AVES ISLAND. 69 



AvES Island, December 3, 1854. 

 Sir : I being forced to leave this island, I shall take passage in the 

 Amazon, as she wants 75 tons to make up her load, so I order her to 

 Boston. The Viator will touch at St. Thomas ; she has in about 100 

 tons of guano. 



Yours, obedient, 



N. P. GIBBS. 

 Philo S. Shelton. 



E. 



This is to certify that I was visited at Aves Island by a vessel from 

 the government of Venezuela, on the 13th day of December, 1854, 

 and that they claimed the said island, and landed one field piece, ten 

 soldiers, and an officer to guard the island against all other comers, 

 but allowed me to work until they could have further orders from their 

 government. On the 20th of December another vessel came and 

 landed twenty more troops and small arms, but did not attempt to 

 molest us until the 28th, when the same vessel returned and added to 

 their forces, and took possession of the island in the name of their 

 government^ and would not allow us to work longer, and ordered us 

 to clear off all our property in twenty-four hours ; but by giving them 

 a portion of provisions I was allowed to take the remainder, but we 

 had not time to clear our houses and wharves away, as they had taken 

 forcible possession of them. 



NATHAN P. aiBBS. 



F. 



Sir: I send you a line via St. Thomas, by Mr. H. Lang, who 

 leaves here to-day in one of his vessels which he gives up. We are 

 expecting to be stopped every day. Since my last we have had twenty 

 more troops landed, and we are now waiting their pleasure. There 

 is an English brig-of-war now lying here and leaves to-day for Carrac- 

 cas, to see if this Venezuelan government have a right to take it ; 

 if they have not, this government will look into it. He says we- 

 have the best right, and he was ordered to come and see if we 

 were still here, if not, to take it himself. I think they may come and 

 help defend it and let us work. He has gone to find out the right of 

 it. The Carlos will sail to-morrow with 80O tons, the Amazon the 

 last of the week. The Viator arrived 23d. We have nothing decisive 



