AVES ISLAND. 329 



it ought not to engage the attention of the government, so long as no 

 explanation is given of the reason why it was not added to the others, 

 and how it happens to be mutilated by the clippings made in the paper, 

 still it contains several important points, which strengthen the defense 

 of Venezuela. For instance: ^'Dias landed one gun with its ammu- 

 nition, and ten soldiers, armed with muskets and other weapons." 

 ''I told him (Dias), in precise and unequivocal language, that I would 

 not leave the island, nor cease to gather guano, until I should be pre- 

 vented from doing so by a superior force ; that I would resist, and that 

 he could not effect ray expulsion with the force that he had there." 

 ''I told Dias that we were in possession, and had been so peaceably for 

 several months, on a title which was good until some one showed a 

 better one." ''Dias stated that he interpreted and translated the paper 

 to me, word for word." "Dias boasted that he would take us, vessd^s 

 and all, to Venezuela to be judged for our violation of her laws and 

 robbery of her proi^erty." "I fed the soldiers, and they did not 

 molest us ; I took the officer to my house and found him also, and" I 

 employed some of the soldiers in gathering guano, paying them in 

 clothing and provisions." ''I am bound to say that, in spite of Dias's 

 threats, and the evident demonstration of his intention to carry them 

 out, I did not sign the paper from any fear of personal consequences 

 if I persisted to decline, or from any apprehension that, with the force 

 which he then had on the island, he could either subdue or expel our 

 ]3eople. Still I had reason to fear that he might make the attempt, 

 and I wished to avoid extremities, which might have resulted in effu- 

 sion of blood. AlthoLigh I had no doubt that we could have taken him, 

 his soldiers, and his armed schooner, I wished to avoid such a necessity." 



"My employers also sent two cannons, (both six-pounders,) two 

 dozen muskets, twenty-five pistols of the larger size, several revolvers, 

 and twenty-five cutlasses, twenty-five boarding pikes, and a full supply 

 of ammunition ; also, a flagstaff, and a stand of American colors, to be 

 exhibited on the island. I took in the brig John E. Dow in the late 

 mentioned voyage some twenty-seven or twenty-eight men^ mechanics 

 and laborers, besides the crew, which consisted of fifteen hands. After- 

 v/ards, from time to time^ said employers sent other hands, so that, on 

 an average, besides the crews of the vessels, we generally had there no 

 less than thirty-five men, and, with the crews, they numbered sixty 

 men in the party which was under my charge, and which I employed 

 on the island from the day that we undertook the work until the day 

 when we were dispossessed of it." 



"In pursuance of instructions of Shelton and at his cost, as his agent 

 and for his behalf, I sailed in said brig John E. Dow to cruise along 

 the Caribbean sea to discover guano islands. Leaving Baltimore in 

 the month of March, 1854, 1 spent some time -in such discovery among 

 the desert reefs or rocky islands of said sea, several of which I visited ; 

 and whilst I was thus engaged, about the beginning of April, 1854, 

 (the 6th of the month, I believe,) I found, in said sea, Aves Island, 

 afterwards named by Shelton 'Shelton's Island,' which lies some- 

 thing like 15° 40' latitude north and 63° 38' longitude west of Green- 

 wich." "After due exploration of the island and of its guano, speci- 

 mens of which I gathered, I sailed thence on the 7th or 8th of Apri 



