AVES ISLAND. 137 



Mr. Sanford to Mr. Marcy. 



Derby, Connecticut, 



June 30, 1856. 

 Sir : I inclose herewith, to be filed in the Shelton's Isle case, a 

 printed deposition of John McCahe, one of the workmen employed on 

 Shelton's Isle, duly authenticated, and which I have this day received 

 from my agent in New York, who took the same. The reason for its 

 being printed is, that the first manuscript contained some informality, 

 and the notary public has explained in his certificate that this is a 

 correct copy of the first, and to save, moreover, trouble in copying. 



I inclose also a copy for the use of the department, to be sent to Mr. 

 Eames, if it thinks proper, after appending the notary's certificate. 

 I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



H. S. SANFORD. 

 Hon. Wm. L. Marcy, 



Secretary of State. 



Copy of deposition of John McCabe, original, duly certified, on fie at the 

 State Department. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



Philo S. Shelton and Sampson &Tappan, ] Claim for indemnity, &c., 



I for dispossession of Shelton's 

 vs. )■ Isle, and taking property, 



The Republic of Venezuela. 



&c., in 1854, and keeping it 

 from their possession. 



John McCabe, a witness for claimants, being duly sworn to testify 

 the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, touching said 

 claim now pending in the State Department of the United States, and 

 being duly cautioned according to law, doth depose : that he is of law- 

 ful age, and is a citizen of the United States, and resides in the city of 

 New York ; that he is not pecuniarily interested in said claim ; that he 

 went to the isle with Captain Gibbs, in the John R. Dow, and arrived 

 there in July, 1854, the same day that Captain Wheeler did, in the 

 brigantine M. H. Comery, and that they both landed next day (sea 

 time ;) that he staid there till Christmas, 1854, when the Venezuelans 

 took possession by military force ; that he thinks there were 200,000 

 tons of guano on the island, and that was the general estimate, and 

 one half was first-class if carefully procured. That he won't pretend 

 to give a positive valuation, but he thinks that there were at least 

 75,000 tons on Captain Gibbs's part of the island, worth $13 or $14 a 

 ton, considering that he had all the means of gathering it and loading 

 it prepared for his use, aad hands there also ; that he means the value 

 at the isle to the owners, they having these means, (wharves, houses, 



