5$ TlMEHRl. 



p.ose regions. As it is, there is no need for the colo- 

 nists of British Guiana to exclaim " Oh, that mine enemy 

 " would write a book !" Their " friends, the enemy," 

 have already done that. The correspondence is set forth 

 on pages 8i to 94. From it the notes following have 

 been gathered. 



On the 4th of February 1779, the Governor General 

 of Venezuela issued a Mandate, in which he lays down 

 rules for the founding of towns in the province of Guiana, 

 and provides that the occupation of lands, in all the places 

 he indicates, is to be done as in a part of the province 

 (pp. 81 to 84). One obje6t of the Mandate, be it noted, 

 was the occupation of lands indicated. The Commis- 

 sioners were to " endeavour to occupy said lands." So 

 far, therefore, from the Spaniards' being then in pos- 

 session of the territory now in dispute, this Mandate 

 proves that, down to 1779, they had not even occupied 

 it. Indeed, the very first article of the Mandate proves 

 that the boundaries of Spanish Guiana were not known, 

 for therein it is declared as follows; — 



" The principal and most important point in this affair 

 " being to determine the limits of the aforesaid province 

 " of Guiana, so as not to work in vain, which province 

 " commences on the east to the windward of the point 

 " where the river Orinoco empties into the Ocean on 

 " the border of the Dutch Colony of Essequibo : one of 

 " the first cares of the Commissioners appointed for this 

 " affair in the establishment which is to be made, shall be 

 " to go as near as possible to this colony, endeavouring 

 " to find the most advantageous and convenient spot for 

 " the foundation of the first town, bearing in mind that, 

 " at that frontier, it will probably be necessary to ere6t 



