The New York Packet

KINGSTON, (Jamaica) June 13.

Extract of a letter from Cape Gratia a Deos (Honduras).

“The inhabitants here universally deprecate your ministry for ordering this country to be abandoned; a country which the settlers have long vainly hoped would have been established as a British colony; a country that with the protection of Britain would soon have become the garden of the world. That part of the country which has been cleared and formed into plantations, has been found more productive than any of the British West India islands. The country abounds with game of all sorts, deer, waree, (wild hog) and various other animals of delicate taste. Wild fowl we have of all sorts, geese, ducks, teal, &c. and so abundant, that by one shot you may destroy dozens. The rivers swarm with fish, and we have such an amazing quantity of turtle, that if there were ten thousand persons in the country equally voracious of such food with the Common Council and Aldermen of London, there would be no apprehensions of scarcity. The face of the country is low and level, and not a mountain to be seen for some hundred miles; and though I have traversed the country, I have not yet discovered one barren spot.

“The poor Indians, who are basely given over to their implacable enemies the Spaniards, whose tender mercies are cruelties, express not only great concern for their own situation, by having so late notice of the intention of the British Government, as to render it almost impossible to prepare for defence, but are even sorry for the separation from Englishmen. The natives have been invariably the constant, steady and affectionate friends of Englishmen; they have admitted us into their bosoms, relying on our protection; and we have now basely endeavoured to sting them to death.

“The Indians retain their inveteracy towards the Spaniards, who I am convinced will never receive any benefit from this country. The Indians have already begun to prepare for war, and horrid war it will be; they are now removing their families into the back parts, and have resolved to harass the Spaniards by every means in their power, neither giving nor receiving quarters.

“I am highly gratified at any measure taken by the Indians for the advancement of their security; you cannot expect me then to express my sorrow when I inform you that they have seized the arms and ammunition, amounting to four barrels of musquet cartridges filled with ball, 40 stands of arms, and a quantity of gun flints.

“I was a few days since with one of their chiefs, who told me a party of Indians, amounting to some hundreds, were gone down to the Black River to seize the stores of ammunition there, which I have no doubt is effected. The chief shewed me a plan of their intended operations, which cannot fail of having the wished for effect; the women, children, and old Indians are to be taken care of in the back part of the country, the arms and ammunition are to be distributed thro’ the country, and the Indians are to be dispersed in small detachments along the coasts, rivers, creeks, all passes, where the Spaniards are expected to come, and to lie in ambush for their reception, and to give no quarters. Such are the outlines of the plan which I believe will be sufficient to strike a damp on the spirits of the Spanish soldiery; and which I am sure will, if the Spaniards attempt to extirpate the Indians, deluge the country with Spanish blood.—I send you the following story, which is told by the chiefs to their parties, which serves to animate each other, and give them a confidence in their military prowess:

“A Guarda Costa a few years back landed 30 men on a foraging party; they were noticed by an Indian Chief, who immediately assembled his men, amounting to 20, and taking advantage of the woods, followed the foraging party unobserved, until he thought they were a sufficient distance from their ship; he then desired his men not to give him any assistance, and he would shew them what chance an European had with them in the bush, and that every tree was the safety of an Indian. The chief then discharged his piece, and shot one of the foraging party, he changed his situation and fired again, and continued so to do until he had destroyed every man, none of whom could tell from what quarter to expect an attack.”