dared no longer ascend the river, they still continued to blockade its mouths. Inter-oceanic transit was once more practically stopped, and a successful piratical raid under L'Olonnais, who marched on Granada from the Gulf of Fonseca, and sacked and burned it, in 1685, gave Spanish commerce along this route its coup de grâce. The invading buccaneers left Central Nicaragua three years later. This expedition was followed by

Dampier (1689-90) against Leon, which, ascending the Estero Real, was only partially successful.

In 1698-1700 came the episode of Paterson's Scots settlement at Darien. The Jamaica Government no longer protected the buccaneers, but established permanent settlements along the Atlantic coast, attached the natives to its interests by promises of milder treatment, and by the abolition of forced labour. Finally, during the first half of last century, they completely and efficiently blockaded the whole coast.

Shortly before 1695, William Paterson, one of the greatest men Scotland ever produced, conceived the idea of obtaining for Great Britain, to quote his own language, “the keys of the universe . . . enabling their possessors to give laws to both oceans, and to become the arbiters of the commercial world." He proposed to carry out his scheme by means of an entrepôt, or settlement, at the Isthmus of Darien, as a distributing centre for the commerce of the world.

He obtained the incorporation by the Scottish Parlia

“Central America in 1701," by Wm. Paterson. S. Bannister, 1857,

ment of "the Company of Scotland trading to Africa and the Indies." Money was freely subscribed in Scotland, England, and Holland, and the prospect, so far as financial means went, was encouraging until the English and Dutch East India Companies, fearing injury to their monopolies, strongly opposed the project. Support from England and Holland was then withdrawn, and Scotland alone was left to carry on the work, which she, however, did with enthusiasm.

Un

The Scots settlement at Darien was organized, and 1,200 pioneers, sailed from Leith on the 26th July, 1698, reaching their destination on the 4th November. fortunately for the success of his scheme, Paterson planted his colony in the Bay of Caledonia, in a terribly unhealthy situation, where he founded Puerto Escoces. But, even if the climate had been perfect, the opposition of England and Holland alone was enough to prove fatal to his success. Their colonies in the West Indies were forbidden to sell the pioneers food or supplies. Unsupported from home, Paterson had to contend against innumerable local difficulties. The Indians, finding they were simply changing masters, devastated the country around the Scots; the privations endured aided the epidemic which ravaged the settlement; the hostility of the natives grew; and at last came anarchy among the settlers, who had been reinforced by another expedition numbering some twelve hundred. While matters stood thus, Herrera, at the head of a Spanish squadron and a large force, appeared in 1700 and laid siege to the remainder of the colony, who had managed to escape the series of calami

ties by which they had been overtaken. The garrison capitulated with honours of war, and took leave of Darien on the 11th April, 1700, carrying with them such arms and stores as remained. It is said that not more than twenty ever returned. The expedition was definitely abandoned, but not before Paterson, from his settlement in Caledonia Bay, had made several journeys into the interior to ascertain the possibility of inter-oceanic communication, and indicated a line which a canal might follow.

Paterson, who, amongst other things, was the founder of the Bank of England, was a man of the greatest and most ambitious views, one of the most clear-sighted spirits of his time, a master-mind in the domains of politics, commerce, and adventure. Like other great men who have propounded new ideas, he was the object of the most bitter contempt and abuse through a series of years, and he was nearly brought to ruin by his project.

Had it not been for the disturbed relations between Scotland and England before the Union, and the want of accord between William III. and his ministers, Paterson would have been supported from home, might have removed his colony to some healthier site, and, overcoming all difficulties by the force of his genius, have given to this country a colony more important than all her present territories in America.

With a colony established there the possession of the whole American isthmus would have been assured to Britain, and doubtless, long ere this, a passage would have been opened from sea to sea. It was a great gift

offered by Paterson to his country, one fraught with possibilities of the greatest consequence, by which the destinies of the world might have been greatly changed.1 A passage from one of Paterson's many writings must be given :

Besides, and above all, as being an isthmus, and seated between the two vast oceans of the universe, furnished on each side with excellent harbours, between the principal whereof lies the more easy and convenient passes between the one and the other sea. Those ports, so settled, with passes open, through them will flow at least two-thirds of what both Indies yield to Christendom, the sum whereof in gold, silver, copper, spices, salt-petre, pearls, emeralds, stones of value, and such like, will hardly amount to less than thirty millions of pounds sterling yearly. The time and expense of the voyage to China, Japan, and the richest part of the East Indies, will be lessened more than a half, and the consumption of European commodities soon be more than doubled, and afterwards yearly increased.""

When at Colon, I made personal inquiries regarding Puerto Escoces, in continuation of written inquiries made by me before my visit to Central America.

All I could learn was little. From the nature of the Paterson venture, the Spaniards had not preserved any records, and the Colombians of the present day do not feel any great interest in the history of the country,

1

Wyse says of this: "Jamais une nation n'a repoussé un don aussi précieux."

beyond their own efforts for independence. The only people likely to know anything about the place are descendants of English people in Colombia who were sympathisers with the colonists in the War of Independence.

Puerto Escoces is about 150 miles from Colon, on one of the most unfrequented parts of the coast on the east side of the Gulf of Darien, and, as may be seen from a map, not on the route between Colon and Cartagena, nor in the way of any small craft bound from Cartagena to the Atrato river. Coasting schooners or sloops occasionally trade between Colon or Cartagena, and the San Blas coast, i.e., between Colon and the Gulf of Darien, for cocoanuts, etc.; but the Gulf itself seems out of their way. The Indians of San Blas are an uncivilized race, not recognizing the Colombian Government, except under compulsion.

At Portobello there lives an old native named Ildefonso Rodriguez, who may perhaps know something about the place, as he trades among the San Blas and other Indians. About forty years ago a Frenchman, whose name I could not ascertain, who had settled for some time near Port Caledonia by himself, induced some people from Cartagena to go with him on an expedition in the neighbourhood of Puerto Escoces. Three of the Cartagena people were said to have been killed by monkeys, but none of their relations now living can give any information. A Mr. Fabian Gogoso of New York was one of the party.

The "West Indian Pilot" of 1893 says that "traces of