The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1895-12-26
Some Further Information On This
All-fcryading Quest ion.
STORY OF ENGLISH AGGRESSION
Claims to Territory Vastly In Excess of
tho Original C~ssion by tho Dutch.
Greed for Gold tho Cause.

iNtNts-HNe later "a survey
made on behalf of the British govern
ment. by subject schomburg-wlth
consent or Endorsement OF neighborng
States. showed territorial possession OF
5000 square miles. In 1872 Great Britain
claimed more than 10000 square miles in
its colonies At the present day, with some
what indefinite fneteS and bounds Ii has
enlarged upon its swamps extending loJ
miles or tnereabout from the seacoasl,
originally obtained from the Dutch, untu
rs western fringe covers the gold pcarins
mountains OF middle South America.
There were no purchases of land and no
ceSsions OF territory whereby England
acquired 80 much real estate. Concern
ing ms country's right to the great tract
Lord Salisbury does not seem to be GER
tain. W lille he denies the Venezuelan
claim to all OF it. he is willing to debate
Sehomhurg line. TO this boundary from
the Atlantic he claims domain, and will
submit 10 no arbitration. THIS is the one
to which President Cleveland refers as
arbitrary" 1t pursues uncertain
course from the Orincos mouth to the
brazilian frontier, President Cleveland
s no.ds that all territory east to the Els
Nenezuela's demand for settlement of
the conflicting claims to II.
TERRITORY OF BRITISH GUIANA.
In the discussions of the Monroe doc
trine and the Intervention of the United
states in the territorial dispute between
Venezuela and Great Britain, proposed
~ the president, 1t has been assumed
that the geographical questions involved
ara fully understood by the public. This
may be so. and 1t may not be true.
In either event. brief review of the
situation Is not untmely. British
Guiana, situated in the northeastern part
Of South America, just north of the
equator. has we'll defined boundaries
southeast and north 1t Is the northwest
ern and western boundaries that are in
volved in discussion. East of the British
possessions lie the Dutch provinces: the
territories are separated by the river
Corentyne. The Brazilian frontiers on
the south are also thoroughly defined.
At the mouth the rough waters of the
ATLANTIC have thus far successfully re-
sisted British annexation or reclamation.
10 the west and northwest lies territory
In which heavy gold deposits have been
discovered Prior to the finding of the
the country. 1t possessed no CONNER
cial value. In parts of II even goats
would starye Taking 1t in one parcel.
swamp. valley plain and mountain, 1t
was not worth fencing Venezuelan
claim met no check or opposition. and
tho British colonists lay to the eastward
ing to .encroach on the land over which
ownership Is now asserted In the for
mer cession of territory to England. Hol-
land made specific transfer to title of the
counties, and further described them as
lying east of the Essequibo river"
THE ORIGINAL BOUNDS.
II was in 1914 that Great Britain ac-
CURED Guiana from the Dutch. -Four years
before. Venezuela had asserted It's indie
pendence and cut loose from Spanish rule.
The Dutch and the Spanish from their
earliest real occupation of South Amer
lean territory in 1918 or thereabouts. and
particularly after the treaty OF 1871 had
regarded the ESsequibo as the line OF
separation between their professions I'm
the, four years Intervening between thu
declaration of Venezuelan Independence
ard British acco ssion no attempt was
made to enlarge the territory on either
SIDE. II was not until 1910 that England
made sudden assertion Of proprietoiship
III all lands west from the Essequtho to
the Orlnoco. 1t had been learned that thu.
country had possibilities for gold and
silver.
The original territory obtained from the
Dutch was divided into three sub-prov-
inces or counties. Berbice lies on the east,
Demerdra is the central county and Esse-
quibo the western district. The coast line
Is about ESQ miles In length between the
torentyne and Cayreni rivers. The terri
tory Is lat and extremely productive in
sugar the growing of which is the prin-
cipal Industry. The settled parts extend
along the coast and up the Demerara ana
l}erhice rivers. The fringe of plantations
along the water courses and ocean is
nbcut four miles wide; beyond the farms
he swamps and waste lands extending
zoo miles toward the interior, " here the
surface becomes tndulating. rolling event.
mally into the foothills OF the mountains.
me naa, nopul;ntio1 ta oe Of british Guiana viii
ital city, lies nj the mouth OF the De-
inerara river in the county of that name,
ana mas perhaps 10000 residents. The pupt-
ation is mixed, but the colored contingent
Is largely In excess of the white. The
wealth OF the country is held principally
the sugar plantations
SIR ROBERT SCHOMBURG'S SURVEY
as has been said, until the year 1910 and
subsequently England never set forward
any claims 10 territory on the Atlantic
coast or In the interior west of the Esse-
auiho river; In the year mentioned. for
mineral and consequent commercial raa-
sons, II appeared that parts OF the coun-
Try heretofore under. Spanish and Vene-
Huelan dominion would he valuable. prop-
erty, Sir Robert Schomburg. an Erglish
engineer-one would not guess his nation.
ATTY from his name-had previously taken
out survey corns and located the line
SIN known ms the Schomburg." as de-
Timing the western boundaries OF the Eng
lish possessions
English torritcry TO 5000 square miles
more than twice the proutest estimate of
IT'S oorrignel extent The coast line was
ouibo TO the delta Of the mighty Orincco
river. the INITIAL roint Of the new line
As Schomhurr's maps defined the limits
the British holdings extended from ibs
! Orinoco A. Branch Bar'na. thence To the
NuYuni, theuce TO tho Parnwaguqru To liz
junction with tho Cuyuni. thence IN the
| Aruasrn river thence southwest to Mount
kornlnn. thence south a litue east along
l. the Coat'nga and Tacutu rivers IN trc
lsAcarai mounaipG. In 1871 Schor,mrg's
mans we're urnted ara the English claim
to the territory waq sot M
THE VENEZUELAN PROTEST.
Tho case was not permitted TO 70 hy de-
fault The Venezuelan citizens aud off
oials made earnest protest agains, the
| aggression. An the ancient history and
old treaties hearing on the subiec, were
| examined ard the Venezuelan argu,ncnt
| supported by the documents were present.
ca to tho English foreign office by Senior
! F9riiquc' Tho Neno2uclans plninlv es
IaoIished the limits Of tho former Duich
ana present English possessions MS h,lns,
oetWeesn ino fonoroon river on the north
1'iG Inc Esscquibo on the west
| - me llne made by sSchomburg" s,.d
| rortque Us TN no sonsc natural MS 10
| SHOWN by the following quotations fro.n
nl9 books; IT We follow the limits whlch
| nature rrcscrbes by its rivers ana ,nc,n
| @'hs, ana Include al the regions WIN
| are drained 10y tho streams which III
| mo me Essequibo ana udorti"..,
| me Corentyne as its eastern bonn,i,r,9
| bUush Guiana consists of 7G.G1 snUns
| mnes Tho Pdcuraima mountains. eyi"nd-
| NE cast ana vest thence northwcnt A.
| o. lhs greatest Importance fnrnin1 az