58 A NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS 



rence was proved by the presence on the scene of the 

 Hon. the Colonial Secretary and the Hon. acting Solicitor- 

 General. A meeting of the Executive Council, we are 

 informed, was also immediately held, at which His Excel- 

 lency the Governor presided. In addition to the armed 

 police despatched to the wharf and left on board the 

 *' Bolivar," six armed policemen were sent to Carenage to 

 search for men who were supposed to have escaped from 

 the vessel, and six others were sent under the acting 

 harbour-master to Monos, as it was rumoured that there 

 were armed faluchos in the Gulf. These rumours proved 

 to be entirely unfounded and false, and are a sample of 

 exaggerated reports conveyed to the police-station and 

 spread over the city, and that not only alarmed the Execu- 

 tive but deceived the general public. One of the most 

 barefaced falsehoods propagated was that shots were 

 aimed deliberately from the "Bolivar" at people on the 

 jetty, and particularly at General Perez Leon, in charge 

 of the Venezuelan Consulate here. That the affray was 

 entirely confined to the " Bolivar," when at some distance 

 from the jetty, is already clear from the evidence that was 

 forthcoming against the prisoners on Monday, at the 

 examination, a full report of which we give in another 

 column, and to which we refer our readers. The whole of 

 the matter is now under judicial examination and we 

 therefore refrain for the present from commesints upon it, 

 one way or the other, or from giving currency to all the 

 wild rumours that have been circulated in regard to the 

 affair.' 



Thirteen men, several of whom occupied very good 

 positions in Venezuela, were charged with murder in 

 connection with this attempted seizure of the ' Bolivar.' 

 Although these men were remanded from week to week 



