3. Historical Sketch Showing Basis of Spain's Original Title to Guiana,

and of Venezuela's Title to the Disputed Territory,

1. Discovery and Exploration,

2. Settlement and Possession,

3. Spain's Effective Control of Guiana,

4. Historical Sketch Showing Derivation of the Dutch-British Title

to Essequibo,

5. Early Dutch Relations with Guiana, 1597-1648,

6. History of the Essequibo Dutch Post, 1648-1674,

7. History of the Essequibo Dutch Post, 1674-1700,

8. History of the Essequibo Dutch Post, 1700-1725,

13

14

24

28

34

9. History of Spanish Settlement by Way of Orinoco, 1648-1725,

99

10. History of the Essequibo Colony, 1725-1803,

107

1. As to Trade,

2. Capture of Runaways,

Slave-Trading Cuyuni Stations of 1754 and 1766,

Dutch Weakness and Spanish Control,

11. Spanish Control and Settlement in Disputed Territory, 1725–1800,

1. The Coast Region,

111

114

121

127

135

135

CASE OF THE UNITED STATES OF VENEZUELA.

I. INTRODUCTION.

The Treaty of Arbitration signed at Washington on the second day of February, 1897, between the United States of Venezuela and Her Majesty, the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, after making provision for the organization of the Tribunal of Arbitration, proceeds, in Article III, to define the questions which are to be investigated and determined. Article III is as follows:

"The Tribunal shall investigate and ascertain the extent of the territories belonging to, or that might lawfully be claimed by, the United Netherlands or by the Kingdom of Spain respectively at the time of the acquisition by Great Britain of the Colony of British Guiana, and shall determine the boundary line between the Colony of British Guiana and the United States of Venezuela."

After laying down certain rules for the government of the Arbitrators in connection with the decision of the matters submitted, the Treaty then proceeds to specify the time and manner in which each party shall present its case.

Article VI, which provides for this, is as follows:

Treaty of Arbitration of 1897.

Questions submitted.

"The printed Case of each of the two parties, accompanied by Delivery of Case, the documents, the official correspondence, and other evidence on

which each relies, shall be delivered in duplicate to each of the Arbitrators and to the Agent of the other Party as soon as may be after the appointment of the members of the tribunal, but within a period not exceeding eight months from the date of the exchange of the ratifications of this Treaty."

In compliance with this stipulation, the Agent of Venezuela before the Arbitral Tribunal has the honor to submit the present Case, accompanied by an Appendix printed in two volumes and an atlas. The Government of Venezuela reserves the right to hereafter present additional documents, correspondence and evidence pursuant to the provisions of Article VII of the Treaty. The full text of the Treaty is as follows: