AYES ISLAND. 443 



Undoubtedly a compromise would be accepted also by Messrs. Lang 

 & Delano, tlie other claimants in the case ; and it is lioped that the 

 department may be able to write you explicitly on this subject by the 

 next packet to Venezuela. The greater injury seems, from, the testi- 

 mony now before the department, to have been done to Messrs. Shelton 

 & Co., and hence they have been usually mentioned in the dispatches 

 as the j)rincipal claimants. 



You will lose no time, after your official recognition at Caraccas, in 

 recalling the attention of the Venezuelan government to this Aves 

 Island claim, in order that it may be promptly adjusted. The govern- 

 ment of the United States will not allow itself to believe that this 

 adjustment will be further procrastinated by the government of Vene- 

 zuela. It is quite time that the case was at an end ; and in justice to 

 itself and its citizens, this government cannot permit it now to be 

 unnecessarily delayed. You will be frank in stating these views to 

 the proper authorities at Caraccas, and you will inform them that your 

 government expects in return an early and explicit reply. It is hoped 

 that the spirit of compromise which is manifested in the offer of Messrs, 

 Shelton & Co., will be met by a similar spirit on the part of Vene- 

 zuela, and that their claim may be thus terminated without further 

 loss of time. In that event, you will have no difficulty in arranging 

 the details of the adjustment in conformity with the plan proposed. 



I am, sir, your obedient servant, 



JOHN APPLETON, 



Acting Secretary of State. 



Edward A. Turpin, Esq., 



&c., <&c., &c. 



Inclosures. 



Aves Island document No. 64. 



H. S. Sanford to Secretary of State, 8th and 10th August, 1858. 



Messrs. Cotting and Lang to Mr. Cass. 



Boston, August 31, 1858. 

 Sir: We have had some conversation with Mr. Sanford, attorney of 

 P. S. Shelton and Sampson & Tappan^ in the "Aves Island" claim, 

 who informs us that it is important that the State Department be ad- 

 vised immediately of our views as to what we would take as a com- 

 promise of our claim against Venezuela. We therefore say that we 

 will accept the sum of |50,000, United States currency, as a compro- 

 mise, to be paid in monthly installments, as may be agreed on with 

 our minister at ''Caraccas," with 7 (seven) per cent, annual interest 

 till paid. With respect to the claim of Wheelwright & Cobb, depend- 

 ent upon us, we will cheefully (at the final settlement) yield such 

 amount for false freight as you may decide to be just. We have this 

 day given H> S. Sanford, Esq., our full power of attorney to act for 

 us in this matter, and any arrangement he may make will be satisfac- 



