Our Boundary War-Scare. 241 
This publication was a challenge to Venezuela and was followed by the 
appointment of constables and the assumption of jurisdiction within the dis- 
puted territory, on the ground that the agreement of 1850 had been broken by 
Venezuela. In December, 1886, Venezuela commissioned Dr. Tebar and Senor 
Rodil to enquire into the condition of things from the Barima to the Essequebo. 
They went in the small gunboat Centenario going into the mouth of the rivers 
and proclaiming the sovereignty of Venezuela. At Amacura they took the 
evidence of Robert Wells and reported that there was a station and two 
constables on the east bank. Inthe Barimaand Waini Venezuelan Com- 
missaries were appointed, and then the Centenario proceeded to Georgetown 
where the Commissioners communicated through their Consul with our 
Government, protesting against our jurisdiction im Venezuelan territory. 
They were simply referred { tothe Proclamation, a copy of which they took 
back, withthe result that a letter to H. B. Minister at Caracas was written, 
demanding the evacuation of Venezuelan territory from the Orinoco to the 
Pomeroon, and arbitration. 
The general result of this was to induce the Government to assume com- 
plete jurisdiction within the declared boundary, and the establishment of the 
North-West District under the superintendence of Mr.im Thurn. My histori- 
cal studies, in which | received assistance from Mr. N. Darnell Davis, led to 
contributions to the local papers and an article in the West India Quarterly 
for July, 1887. On the 30th of June of the same year I gave, at the request of 
the Mayor, a public lecture on the boundary question which was well attended, 
and no doubt influenced public opmion in the colony. My contention then was 
that Venezuela had no more right to the unoccupied territory than British 
Guiana, and I suggested that the starting points be Bolivar and the Caratal 
region for Venezuela and Pomeroon for British Guiana, the area between to be 
equally divided. Venezuela's contention all through was that everything not 
actually settled was hers, and that the Dutch were squatters on Spanish terri- 
tory. 
From this time to the settlement by arbitration the question was of con- 
siderable importance to British Guiana. Gold washing had been initiated 
since about 1879 and the diggers were prospecting everywhere. These people 
were British subjects, with the exception of a few from French Guiana ; 
Venezuelans took no part whatever. It followed therefore that something 
must be done to prevent lawlessness, for it would not do to have a no-man’s- 
land at our back or on the west side. The declaration of the British Govern- 
ment was therefore quite justified. 
Unfortunately for the British side our Government did very little to make 
known to the outside world the justice of our claim. Venezuela, on the other 
hand, called on her big sister republic the United States, to intervene in her 
favour. ‘* She was poor and oppressed, the British were aggressors ; John Bull 
was as usual land- grabbing. *? Her publications were circulated in America so 
that a wrong impression was made at the beginning; in fact it was such a 
case as is sometimes seen in a Court where the result of the prosecution or 
defence largely depends upon which side gets the first innings. Theman who 
