AVES ISLAND. 117 



or twenty-eight men, being meclianics and laborers, besides her crew, 

 which consisted of fifteen souls ; and from time to time afterwards said 

 parties sent others out, so that, upon an average, in addition to the 

 crews of the vessels there, we generally had as many as thirty-five 

 men, and, with the crews, ordinarily, not less than sixty men of the 

 party under my charge, and by me employed on the isle after we got 

 at work, up to the day of our eviction. There were several females 

 who visited the island during the time I occupied it, the wives of per- 

 sons who came out in the vessels and stewardesses on board the vessels, 

 and one or more families of children, who also came out in the vessels. 



TO THE FIFTH. 



After leaving Boston in June, 1854^, I arrived at Shelton's Isle in 

 the brig John E. Dow, on the first or middle part of the month of 

 July, 1854, I believe on the 15th of that month. On the same day, 

 Captan James Wheeler, before mentioned, also arrived there in the 

 brig Mahala H. Connery, having been dispatched by Messrs. Lang & 

 Delano, merchants of Boston, as I understood from him, upon the 

 information they had derived from him as to the existence of guano 

 thereon, as before stated. Our vessels were in sight of each other 

 when we made the isle, and there was not an hour's difi'erence in the 

 time of our arrival. On the next day we went ashore in company with 

 Captain Wheeler, and although I did not conceive that either he or 

 Lang & Delano had, under the circumstances, any legal, or equitable, 

 or rightful claim to any portion or share of said isle or the guano 

 thereon, and regarded the attempt to appropriate the same to their 

 benefit to be a wrong upon Mr. Shelton, yet to avoid difficulty, and 

 for the sake of peace, and as there was sufficient guano for all, I agreed 

 with him to divide the isle and guano, and accordingly we staked off 

 our respective portions, and came to an unnderstanding not to interfere 

 with each other till I could hear from my employers, but leave the 

 matter to be arranged and settled at home as the parties might deem 

 advisable. Captain Wheeler had also, as I understood, brought out 

 for Lang & Delano sundry materials and articles, though not equal 

 in quantity or number, or in utility or value to those sent by Mr. 

 Shelton and Sampson & Tappan. We immediately erected two liberty 

 poles, or flagstaffs, and hoisted a United States flag on each, which 

 were kept flying constantly by day. Both companies forthwith com- 

 menced erecting their respective structures, the two wharves being 

 built near to each other. Several days were employed by all the per- 

 sons at the isle in building wharves, during which time the vessels 

 remained idle and incurring demurrage or losing time to the owners. 



TO THE SIXTH. 



I continued in the peaceful and undisturbed occupation and posses- 

 sion of Shelton's Isle, and of the guano thereon, as aforesaid, and was 

 employed gathering and shipping guano therefrom, from the time I 

 got the necessary structures erected, without molestation or objection 

 from any one, until the 13th day of December, 1854. I had erected, 

 besides the wharf, seven houses, and sundry sheds, and covers for my 



