No. 355. Four yards of new blue cotton cloth to buy casave. Three pieces of iron utensils to buy casave. Nine yards coarse cloth to pay the Indians for carrying several despatches. Eighteen knives for casave. Nine knives for casave. One bundle of beads for casave. Eighteen knives to pay the Indians who were employed by the Post. Four yards of coarse cloth for casave. One bundle of beads for casave. Four knives for casave. Eight yards of coarse cloth to buy palm meal. Three yards of coarse cloth for casave. Four looking glasses for casave. Five knives for casave. Six coarse combs to pay the Indians for an errand on behalf of the post master. Four fine combs for casave. Three looking glasses to pay the Indians who were sent to the Governor. Eleven knives for casave. List of debts of the Master of the Post Tumfermant. Other names of Caribs cannot be made out on account of the paper being worn out, the total sum being. 37 No. 356. Extracts from replies to the orders given to Colonel Eugenio Alvarado, by José de Iturriaga, Rear-Admiral, as to the Secret Mission in Guayana, with replies, April 20, 1755. No. 8. This place (i. e., the cattle farm of Divina Pastora) is the best for carrying out the investigations and commissions with which you are charged. Reply. In this instruction your Excellency gives me the name of the cattle farm which you consider the best place for making the various investigations; but in view of the fact of its not being central in the Missions, nor of there being any one here able to afford me the confidential information required and vouch for the truth of the same, I was obliged to forego my convalescence after my severe illness and betake myself to other places, visiting all parts, and personally making the necessary investigations. No. 10. At a distance of 3 leagues from the "cattle farm" ("hato") is the Mission of Capapuy, where mines are said to abound, and the Father Missionary will be able to afford you all information concerning them, as he has acquired considerable knowledge about them. Reply. The generic term your Excellency employs in this Article [of the instructions] in regard to the mines of Copapuy I presume refers to that known as the perfect metals, and not in a general sense, which includes eight different minerals, &c. I visited Copapuy, examined the two which they call gold mines, and had a conversation thereupon with Father San Augustin de Olot, President of that Mission, as your Excellency indicated to me, who found a good lode, known to him and guarded for some years, and very desirous of having in his district gold mining carried on, but possessing about as much knowledge and the mode of working them as he does of the human heart. * * * * * Although your Excellency only wished me, according to this Article of the instructions, to investigate what belongs to Copapuy, I offer no apology for informing your Excellency of other mines existing in the interior of the province, as well because so far no account has been made of them, as that you may, if it appear well, inform our members about them. In the destroyed Missions of Cuniri, Tupuquen, Curumo, and that of Miamo, which were swept away by the relentless fury of the Caribs, and which is at present in charge of Father Moxo de Villazan, Missionary No. 356. Apostolic, of great energy, gold and silver are found, at every step, in the districts of all. The village of the Mission of Miamo is situated about 14 leagues from the cattle farm of Divina Pastora, and, properly speaking, trends towards the south. It would, indeed, be the best place possible to entertain or make a fool of a miner. The lowlands, or, better said, the sandbanks of the River Miamo, from which the Mission takes its name, are as brilliant when pulverized as particles of the gold mines of Copapuy. This is also the case with the sands from the bed of the River Macarumee (which enters the Miamo), and is different from that of the Curumo, of a gold colour like those of Miamo. Extract from a Precis for the Spanish Secretary of State, of Documents as to the Boundary Commission, 1756. [Reprinted from Blue Book, No. 1, pp. 87-88.] The expedition before leaving Cadiz was not in harmony; and a difference arose between Iturriaga and Alvarado. Immediately on their arrival at Cumaná, Iturriaga caused much dissension among his people, and separated himself from Alvarado, to whom he would make no communication. Alvarado is too sharp and forcible, and finding himself alone and neglected, and to revenge himself, he entered into friendship with the Governor of [Cumaná], the result of which was that both censured the conduct of Iturriaga, as is seen from the notes sent now by him to Señor Arriaga. Here follows an account of the proceedings of the Governor of Cumaná, who, notwithstanding that Iturriaga had a Royal Warrant to him, commanding him to supply the expedition with all it required, refused point blank to give him "a farthing," though he provided "boats, men, and munition, which he had at hand. * In this manner a whole year was spent, and the supplies they took with them, both plentiful and good, and sufficient to carry them to the end of their journey, were consumed. * * No. 358. Extracts from letter from José de Iturriaga to Ricardo Wal, relating to a New Dutch Fort on the Maruca (and containing letter dated December 2, 1757, of Juan Valdes to Iturriaga on the same subject), December 15, 1757. [Reprinted from Ven. Sp. Docs., Vol, 3, pp. 166-169.] MY DEAR SIR: Having understood through the Capuchin Fathers of Guayana that the Dutch were constructing a new fort on the Maruca river, to windward and a short distance from the Boca de Navios of the Orinoco, and being certain that the Commandant of Guayana would not of his own motion take any measures to ascertain the fact, or the purpose, I requested him to send there, at my expense, a launch with pilots to go up the passage exploring the river, and inspect the condition of the building, its materials, dimensions, artillery, and garrison. And he replied, under date of December 2, what Y. E. will learn from the annexed copy. What I understand from the report is that the purpose is to establish some sugar plantations, adding to the owners and slaves a number of Acowa Indians, who have their greatest confidence, to prevent the passing of deserters, soldiers, and Indian slaves, by that passage. It may be that for this purpose, and to defend the plantations against the uprising of slaves of both kinds, they may build a small fort, with two or three small cannons served by from four to six men. Tolerated now on the Maruca, they will next pass on to Barima, which empties into the same mouth, and later on they will come to the Aquire river, whose mouth is on the Orinoco itself, some leagues from the ocean. By this river the neighborhood of the Palmar Missions is reached, and by it they accomplish free communication with the other Missions in the interior of the country, as they have already done owing to the indifference of Father Friar Bruno, of Barcelona, who for this reason was removed therefrom by his Prefect, and reduced to serve as a companion in another Mission, and deprived of active or passive part in the meetings. The request they make in writing of the Commandant of Guayana to allow their Aroacas, who come to fish turtle, to go further up, is not very much in keeping with their title of Governors of Esquivo and Orinoco, but still necessary to their advantage, and I am assured that the Commandant not only yields, but that his permits cover the different boats that go up for this purpose. MY DEAR SIR: I inform Y. H. that I have performed the duty en No. 358. trusted to me to reconnoitre the waters of the Moroca channel, and the fortification you were informed of, from which reconnoissance it results that the information is incorrect, for on the whole of that channel and the other channels communicating therewith there is no fortification to be found, and all there is is the news that the Dutch of the Esquivo Colony intend to move the guard which, under the name of post, they maintain on the Moroca channel, taking it down to the mouth thereof, emptying into the ocean, which will be about a distance of six leagues, for which purpose they have cut down trees and made many clearings for sowing that site, and built the houses necessary for the Aruaca Indians and the Dutch, which news I have been unable to verify with certainty, and I have only heard it said that the purpose is to prevent the negro slaves of the Company and residents of the said Colony from running away so easily to these Dominions, for the said guard being at the month of the Moroca, it can watch the boats that, without entering it, may pass by the coast to take the main mouth of this river. The depth that the greater part of the above-mentioned river has is from two-and-a-half to three fathoms at its fullest, and entirely free from obstacles, as large feluccas and small schooners of ordinary drast navigate it with the assistance of the tides. They are unable to say at said post whether the Frenchman Ygnacio passed by there or not, as he could have gone by the seacoast without entering the said Moroca channel, as the sloops do, as do also the canoes of the fugitive negroes and soldiers. All of which I bring to the notice of Y. H. for your better information, and in compliance with what was entrusted to me. God our Father preserve Y. H. many years. Guayana, December 2, 1757. Your most obedient and grateful servant kisses the hand of Y. H. No. 359. Letter from Juan Valdes, Commandant in Guayana, to José Iturriaga, [Reprinted from Blue Book, No. 1, p. 91.] In reference to yours of the 20th ultimo, concerning the commission with which you charged me for the purpose of investigating and reporting upon the settlement, fortification, and other matters of interest in the River Moruca, I have now to state to you that the change of the guard, under the name of post, which the Dutch of the Colony of Essequibo have at a distance of 20 leagues, more or less, from there, situated in the said River Moruca, has had no effect. And that there was only a house of 15 yards long, which they built at the mouth of the said river, T |