AVES ISLAND. 121 



I heard from home, as my employers had encountered very great ex- 

 penses and much trouble in the business. From his conversations and 

 representations I received the impression that it was probable the gov- 

 ernment of the United States had made some arrangement, and had 

 perhaps authorized the Venezuelan government and the Philadelphia 

 company he spoke of to take possession of the isle and guano, and that 

 it was likely Mr. Shelton -and Sampson & Tappan were concerned in 

 or with such company. I talked freely to Dias, and suggested that 

 even if this were so that that fact furnished good reasons for my hold- 

 ing on to my possession till I heard authoritatively from home; and I 

 finally told him, distinctly and unequivocally, that I would not leave 

 the isle, nor cease gathering the guano till prevented by superior 

 force, and that I would resist, and that he could not affect my expul- 

 sion with the force he had there. He then informed me that two other 

 government vessels-of-war of Venezuela — one an armed steamer and 

 the other a sloop-of-war — were coming over to the isle immediately 

 with more troops, and that they had orders, if I had not complied with 

 his directions, to expel me from the isle at once by military force, and 

 to drive away all my vessels^ and that he (Dias) was commander of 

 the whole squadron, and that if he did not decide to expel me forth- 

 with, that he should leave the isle in a few hours, (leaving his soldiers 

 there,) and if the other vessels came in his absence, they would resort 

 to military force to expel me, at all hazards ; and after some time, he 

 told me that he was willing that I should continue to work till the 

 Philadelphia company sent down, or till he could ascertain if my em- 

 ployers were interested, or procure the final decision of his govern- 

 ment ; and that it would be best to keep off all other, and if I would 

 assist him in that, he would give me a paper signifying my right to 

 load the vessels there, and which would prevent all difficulty between 

 me and those in command of the other vessels, and prevent them from 

 attempting to interfere with me. I told him several times, distinctly 

 and expressly, that I would not do anything to admit or recognize any 

 right or claim of Venezuela to the isle or guano, or to compromise in 

 any way the title of my employers, and that I had no right or au- 

 thority from them to do so. I told him we were in possession, and 

 had been so, peaceably, for several months, which title was good till 

 somebody showed a better ; and that his government, if it had any 

 right, should bring the case before the federal government of the 

 United States; and that if force was used, I would resist, and appeal 

 to my government for redress if I was overpowered. He assured me 

 that he did not desire me to make any admissions as to the claim of 

 Venezuela, and boasted that her title did not need them; and he as- 

 sured me also of his kind and friendly feelings, and of his anxiety to 

 avoid difficulty, and handed me a paper that he had drawn up, or had 

 got drawn up, in Spanish, signed by himself alone, which, he said, in 

 case he went away, would prevent the vessels-of-war of Venezuela that 

 might arrive when he was away from molesting me. I did not un- 

 derstand Spanish, and did not know the contents of the paper. I 

 took the paper for what it was worth, and without much inquiry at 

 that time as to its contents, knowing, as it was not signed nor assented 

 to by me, it could not do any harm. He then wanted me to sign a 



