No. 181.

To what will this lead, your Lordships? If such acts of violence are not stopped, what will the results be? The River Cajoeney is still unguarded, and presents an easy road to fugitive slaves. I have not yet re-established the Post there, always hoping that the matter might receive redress in Europe. I could not act in the matter without using violence, and this I would not do without special orders.

Extract from letter from West India Company (Zeeland Chamber) to Storm van's Gravesande, Director-General in Essequibo, March 16, 1761.

[Reprinted from U. S. Commission, Report, Vol. 2, pp. 391-392.]

The new outrages of the Spaniards in seizing the boat of Mr. Persik and the five canoes which were busy salting, have greatly surprised us; but we could have wished that you had transmitted to us circumstantial and sworn declarations as to all these things, thus enabling us to base thereon the necessary remonstrances to the States-General about that subject. We shall still hope for these, and the earlier the better, together with the reasons why you deem that everything which has happened on this side of Barima must be deemed to have occurred on territory of the Company; in order that, when we shall have examined all this, we may take further resolution as to what it behooves us to do in this matter.

Extract from letter from Storm van 's Gravesande, Director-General in Essequibo, to the West India Company, May 28, 1761.

[Reprinted from Blue Book, No. 3, p. 116.]

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On the 18th March last I had the honour to send your Lordships a copy of the map of this coast, which I had forgotten to inclose in my previous letter. I hope the matter concerning Cajoeny will be brought to a happy issue, because it is really of the greatest importance for the Honourable Company. As the case appears to me, there can be no dispute about it with the Court of Spain, it being only

No. 183.

too clear and evident that the Post not only stood upon the Honourable Company's territory, but that that territory extends much farther.

I am informed by the Indians that messengers are still constantly being sent to that river, evidently to ascertain whether we are re-establishing the post, in which case they would probably again make a raid upon the same.

Extract from letter from Adriaan Spoors, Secretary in Essequibo, to the West India Company, August 5, 1761.

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[Reprinted from U. S. Commission, Report, Vol. 2, pp. 392–393.]

In compliance with these your orders, I respect fully reply that the aforesaid boats, having been seized by those robbers between the rivers of Barima and Waini, were absolutely on the Company's coast, for this is certain (not to enter upon the various opinions which exist about the limits of the Company's domains1) that the river of Waini indisputably belongs to the Company.

Extract from letter from Storm van's Gravesande, Director-General in Essequibo, to West India Company, August 12, 1761.

[Reprinted (with corrections) from Blue Book, No. 3, p. 117.]

The sworn depositions for which your Lordships ask concerning the canoes captured by the Spaniards cannot possibly be made out, especially those relating to the canoes which were out salting, and which were consequently seized contrary to all right and reason. On those canoes there were no whites; there was only one negro, and the rest were free Indians. With regard to the others, since there is something underneath the matter and an explanation of it can possibly be given, the whites that were captured in them are prisoners in Orinoco and are in the fortress there, and it will perhaps be some time before they are let loose again.2

1 Note by Prof Burr.-Literally "stretchings," "extents"-i. e., the points to which their domains extend.

*Note by Prof. Burr.-The italicized words are not in the Blue Book.

No. 185.

After taking everything out of the Company's canoe of Aechtekerke they let it go, and it came home, but they have kept the fine new canoe belonging to the plantation Duynenburg. The latter having been captured this side of Barima I am of opinion that it was captured upon the Honourable Company's territory, for although there are no positive proofs to be found here, such has always been so considered by the oldest settlers, as also by all the free Indians Amongst the latter I have spoken with some very old Caraibans, who told me that they remember the time when the Honourable Company had a Post in Barima, for the re-establishment of which they had often asked, in order that they might be relieved from the annoyance of the Surinama traders1; and then, lastly, because the boundaries are always thus defined by foreigners, as may be seen on the map prepared by D'Anville, the Frenchman, a small extract of which I have sent by the "Demerary Welvaeren."

These are the only reasons, your Lordships, upon which I base my opinions, because there are no old papers here out of which any information could be obtained.

Extract from letter from Storm van's Gravesande, Director-General in Essequibo, to West India Company, August 28, 1761.

Everything in the upper part of the river is in a state of upset, the people who live there bringing their best goods down the stream. This is because a party of Spaniards and Spanish Indians in Cajoeny have been down to the lowest fall where your Lordships' indigo plantation was situated, driving all the Indians thence, and even, it is said, having killed several. The Indians sent in complaint upon complaint. I fear that bloodshed and murder will come of this, because if they come below the fall the inhabitants will surely shoot upon them and not allow them to approach, and what will the consequences of that be? We leave those3 people in peace. So long as I have had the honour of holding the command here I have embraced every opportunity of preventing the Indians from annoying them, and in this I have been fairly successful. Why cannot they leave us in peace? It is really insupportable how, contrary to the law of nature and the right of nations, they first come and attack our post, make prisoners and ill-treat the people in such a way that the

1Note by Prof. Burr.-For this word traders the Blue Book has pirates.

*Note by Prof. Burr. -For was the Blue Book has is.

No. 186.

holder's assistant has died from it, burn down the house and all it contained, and now still constantly come there1 and disturb us.

It is no use complaining because the Commandant, Don Juan Valdez, in Orinoco, whilst sending back the letter unopened which I had requested the Commandant to write to him, has written me to say that he is forbidden to enter into any written correspondence concerning the matter, and that we must address ourselves to the Court at Madrid.

If I were permitted, my Lords, to do as they are doing I would risk my old head once more and make them pay doubly for the annoyance they are causing us.

No. 187.

Extract from letter from West India Company (Zeeland Chamber) to Storm van's Gravesande, Director-General in Essequibo, November 9, 1761.

The extract from the map of Mr. D'Anville, enriched by you with indication of the post in question and of many other places, and transmitted with your letter of March 18, pleases us exceedingly. We shall not fail, when opportunity offers, to make the necessary use of it in the affairs of Rio Cuyuni, of which we are by no means losing sight.

[Same to same and Court of Policy, Nov. 9, 1761; from same, p. 394.] Furthermore, there have occurred to us various considerations concerning the trade which is carried on from the colony to Rio Orinoco. We beg you to consider whether it might not be possible, and more profitable for the Company, to direct this trade into such channels that it must be carried on from Orinoco to Essequibo, by the Spaniards; whereas it now, on the contrary, takes place from Essequibo to the Orinoco. On this point we shall await a detailed answer from you.

Extract from letter from Storm van's Gravesande, Director-General in Essequibo to West India Company, January 9, 1762.

Trade with Orinoco is going on pretty fairly, a number of mules and horses having lately come from there.

1Note by Prof. Burr.-This word is here omitted in the Blue Book.

No. 189.

Extract from letter from West India Company (Zeeland Chamber) to Storm van's Gravesande, Director-General in Essequibo, January 11, 1762.

Concerning the affairs of Cuyuni we shall in the near future present a further memorial to the States-General.

Extract from letter from Storm van's Gravesande, Director-General in Essequibo to West India Company, February 9, 1762.

I was very glad to see that your Lordships were pleased with my extract from D'Anville's map. That map is not only the best, but the only one in which the coast is exactly and truly given, wherefore I did not rest until I had it, I having seen the same in the hands of His late Serene Highness, who was kind enough to show it me as soon as it was published in the year 1751. I trust that your Lordships will not lose sight of the outrage in Cajoeny. That matter, my Lords, is of the utmost importance for many very weighty reasons, and more than any one in Europe could imagine. Neither my true zeal nor the real interest I take in the welfare of the Company or Colony, nor yet my oath and duty will allow me to sit still or to neglect this matter, and even if there were no important reasons which compelled the Honourable Company to take a real interest in the possession of Cajoeny, I cannot see why we should permit the Spaniards to disturb and appropriate our lawful possessions. Have they not land enough of their own, the possession of which is not disputed? Yes, much more than they can or ever will be able to govern.

They are not yet quiet, but send detachments from time to time, which come down as far as the lowest fall, close to the dwelling of your Lordships' creoles, by which both the settlers and our Indians are continually being alarmed, and take refuge each time down stream. This is very annoying. They must have great and important reasons to make such attempts to obtain possession of this branch of our river, and I have not the least doubt that such is the case, but I hope, too, that your Lordships may find a means of stopping them.

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1Note by Prof. Burr. -For these words extract from the Blue Book has copy of.

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