280 AVES ISLAND. 



instant. Complying, however, witli the wishes of your government, 

 I shall immediately report to mine all that you have heen pleased to 

 communicate to me touching the question, and I trust that I shall soon 

 have the gratification of notifying you of the determination which may 

 he reached in the premises. 



The undersigned avails himself of the present occasion to reiterate 

 the assurances of his most distinguished consideration and respect. 

 Your ohedient servant, 



FLOEENCIO EIBAS. 

 His Excellency Lewis Cass, 



Secretary of State. 



3Ir. Gutierrez to Mr. Cass. 



[Translation.] ■ 



Eepublic of Venezuela, Secretaryship of Foreign Eelations, 



Caraccas, Septeinber 21, 185*7. 



The undersigned, Secretary of Foreign Eelations of Venezuela, has 

 received orders from the executive power to announce to the Secretary 

 of State of the United States of America, that the answer to the reply 

 of Mr. Fames, in relation to the question of Aves Island, heing now 

 completed, it will, as well as this note, he transmitted to Washington, 

 through the channel of the legation, of the republic at that place. 



In giving out this announcement, which will be speedily followed 

 by its accomplishment, the government of the undersigned has for its 

 object, besides coming to an understanding with that of the United 

 States, the submitting for its consideration some of the very controlling 

 circumstances which prevented, as was required, the immediate answer 

 insisted upon by the American legation in a demand recently put up 

 in this secretaryship. 



Although the correspondence shows, and it is necessary here to repeat 

 the fact, that what though, in the course of various conferences with 

 the predecessor of the undersigned, in an audience sought with his 

 his excellency the President to enforce the claim of Pickrell^ and in a 

 note addressed to the undersigned, relative to a certain question be- 

 tween Venezuela and Holland, Mr. Fames had incidentally touched on 

 the demand now under consideration, he never proceeded to present it 

 formally and accompanied by proofs^ until the 20th of December, 1856. 

 "When the President himself, on that occasion, urged Mr. Fames to 

 discuss it, before Mr. Pickrell's application, Mr. Fames stated that he 

 labored under the impossibility of doing so for want of the necessary 

 documents ; and, under other circumstances, assuring Mr. Aranda 

 that the main object of his government looked to the renewal of the 

 Wallace contract, he decidedly gave it the preference, and so extraor- 

 dinary a one, that he threatened a ru^Dture if the claim were not 

 allowed. All at once, and when the period was drawing near for his 

 availing himself of the leave of visit to his country, which he had 



