—Delirium—Island Scenes—Turtles—A cruel Practice—Sail
ho!—An Encounter—Revolvers _versus_ Knives—Departure from “El
Roncador”—Island of Providence—A Scene of Revelry—Away for the
Mainland 36

CHAPTER III.

Approach to Bluefields—An Imperial City—New Quarters—Mr.
Hodgson—The Mosquito King—“George William Clarence!”—Grog
_versus_ Gospel—The “Big-Drunk”—A Mosquito Funeral—Singular
Practices—Superstitions—An ill-fated Colony—Sad Reflections 56

CHAPTER IV.

Rama Indians—Departure from Bluefields—Canoe Voyage—Strange
Companionship—The “Haulover”—Our first Encampment—Epicurean
Episode—Night under the Tropics—Life on the Lagoons—Pearl
Cay Lagoon—Climbing after Cocoa-Nuts—A Solitary
Grave—Mangroves—Soldier Crabs—Roseate Spoonbill—River
Wawashaan—Deserted Plantation—Sambo Settlement—“A
King-Paper”—Extraordinary Reception—Captain Drummer—King’s
House—Vanilla Plant—Philanthropy—A Dance—“Spoiled
Head”—Fire-light Fishing—Night Scene 76

CHAPTER V.

Visit to the Turtle Cays—Spearing Turtle—Jumping
Turtle—Return to the Lagoon—Off again—Native Indigo—Another
_Haulover_—Tropical Torments—Braving the Bar—Great
River—Temporal Camp—Continuous Rain—Doleful Dumps—Freaks of the
Flood—Rain, Rain!—Craw-Fish—“El Moro”—The Manzanilla—Guavas—The
Release 105

CHAPTER VI.

On the River—Strong Currents—An Indian Village—A Woolwa
Welcome—Ceremonious Reception—Relations of the Indians—Their
Habits—A Tabooed Establishment—Projected Sport—Hunting
the Manitus—Habits of the Animal—The Attack—Great
Excitement—Successful Capture—Division of the Spoil—Instruments
of the Chase—Another Epicurean Episode 122

CHAPTER VII.

Departure—The Plantain-Tree—Bisbire—Nocturnal
Noises—“Stirring up the Animals”—At Sea Again—Mollusca of the
Caribbean—Walpasixa—The Moonlit Ocean—Prinza-pulka River—Vines
and Verdure—Savannahs—Village of Quamwatla—Inhospitable
Reception—A Retreat—Fatal Encounter—A Trial of Cunning—Tropical
Thunder-Storm—A Second Encounter—The Fight, and the
Triumph—Flight—Asylum in the Forest—The Explanation 138

CHAPTER VIII.

Tapir Camp—A Picturesque Retreat—Wild Life—Palm Wine—Queen of
the Forest—Pine Ridges—Parrots and Paroquets—A Fright—“Only a
Dante”—Trapping the Tapir—Successful Result—Narrow Escape—“An
Army with Banners”—Honey-bees—Communion with Nature—Once more
on the Lagoons 162

CHAPTER IX.

Lagoons of the Mosquito Shore—Indians and Sambos—Life among
the Lagoons—Aquatic Birds—Silk-Cotton Tree—Water Plant—Night
Traveling—Tongla Lagoon—Fishing—A Disagreeable Discovery—The
Chase—Prospect of a Fight—Successful Device—Diamond cut
Diamond—Safely off—Wava Lagoon—Attack of Fever—Primitive
Physic—Poisonous Reptiles—My Poyer Boy Bitten—The Cure 179

CHAPTER X.

Leave Fever Camp—Towkas Indians—Formal Reception—Singular
Practices—Towka Marriage—Extraordinary Ceremonies—Presents
Propitiatory—Shouldering the Responsibility—Marriage
Festival—How to get Drunk—The End of it—Wild Animals—Indian
Rabbits—The Curassow—Chachalaca—Gibeonite—River Turtle—Savory
Cooking 200

CHAPTER XI.

Duckwarra Lagoon—Aboriginal Relics—Sandy Bay—Mosquito
Fashions—Sambos of Sandy Bay—General Peter Slam—An English
Captain—Brutality—Interference—A Drunken Debauch—Mishla
Drink—Dances and Songs—A Sukia Woman—Opportune Warning—Hurried
Departure—Power of the Sukias—Making Mishla—A Disgusting
Operation 215

CHAPTER XII.

Cape Gracias—Its Inhabitants—Fine Savannah—Sambo
Practices—Novel Mode of Hunting—Island of San Pio—Mangrove
Oysters—Trial of the Sukia—A Mysterious Seeress—Superstitions
of the Sambos—Wulasha and Lewire—Character and Habits of
the Mosquitos—Drunkenness—Decrease—Festival of the Dead—New
Plans—River Wanks or Segovia—Iguanas—Armadillos 234

CHAPTER XIII.

River Bocay—New Scenery—End of the Savannahs—Indian Village—The
Messenger—A Night Adventure—Sanctuary of the Sukia—Hoxom-Bal,
the Mother of the Tigers—Mysteries—Ruins among the
Mountains—Serious Impressions—A Tale of Wanks River—Harry F.
and the Padre of Pantasma 251

CHAPTER XIV.

Up the Cape River—Imposing Scenery—Storm among the
Mountains—Influence of the Moon’s Rays—River Tirolas—Mountain
Streams—Picturesque Embarcadero—A Sweet Encampment—An
Accident—Laid up—Send off the Poyer Boy for Help—Speedy
Recovery—Monkeys—An Encounter with the Pigs—To Eat or to be
Eaten, a wide Difference—Return of the Poyer—Abandonment of
the Canoe—“El Moro” again—Ascent of the Mountains—Another
Temporal—Reflections on Fire 272

CHAPTER XV.

The Crest of the Mountains—A Desert Waste—Descent—Rio
Guallambre—Gold Washing—The Poyer Village—Habits of the
Poyers—Plantations—Poisoning Fish—Primitive Arts—Indian
Naiads—Patriarchal Government—Departure—Rio Amacwass—Rio
Patuca—“Gateway of Hell”—Approach to the Sea—Brus Lagoon 290

CHAPTER XVI.

Arrival at Brus—A Festival—Hospitality—Loss of the Poyer
Boy—Civilization of the Caribs—Cocoa-Groves—Sanitary
Precautions—Wild-Fig or Banyan-Tree—Habits of the
Caribs—Industry—The Mahogany-Cutters—Celebration of their
Return—A Carib Dandy—Polygamy—Singular Practices—A Carib
Crew—Departure—The Bay of Honduras—The Bottom of the Sea—Island
of Guanaja—Night—Sombre Soliloquies—Antonio’s Secret—The
Rousing of the Indians—Deep-laid Schemes of Revenge—The Voice
of the Tiger in the Mountains 312