122 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE -XIV 



and archives regarding the old Dutch occupation and to 

 send a mass of important material for our delibera 

 tions. In London also he soon showed his qualities, and 

 these were acknowledged even by some leading British 

 geographers. The latter had at first seemed inclined to 

 indulge in what a German might call &quot; tendency &quot; geogra 

 phy; but the clearness, earnestness, and honesty of our 

 agent soon gained their respect, and, after that, the inves 

 tigators of both sides worked harmoniously together. 

 While the distinguished lawyers above named had main 

 charge of the legal questions, President Oilman, who had 

 in his early life been professor of physical and general 

 geography at Yale, was given charge of the whole matter 

 of map-seeking and -making ; and to me, with the others, 

 was left the duty of studying and reporting upon the ma 

 terial as brought in. Taking up my residence at Wash 

 ington, I applied myself earnestly to reading through 

 masses of books, correspondence, and other documents, 

 and studied maps until I felt as if I had lived in the 

 country concerned and was personally acquainted with 

 the Dutch governors on the Cuyuni and the Spanish 

 monks on the Orinoco. As a result lines more or less 

 tentative were prepared by each of us, Judge Brewer 

 and myself agreeing very closely, and the others not being 

 very distant from us at any important point. One former 

 prime minister of Great Britain I learned, during this 

 investigation, to respect greatly, Lord Aberdeen, whom 

 I well remembered as discredited and driven from power 

 during my stay in Russia at the time of the Crimean War. 

 He was wise enough in those days to disbelieve in war with 

 Russia, and to desire a solution of the Turkish problem 

 by peace, but was overruled, and the solution was at 

 tempted by a war most costly in blood and treasure, which 

 was apparently successful, but really a failure. He was 

 driven from his post with ignominy; and I well remem 

 bered seeing a very successful cartoon in i Punch at that 

 period, representing him, wearing coronet and mantle and 

 fast asleep, at the helm of the ship of state, which was 



