360 AVES ISLAND. 



was not necessary ; but that, according to the accounts of Lieutenant 

 Pereira, they continued loading the vessels which were there and those 

 which arrived afterwards. 



Question. What is the size of the island of Aves, and what are its 

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

 and to land ? He replied, that it was about 700 varas [Spanish yards] 

 long, and 125 broad, and some twelve to fifteen feet high, [Spanish 

 feet ;] that its sole production is guano ; that it is not adapted for hab- 

 itation, because in violent storms it is covered by the sea, and it is 

 impossible to obtain fresh water on it ; that it is easy to land on it, 

 but not so easy to approach it, as it is remarkably flat. 



Question. Whether, on your arrival at the island of Aves, and be- 

 fore signing the document which v/as agreed to, 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 ? He replied, that he had before 

 stated there were three vessels, and that they would very well hold all- 

 the individuals who were laboring on the island, with all their effects, 

 as one of them measured eight hundred tons, and was of itself alone 

 capable of holding them. 



At this stage, the witness made known that, as the interrogatories 

 were terminated, he had something to add on his own part, which 

 being allowed by the court, he stated as follows : That Lang had made 

 known to him that the island was divided into two portions, and there- 

 upon showed him the boundaries ; that one portion, to wit, the larger, 

 was that on which he was digging, and that the other, on which Gibbg 

 was digging, had not enough guano to load the two vessels which were 

 at anchor. 



And the witness having signified that he had concluded, and this 

 deposition having been read to him, together with his additional state- 

 ment, he said he had nothing more to add, and that what he has stated 

 is the truth, and he formally ratifies and signs it. 



MANUEL GALA, Oeneral. 

 DOMINGO DIAS, Deponent. 

 0. JOSE MENESES. 



On the 1st of June, of the same year, appeared the first lieutenant, 

 Nicolas Pereira, thirty-one years of age, who, having been sworn 

 according to law, on being interrogated, said: 



Question. 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 ? He replied that there were three ves- 

 sels of the American flag anchored at the island ; that there were on 

 it some eighty Americans, all men, and no women or children, and 

 were under the direction of Mr. Lang and of Mr. Gribbs ; that these 

 Americans were taking guano from the island ; that they had two 

 pieces of artillerj'- of six-pound caliber^ with the appropriate ammuni- 



