Editing Gregor MacGregor (section)

===Cazique of Poyais===
{{Location map+|Middle America|width=280
| AlternativeMap = Middle America location map.svg|float=right |places=
  {{Location map~|Middle America|label=<div style="position:relative;left:10px;"><span style="background-color:#c6ecff;">"Poyais"</span></div>|position=top|lat=15.2462|long=-84.4269|mark=Cercle rouge 100%.svg|marksize=30}}
  {{Location map~|Middle America|label=<div style="position:relative;top:1px;"><span style="background-color:white;">Belize</span></div>|position=left|lat=17.504722|long=-88.186667|marksize=8}}
  {{Location map~|Middle America|label=<div style="position:relative;top:10px;right:2px;"><span style="background-color:white;">Porto Bello</span></div>|position=left|lat=9.55|long=-79.65|marksize=8}}
  {{Location map~|Middle America|label=<div style="position:relative;bottom:7px;right:3px;"><span style="background-color:#c6ecff;">{{nowrap|Rio de la Hacha}}</span></div>|position=right|lat=11.544167|long=-72.906944|marksize=8}}
  {{Location map~|Middle America|label=<div style="position:relative;left:9px;bottom:2px;">Caracas</div>|position=bottom|lat=10.5|long=-66.916667|marksize=8}}
  {{Location map~|Middle America|label=Amelia&nbsp;Island|position=right|lat=30.704689|long=-81.454461|marksize=8}}
  {{Location map~|Middle America|label=<div style="position:relative;top:10px;right:3px;"><span style="background-color:#c6ecff;">Aux Cayes</span></div>|position=right|lat=18.2|long=-73.75|marksize=8}}
  {{Location map~|Middle America|label=<span style="background-color:#c6ecff;">Nassau</span>|position=right|lat=25.06|long=-77.345|marksize=8}}
  {{Location map~|Middle America|label=<div style="position:relative;bottom:7px;right:3px;">San Andrés</div>|position=right|lat=12.58|long=-81.7|marksize=8}}
  {{Location map~|Middle America|label=<div style="position:relative;right:6px;"><span style="background-color:#c6ecff;">Kingston</span></div>|position=bottom|lat=17.983333|long=-76.8|marksize=8}}
  |caption=Supposed location of Poyais and places relevant to MacGregor's prior exploits
  |alt=
}}

MacGregor's next known location is at the court of [[George Frederic Augustus I|King George Frederic Augustus]] of the [[Mosquito Coast]], at [[Cape Gracias a Dios]] on the [[Gulf of Honduras]] in April 1820.{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|pp=107, 221–222}} The [[Miskito people]], descendants of shipwrecked African slaves and indigenous people, shared the historic British antipathy towards Spain, and the British authorities in the region had crowned their most powerful chieftains as "kings" since the 17th century.{{sfn|Dawson|2004}} These were kings in little more than name, with no effective control over the country they ostensibly led; Britain crowned and protected them simply so they could declare the area to be under Mosquito sovereignty and thereby obstruct Spanish claims.{{sfn|Naylor|1989|p=219}} There had been a modest [[Black River (settlement)|British settlement]] on the coast around the [[Sico River|Black River]] (now the Río Sico), but this had been evacuated following the [[Convention of London (1786)|Anglo-Spanish Convention]] of 1786. By the 1820s the most visible sign of prior colonisation was a small graveyard overgrown by the jungle.{{sfn|Hasbrouck|1927|p=441}}

On 29 April 1820, George Frederic Augustus signed a document granting MacGregor and his heirs a substantial swathe of Mosquito territory—8,000,000 acres (12,500 square miles; 32,375 square kilometres), an area larger than [[Wales]]{{sfn|The Economist|2012}}{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|pp=31–37}} — in exchange for rum and jewellery.{{sfn|Dawson|2004}} The land was pleasing to the eye but unfit for cultivation and could sustain little in the way of livestock. Its area was roughly a triangle with corners at Cape Gracias a Dios, [[Cape Camarón]] and the Black River's headwaters.{{sfn|Hasbrouck|1927|p=441}} MacGregor dubbed this area "Poyais" after the natives of the highlands around the Black River's source, the [[Paya people|Paya]] or "Poyer" people (today called the Pech),{{sfn|Hasbrouck|1927|p=440}}{{sfn|Olson|1991|pp=289–290}} and in mid-1821 appeared back in London calling himself the Cazique of Poyais—"[[Cacique|Cazique]]", a Spanish-American word for a native chief, being equivalent in MacGregor's usage to "Prince".{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|pp=8, 32–35}} He claimed to have been created such by the Mosquito king, but in fact both the title and Poyais were of his own invention.{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|pp=108, 235}}

Despite Rafter's book, London society remained largely unaware of MacGregor's failures over the past few years, but remembered successes such as his march to Barcelona; similarly his association with the "Die-Hards" of the 57th Foot was recalled, but his dubious early discharge was not.{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|pp=26–29}} In this climate of a constantly shifting Latin America, where governments rose, fell, and adopted new names from year to year, it did not seem so implausible that there might be a country called Poyais or that a decorated general like MacGregor might be its leader.{{sfn|Dawson|2004}}{{sfn|The Economist|2012}}{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|pp=289–290}} The Cazique became "a great adornment for the dinner tables and ballrooms of sophisticated London", Sinclair writes{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|pp=26–29}} — rumours abounded that he was partially descended from indigenous royalty.{{#tag:ref||group="n"|name="darienancestor"}} His exotic appeal was enhanced by the arrival of the striking "Princess of Poyais", Josefa, who had given birth to a girl named Josefa Anna Gregoria at MacGregor's sister's home in Ireland.{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|pp=29, 36}} The MacGregors received countless social invitations, including an official reception at [[Guildhall, London|Guildhall]] from the [[Lord Mayor of London]].{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|pp=26–29}}

MacGregor said that he had come to London to attend [[George IV of the United Kingdom|King George IV]]'s coronation on the Poyers' behalf, and to seek investment and immigrants for Poyais. He claimed to have inherited a democratic system of government there, with a basic civil service and military.{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|pp=29–36}} To those interested MacGregor showed what he said was a copy of a printed proclamation he had issued to the Poyers on 13 April 1821. He therein announced the 1820 land grant, his departure for Europe to seek investors and colonists—"religious and moral instructors&nbsp;... and persons to guide and assist you"—and the appointment of Brigadier-General George Woodbine to be "Vice-Cazique" during his absence. "POYERS!", the document concluded, "I now bid you farewell for a while&nbsp;... I trust, that through the kindness of Almighty Providence, I shall be again enabled to return amongst you, and that then it will be my pleasing duty to hail you as affectionate friends, and yours to receive me as your faithful Cazique and Father."{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|pp=32–35}} There is no evidence that such a statement was ever actually distributed on the Mosquito Coast.{{#tag:ref|This so-called "copy" was probably an original, printed in Britain long after the claimed date.{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|p=318}}|group="n"|name="1821proclamation"}}

So began what has been called one of the most brazen confidence tricks in history — the Poyais scheme.{{#tag:ref|Sinclair calls the Poyais scheme "the most audacious fraud in history",{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|p=i}} while a 2012 analysis by ''[[The Economist]]'' adjudges it "the greatest confidence trick of all time".{{sfn|The Economist|2012}} "It is true that more recent scams have raised more," the ''Economist''{{'}}s reasoning goes — "[[Bernard Madoff|Bernie Madoff]], a New York-based fraudster caught out in 2008 [[Madoff investment scandal|ran a scheme 20 times bigger]], at $65 billion. In cash terms alone Mr Madoff trumps MacGregor. But fraud is about creating false confidence, and making people believe in something that does not exist. For some, like Mr Madoff, it is the belief in the trickster’s shamanic stock-picking skills. For others, like [[Charles Ponzi]], it is a fail-safe [[Ponzi scheme|mathematical scheme]]. MacGregor was far more ambitious: he invented an entire country."{{sfn|The Economist|2012}}|group="n"|name="greatestfraud"}} MacGregor devised a [[Tricameralism|tricameral]] parliament and other convoluted constitutional arrangements for Poyais, drew up commercial and banking mechanisms, and designed distinctive uniforms for each regiment of the Poyaisian Army.{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|pp=319–320}} His imaginary country had an honours system, landed titles, a coat of arms—doubly [[supporter|supported]] by Poyers and unicorns—and the same Green Cross flag he had used in Florida.{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|pp=77–78}} By the end of 1821 Major William John Richardson had not only accepted MacGregor's fantasy as true but had become an active ally, providing his attractive estate at Oak Hall, [[Wanstead]] to be a British base for the supposed Poyaisian royal family.{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|pp=29–36}} MacGregor gave Richardson the Order of the Green Cross, commissioned him into the Poyaisian "Royal Regiment of Horse Guards" and appointed him ''[[chargé d'affaires]]'' of the Poyaisian [[legation]] at Dowgate Hill in the [[City of London]]—the top representative of Poyais in Britain. Richardson's [[letter of credence]] from "Gregor the First, Sovereign Prince of the State of Poyais" was presented to George IV.{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|p=39}} MacGregor had Poyaisian offices set up in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow to sell impressive-looking land certificates—initially hand-written, but later printed—to the general public, and to co-ordinate prospective emigrants.{{sfn|Sinclair|2004|pp=64–65}}