The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft Part 86

_Froebel_, _Aus Amer._, tom. i., p. 287. 'Les Orotinas, voisins du golfe de Nicoya, dont les villes princ.i.p.ales etaient Nicoya, Orotina, Cantren et Chorote.' _Bra.s.seur de Bourbourg_, _Hist. Nat. Civ._, tom. ii., pp.

110. 'Settled the country south of Lake Nicaragua around the Gulf of Nicoya.' _Stout's Nicaragua_, p. 114.

[Sidenote: MOSQUITO NATIONS.]

The MOSQUITOS, as a subdivision of this group, inhabit the whole of Honduras, the eastern portion of Nicaragua, and all that part of the coast on the Caribbean Sea known as the Mosquito Coast.

The _Xicaques_ 'exist in the district lying between the Rio Ulua and Rio Tinto.... It seems probable that the Xicaques were once much more widely diffused, extending over the plains of Olancho, and into the Department of Nueva Segovia, in Nicaragua.' _Squier's Cent. Amer._, p.

244. 'Se rencontrent princ.i.p.alement dans le departement de Yoro ...

(some) a l'embouchure de la riviere Choloma, et le reste est disperse dans les montagnes a l'ouest de la plaine de Sula. Dans le departement de Yoro, ils sont repandus dans le pays depuis la riviere Sulaco jusqu'a la baie de Honduras.' _Id._, in _Nouvelles Annales des Voy._, 1858, tom.

clx., pp. 133-4. Yoro department; 'Welche am oberen Lauf der Flusse und in dem Berg- und Hugellande zwischen der Kuste und dem Thale von Olancho wohnen.' _Wappaus_, _Geog. u. Stat._, p. 317.

The _Poyas_. 'In the triangle between the Tinto, the sea, and the Rio w.a.n.ks, or Segovia.' _Squier's Cent. Amer._, p. 244. 'Inhabit the Poyer mountains, beyond the Embarcadero on the Polyer River.' _Young's Narrative_, p. 80. 'Den westlichen Theil des Distrikts Taguzgalpa, zwischen den Flussen Aguan und Barbo.' _Ha.s.sel_, _Mex. Guat._, p. 389.

'Inhabit the heads of the Black and Patook rivers.' _Bell_, in _Lond.

Geog. Soc., Jour._, vol. x.x.xii., p. 258.

The _Towkas_, 'bewohnen die sudlichen Gegenden des Distrikts (Taguzgalpa) und das Gebirge.' _Ha.s.sel_, _Mex. Guat._, pp. 390-1. 'Their princ.i.p.al residence is at the head of Patook River.' _Young's Narrative_, p. 87. 'They dwell along the Twaka river which is a branch of the Prinz Awala.' _Bell_, in _Lond. Geog. Soc., Jour._, vol. x.x.xii., p. 258.

The '_Toonglas_ inhabit along the other branch of the same river.' _Ib._

The _Smoos_ 'inhabit the heads of all the rivers from Blewfields to Patook.' _Id._, p. 256.

The _Cookras_ 'reside about one hundred and thirty miles from its mouth'

(the Rio Escondido). _Strangeways' Mosquito Sh.o.r.e_, p. 30.

The _Caribs_ 'now occupy the coast from the neighborhood of the port of Truxillo to Carataska Lagoon.... Their original seat was San Vincent, one of what are called the Leeward Islands, whence they were deported in a body, by the English, in 1798, and landed upon the then unoccupied island of Roatan, in the Bay of Honduras.' They afterwards removed to the main land 'in the vicinity of Truxillo, whence they have spread rapidly to the eastward. All along the coast, generally near the mouths of the various rivers with which it is fringed, they have their establishments or towns.' _Bard's Waikna_, p. 316. 'Now settled along the whole extent of coast from Cape Gracias a Dios to Belize.'

_Froebel's Cent. Amer._, p. 185. 'Dwell on the sea coast, their first town, Cape Town, being a few miles to the westward of Black River.'

_Young's Narrative_, pp. 71, 122, 134. In Roatan: 'Die Volksmenge besteht aus Caraiben und Sambos, deren etwa 4,000 auf der Insel seyn sollen.' _Ha.s.sel_, _Mex. Guat._, p. 386. 'Unter den Caraibendorfern sind zu nennen: Stanu Creek ... unfern im S. von Belize und von da bis zur Sudgrenze Settee, Lower Stanu Creek, Silver Creek, Seven Hills und Punta Gorda.' _Wappaus_, _Geog. u. Stat._, p. 300. See also: _Sivers_, _Mittelamerika_, pp. 154, 179; _Morelet_, _Voyage_, tom. ii., p. 289.

The _Ramas_ extend from Greytown to Blewfields, a region 'uninhabited except by the scanty remnant of a tribe called Ramas.' 'Inhabit a small island at the southern extremity of Blewfields Lagoon; they are only a miserable remnant of a numerous tribe that formerly lived on the St.

John's and other rivers in that neighbourhood. A great number of them still live at the head of the Rio Frio, which runs into the St. John's River at San Carlos Fort.' _Bell_, in _Lond. Geog. Soc., Jour._, vol.

x.x.xii., pp. 242, 259. 'Rama Cay, in Blewfiels Lagoon. This small island is the refuge of a feeble remnant of the once powerful Rama tribe.' _Pim and Seemann's Dottings_, p. 278.

The _Mosquitos_ inhabit 'the whole coast from Pearl Key Lagoon to Black River, and along the banks of the Wawa and Wanx, or w.a.n.ks Rivers for a great distance inland.' _Bell_, in _Lond. Geog. Soc., Jour._, vol.

x.x.xii., p. 250. 'L'interieur du pays est occupe par la nation sauvage et indomptable des Mosquitos-Sombos. Les cotes, surtout pres le cap Gracias a Dios, sont habitees par une autre tribu d'Indiens que les navigateurs anglais ont appeles Mosquitos de la cote.' _Malte-Brun_, _Precis de la Geog._, tom. vi., p. 472. 'An dem Ende dieser Provinz (Honduras), nahe bey dem Cap, Gratias-a-Dios, findet man die beruhmte Nation der Mosquiten.' _Delaporte_, _Reisen_, tom. x., p. 404. 'Nearly the whole coast of Honduras; and their most numerous tribe exists near the Cape Gracios a Dios.' _Bonnycastle's Span. Amer._, vol. i., p. 172. 'Ocupan el terreno de mas de sesenta leguas, que corren desde la jurisdiccion de Comaniagua, hasta la de Costa-Rica.' _Revista Mex._, tom. i., p. 404.

'Die Sambo, oder eigentlichen Mosquitoindianer welche den grossten Theil der Seekuste bis zum Black river hinauf und die an derselben gelegenen Savannen bewohnen.' _Mosquitoland_, _Bericht_, p. 19. 'Inhabiting on the Main, on the North side, near Cape Gratia Dios; between Cape Honduras and Nicaragua.' _Dampier's Voyages_, vol. i., p. 7. 'Inhabit a considerable s.p.a.ce of country on the continent of America, nearly extending from Point Castile, or Cape Honduras, the southern point of the Bay of Truxillo, to the northern branch of the river Nicaragua, called usually St. Juan's; and comprehending within these limits nearly 100 leagues of land on the sea coast, from lat.i.tude 11 to 16 deg.'

_Henderson's Honduras_, pp. 211-12. The Sambos 'inhabit the country from Sandy Bay to Potook.' _Strangeways' Mosquito Sh.o.r.e_, p. 330. 'The Sambos, or Mosquitians, inhabit the sea coast, and the savannas inland, as far west as Black River.' _Young's Narrative_, p. 71. 'The increase and expansion of the Caribs has already driven most of the Sambos, who were established to the northward and westward of Cape Gracias a Dios, into the territory of Nicaragua, southward of the Cape.' _Squier's Honduras_ [Lond., 1870,] p. 169; _Id._, _Cent. Amer._, p. 228.

[Sidenote: ISTHMIAN NATIONS.]

The ISTHMIANS, the last sub-division of this group, embrace the people of Costa Rica, together with the nations dwelling on the Isthmus of Panama, or Darien, as far as the gulf of Uraba, and along the river Atrato to the mouth of the Napipi, thence up the last-named river to the Pacific Ocean. 'The Indian tribes within the territory of Costarrica, distinguished by the name of Parcialidades, are the Valientes, or most eastern people of the state; the Tiribees, who occupy the coast from Bocatoro to the Banana; the Talamancas and Blancos, who inhabit the interior, but frequent the coast between the Banana and Salt Creek; the Montanos and Cabecares, who are settled in the neighbourhood of the high lands bounding Veragua, and the Guatusos, inhabiting the mountains and forest between Esparsa and Bagases, and towards the north of these places.' _Galindo_, in _Lond. Geog. Soc., Jour._, vol. vi., p. 134. From Boca del Toro towards the west coast dwell the Viceitas, Blancos, Valientes, Guatusos, Tiribis, and Talamancas. _Wagner and Scherzer_, _Costa Rica_, p. 554. Blancos, Valientes, and Talamancas 'entlang der Ostkuste zwischen dem Rio Zent und Boca del Toro, im Staate Costa Rica.'

_Id._, p. 573.

The _Guatusos_ 'vom Nicaragua-See an den Rio Frio aufwarts und zwischen diesem und dem San Carlos bis zum Hochlande.' _Wappaus_, _Geog. u.

Stat._, p. 357. 'Inhabit a territory lying between the Merivales mountains on the west, the lake of Nicaragua and the San Juan river on the north, the Atlantic sh.o.r.e on the east, and the table land of San Jose upon the south.' ... The Rio Frio 'head-waters are the favorite haunt or habitation of the Guatusos ... occupy the north-east corner of Costa Rica.' _Boyle's Ride_, vol. i., pref., pp. xii., xix., p. 298.

They inhabit 'the basin of the Rio Frio.' _Squier's Cent. Amer._, p.

405; _Id._, in _Nouvelles Annales des Voy._, 1856, tom. cli., p. 5; _Id._, in _Hist. Mag._, vol. iv., p. 65; _Vigne's Travels_, vol. i., p.

77.

The _Guetares_ 'viven encima de las sierras del puerto de la Herradora e se extienden por la costa deste golpho al Poniente de la banda del Norte hasta el confin de los Chorotegas.' _Oviedo_, _Hist. Gen._, tom. iii., p. 108.

The _Blancos_ 'welche ungefahr 5 Tagereisen sudostlich von Angostura in den Bergen hausen.' _Wagner and Scherzer_, _Costa Rica_, pp. 556, 554.

The _Valientes_ and _Ramas_, 'zwischen dem Punta Gorda und der Lagune von Chiriqui.' _Mosquitoland_, _Bericht_, p. 9.

Inhabiting the Isthmus were numerous tribes speaking different languages, mentioned by early writers only by the name of the chief, which was usually identical with that of both town and province. In the province of Panama there were 'quatro senores de lenguas diferentes....

De alli se baxaua a la prouincia de Nata ... treynta leguas de Panama ... otro llamado Escoria, ocho leguas de Nata.... Ocho leguas mas adelante, la buelta de Panama, auia otro Cazique dicho Chiru, de lengua diferente: y otras siete leguas mas adelante, hazia Panama, estaua el de Chame, que era el remate de la lengua de Coyba: y la prouincia de Paris se hallaua doze leguas de Nata, Les hueste.' _Herrera_, _Hist. Gen._, dec. ii., lib. iii., cap. vi. Westward from the gulf of Uraba 'hay una provincia que se dice Careta ... yendo mas la costa abajo, fasta cuarenta leguas desta villa, entrando la tierra adentro fasta doce leguas, esta un cacique que se dice Comogre y otro que se dice Poborosa.' _Balboa_, in _Navarrete_, _Col. de Viages_, tom. iii., p.

366. 'En la primera provincia de los darieles hay las poblaciones siguientes: Seraque, Surugunti, Queno, Moreri, Agrazenuqua, Occabayanti y Uraba.' _Hervas_, _Catalogo_, tom. i., p. 280. 'Treinta y tantas leguas del Darien habia una provincia que se decia Careta, y otra cinco leguas de ella que se dice Acla.... La primera provincia desde Acla hacia el ueste es Comogre.... En esta tierra esta una provincia que se llama Peruqueta, de una mar a otra, y la isla de las Perlas, y golfo de S. Miguel, y otra provincia, que llamamos las Behetrias por no haber en ella ningun senor, se llama Cueva: es toda una gente y de una lengua....

Desde esta provincia da Peruqueta hasta Adechame que son cerca de 40 leguas todavia al ueste, se llama la provincia de Coiba, y la lengua es la de Cueva ... desde Burica hasta esta provincia, que se dice Tobreytrota, casi que cada senor es diferente de lengua uno de otro....

Desde aqui tornando a bajar cerca de la mar, venimos a la provincia de Nata ... esta 30 leguas de Panama ... tenia por contrario a un senor que se decia Escoria, que tenia sus poblaciones en un rio grande ocho leguas de Meta.... Esta es lengua por si. Y ocho leguas de alli hacia Panama esta otro senor que se dice Chiru, lengua diferente. Siete leguas de Chiru, hacia Panama, esta la provincia de Chame: es el remate de la lengua de Coiba ... Chiman ... dos leguas de Comogre ... desde esto Chiman ... la provincia de Pocorosa, y de alli dos leguas la vuelta del ueste ... la de Paruraca, donde comienza la de Coiba, y de alli la misma via cuatro leguas ... la de Tubanama, y de alli a ocho leguas todo a esta via ... la de Chepo, y seis leguas de alli ... la de Chepobar, y dos leguas delante ... la de Pacora, y cuatro de alli ... la de Panama, y de alli otras cuatro ... la de Periquete, y otras cuatro adelante ...

la de Tabore, y otras cuatro adelante ... la de Chame, que es remate de la lengua y provincia de Coiba ... de Chame a la provincia del Chiru hay ocho leguas ... y este Chiru es otra lengua por si.' _Andagoya_, in _Navarrete_, _Col. de Viages_, tom. iii., pp. 397-8, 407-8, 410.

The _Guaimies_. 'En la provincia de Veraguas, situada a 9 grados de lat.i.tud boreal, esta la nacion de los Guaimies o Huamies.' _Hervas_, _Catalogo_, tom. i., pp. 280-1. 'Los quales indios, segun decian, no eran naturales de aquella comarca: antes era en antigua patria la tierra que esta junto al rio grande de Darien.' _Cieza de Leon_, in _Id._, p.

281.

'The Indians who at present inhabit the Isthmus are scattered over Bocas del Toro, the northern portions of Veraguas, the north-eastern sh.o.r.es of Panama, and almost the whole of Darien, and consist princ.i.p.ally of four tribes, the Savanerics, the San Blas Indians, the Bayanos, and the Cholos. Each tribe speaks a different language.' _Seemann's Voy.

Herald_, vol. i., p. 317. 'Les Goajiros, les Motilones, les Guainetas et les Cocinas, dans les provinces de Rio-Hacha, de Upar et de Santa-Marta; et les Dariens, les Cunas et les Chocoes, sur les rives et les affluents de l'Atrato et les cotes du Darien.' _Roquette_, in _Nouvelles Annales des Voy._, 1855, tom. cxlvii., pp. 24-5.

'The _Savanerics_ occupy the northern portion of Veraguas.' _Ib._

The _Dorachos_ occupied western Veragua. _Id._, p. 312.

The _Manzanillo_, or San Blas Indians, 'inhabit the north-eastern portion of the province of Panama.' _Id._, p. 320. 'The chief settlement is about San Blas, the rest of the coast being dotted over with small villages.' _Gisborne's Darien_, p. 156. 'Their princ.i.p.al settlements are on the upper branches of the Chepo, Chiman, and Congo, on the Tuquesa, Ucurganti, Jubuganti, and Chueti, branches of the Chuquanaqua, and on the Pucro and Paya.' _Cullen's Darien_, p. 69. 'The whole of the Isthmus of Darien, except a small portion of the valley of the Tuyra, comprising the towns of Chipogana, Pinogana, Yavisa, and Santa Maria, and a few scattering inhabitants on the Bayamo near its mouth, is uninhabited except by the San Blas or Darien Indians.... They inhabit the whole Atlantic coast from San Blas to the Tarena, mouth of the Atrato, and in the interior from the Sucubti to the upper parts of the Bayamo.'

_Selfridge's Darien Surveys_, p. 10.

The _Mandingos_ 'occupy the coast as far as the Bay of Caledonia.'

_Puydt_, in _Lond. Geog. Soc., Jour._, vol. x.x.xviii., p. 92; _Reichardt_, _Cent. Amer._, p. 161; _Ludewig's Ab. Lang._, p. 61.

The _Bayanos_, 'about the River Chepo.' _Id._, p. 18; _Seemann's Voy.

Herald_, vol. i., p. 321.

The _Cholos_, 'extending from the Gulf of San Miguel to the bay of Choco, and thence with a few interruptions to the northern parts of the Republic of Ecuador.' _Seemann's Voy. Herald_, vol. i., p. 321.

'Inhabiting part of the Isthmus of Darien, east of the river Chuquanaqua, which is watered by the river Paya and its branches in and about lat. 8 15' N., and long. 77 20' W.' _Latham_, in _Lond. Geog.

Soc., Jour._, vol. xx., p. 189.

'The _Cunas_ have established themselves on the sh.o.r.es of the Gulf of Uraba, near the outlets of the Atrato.' _Puydt_, in _Lond. Geog. Soc., Jour._, vol. x.x.xviii., p. 92.

The _Cunacunas_, 'on the south-easterly side of the Isthmus.' _Ludewig's Ab. Lang._, p. 59. 'The remnants of the Chucunaquese who in 1861 dwelt on the banks of the river which bears their name ... have gone up towards the north.' _Ib._

The _Chocos_, 'on the Leon and the different tributaries of the Atrato.'

_Michler's Darien_, p. 26.

The _Caimanes_, 'between Punta Arenas and Turbo.' _Ib._

The _Urabas_, 'en las selvas y bosques de la Provincia de Uraba.'

_Alcedo_, _Dicc._, tom. v., p. 258.

The _Idibas_ 'del Reyno de Tierra-Firme y Gobierno de Panama, son confinantes con los Chocoes y los Tatabes.' _Id._, tom. ii., p. 413.