Our Boundary War-Scare. 243 
Boundary Question : The Control of the Disputed Territory by Essequebo, 
by means of her Posts, Indian Captains and Protectors of Indians.’ It was 
found useful in preparing the case for the Arbitration Commission and I got the 
thanks of the Secretary of State. 
It may be mentioned as a slight excuse for the mess which so many valu- 
able documents were found, that it was probably due to the alarm of the New- 
town Fire of 1828. The Government offices were then in what is now the 
Victoria Hotel and the documents from Essequebo, which had been brought 
to Georgetown in 1812, were stored there. The whole square of Newtown was 
burnt save on!y the Government building, which, however, was cleared out in 
anticipation that the flames would soon take it over. Everybody was asked to 
help and books and papers were no doubt pitched out in the same way as 
I once saw in England where a mirror was thrown from a second-floor window 
to save it from the flames. Afterwards, when the books and papers 
were collected, many could not be found and even when advertised for 
only a portion was recovered. This will aecount to some extent for the 
condition of the papers, which, however, suffered further from being stored for 
years in the dome of the Public Buildings, the roof of which leaked. 
In 1892 a British Guiana police station was erected up the Cuyuni 
at Uruan, as a boundary post at the extreme point where the Schom- 
burgk line crossed that river. On account of the distance and the 
number of rapids this post was isolated and it took about three 
weeks to carry the necessary supplies. Venezuela followed suit with 
another station on the opposite side with a view to observe what 
further “aggressions ”’ might be made. For some time nothing further was 
done, but towards the end of 1894 the Venezuelans erected a new station about 
three-quarters of a mile below ours where they put up their flag. At that 
time our Uruan station had six men under Inspectors Barnes and Baker, who 
watched the movements of the other party but took no action. When, how- 
ever, this second post was vacated at the end of December Inspector Barnes 
went over. hauled down the Venezuelan flag, and put up the Union Jack. This 
roused the Venezuelans at their ““ El Dorado ”’ station and onthe Ist of Jan- 
uary, 1895, Captain Dominguez with 28 mencame over to Uruan and demanded 
why their flag had been hauled down. Inspector Barnes replied that he had 
done so in compliance with his orders, but if the Venezuelans wished to occupy 
the abandoned station he would haul down the British flag. This did not 
satisfy the Captain who proceeded to arrest the whole party, who, no doubt, had 
orders not to resist as it might have initiated serious trouble. However, it 
appeared that the Venezuelan Captain must have felt almost at once that he 
had made a mistake, for after confining our men in a hovel for six hours they 
were set free on parole and after a few days told they might go back to their 
station. This, however, they could not do for their stores had been looted and 
their building damaged. Finally they were allowed to proceed to Bolivar, 
where compensation for the stores was offered but refused. They ultimately 
arrived in Georgetown on the 13th of February. Our station was re-occupied 
as soon as possible. In June, 1896 Mr. W. A. Harrison was deputed to make a 
survey for a road from Barima to the Cuyuni, and on the 15th of June while 
