No. 373. 7. Asked what goods or ransoms were seized by the Spaniards when he was apprehended, and if he had them for the purpose of negotiations and purchases, he answered: That they seized fourteen dozens of knives, eighteen pieces of iron utensils, like hatchets, machetes, and two pieces of calico, nine bundles of glass beads, and a dozen small looking glasses, twenty-four yards of skirting, twenty of coarse blue cloth, all for the purchase and maintenance. 8. Asked how long had he been kept there and what had become of the farms, how did he carry out his trade, he answered: That it was eight months since he came there as a head man, and was commencing to til la short piece of ground so as to plant it with the yucca or tapioca plant, and has not carried out his trade. : 9. Asked whether they had given him goods for the purchase of Poytos and how many had he sent to the Colony of Esquivo, he answered That in the short time that he had been there he had not made any such purchases, nor had he been given any ransoms for them; that he bad only in his charge the collection of what was due to his predecessor, as it will appear by the said papers. 10. Asked how far is said post from the Colony of Esquivo, he answered: It is only a short distance, although they take three natural days to make it, as it is only navigable in keeping with the tides, and the navigation is performed through creeks. 11. Asked if he knew those lands, where he was found, belong to the jurisdiction of Esquivo, and if for many years they have kept those posts, he answered: That he does not know whether it is or not under the jurisdiction of Esquivo, and that for many years they kept the post in that place. 12 Asked if said site is fit for the cultivation of cane and other plants he answered: That they are not fit for that purpose, as they are swampy, but where the post is maintained, and farther upwards, there are places fit for the cultivation of said plants, but there is an express order from the Governor to prevent the passage upwards to any person whatever. 13. Asked whether the negro who is in his company in the prison is a slave, he answered: No; but he is bound and dedicated to servile occupations under the company who keeps him there. 14. Asked what other order he had and what other trade he kept and what general news he knew about there, he answered: That he does not know, nor any news; that that is the truth under his oath, according to his religious faith, and that he affirms and ratifies his statement and will make it again if needed; that he is forty-eight years old and signs with his Honor, after being duly certified. No. 374. Extract from letter from Nicholas de Castro, Provisional Governor of Cumaná, to Governor of Essequibo, November 9, 1758. [Reprinted from Blue Book, No. 3, pp. 248-249.] The Commandant of Guiana has forwarded to me, among other documents, a letter which you sent him claiming the two Dutch prisoners, a negro slave and a half-breed woman with her children, whom the guard dispatched from that fort seized in an island of the River Cuyuni, established there in a house, and carrying on the unjust traffic of slavery among the Indians, in the dominions of the King my Sovereign. As this same River Cuyuni and all its territory is included in those dominions, it is incredible that their High Mightinesses the States-General should have authorized you to penetrate into those dominions, and still less to carry on a traffic in the persons of the Indians belonging to the settlements and territories of the Spaniards. I therefore consider myself justi-· fied in approving the conduct of this expedition. * * * * * For these reasons I do not consider myself at libery to condescend to return the prisoners which you demand until the question is decided by my Sovereign, to whom I shall render full account of all that has happened, supported by all the necessary documents. No. 375. Letter from Nicholas de Castro to Storm van's Gravesande, DirectorGeneral in Essequibo, November 10, 1758. [Re-printed from Blue Book, No. 3, p. 113.] Cumaná, November 10, 1758. MONSIEUR: The Commandant of Guiana has sent me, with other papers, a letter which you have written to him, demanding the delivery: of the two Dutchmen, a negro, and a creole, with their children, and of all that was found by the guard in command there on an island in the river called Cuyuni, which is, with its dependencies, a part of the domains of His Catholic Majesty, my Master, and on which these prisoners publicly kept up an illicit trade with Indians, Poytos, although it is incredible that their High Mightinesses, your masters, should have authorized you to enter the said domains, or to treat with these Indians in order to make slaves of them. This being so, and our action being a justifiable one, I cannot consent to the restitution of the prisoners whom you demand until I know the will of my Master, to whom I have made a report of all that has passed, with papers in justification of my action. In the meantime, I offer you my services, and pray God to preserve you many years. No. 376. Letter from Fr. Joseph de Therriaga to Fr. Benito de la Garriga on the Mission of Murucuri, December 12, 1758. [Translated from Copy printed in Strickland (Rev. Jos. 8-j.). The Boundary Question between British Guayana and Venezuela, fol., Rome, 1896, appendix I, pp. 6–7.] RIGHT REV. FATHER; SIR: I received two (letters) from your Reverence dated the 13th and 21st of November, dictated by the love and charity you are wont to show me, your Reverence, with your venerable community. I give your Reverence many thanks for the hundred loads of casave and twenty-six bushels of rice, which your Reverence ordered to be sent to the house of Don Felix Fereras, and I feel certain that had not the crop of corn turned out so badly, your Reverence would have assisted me with this product. Don Felix tells me that he had ordered a house to be built at the port of Cacagual, in order to attract Indian peons, rowers and loads of products that might be sent hither from there, and to avoid the dangers of the bad summer harbor of Guayana. Your Reverence may ordain whatever he deems best. It is well that the Caribs should keep withdrawing from the Cuyuni, even if it be through fear of the Dutch. With them your Reverence will form new villages; if they could only be few and large, so that they might be attended to by Missionaries, when their short number does not reach above one for each village. Those expected by your Reverence will have employment from time to time. Would that they came soon, so that the land and water might be peopled within a brief period. Your Reverence should feel no apprehension about the Dutch; they are not in condition of doing us any harm. The movement of the Governor of Esquivo was only a spark of his rage. I cannot persuade myself that it will meet with the approval of the States General of Holland. I have written in urgent terms to his Excellency, the Governor, upon the projected village of Guaycas, with a stronghold and garrison, and a favorable answer can be expected to the representation of Your Rev erence. The absence of Father Próspero is to be regretted, as also that of Father Fidel, on account of the illness of Father del Hato. Please God that he may soon recover and come to the assistance of your Reverence. I am aware that Father Guardia has established at Cara vaschi a great rogue of a Carib. I should like to see at the Angostura de Arimnawa a settlement of good Guayanos, though only of some fifteen or twenty families from Copapui, accompanied with a few soldiers, to guard the pass with swivel guns or small cannon, placed in a sentry-box. I renew my obedience to your Reverence, and pray God preserve your Reverence many years. No. 376. Cabruta, December 12th, 1758. Your Reverence will please inform me whether the women of the Caribs captured by the boat which took the Right Reverend the Bishop to Guayana, are in Murucuri, and how many they are. I kiss your Reverence's hands, Fr. JOSEPH DE THERRIAGA. No. 377. Report, dated December 28, 1758, of Counsellor Julian Padilla y Moron on the Arrests in Cuyuni. [Reprinted from Blue Book, No. 3, p. 249.] The Counsellor has seen these documents, and says that whereas the foreigners to which the above documents refer were apprehended, whilst acting as a guard, by order of the Governor of the Colony of Essequibo, within the limits of the jurisdiction of that Government for the purpose of apprehending fugitive negro slaves deserting from their masters who may pass by those places, committing the impious act of purchasing many Indians to work on their farms, and subjecting them to perpetual slavery, as is shown by the account which the aforementioned foreigners presented for the recovery of certain slaves, and also by the instructions issued by the Governor of that Colony, by which the said guard is charged to procure the Indians; and whereas by the said account it is further shown that the soldiers of the guard did carry on that traffic, thereby depriving the natives of their natural liberty, which they should be allowed to enjoy, without instructing them in our holy Catholic faith; in opposition to His Majesty's commands, as ordered and decreed in various Royal Decrees, in which His Majesty (whom God preserve) expressly recommends that the Indians be well treated, not deprived of their liberty, and receive proper instruction in our holy faith; therefore, as this is an affair of the greatest importance, and worthy of the Royal consideration, and in order that His Majesty may determine and make known his Royal pleasure in regard to it, so as to stop this traffic, and hinder, as effectually as possible, the said foreigners from enslaving Indians and condemning them to perpetual labor and exile, it is my opinion that the said documents be forwarded to His Majesty in original, and accompanied with a legalized copy of the same for the King in his Supreme Council of the Indies, in order that His Majesty may issue His Royal commands as to the matter. No. 378. Order by Juan de Dios Valdes to Juan de Dios Gonzales de Flores to arrest Dutch, French, Spanish and Carib Slave Traders at mouth of Barima; September 7, 1760. [Reprinted (with correction) from Ven. Sp. Docs. Vol. 2, pp. 36-38.] Don Juan de Dios Valdes, Castillian Captain, by His Majesty, General Judge for the revenues of this Province of Guayana and Commander of the arms of the same, etc. Whereas, on account of a report received from the Most Reverend Prefect of the Missions of this Province, I have become aware of the information received by him from four fugitive Poyto Indians about the tyrannic power of the Hollanders inhabiting the neighboring Colonies of Esquivo and Surinam, at the mouth of the Barima creek, coming out from this river, where five Hollanders from said colony are staying and carrying out the inhuman and lucrative commerce they maintain with the wild Indian tribes who trade in the Orinoco, buying from them the infidels taken in their wars, making them prisoners and trading them for iron utensils, clothing, and munitions of war; and as said Hollanders are a waiting for a party of Indians, they have sent Carib agents to purchase said Indians and bring them to their Colony. Such an illicit traffic in human beings is already going on. The four Indians who escaped were included as victims and came in quest of protection to the said Missions. As the service of our Lord and of His Catholic Majesty requires the stopping of this illicit trade, and the punishment of the Hollanders of the above-mentioned Colony, restraining them within their own possessions (if they had any right for this kind of possession), they ought not to be allowed to communicate through the rivers and dominions of the King. Therefore, in virtue of the powers granted to me, I order and command that the Lieutenant of Infantry and second officer of this place, Don Juan de Dios Gonzales de Flores, without any delay whatever, depart on board the Royal vessel that he wiil find in Port Royal with a crew of ten men and manned in the ordinary way, armed with two light guns and the necessary stores for twenty days. He will take Spanish river pilots and the fugitive Indians, and go to the place where said Hollanders are staying. He will proceed straightway, navigating night and day, and as soon as he reaches the place, he will attack the ranch, after having surrounded it. He will imprison the Hollanders, French, and Spaniards found there, at the words, "Long live the King!" and will employ his arms in punishing and apprehending the same persons, as well as the Caribs that he may find in their company, carrying out this inhuman trade. He will likewise seize every vessel he may meet, going up or down the river, and the foreigners as well as Spaniards unprovided with the lawful and proper |