AVES ISLAND. 107 



deemed advisable. I most respectfully solicit a reply to this commu- 

 nication as early as convenient. 



I have the honor to be, with high respect, vour obedient servant, 



H. S. SANFORD. 

 Hon, William L. Marcy, 



Secretary- of State, dec. 



I, William P. Gibbs, of East Wareham, State of Massachusetts, by 

 occupation a shipmaster, do hereby certify that on the 13th day of De- 

 cember, 1854, 1 was at Aves or Bird Island, in the Caribbean sea, in the 

 employ of Messrs. Sampson & Tappan and Philo S. Shelton, of Boston, 

 assisting Captain N. P. Gibbs in shipping guano on board various vessels 

 at that island. . That on the day above named a Venezeulan schooner 

 of war, commanded by one Dias, arrived at the island and landed an 

 armed force with a large gun, and claimed possession of the island 

 in the name of the Venezuelan government, at the same time threat- 

 ening the immediate expulsion of all the Americans on the island. 

 Further, the said Captain Dias drew up a document in Spanish, which 

 he said was a permit for them to continue to load guano, provided 

 they placed their armament under his control. I was present when, 

 the purport of said document was explained to Captain N. P. Gibbs, 

 (who did not understand Spanish,) and the most positive assurance 

 was given to him that said document contained nothing whereby he 

 assented to the title of the island being in Venezuela ; I am positive 

 on this point ; and I further certify that said Dias threatened that 

 unless they signed said document they must leave the island forthwith. 

 Captain Gibbs, under these circumstances, felt compelled to sign the 

 document, hoping by so doing, they would allow him to load the vessels 

 then there, and those expected. Further, on the 30th day of the same 

 month of December, another Venezuelan vessel of war, reported from 

 Laguayra, called at the island, and landed twenty more troops and 

 notified Captain N. P. Gibbs we must cease shipping any more guano, 

 and must quit the island within twenty-four hours ; the same night 

 they stationed armed guards, with fixed bayonets, at the doors of our 

 houses, at the guano pits, on our wharves, and on our boats ; on the 

 next morning, on attempting to resume our work, as usual, we were 

 forced at the point of the bayonet to desist. Under these circum- 

 stances. Captain Gibbs found it necessary to leave the island, leaving 

 in their possession our houses, our wharves, and other implements, 

 together with a portion of our stores, which we were obliged to con- 

 cede to them in order to get possession of the remainder; sending 

 away the brig Viator with only a few tons of guano, the brig Mary 

 Peirce without any, and leaving ourselves in the bark Amazon, which 

 was also not fully loaded. 



W^M. P. GIBBS. 



Boston, August 23, 1855. 



