356 AVES ISLAND. 



being the imputation of fraud and force which is made against Colonel 

 Domingo Dias in order to invalidate a document signed by the two 

 overseers of the laborers on the island, acknowledging Venezuela's 

 title therein ; it is deemed proper, before this body gives an opinion, 

 to place in a clear light what really occurred on the occasion as well 

 as other points, which it thinks will be successfully done by the fol- 

 lowing interrogatories to Colonel Dias and other officers of the marine 

 of Venezuela who accompanied him, or who remained on the island 

 until the 31st of December, on which day in the afternoon the Ameri- 

 cans who were there retired. 



" '1st. How was the island of Aves at the time of your arrival ; 

 who were on it; what were they doing; what had they there; and in 

 what manner did they justify their presence there? Did they oppose 

 the landing of the Venezuelan force^ and allege any right to the 

 island, either by considering it as belonging to the United States, or 

 as a thing common or peculiar to them? 



"'2d. What took place between the Americans and you, and led 

 to the drawing up of the document which you and two of them signed? 



" '3d. Who acted as interpreter to explain to Lang and Gibbs the 

 tenor of said document, or of the permission you gave them to con- 

 tinue taking guano ? 



" ' 4th. Whether said gentlemen or others of those who accompanied 

 them were acquainted with the Spanish language ? and state, in that 

 case, who they were. 



" '5th. Whether the Americans who signed the document were 

 well acquainted with the value and force of each and all of its articles? 



" ' 6th. Whether the act of signing it was entirely voluntary on 

 their part, or was it the effect of compulsion in any respect? 



" ' Tth. How many individuals composed the Venezuelan guard, 

 and what munitions of war had they, and how many Americans were 

 there, and what were their means of resistance? 



" '8th. What provisions, implements, machines, timber, rope, 

 houses, furniture, or other effects, had the Americans on the island; 

 and of these things, what remained there, and for what reason, when 

 they retired from the island on the 31st of December, 1854? 



" ' 9th.. What preparatory labors had been performed for removing 

 the guano ; what labors are requisite for the digging out of this sub- 

 stance ; whether they had already any guano piled up ready to be 

 shipped ; whether they shipped it in virtue of the permission which 

 you gave them to continue doing so, or it remained on the island ? 



" '10th. What is the size of the island of Aves, and what are its 

 productions and its capacity for habitation ; and is it easy to approach 

 it and to land? And 



"'11th. Whether on the arrival of Colonel Dias at the island of 

 Aves, and before signing the document to which the second interrog- 

 atory relates, there were anchored at the island any American vessels, 

 of those which were loading with guano, on board of which might 

 have embarked not only Charles H. Lang and thirty laborers, which 

 he says he had, but also all the other Americans who were on the 

 island?' 



" You wall be pleased to indicate to me the day on which this act 



