AVES ISLAND. 277 



3Ir. Bibas to 3Ir. Cass. 



[Translation.] 



Legatio of Venezuela in the United States, 



Washington, September 4, 1857. 



Most Excellent Sir: The undersigned, Charge d' Affaires of the 

 Eepublic of Venezuela, has the honor to make known to the most 

 excellent Secretary of State of the United States that he has received a 

 communication from his government, bearing date of 22d of June, of 

 the present year, in which it is stated that Mr. Eames, Charge d'Af- 

 faires of ^he United States in Venezuela, has sent a note to the Minister 

 of Foreign Relations of Venezuela demanding that within a very brief 

 period the pending question about the Island of Aves should be settled, 

 and threatening, if this were not done, that he would withdraw from 

 Caraccas for the purpose of reporting to his government. He was told, . 

 as regarded this, that it was considered necessary that the claim should 

 be further substantiated, since, if in his view it was sufficiently proved, 

 the same opinion had not been formed of it either by the President or 

 the Secretary of Foreign Relations, who could not determine the matter 

 in the brief and peremptory time which he had assigned. He was 

 reminded of the proof of friendship which Venezuela had just given to 

 the United States by concluding with them a treaty of friendship, com- 

 merce, navigation, and extradition, which they had proposed, and the 

 Congress had sanctioned only by the strong and well known exertions 

 of the executive authority. His attention was called to the difference 

 of circumstances between a department loaded with business and a 

 legation wdiich had very little ; and, finally, he was told that the con- 

 clusion of the claim was hastened by the knowledge of his intention to 

 leave ; and that, even if this should take place, there would not be 

 wanting means of communication between the two cabinets, as that of 

 Venezuela had a legation at Washington. The day fixed arrived 

 without Mr. Eames receiving the reply. On absenting himself, he 

 told very respectable persons that he left with the determination of 

 employing the press, of which he was a member, as a means of waging 

 war on Venezuela, so as to force Messrs. Buchanan and Cass to follow 

 the popular movement, and that he calculated on returning very soon 

 accompanied by a fleet. 



Complying with the orders which the undersigned has received from 

 his government, he communicates to the most excellent Secretary of 

 State of the United States what has been related, in order that he may 

 see that it has not been in the power of the government of Venezuela 

 to satisfy the demands of Mr. Eames ; and that, if he (Mr. E.) has been 

 willing to absent himself from Caraccas without giving that govern- 

 ment time to satisfy his demands, for this there is not the slightest 

 responsibility resting on that government. 



The undersigned avails himself of this opportunity to renew to the 



