THE 



National Geographic Magazine 



Vol. VIII JULY-AUGUST, 1S!»7 Nos. 7-8 



THE VENEZUELAN BOUNDARY COMMISSION AND ITS 



WORK 



By Marcus Baker 



Carhxjmpher, U. S. Geological Survey 



On the northeast shoulder of South America, between the 

 mouths of the great rivers Amazon and Orinoco, lies Guiana. 

 On the extrenie east and nearest the Amazon is French Guiana, 

 or Cayenne ; just west of this is Dutch Guiana, or Surinam, while 

 the next division to the west is British Guiuna, a colony of Great 

 Britain; and this in turn is bordered on the west by Venezuela, 

 one of the South American republics. 



Between these last two, British Guiana and Venezuela, current 

 maps show a Ijoundary line which, starting at or near the south- 

 ern mouth of the Orinoco (for there are many mouths in its 1")0- 

 mile-wide delta), runs in a southerly direction into the interior. 

 This line, speaking in only the most general terms, is the now 

 famous Schomburgk line. This boundary is in dispute, and has 

 been so for more than half a centur3^ It has been a source of 

 prolix and interminable diplomatic correspondence and negotia- 

 tion, a correspondence couched in politest phrase, without con- 

 ceali'ng the earnestness, nay, bitterness, underneath. Proposals 

 and counter-j^roposals had been made, but without success. 

 Arbitration' had been proposed, but until recently Great Britain 

 had steadily refused to submit the entire disputeil territory to 

 arbitration. So the case dragged on for weary years. Finally, 

 in 1886, some 10 years ago, Venezuela severed diplomatic relations 

 with Great Britain and sent her otHcial rei)resentative away. 



Venezuela then sought to bring about indirectly, through the 

 friendly aid of a third power, a settlement of the long standing 



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