No. 228.

an Indian slave belonging to my daughter, who had gone with him to buy birds and other things from the Indians up in Cajoeny; some of these Caraibans even assert that the Indian slave has been killed.

Your Lordships having done me the honour to inform me that your Lordships had decided upon a garrison of forty men for the Colony (really much too little for the two rivers) I asked for no recruits, but now that more than half of the garrison have served their time and are asking for their discharge, I take the liberty to ask your Lordships for a reinforcement of twenty-five men and one drummer. If there were a good competent constable or two among them they would be of the greatest use, for such men can really be ill dispensed with.

Herewith I will again reiterate my request that no French or Flemish be sent, but as many Protestants as possible. The proximity of the Spaniards, and especially of the Spanish Missions, renders it impossible to place the slightest trust in Catholics.

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I hope that the exploring and spying parties of the Spaniards in Masserouny and Cajoeny will come to an end, and will be effectually stopped by the Post in Cajoeny.

Extracts from letter from West India Company (Zeeland Chamber) to Storm van's Gravesande, Director-General in Essequibo, March 9, 1767. [Reprinted from U. S. Commission, Report, Vol. 2, pp. 422–424.]

The transferring1 of the post in Cuyuni, as also the work at the Fort, appears to us to advance rather slowly, and we shall be glad to learn that both these tasks, in accordance with the hope which you give us thereof, are at last finished.

Meanwhile it will be necessary to await what are to be the consequences of the promises of the Governor of Guayana, given solemnly and on his word of honor, and whether, accordingly, the runaway slaves will be sold as slaves, and the money resulting therefrom be handed to you ad opus jus habentium; for we believe that all further representations for the restitution of the runaway slaves themselves will be fruitless, both in America and in Europe, especially those which you seem to think might be made to the Spanish Ambassador or Minister at The Hague. For repeatedly, and again quite recently in the latter part of last year, the most urgent representations in behalf of this State were made to the Court of Spain, with

1 Note by Prof. Burr.-It is not impossible that this word is here a slip of the scribe for herplaatsen, "replacing."

No. 229.

regard to the extradition and return of the slaves who at various times have run away and even now are almost daily running away from Curaçao to the coasts of Cora, and also for the purpose of regulating and establishing such extradition in connection with all the colonies of the State; but the only result has been that the extradition asked for was declined under pretext of religion, it being alleged that the Courts of England and Denmark with regard to all their colonies, and that of France with regard to Martinique, were in the same position.

Extract from letter from Storm van 'sGravesande, Director-General in Essequibo, to West India Company, March 20, 1767.

I am fully acquainted with the rule, Extra territorium suum jus dicenti enim impune non paretur; but it is not applicable to the Resolution of the Court in this matter, because

1. The east bank being in our jurisdiction, the Court can enforce its order there.

2. Because I think that the Court certainly has the power to forbid its citizens and colonists to go to any places when such is considered to be inexpedient or dangerous for the Colony.

Extract from letter from Storm van 'sGravesande, Director-General in Essequibo, to West India Company, March 23, 1767.

I am anxious to have some tidings from Cajoeny, because I received a note from Director Van der Heyde yesterday in which he informs me that the creole, Tampoko, had been to see his son at Old Duynenburg, and had reported that he had heard from a few Indians that a party of Indians had been sent by the Spanish Mission to make a raid upon the Post, and had completely sacked it, and that he was going to find out how true that was. That Post is a terrible eyesore to the Spaniards, and there is no doubt that it stands in the way of their attaining some important aims. As soon as I have reliable tidings I shall deliberate with the Court what is to be done in the matter.

No. 232.

Extract from letter from Storm van's Gravesande, Director-General in Essequibo, to West India Company, March 27, 1767.

Therefore (please do not take it amiss that I express myself so frankly— the importance of the matter forces me to it), if it is desired to prevent the ruin of the colony, the three following points should be taken into serious consideration and be put into effect as soon as possible:

1. To insist with the Court of Spain upon redress for the grievances, and ask there for measures to make the chiefs obey the commands of His Catholic Majesty, for they really laugh at them.

2. Two good, armed, and well-manned coast-guards, one in the mouth and one outside the river, to put an end to all the desertions.

3. The fortifying of Demerara, in order that nothing go out of that river without been seen.

And, if no redress can be obtained at the Court of Spain, to use reprisals against the missions, situated on our frontier, even on our territory; I think they would then be brought to reason.

This is concisely what I think it my duty to propound to you.

Extract from letter from Storm van's Gravesande, Director-General in Essequibo, to West India Company, June 27, 1767.

From my preceding letter you will have seen that the post in Cuyuni is already in order (except a few soldiers).

Extract from letter from Storm van's Gravesande, Director-General in Essequibo to West India Company, June 27, 1767.

At the same time I received a report from the Post in Cajoeny that the Indians are being bribed and incited to such a degree that they are unwilling to do the least thing for the Postholder, and that even1 when he orders

1 Note by Prof, Burr.-This word does not here appear in the Blue Book.

No. 234.

the passing boats to lie to1 to see whether there are any runaways in them, they obstinately refuse to do so, and when he threatens to shoot upon them they reply that they have bows and arrows with which to answer.

Therefore the reinforcement of these two Posts, Cajoeny and Maroco, becoming a matter of greater necessity every day (there being, indeed, periculum in mora), I hope that some good soldiers, and especially Protestants, will be sent by the "Laurens en Maria."

Extract from the Statement of the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Company to the States-General, July 28, 1767, in reply to the Memorial of the Shareholders of the Zeeland Chamber.

The second reason why there is no foundation for the claim of the Zeeland Shareholders, that the silence of the Representative and the Directors as to the alleged addition of the oft-mentioned words "and adjoined or appurtenant rivers and places" implies an acknowledgment that under this term Demerara must also be included, and that therefore from our side consent has been given to the surrender of that Colony, consists herein, that the natural meaning of the expression "Essequibo and adjoined or appurtenant rivers" is not that which the Zeeland Shareholders attribute to it (namely, that all the places which are situate on the mainland of the so-called Wild Coast, between the boundaries which the Shareholders themselves have arbitrarily and without giving any grounds therefor defined as extending from Moruca to Mahaicony, or from Rio Berbice as far as the Orinoco,-that all such places are "adjoined, appurtenant to, and inseparable from" the Colony Essequibo), but, on the contrary, only this, that under that description are comprehended the various channels and rivers, originating from Rio Essequibo or emptying into it, which are marked on the map, such as, for instance, Cuyuni, Mazaruni, Sepenouwy, and Magnouwe.

For the words "adjoined, appurtenant to, and inseparable from" can be applied only to that which has with the thing to which one seeks to attach it a direct and essential connection, either through express contracts, and explicit compacts or through a natural and inseparable dependence, in such manner that, as a lesser portion of a greater whole, it must be deemed to be an accessorium quid rei principalis.

Now, this is not the case with Demerary with relation to Essequibo;

1 Note by Prof. Burr.-The translation as here given differs from the Blue Book.

2 Note by Prof. Burr.-For the words here italicized the Blue Book has The fortification.

3 Note by Prof. Burr.-These in Blue Book.

No. 235.

for there exist no special contracts or compacts through which the owners of Essequibo have also acquired the ownership of Demerara.

Extracts from letter from West India Company (Zeeland Chamber) to Storm van's Gravesande, Director-General in Essequibo, August 24, 1767.

We join you in hoping that the wandering and spying of the Spaniards in Mazaruni and Cuyuni may have been stopped through the new post in Cuyuni.

As to taking efficacious measures against the running away of slaves to Orinoco and elsewhere, we are as much as anybody convinced of the necessity thereof; but in our missive of March 9 of this year we have already told you how little result we were expecting from any representations or requests here in Europe, in view of the reception given at the Court of Spain to the representations at the request of the Presidial Chamber, Amsterdam, regarding the slaves absconding from Curaçao to the coasts of Cora. However, in order that we may have nothing wherewith to reproach ourselves, we have appointed a committee to the Pensionary of this province to report to him about the condition of affairs, that he may, when opportunity offers, lay it before the meeting of the provincial Estates and bring it about that the deputies to the States-General be instructed to urge in that body that Mr. Doublet van Groeneveld be sent word to make the most vigorous representations to His Catholic Majesty, to the end that the slaves escaping from Essequibo cum annexis to the Spanish colonies may be returned, as always hitherto has been done till within a few years, etc.; and this is all we can do here.

You have done very prudently in ordering that nothing be undertaken against the Spanish mission in Cuyuni, but that a watchful eye be kept upon all the actions of the Spaniards, for so small a beginning may often give cause for reprisals of a much more serious nature. We likewise approve of the hint which you caused to be given in your name to the Caribs, namely that they must not molest the Accoways subject to the Company, which warning we trust has been effective. In the meantime we heartily hope that the rumors in regard to that post, communicated to us by your letter of March 23, may have been found untrue, inasmuch as we consider that post as of very great concern to us, for which reason we also most seriously recommend to you its preservation.