240 Timehri. 
Christmas Day there was strong opposition to war in both countries and 
early in January the news of the Jameson Raid put Venezuela and the 
message in the background. 
However, the American Commission was appointed and did some good 
work towards overthrowing Venezuela's extreme claims. Fortunately for 
peace the Commission was not required to report in the way suggested by the 
President, for the British Government agreed with Venezuela to submit the 
matter to arbitration. This, of course, ended all prospect of war. 
I cannot here enter fully into the merits of the case but will only state that 
the evidence brought forward was of the greatest historical interest. How ever 
Venezuela could have persisted in her claim to the River Essequibo as a 
boundary it is impossible toimagine. Such was however the case, and the con- 
tention of the British Government that such a preposterous boundary could not 
be open to question was the cause of the whole trouble. Venezuela was first 
in bringing the matter before the American press, Mr. W. L. Scruggs being 
their agent. The British authorities on the contrary maintained a dignified 
silence until it became absolutely necessary in the interests of peace to wake up. 
Then came a flood of articles in newspapers and reviews, the result being that 
British Guiana was prominent for several months. No longer was Venezuela 
allowed to make her misrepresentations without contradiction, for historians in 
all parts of Europe spoke in our favour. 
The dispute which reached such an acute stage had been chronic from 
Schomburgk’s time when Venezuela objected to his layng out a line 
without her consent. Attempts were then made to come toa settlement 
but on account of the claim of our neighbours to the settled portions 
of Essequebo nothing was done. An arrangement was made in 1850 by 
which both parties agreed to leave the unoccupied portions alone, and 
under this the first gold company on the Cuyuni was refused a title. In 
1874 a murderer named Garrett was capturedtin the North-West and on 
his trial here, his counsel objected on the ground that he had been taken on 
foreign territory, which objection was however disallowed. In 1880 gold 
discoveries led to a number of small expeditions, and in the following 
year Venezuela made concessions to a Manoa Company which appear to have 
included part of the disputed territory. The agents of this Company came 
over what was considered our line, and Mr. MeTurk was sent to warn them 
off and to put up notices. These warnings were disregarded and the notices 
torn down. Then Robert Wells, who claimed to have been a Venezuelan 
officer, hung up aman by the heels for some alleged offence and on being 
captured and brought to Georgetown was sentenced to 30 days’ imprison- 
ment and a fine of $25 for assault. 
These petty squabbles led to a publication by the British Government in 
October, 1886, stating that no titles from Venezuela could be admitted beyond 
a line shown on a Map at the Colonial Office, this being the final suggestion of 
Schomburgk after his survey, differing from the line hitherto published, which 
was a sketch before the actual survey. 
