MOSQUITO COAST, or Mosqurrf.k. The strip of territory inhabited by the Mosquito In dians on the eastern coast of Central America, stretc•hieg along the Caribbean Sea front about latitude III 3(1' N. to latitude and extending about IO miles inland (Map: Central America, . 1 t is notalhlr' chiefly for the fact that it was for a time the subject of diplomatic contro versy between the United States and tlreat Britain. From about 1665 to 1850 it eonstituted a protectorate under the nominal l'Ont rot of treat Britain. during which time various attempts were made to plant colonies there, but only with partial success. Both the Central American re publics :Ind the ruited Slates denied the claim of I:rent Britain to a protectorate over the Mos (pith Coast. the latter particularly on account of the contiguity of the territory to the proposed in te•-occannie canal which the United States wished to construct or cause to be constructed. The seizure in 1848 of Crcytow•n (San Juan del Norte), an important commercial port at the mouth of the an Juan River, in Nicaragua, by the Mosquito Indians with the aid of England, caused great excitement in the United States, and for a time war seemed possible. To avert this danger, however, and to obtain a basis for a uniform policy of abstention from interfer ence in the region by both England and the United States with a view to securing the neu trality of the proposed canal, the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850 was concluded between the two countries, by which it was agreed that neither party would occupy, fortify, colonize, or exercise dominion over the Mosquito Coast, or any part of Central America. By a treaty of November
28, 1859, with Honduras, Great Britain ceded to that republic its claim to the protectorate hither to exercised over• the Mosquito Indians and agreed to recognize as belonging to and tinder the sovereignty of Honduras all territory occupied by the said Indians. This arrangement was very unsatisfactory to the Indians and led to a revolt among them. The dillimiltv was finally adjusted by the Treaty of Managua.betwwn Great Britain and Nicaragua of January 2S, 1860, by which it was stipulated that Great Britain would recog nize the sovereignty of Nicaragua over the Mos quito territory lying within its bounds; that a certain district should be assigned to the In dians: and that the British proteetorate should cease within three months after the exchange of ratification. A dispute having arisen between Nicaragua and the Mosquito nation in regard to the interpretation of the treaty, the Emperor of Austria was requested to decide upon the true meaning of the clauses in dispute, which he did in 1880, holding that the sovereignty of Nica ragua over the Indians was limited by the right of self-government conceded to them by the treaty. From that time onward the natives en joyej almost complete self-government. By an agreement entered into between Nienragna and the Mosquito Indians in 1894 they were formally and voluntarily incorporated into the Republic of Nicaragua, their country becoming the Depart ment of Velaya. The population of the territory in that year was about 15,000. Consult Travis, Chuiton-BuTirfr Trtotty (Ann Arbor, 18931.