No. 369. they were Caribs, and for that reason he fired, and the wounded man could not give any explanation. 5. In regard to this chapter, he tried to find out whether they had some Poytos, or other ranches; that none were found, nor any news of having any either up or down the river. 6. That this chapter was carried out as it is, without doing anything to the contrary. 7. That in regard to the seventh chapter, they found no Indian there by the name of Tamuto, nor any other employed in taking Indians to make them slaves. 8. That in regard to this chapter he said: That there was nobody against whom to take any precautions, as nobody was found. In regard to the last chapter, he said: That everything was carried out as directed, with the greatest zeal for the service of both Majesties; and that in regard to ransoms, they found only twelve dozens of knives, seven of hatchets, three swords, one kettle, five muskets, three pistols, and a large number of cloth remnants, that were distributed among the Caribs accompanying the party, and the distribution was made by his comrade, who was the principal chief, and likewise a few papers which were taken and delivered to the Ensign, Don Felix Ferreras; that it took twenty-two days to make the return journey to the Mission from where they had started; and that he has nothing else to depose on the subject, and thus ended his statement, in which he affirms himself and ratifies, and if necessary will renew the same under his oath; that he is thirty-three years old, and signs herewith with his Honor and the witnesses who certify to the act. No. 370. Deposition, made November 2, 1758, by Segundo de la Cruz as to the Arrest of two Dutchmen in the Cuyuni. [Reprinted from Ven. Sp. Docs., Vol. 2, pp, 22, 23.] In the city of Guayana, on the second day of November, 1758, in order to carry out the preceding rule, appeared before his Honor the Commander, Don Juan Valdes, and witnesses, the military man, Segundo de la Cruz, whom his Honor had duly sworn, and promised to tell the truth of all that he knew and was to be questioned. He was asked where from did he depart on the secret expedition and where he went with his company, whom he met and whether they apprehended anybody, and what the events were on that journey, and he answered: That he left the settlement of Yuruario, in company with the troops commanded by Don Santiago Bonalde, the first chief, and Don Luis No. 370. Lopez de la Puente, the second; that he followed them down to a place (the name of which he does not know) and there apprehended a white Hollander, who made no resistance, and was carried in his company until they reached a ranch in which another Hollander resided; that they assailed the place all at once, because they were heard, on account of the barking of a little dog found there; that there were several shots, one of which killed a companion and badly wounded the deponent in his arm, which is paralyzed, and that he does not know who fired on account of the obscurity, but heard saying, while suffering pain, that Don Santiago Bonalde's gun went off on account of one of the triggers having been cocked, it was a double barreled musket, and he did not know whether any harm had been done. He affirms his statement that said Hollander did not fire, nor were any arms found with him, as he was the first that seized him by the breast, and that in regard to the other shots he cannot give any explanation, for the reasons already explained of having been wounded; that he does not know anything else on the subject, beyond what he has already asserted under oath, and that he will, if necessary, repeat again; that he is twenty-five years old, and did not sign, as he did not know how. His Honor signed with the witnesses of the act, and certifies to the same. No. 371. Deposition, made November 2, 1758, by Pedro Arocha as to the Arrest of two Dutchmen on the Cuyuni. [Reprinted from Ven. Sp. Docs., Vol. 2, pp. 23-24.] IN the said city of Guayana, on the same day, month and year [Nov. 2, 1758] pursuing the same investigation, appeared before His Honor Don Juan Valdes, Castillian Captain of His Majesty, another witness summoned to appear, the military man Pedro Arocha, who being duly sworn, promised to tell the truth of all he knew, and was questioned, and having been asked wherefrom he departed, with what people and in virtue of what order, for what purpose and where did he go, and whom he met, what houses he saw and what events took place, he said: That he left the settlement of Yuruario in company with the other military men (the number he does not know) in virtue of orders made known to him by the Ensign of Infantry, Don Felix Ferreras, and Don Santiago Bonalde, first chief, and Don Luis Lopez de la Puente, second; that he knew they were ordered to apprehend a few Hollanders, and descended the river Cuyuni; that they found a Hollander who made no resistance when apprehended, and was carried by his company up to the neighborhood of a little rauch, where they awaited the night in order to advance, following the order of the chiefs as it was carried out, between seven and eight o'clock in the No. 371. evening; that there were a few shots fired in the disorder in which the advance was made, and that he is not aware who were those who fired the same nor who killed the man who died, nor who wounded the other; he heard Don Santiago Ronalde say that his gun went off and that it might have been the cause of the mischief; and he heard somebody else among the soldiers say that he fired his blunderbuss in the air, and that was outside of the ranch; that he knows that no arms were found with said Hollander, nor did he fire any; that he had no news of any other ranch up or down the river; that he came back to the Mission from which he departed, taking twenty-two days on his return, suffering many hardships; that he has nothing else to say about the matter, and that he has stated the truth under his oath, and will be ready to repeat it if necessary before any other tribunal; that he is twenty-eight years old, and does not sign, as he does not know how to do so. His Honor signs, and the witnesses of the act certify to it. No. 372. Deposition of John Baptist Brum, Soldier at the Slave Trading Station on the Cuyuni, November 3, 1758. [Reprinted, (with corrections,) from Ven. Sp. Docs., Vol. 2, pp. 29-31.] On the same day, month and year [Nov. 3, 1758], in the same city of San Thome de Guayana, his Honor caused the appearance before him and the witnesses under a proper custody, of John Baptist Brum, whom his Honor had sworn in due form according to his faith, by raising two fingers of his right hand and promising to tell the truth of what he knew and were asked of him, and having been asked by said Commander, through the interpreter, he answered the following questions : 1. What is your name? Where are you a native from? Where is your residence? What is your trade? And he answered: That his name was John Baptist Brum, a native of the States of Flanders, and a resident in the colony of Esquivo; that he is a tailor by trade. 2. Asked what he was doing in those places, he answered: That he was there as a soldier of the post, placed by the Governor of Esquivo, under Stephen Hiz, the head of said post. 3. Asked what reason the Governor had for keeping a guard there, he answered: In order to apprehend the fugitive negro slaves who run away from the Colony, and to prevent the Carib tribe from making any mischief to the domesticated Indians. 4. Asked what reason he had to be away from the site where the Post is kept, at two days' distance, as stated by the Spaniards who apprehended him, he answered: That by the direction of his superior he had No. 372. come to said place in quest of a few Indians to help the work of a farm they were opening, and that shortly after being there the Spaniards arrived and tied him, without his opposing any resistance or defense, and was carried away in their company up to the neighborhood of the house he had. 5. Asked whether he knew or has any notion of who wounded one of the Spanish soldiers and who killed the other, he answered: That he knew nothing, and could give no account of anything, as he was left behind and tied up at a distance from the house within a gunshot, when they advanced, and from there he had to continue the way under said Spaniards to this city. 6. Asked what arms and defenses they had, he answered: That only five muskets, belonging to the Company of Esquivo. 7. Asked what was the name of the site where he had his ranch, and what river is near the same, he answered: That the site is called Cuiba1, and empties into the Cuyuni river. 8. Asked how long he had been there and whether he had made any purchases of Poytos, he answered: That he had been there eight months and never had anything to do with such purchases. 9. Asked how far is it from that site of Cuiba to the Esquivo Colony, he answered: Three days, more or less, being understood that the navigation could only be carried on with the tides, when the channels were flooded. 10. Asked whether he knew if the above-mentioned place is within the jurisdiction of Esquivo, and whether the Governor had kept that guard there for a long time, he answered: That he did not know, and that the guard had been kept there for many years. 11. Asked whether that site is fit for farming, he answered: No, on account of its being swampy land, but that in the upper part there are found portions of good land, but the Governor does not allow it to be tilled nor permit any one to stay there. 12. Asked whether the negro was a slave he answered: No; but he was placed there by the Esquivo Company and is bound to serve for a compensation. 13. Asked what other trade he was pursuing, what his instructions, verbal or written, were, and to tell the truth, he answered: That he does not know or had any knowledge of anything else, except what he had stated under oath, according to his faith, and which he ratifies and will assert again if wanted; that he is forty-eight years old, and is not able to sign, not knowing how to do so. Signed by his Honor and certified by the witnesses of the act. 1 As to the spelling of this word, see U. S. Commission Report, vol. 1, p. 326, Note 3. No. 373. Deposition of Stephen Hitz, the Dutch Slave Trader on the Cuyuni, November 3, 1758. [Reprinted from Ven. Sp. Docs. Vol. 2, pp. 26-29.] In the same city of Guayana, on the 3d day of November, in the year 1758, Don Juan Valdes, Castillian Captain of His Majesty, made appear before him and witnesses, one of the two Hollanders now imprisoned in the castle of San Francisco de Asis, and, after being sworn according to the rite of his religion (he said he was a Lutheran), he raised two fingers of his right hand, and was examined as follows: 1. Asked wherefrom he was a native, his name and occupation, he answered That he is a native of the States of Holland and his name is Stephen Hiz, and a laborer in mines. 2. Asked what he was doing in those places, he answered: That he was placed there by the Governor of Esquivo as the head of a fixed guard kept there. 3. Asked how many men composed the guard and the reason why he occupied that post, he answered: That the guard is composed of four men, including the two white Hollanders and two Indians, and that he keeps there in order to apprehend the negro fugitive slaves leaving the Colony of Esquivo and to restrain the Carib tribes, so as to prevent them from making any mischief, either to said Colony or the neighboring Spaniards or to the domestic Indians, as shown by the chapter of the instruction that was seized from him by the chief of the Spaniards who apprehended him. 4. Asked why he took arms against the Spaniards and fired on them, he answered: That he had done neither one nor the other, nor could he do so, as he was alone and the Spanish people were too many, and that when they advanced towards the house he was actually asleep in a hammock and at the trampling and noise made he awoke, attempting to get up and run away, thinking that they were Caribs, and in his surprise and fright he did not do so, nor did the Spaniards allow him to do so, as he was immediately seized and tied. 5. Asked how it was that if he did not fire, a Spaniard was killed and another badly wounded, he answered: That he is persuaded that the Spaniard was killed by his own companions, and that the other was likewise wounded in the act of entering and trying to tie him, when the Spaniards commenced to fire within his house. 6. Asked what arms and defence they had in that post and what is the name of it and what river is near by, he answered: He had five muskets, three sabers, three pistols, a flask of powder, and piece of lead for ammunition, and of these arms only two muskets were his own prop. erty and the rest were furnished by the Company; that the post is called Cuiba and close to the banks of the river Cuyuni. |