AVES ISLAND. 219 



zuela to make to them full reparation, the undersigned deems it proper 

 to present that demonstration with exactness of detail. 



Soon after the .establishment of the republic of Venezuela its con- 

 stituent congress, in a decree under date of 13th of October, 1830, 

 reciting the importance to Venezuela of a statistical delineation of the 

 territory of the nation, and of its limits in "all its provinces," directed 

 "the executive power to authorize a skilled official functionary to ac- 

 complish that work." Under this law Colonel Codazzi, a scientific 

 engineer, who had been previously extensively engaged in such service 

 under the authority of the republic of Colombia, was duly appointed 

 and commissioned to perform within the period of three years, by au- 

 thority of the government of Venezuela, the work proposed . By another 

 law of congress under date of 3d May, 1833^ the prescribed period for 

 the work was extended, in compliance with an official report of the 

 Department of War, two years longer. By another law of congress 

 of 22d April, 1835, also in pursuance of the official report of the De- 

 partment of War, the period was again extended to the 31st of Decem- 

 ber, 1837. Another law of congress of 17th of April, 1837, reciting 

 that "the previous extension is not long enough to enable the com- 

 mission to complete the delineation of the province Guayana," again 

 extends the period to the 31st of December, 1838, and further enacts 

 "that the commission, as soon as it has completed the delineation of 

 that province, shall make the general delineation of the republic." 

 By yet another law of congress, 18th of April, 1839, it is enacted that 

 the commission shall continue till the 31st of December, 1839, and that 

 its duty shall be "to form the general delineation of the republic, to 

 form a descriptive chart presenting its physical aspect, and to note 

 and explain the leading facts in the political history of Venezuela in 

 their relation to its geography, and that the government shall place 

 at the disposition of the commission all the delineations, itineraries, 

 statistical information, and other documents existing in its archives, 

 and which may be deemed by the commission proper to be consulted in 

 the discharge of these its duties; that the works maybe engraved and 

 printed by the commission for its account, but one hundred copies shall 

 be the property of the government for purposes of instruction and for 

 the public officers ; that if the time given by this law for the comple- 

 tion of the work be not sufficient, then the executive power, by consent 

 of the council of government, may extend the same six months more." 

 By yet another law of congress of the 16th of March, 1840, reciting 

 "that although by the law of 18th of April of the year last past per- 

 mission was given to that commissioner (Colonel Codazzi) to print and 

 engrave his said work for his own account, as a reward for his absolute 

 devotion to the duty with which he was charged, the economy of the 

 public treasury being at the same time thereby considered, it has not 

 on that account ceased to be a national work, the prompt completion 

 of which is of the utmost importance," it is enacted that "the execu- 

 tive power shall cause to be placed at the disposition of Colonel Agustin 

 Codazzi ten thousand dollars out of the public treasury, as a loan, for 

 the printing and engraving of the work with which he was charged 

 by the executive power under the law of 14th of October, 1830," By 

 another law of congress of 23d of February, 1841, making the same 



