Venezuelan International Law. 5' 



" ingthat in his time the Spaniards possessed the Orinoco 

 " and all its surroundings ;" even though RALEIGH ex- 

 pressly mentions that the Spaniards were hedged 

 around, by hostile natives, " all holding the Spaniards 

 " for a common enimie" (p. 52). 



So far from RALEIGH'S saying that the Spaniards 

 " already occupied the rivers Barima, Moroco and 

 Pumaron," he merely said (p. 39) : — 



" Among manie other trades, those Spaniards used in 

 " Canoas to passe to the rivers of Barema, Paiwroma, 

 " and Dissequebo, which are on the South side of the 

 " mouth of Orenoque, and there buie women and children 

 " from the Cannibals, which are of that barbarous nature 

 " as they will for 3 or 4 hatchets sell the sonnes and 

 " daughters of their own brethren and sisters, and for 

 " somewhat more even their own daughters : hereof the 

 " Spaniards make great profit, for buying a maid of 12 

 "or 13 yeeres for three or fower hatchets, they sell them 

 " againe at Marguerita in the West Indies for 50 and 

 " 100 pesoes, which is so many crownes." 



It is readily admitted that RALEIGH printed a transla- 

 tion of a Spanish document, in which is solemnly set 

 forth the taking possession of " the noble provinces of 

 •' Guiana and Dorado," on the 23rd of April, 1593, by 

 Domingo de Vera. The action of de Vera, on the right 

 bank of the Orinoco, may be likened to that of the 

 Englishman ROBERT HarcourT, who, about to settle on 

 the Wiapoco, there solemnly took possession " by turf 

 " and twig," of the whole country of Guiaua, between 

 the Orinoco and the Amazon. 



The citing of Sir WALTER Raleigh, in support 

 of Spanish claims to the country of the Orinoco, can 



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