6l TiMEHRl. 



" pying ^"d populating the lands which he described in 

 " his aforesaid report of 27th November last, and to ere6l 

 " the two small provisional forts which he has judged 

 " necessary, the one to proteft against the attacks of the 

 " Dutch of Essequibo the town which may be founded, 

 " as he suggested in said report, close to the bay formed 

 " by the small river or creek Moruca, at a distance of a 

 " quarter of a league from the post or guard-house 

 *' held by the Dutch, which stands at about eighteen 

 " leagues from Essequibo towards the Orinoco, ere6ling 

 " said fort on the highest point commanding the point 

 " that may be occupied by the town and its surround- 

 " ings ; and the second fort with four or six guns in the 

 " bay itself of the aforesaid river Moruca, to prevent the 

 " entrance thereto of any unfriendly vessel ; dislodging 

 " the Dutch from the aforesaid post or guard house which 

 " they have constructed there ; it being understood that 

 " if the Dire6lor General or Governor of Essequibo 

 " should complain, answer shall be given that these 

 " proceedings are taken in conformity with the general 

 " laws and instru6lions given for the better government 

 " of our Indies, which do not allow of such intrusions of 

 " foreigners in the Spanish dominions, such as those 

 " are ; which same answer shall be given here if the States 

 " General of Holland make any complaint or claim." 

 So, the mission of occupying and populating the lands 

 in the " unknown country" of the lower Orinoco, was to 

 be effected by the " dislodgment" of the Dutch, with whom 

 Spain was at that time, ostensibly, on friendly terms I 

 The proje6l bore a strong family likeness to the burgla- 

 rious compact entered into by the Spaniards and the 

 Portuguese in 1753, for ousting the Dutch from their 



