22 AVES ISLAND, 



Dias, ''capitan de navio, second jefe de la esquadra Venezuela." came 

 there in a schooner of the Venezuela navy, armed and equipped and 

 manned, and having also regular troops of that State on board, and 

 claimed the isles as belonging to Venezuela, stating that he acted by 

 the express authorit}^ and command of the government of that power, 

 and notifying our seamen and laborers of his commission, and that the 

 vessel under his command was a government vessel. He landed some 

 troops, and hoisted and saluted the Venezuelan flag, (upon the isle,) 

 and warned us that we could not stay any longer than he saw fit. He 

 then went to Laguira to procure more troops, and on December 24th 

 another Venezuelan vessel arrived and landed more troops, and in a 

 short time we were informed that we must leave the isle within twenty- 

 four hours, or they would drive us away by the soldiery. During the 

 time that had elapsed from their first arrival, our workmen had been 

 prevented from progressing advantageously in the lading of the guano, ' 

 and now a, prohibition was Dot only backed by the presence of an armed 

 force and threats of personal violence to our men therefrom, and 

 demonstrations actually made, but they were dispossessed of the mate-, 

 rials, tools, &c., sent thither, and their houses taken from them by 

 the soldiers by force. 



The said Dias, on December 13, had drawn up and signed a paper 

 in Spanish, (on file in your department,) and which our agent. Captain 

 Gibbs, was constrained under the circumstances to take, and which 

 Dias stjded his '■^permit!" 



In conformity with a peremptory order, doubtless intended when 

 Dias issued that paper, our employes and our vessels left the island 

 and returned to the United States. Charges were exacted by Captain 

 Dias of some of the American vessels at the isles. You will perceive 

 from documents on file at the department, that other Boston merchants 

 have preferred claims somewhat analagous to ours, but in relation 

 thereto it is not necessary, and indeed it would not be proper, for us in 

 this communication to say one word. Every man should attend to his 

 own business only, and not interfere with that of others. 



We invoked, in the letter above mentioned^ the protection of the 

 government of the United States, and its interposition to obtain just 

 redress for us. 



In addition to the letter of January 15, 1855, on the 29th of the same 

 month we addressed you again. That letter is on file, and we respect- 

 fully solicit your reperusal of it. We refer in it to our first letter, 

 and respectfully reiterate the request it makes for protection and 

 redress. We state the heavy losses that we had sustained by the ille- 

 gal interference in our legitimate business and the outrage on our 

 rights, and we give to you the particulars of our losses, and we ask 

 their prosecution by the government against Venezuela. We had 

 some reasons to hope that a vessel of war of the United States would 

 have been dispatched with the demand for redress. 



On February 26, 1855, we wrote to you a third time, reiterating 

 like requests, and communicated additional information to that before 

 given to you. We stated that Captain Dias, after his first visit to 

 Shelton's Isle, and before his command to us to quit, had visited the 

 Danish island of St. Thomas and had communications with the shore, 



