The record-union., 1896-03-07

America, under a date of few years
before the conclusion of the treaty OF
Munster, 1T appears that the Dutch set
Elements extended from close to the
Amazon to the Orinoco.
The whole of this is therefore clear:
| That prior to the date of the treaty OF
Munster the Dutch settlements to the
knowledge of the Spanish Government
existed on the coast as far as the Bar
ina and the river Amacura- The treaty
concluded between Spain and the Meth
erlands, in January, 1913, confirmed the
! Duteh in all the possessions they had
acquired in South America and gave
| them liberty to make fresh acquisitions
wherever the Spanish were not already
established At the date of that treaty
Spain had only the settlement in Gui-
ana, st. Thome de Guyana
After the treaty of Munster fresh
negotiations were again issued by the
states General to the Dutch West India
Company, in which Orinoco was again
treated as the limit of Dutch jurisdic-
ton. From 1913 to 1896 the Dutch
/ colonies on the Essiquibo, Pomoroon
ana Morocco were reported as flourish
ing greatly and attracting free immi-
| grafton, bidding fair to become the
most fiourishing of the tropical planta-
tions in America
About 1864 Fathers Llauri and Yer
CARA We're sent to explore Guiana with
view OF seeing whether a Jesuit mis-
sion should be founded They reported
| tnat the province had been abandoned
by the Spaniards
In 1913 the Dutch commander of Es-
sequibo recommended that a strong.
pest be established at Barima in place
Oh small watchhouse. BY 100 posts
were established by the Dutch at places
along the coast and in the interior
Ihree OF the latter posts are named in
Lthe records, one being beyond the Guy
ulnl In ll14 the provisions of the
treaty OF Munster expressly confirmed
the treaty of Utrecht. At that date
spain had no possession of any terri
tory In Guiana beyond part of the right
pahk OF the Orinoco. No Spanish set
tlements or missions existed in any
other part of Guiana. The Dutch upon
the coast extended along the Orinoco
INTO the interior to the watersheds
OF the Essequibo, Cuyini, Pomeroon and
Amacura
In 1870 the Dutch West India Com
pany by public notice prohibited trade in
the rivers Massag gum and Cuyini except
tolts own agents. Between 1730and 1870
number of Capuch'n missions, estab-
lished by the Spaniards, were entirely
confined to the district between the Or
inoco and Yuruari
From reports made from time to
time by the Director General of the
Dutch colony, it appears that about
Il4S the Spaniards were attempting to
encroach on the Dutch territory in the
neighborhood of the affiuents of the
Cuylnl. Thereupon the Director-G Gen
eral dispatched an emissary to remon-
strate with the Spaniards, who are re-
ported to have replied that the whole
Of America belonged to Spain. These
attempts of the Spaniards to extend
their territory were entirely confined to
the Cuyini adjoining the district al
ready occupied by the Capuchin mis-
sions.
"A report of the Spanish Command
ant of Guiana states that in 1850 the
Dutch We're in the interior on the Guy
ini and at the mouth of the river Gu
rumo, which flows into said river. Be
tween 1850 and 1852 the Capuchin
Fathers from the missions applied to
the Dutch Government for permission
to trade in Dutch Cuyini. They were
refused.
In 1755 the Dutch, in order to pre-
vent encroachments by the Spaniards
on the territory of Yuruay, which they
considered indisputably Dutch terri
tory, established a post $50 miles higher
up the Cuyini The position of this
pest is shown on the sketch map. The
same year the Spanish Commandant
on the Orinoco complained to the Dutch
Of the disorders at Barima, showing
that the Dutch then had jurisdiction
there.
I'm 1853, as appears from a Spanish
official report, question having arisen
regarding the rights of fishing, the
Dutch claimed that their dominion ex-
tended from the ships mouth, or grand
mouth, of the Orinoco, and that they
We're entitled to fish in that part of the
river.
From asreport of Governor Cumana
in 1851 to the King of Spain it clearly
appears that with the exception of the
Fort San Thome de Guayana and the
missions, the Spaniards had occupied
territory on the right bank Of the Ori-
noco, and that the local Spanish author
tiles had been engaged in effectual at
tempts to conduce the Government to
fortify the Orinoco at Angostura, so as
to prevent the Dutch and Caribs from
ascending the river. The report gives
the names that were then known of
sixteen villages or missions. Not one
of the missions was extended
Coming to 17T2, Spanish claims to
the greater part of Guiana are raised
in report from the commandant of the
province. An extract taken from the
archives of Indias proceeds to state
that boundaries of this province and
the Guyana boundaries are: Bounded
on the north by the lower Orinoco,. on
the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the
south by the Amazon, and on the west
by the Rio Negro. etc.
1T is scarcely necessary to observe
that this claim included the whole of
the Dutch settlements and French Gu
lana right down to the Amazon River I
an extent of territory that Spain never
attempted to occupy or even claim un
less the pretension that the whole of
America belonged to the Spanish King |
dom by virtue of the Papal bulletin of
1896 can be regarded as a claim.
In 1IS1 the British captured Dutch |
Guiana and marked the boundary upon |
the coast to the eastward of Point |
Barima. A map Of the newly acquired |
colony grated on the spot and pub
lished in London in 1873 gives the name |
Barima to the river Amacura and makes
i the western boundary of the colony. |
The colony was restored to the Dutch |
in 1898, and again captured by the |
English in 1886 The English then
marked the boundaries again.