242 Timehri. 
was most prominent in misrepresenting the British claims was William L. 
Scruggs, who by means of pamphlets with such titles as ‘‘ British aggressions in 
Venezuela, ’’ predisposed his readers in her favour. Not the slightest hint 
was then given that British Guiana had any rights ; in fact Mr. Scruggs wrote 
as an advocate entirely for his own side. Whether the British authorities con- 
sidered these misrepresentations as of no consequence or contemptible is not 
quite certain, but there is no doubt they had a great deal to do with the 
President's message and the consequent scare. 
This scare woke up the authorities in England and immediately historians 
were consulted, maps brought forward and published, and every book that had 
any bearing on the subject bought up by one or the other of the three parties 
concerned. Here also there was the United States Consul, Mr. Andrew J. 
Patterson, who, on behalf of the American Commission, was at our library 
every day, searching, and when opportunity occurred purchasing any local 
literature that could be secured. Then cameSenor Suarez from Venezuela, 
followed by Dr. Ernst who went over similar ground. Finally, when 
arbitration was settled, a Commission from the British Foreign Office came 
and made careful investigations not only of Colonial records but of the 
territory in dispute. Here and there an American could be heard boasting of 
what Brother Jonathan would do if Lord Salisbury did not back down, an 
insurance canvasser being especially prominent. However, the people of 
British Guiana were not much scared even when the possibility of a 
Venezuelan raid upon Georgetown was mooted. 
If ever a country neglected its records more than British Guiana 
it would be hard to find. Current documents were of course properly 
kept and docketed but those of real historical importance were treated 
asrubbish. At the time when I was gathering materials for my history 
Sir Charles Bruce engaged me to catalogue the books in the Government 
Secretary's Office. Some of these were already falling to pieces and 
the most valuable, at my suggestion, were bound. But this was a 
small portion of the documents—the remainder were stored like bags of 
rice in a warehouse. When, however, it became necessary to search for 
evidence of a former control of the disputed territory these bags were 
taken ‘o two sheds at the back of the Public Buildings and emptied on the floor 
one at atime. What amess! Loose books, parcels and documents, and 
printed papers, all more orless rotted by damp or riddled by insects were 
thrown down and trampled on by the unskilled persons deputed to assort them. 
To Mr. Darnell Davis and myself this rubbish was intensely captivating and 
yet it was so dirty and fragile that in many cases it could hardly bear 
handling. The sorting had to be carried out in a dirty unventilated room 
where we crouched over a heap of rubbish, perspiring at every pore and want- 
ing a bath after an hour's work, which was as much as we could stand 
atonetime. Yet under these conditions I got some of the materials for the 
paper which I wrote at the request of Sir Cavendish Boyle who asked me to 
give the facts connected with the relations of the Government and the Indian 
tribes. This was issued in 1896 by order of the Governor under the title ‘‘ The 
