AVES ISLAND. 155 



Article second. Vfallace shall pay to the government the price of 

 four dollars, standard, for each ton which he may extract, all the 

 expenses which may be incurred in the procurement of the guano^ or 

 from any other cause, being for his own account. 



Article third. On account of what may accrue to the government in 

 virtue of the foregoing article, Wallace shall draw bills of exchange, 

 in its favor, on John Tucker, of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, 

 for the sum of two hundred thousand dollars, payable ninety days 

 after sight. 



Article fourth. The right, granted by article first, shall not be exer-v 

 cised so long as said bills will not have been fully satisfied, and should 

 they unfortunately be either protested or unsatisfied, the present con- 

 tract shall by that fact, and without any declaration to that effect be 

 forfeited, and the government of Venezuela shall be paid for such 

 damages as may have been suffered in consequence thereof. 



Article fifth. The extracting of the forementioned guano having 

 duly commenced, in consequence of compliance with the foregoing 

 articles of contract, the government has the right of assigning such 

 agents as it may deem expedient, to supervise operations for the pur- 

 pose of ascertaining the number of tons, which the contractors may 

 have taken out, in virtue of article first. 



Article sixth. The contractors are bound to render a monthly account 

 of the guano taken out to the agent, whom the government may 

 appoint ; and, upon calculation of the amount, accruing to the treasury 

 of Venezuela, such amount shall be deducted from the two hundred 

 thousand dollars advanced in virtue of article third, and when said sum 

 will have been entirely redeemed, there shall be a monthly payment 

 into the general treasury of the proceeds of the number of tons which 

 may be taken out during the respective month ; said payment to be 

 made in actual money, or by bills of exchange on the United States of 

 the North, at the option of the government. 



Sec. 1. Upon failure of payment, for three months of the price of the 

 tons of guano taken out ; it is understood that the contract shall be 

 forfeited, and that, in any event, all arrearages shall be satisfied. 



Article seventh. For ampler proof of the quantity of the guano 

 taken out, during each and every quarter, the contractors are bound 

 to exhibit to the government the manifests of shipments, which may 

 clearly establish the importations of guano into the ports of the United 

 States or of Europe. 



Sec. 1. The government is authorized at all times to adopt all such 

 measures as are calculated to prevent the frauds which may be committed 

 in the excavation of said guano. 



Article eighth. In order to guard the islands, with a view of prevent- 

 ing the fraudulent taking out of the guano, the contractors shall be 

 bound to keep up at least three armed vessels, of the larger size, at 

 their own expense and with out any remuneration on the part of 

 Venezuela. 



Article nine. In case of a revolution in Venezuela, in which the 

 government may determine to reinforce the national navy, said vessels 

 which shall hoist the flag of Venezuela, shall, with their crews, 

 armaments, and other appliances, be at the disposal of the government, 



