244 Timehri. 
at work on our side of that river he was ordered to desist by an armed body of 
Veneztielans. Harrison protested against interference with his work and in 
reply was arrested and taken to “‘ El Dorado * where, however, having become 
ill, the dispenser from our Uruan station was sent for. He was ultimately 
allowed to go over and to proceed to Georgetown without further hindrance. 
Whether these high-handed proceedings were intended as protests or provo- 
cations to war is not quite certain, but there is no doubt that only the dignified 
position of our Government prevented what might have proved serious trouble. 
By this time the people of the United States were beginning to see that Vene- 
zuela was in the wrong, and the publication of some British Blue Books quite 
upset the contentions for the Essequebo as a boundary. 
One paper in the Nineteenth Century, March, 1896, struck a false note under 
the title “* The Seamy side of British Guiana.” The writer, Mr. Francis Comyn, 
spent three or four months here, in the course of which he appears to have 
suffered from a bilious attack. According to his jaundiced views there were only 
about 3,000 British subjects in the whole colony, and none in the trans-Hsse- 
quebo region. Of the balance of the population, if not more or less “ men in 
buckram,”’ they were bovianders, half-castes, Indians in all but name, with a 
fair share of Venezuelans counted in to keep up the delusion. The climate was 
the worst of this “ white man’s grave,”’ there was a sad freight of sick workmen 
who had to sleep on the ground, if British soldiers were sent there they would 
de like rotten sheep. Tosum up, the cause was bad, the bone of contention 
worse, and the climate worst of all. His references to the outrages of 
Venezuela are as follows :— 
** Another and equally important fact, namely, that England not Venezuela 
nor the United States has created the present critical situation. This has been 
done by our sending to Venezuela an ultimatum claiming 12,000/. and an 
apology for the arrest in, and deportation from, the disputed territory of two 
British Guiana police officers, Messrs. Barnes and Cox (!), 
“Here it may not be amiss to mention that some years ago a similar 
‘ outrage* took place, Mr. MeTurk, an able energetic British Guiana police 
magistrate, having been similarly treated without aught beyond protest on 
the part of England.” 
This article, however, stands alone for the same review in January contained 
a paper by H. M. Stanley, who had just come over to England, ‘‘ The issue 
between Great Britain and America.’’ He spoke of the strong feeling every- 
where and advocated conciliation. He was not in favour of abject submission 
to the “stupendous arrogance ”’ and “ audacious wickedness” of the United 
States. ‘‘ If we are attacked we must resist those who attack us at no matter 
what cost.” 
Mr. Edward Dicey in the same number under the heading “‘ Commonsense 
and Venezuela ” also advised conciliation. 
Mr. Moreton Frewen in the National Review said : 
