Venezuelan International Law. 63 



possessions in Guiana. As in that shameless inter- 

 national Conspiracy against the Boers of South America, 

 the Spaniards also on this occasion, forgot to a6l upon the 

 maxim, " first catch your hare." Expe6ling, however, 

 that their plot would succeed, it was arranged that the 

 Dutch should be dislodged from the Pomaroon and the 

 Moruca; and, that a Spanish town should be founded on 

 the Pomaroott; and a Spanish fort should be ere6led at 

 Moruca. The town was to be named San Carlos de la 

 Frontera. It must be borne in mind that INCIARTE was, 

 in all these matters, afting under the authority of the 

 King of Spain. He was commissioned to explore what 

 was, to his own Government, avowedly, " an unknown 

 country," in order that steps should be taken to " occupy" 

 it with Spaniards. During his travels he finds signs of 

 Dutch occupation, only. He makes a burgling proposal, 

 afterwards approved by the King of Spain, to " dislodge" 

 the Dutch from their ancient possessions in the Poma- 

 roon, and Moruca distri6ls. As a matter of History, 

 the Spaniards never succeeded in effe6ting the " dis- 

 lodgement" of the Dutch from those places. Neverthe- 

 less, most important are the conclusions to be drawn 

 from Inciarte's statements. The name proposed to be 

 given to the proposed town on the Pomaroon, speaks for 

 itself. Turned into English, San Carlos de la Frontera 

 becomes Saint CHARLES oi the Fronller. That is to say, 

 that, had the Dutch been " dislodged" in 1779, or 

 thereabouts, the Spaniards would gladly have contented 

 themselves with the Pomaroon as their Frontier ! Now, 

 as the Spaniards did not so " dislodge" the Dutch, in 

 1779, or afterwards: how, in the name of Justice, can 

 Venezuelans be supported in their outrageous pretension 



