AVES ISLAND. 309 



pliance and good will. As Colonel Dias, from tlie small number of 

 his force, entertained great fears for its safety^ lie requested tlie Amer- 

 icans to put their arms under his charge, and they acceded to the re- 

 quest. To crown the whole of the transaction, they pledged them- 

 selves to give the garrison all the assistance which it might require. 



In the second period, between the 13th and the 21st of December, 

 ten men only were detailed to keep watch over the island. The facil- 

 ity of baffling their charge, and even driving them from the post, 

 became still greater ; because, in proportion as the force of Venezuela 

 decreased, just so was that of the Americans increased by the arrival 

 of additional vessels. The three which were at the island on the 13th, 

 stood five by the 31st of December. 



By the reinforcement supplied by the second schooner, the garrison 

 then amounted to twenty-five men, a number equal to that which had 

 been originally detailed. The American force had also increased, and 

 from what cause has already been stated. 



But it is not necessary to go out of the question for arguments to 

 prove that they had everything in their favor, and that they did not 

 seek to offer any resistance. Let the statement made to the Depart- 

 ment of State by Shelton himself on the 14th of May, 1855, speak 

 for itself: 



"It has been asserted that we admitted the right of Venezuela to 

 Aves Island, and that of Colonel Dias to drive us away from it ! In 

 other Avords, that we were violators of the territory, and this, too, in 

 the paper which Dias gave to Captain Gribbs. Entirely frivolous, and 

 more than frivolous, is such a pretense. We could have resisted Dias, 

 at the cost of a few lives on both sides. Perhaps we should have done 

 so ; we believe that we could have easily captured the whole of his 

 force, soldiers and vessels included, had we had recourse to arms and 

 the spilling of blood. But we preferred to rely on the protection of 

 our country. We yielded to Dias's orders because he was an officer 

 of a sister republic of America, with which our country was at peace, 

 acting under her authority and with a public force. We suggest to 

 you, and to the President, that our moderation was commendable ; the 

 orders and conduct of Captain Dias were unnecessarily harsh ; his sol- 

 diers took possession of some of our tools, utensils, materials, and 

 provisions, driving away the laborers from the cabins. The losses 

 which we have suffered in consequence of this, amount to many thou- 

 sands of dollars. _ We were prevented from taking in the guano which 

 was ready to be stowed aboard of our vessels^ and constrained by the 

 military force to abandon the island, utterly failing to load some of 

 our vessels, whilst others had to take in but a part of their cargo. 

 The extensive contracts, therefore, which we have made to furnish 

 guano cannot be executed, and hence we have suffered heavy injury. 

 The salaries of our laborers, who could do nothing on account of this 

 unlawful and unjust interruption, amount together to a heavy sum. 

 The whole of the expenses which we have incurred in the business is 

 a dead loss. We have had to pay forfeit for charters and expenses of 

 demurrage and damages ; besides all this, the consequences which have 

 directly resulted to us from the outrage, are such that they may be easily 

 foreseen by any merchant. They are embarrassing, and may well 



