No. 365. Order given by Juan Valdes, October 30, 1758, that the two Dutchmen, Arrested on the Cuyuni, be sent, together with their papers, to the Governor. [Reprinted from Blue Book, No. 3, p. 241.] The translations of the document and two passports that were brought by the two Government officers who came in the vessel from the Colony of Essequibo having been seen by the Señor Commandante, Don Juan Valdes, and his Excellency having studied their contents, and taken note of the demand made by the Governor of the said Colony with regard to giving satisfaction for certain injuries done, and the remission of the two Dutch subjects seized in the River Cuyuni by the secret expedition, together with the various other events resulting therefrom, it appeared from the said letter that his Excellency should come to a decision about this affair, and he did resolve that the said passports and document, together with their respective translations, and the report of the inspection made by the Lieutenant of the Royal officials be united, and that as this was a matter which solely concerned the Captaincy-General of these provinces, the two Dutchmen should be sent to the Captaincy-General, together with a copy of the various reports of steps taken in connection with their visit and of all the remaining documents which have been drawn up so far in regard to the matter, leaving the proofs in the hands of his Excellency the Governor and Captain-General, for his superior judgment, so that he may come to any decision which he may consider best. For this purpose I hereby decree and command it to be done, and I sign the same. No. 366. Order given by Juan Valdes, October 30, 1758, to take Testimony as to the Arrest of two Dutchmen on the Cuyuni. [Reprinted from Ven. Sp. Docs., Vol. 2, pp. 14-15.] In the city of Guayana, on the 30th day of the above month and year of the Lord [1758] Don Juan Valdes, Castillian Captain of His Majesty and Commander in Chief of this Province, said: That, in order to proceed and substantiate these proceedings according to law, he ought to command and does command to have at the head of them the letters of the most Reverend Prefect of these Missions, which were the motive of the sending and organizing of the above-mentioned expedition, together with the instructions and appointment of the chiefs in command, signed by the Ensign Don Felix Ferreras, who, in his absence, was the Comman No. 366. der ad interim of this place; and afterwards the above-mentioned witnesses, Don Santiago Bonalde and Don Luis Lopez de la Puente, the ap pointed chiefs, will be summoned to appear at eight o'clock to-morrow morning before his Honor, said Commander, to render their sworn affidavit about all the incidents, acts and resistances on the part of said Hollanders opposed to them, exhibiting the papers that they may have found with them, and stating distinctly which of them was the aggressor who took the life of one of the soldiers of said expedition and badly wounded another in his arm, answering to all the questions of his Honor from the beginning to the end of the above-mentioned expedition until their return to this city. To the same end several other soldiers who went in the expedition will be examined, and after their affidavits have been taken, the declarations of the two prisoners, the Hollanders, will be heard, and they shall be brought under a suitable custody to the pres ence of his Honor, so as to state the reasons for their sojourn and business in those places, by whom they were posted there, and for what purpose; all of which being accomplished, the other necessary acts connected with these proceedings will follow. No. 367. Certificate of Summons on Bonalde and Lopez de la Puente, [Reprinted from Ven. Sp. Docs., Vol. 2, pp. 15–16.] Summons.-Following in order, we, Don Luis de Aleman and Don Francisco Xavier Filgueyra, the witnesses appointed to substantiate these acts, called at the residence of Don Santiago Bonalde and Don Luis Lopez de la Puente and summoned them, as ruled by the above act, for to-morrow morning at 8 o'clock, in person. We certify to the same. No. 368. Deposition, made October 31, 1758, by Santiago Bonalde, as to Arrest of two Dutchmen on the Cuyuni river. [Reprinted (with correction) from from Ven. Sp. Docs., Vol. 2, pp. 16-19.] year In the above city of Guayana, on the 31st day of October, in the 1758, appeared before his Honor, Señor Don Juan Valdes, and the witnesses, Don Santiago Bonalde, in order to render his affidavit in compliance with the above rule as one of the chiefs appointed for the secret expeditionary force that was sent to the Cuyuni river, and after having No. 368. been duly sworn in the proper form, and promising to state the truth of all that he knew, and upon which he would be interrogated, and being questioned, he said as follows: 1. That having departed from this city with the order and instructions that he shows to reach the settlement of Yuruario, where he found the armed people ready, and that he reviewed immediately and examined their arms, stores and vessels, and finding everything in proper shape and ready for the march, he gave orders to the coxswains and people to embark and have the vessels to proceed in good order one after another. 2. In regard to the second chapter of his instructions, he said that he had failed to carry out its directions as to apprehending and carrying along with him those Indians that he would meet, because he thought a more convenient policy to attract them with friendship and affection, so as not to frighten them, which policy proved correct, as he succeeded in securing their help in everything that was wanted. If he had seized and tied them, after apprehending them, a few at least, he was afraid, would have rebelled and brought about mischief, as they are numerous and their fields afforded no facilities for any defence. 3. That in regard to the third chapter, he performed with every possible skill everything therein expressed, and did not find any old houses staked in, nor any other kind of ambush. 4. That in regard to the fourth chapter, he said that in order to avail himself of the occasion he got some of the Caribs who infest those places to befriend and lead him, without being noticed, until he reached a place, the name of which he does not bear in mind, where a white Hollander was found at noon and made no resistance, nor attempt to run away when he was apprehended. From that place they continued their march, in company with the Indians, as far as the hut where said Hollander lived. Said hut was covered with palm leaves, without any walls. They spent two days in reaching the same, going down the river. When they were near the said hut they stopped until it was dark, as he thought the darkness favorable for an advance; that he disposed his men in the best possible order at the time suggested by the Caribs, and at about eight o'clock in the evening, or it may have. been seven o'clock, he undertook the assault with his men on the said hut, and found one Hollander, who seemed to be lying on a hammock, and warned by the barking of a dog he arose, and they all fell on him so as to prevent him from reaching any arms that he might have had there. At this time four or five gun shots were heard, and they were not able to find out who fired them; that he found out that his own went off accidentally, and that a soldier that had fired his blunderbuss said it was on a negro who accompanied said Hollander and was running away from the hut; that he could not find out who fired the other, that No. 368. he only heard the voice of one of the soldiers, while struggling with the said Hollander, in order to tie him, saying, simultaneously with a pistol shot, "This rascal has killed me"; and without minding who it was we endeavored only to secure the person of the Hollander, and having succeeded he found out, on inquiry, that one of his soldiers had been killed and another badly wounded in an arm; that he immediately tried to find the arms held by them, and found two pistols already emptied and a musket in the hands of the Caribs; and having upbraided the Hollander for his having fired, he answered that he had not, that it might have been the negro who was with him. 5. As to the fifth chapter, he followed his instructions and found out that there were no other huts or ranches up or down the river. 6. That he followed the sixth chapter just as it is. 7. In regard to the seventh chapter, he found it was better to let the Caribs come freely, as they promised and did so, as otherwise he could not have succeeded, on account of their large number. Many of them are found already in the Mission of the Reverend Capuchin Father. In regard to the Indian Tomuto, he had no news whatever. 8. As to the eighth chapter, he found nothing new in its contents. 9. As to the ninth instruction, he followed everything as directed. In regard to ransoms, he found only twelve dozens of knives, seven of hatchets, and remnants of cloth that he distributed among the Caribs, so as to keep them well pleased and safe; that the ten dozens of said knives and seven of hatchets he delivered to the Reverend Father Fray Thomas de San Pedro, as he could not bring them to this city on account of the long delay and fatigues of the road; that he did the same with five guns and a pistol taken from the Hollander, to whom he asked who had placed them in that station and for what purpose, and he answered that they had been placed there by the Governor of Esquivo, without saying anything else in reply to the other questions; that in a little box he found certain papers having the appearance of instructions, and that he delivered them on his arrival to this city in the hands of the Ensign of Infantry, Don Felix Ferreras; that from the place where they found the ranch on the river Cuyuni, to the Mission, wherefrom they had departed, the journey took twenty-two days, thirteen1 of which in the navigation up the river and the remainder by land; that this is all that he knows and what is contained in his notes, and the truth under the oath that he has taken, and that he affirms and ratifies the same, and will assert again if wanted; that he is thirty-four years old, and signs with his Honor and witnesses. 1 As to this see U. S. Commission, Report, Vol. 1, p. 329, note 4. No. 369. Deposition, made October 31, 1758, by Luis Lopez de la Puente as to the Arrest of Two Dutchmen on the Cuyuni river. [Reprinted from Ven. Sp. Docs., Vol. 2, pp. 19-21.] On the same day and year [Oct. 31, 1758] there came before his Honor, the Commander Don Juan Valdes, and the acting witnesses, Don Luis Lopez de la Puente, one of the chiefs appointed for the secret expedition, who was duly sworn by his Honor in the usual form (as already given), and promised to tell the truth of all that he knew, and was interrogated as it was done in the order of his instructions, and he said: That having left this city with the order and instructions shown him, he took his departure for the settlement of Yuruario, and there found the soldiers, and that every thing was ready; that he examined the arms and took to the boats, which left as directed. 2. In regard to the second chapter of instructions, he said: His comrade did not think it was a good policy to do the least harm to the Indians which they met on the way, and thought best to treat them kindly, so as to deserve their favor, as it was done successfully; that on a ccount of this circumstance he did not carry out the letter of instructions of this chapter. 3. In regard to this chapter, he endeavored to find out and ascertain the points mentioned, as directed, and he could not find nor ascertain the places, or any case of ambushes. 4. In regard to this chapter, he said: After eight days' navigation he arrived at an Indian ranch of the Caribs, and there found out that a Hollander by the name of John Baptist used to come and visit another ranch of Caribs, and he sent from there the pilot, directing him that in the event of finding said Hollander in that ranch to notify his party, as it was done on the following day, when the Hollander was apprehended, without opposing any resistance to follow them as far as the site where they found the straw-roofed house; that they made a stop in order to reach it by night, as it was done at seven or eight o'clock; that their approach was anticipated by the barking of a dog; that on account of that circumstance they entered the house in haste to secure the person of the Hollander, who seemed to be lying down on a hammock and was already standing, at the time of being seized by a soldier; Francisco Roblez fired a pistol shot, which caused him to address the said Roblez the words: "This dog has killed me"; that hearing at the same time three shots more he ascertained that one of them was fired by a soldier called Pedro at a negro who was running away, and the other shot was fired by Don Santiago Bonalde without knowing how or at whom; that the other shot, he never knew who fired it; that he found out through the interpreter that the said Hollander thought that |