198 AVES ISLAND. 



Mr. Fames to Mr. Cass. • . 



No. 36,] Legation of the United States, 



Caraccas, April 1, 1857. 



Sir : In my No. 35 I had the honor to inform the department of the 

 receipt, on the 21st of February last, of its No. 42 in relation to the 

 Aves claim, giving me, then, my first information of the existence of 

 its No. 37 of the 14th August last, which, however, was next day shown 

 to me by Mr. Sanford in the proof sheets of the Senate document in 

 relation to the Aves, which he had brought with him. In my No. 22 

 of 9th October last, which, I perceive, was not sent to the Senate, the 

 department was informed of receipt by me of its dispatches '^to No. 36 

 inclusive," and my No. 26, of 5th December last, acknowledging Nos. 

 39 and 40 from the department, stated 'Hhat Nos. 37 and 38 are 

 wanting." 



I have now the honor to acknowledge the receipt on the 17th ultimo 

 from the department of No. 43, of 6th January, and Nos. 47 and 48, 

 both of 24th February. But none of these three numbers relate to the 

 Aves question, and the three intermediate Nos. 44, 45, and 46, have 

 not been received, and are probably lost, because since the receipt of 

 Nos. 43, 47, and 48, other vessels have arrived here, both from Phila- 

 delphia and New York, bringing me other correspondence, but nothing 

 from the department. I presume that these lost Nos. 44, 45, and 46, 

 contain important matter relating to the Aves claim, as I am advised 

 by Mr, Sanford that he has reason to believe that such papers have 

 been forwarded to me from the department since the date of its No. 42, 

 which is the latest I have on the subject. 



The department will thus perceive that of its twelve dispatches for- 

 warded to me since the 9th of August last, the date of its No. 36, I 

 have failed to receive /t'e, namely : Nos. 37, 38, 44, 45, and 46; all of 

 which are still wanting, and of which others, as well as No. 37, doubt- 

 less relate to the Aves. Considering the urgent attitude of this 

 question, and that the published correspondence in regard to it may 

 have already reached this government, the department will, I am sure, 

 fully appreciate the extraordinary and, perhaps, unprecedented diffi- 

 culty and embarrassment to which this series of unfortunate casualties 

 has subjected this legation in that business. 



I deem it proper to add that I am entirely confident that these lost 

 dispatches never reached Laguayra, because by reference to the '^ mem- 

 orandum" accompanying my contingent account, and transmitted 

 with my No. 25, the department will perceive the effectual precautions 

 which, in order to avoid the risk and delay of the mail service here, I 

 took more than two years ago, and have ever since maintained, to have 

 all my dispatches, with a list of them, transmitted to me immediately 

 upon their arrival at Laguayra through our consulate there, and by a 

 special messenger. This duty has been performed by our consul with 

 exact attention. As the dispatches for this legation have ever since 

 its establishment been transmited through the commercial house of 

 Messrs. Dallett Brothers, of Philadelphia, and as its records show that 

 no dispatch has been lost prior to No. 37 to me from the department. 



