376 AVES ISLAND. 



It has not appeared to me probable that tbe department will now 

 consent to reopen the discussion on the point of liability^ or will allow 

 the negotiation in the hands of the special mission to assume any shape 

 not compatible with the position taken upon the undisputed facts of 

 the case by the government of the United States in your note of 11th 

 of September to the Venezuelan charge d'affaires. Should the depart- 

 ment m this view see fit to make the formal and explicit admission of 

 liability by this government a condition precedent to the reception of 

 the special mission, I have no sufficient ground to conclude that such 

 admission will be withheld. My note of the 30th ultimo to Mr. Gu- 

 tierrez is conceived in this sense. 



Your No. 56 acknowledged in my No. 41 is the latest dispatch re- 

 ceived from the department. 



With the highest respect, I have the honor to be, your obedient ser- 

 vant, 



CHAELES EAMES. 



Hon. Lewis Cass, 



SecretaTy of State. 



(Translation.] 



JRejpuhlic of Venezuela. 



Department of Foreign Eelations, 



Caraccas, November 3, 1857. 

 The Minister of Foreign Eelations of Venezuela has the honor to 

 acquaint the honorable minister resident of the receipt of his note of 

 yesterday, concerning the subject of the Island of Aves, and that his 

 excellency the President being, as is known to Mr. Eames at this time 

 indisposed, the undersigned will not be able to take his orders for a 

 reply until he shall have recovered from his illness. 



The undersigned renews to Hon. Mr. Eames the assurances of his 

 distinguished consideration. 



JACINTO GUTIEEEEZ. 

 Hon. Charles Eames, 



Minister Resident of the United States. 



Legation of the United States, 



Caraccas, November 21, 1857. 

 Sir: The undersigned, minister resident of the United States, has 

 the honor to bring to the renewed attention of the honorable Minister 

 of Foreign Eelations of Venezuela the note of the 2d instant in relation 

 to the Aves reclamation, in which the undersigned, in view of the state 

 of that reclamation at that time, expressed the hope that a satisfactory 

 disposition of it, promptly made known to him by the Venezuelan 

 government, might preclude the necessity of further action on his part 



