Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2- Appendix): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

APPENDIX. 153 of the transaction, as it took place beween the parties, given in certain documents and historical works. Although the reservation referred to cannot be deemed to possess any substantial weight, inasmuch as no notice whatever is taken of it in the British counter-declaration, which was exchanged against it and although the evidence adduced fi-om unauthentic historical pubU- cations cannot be regarded as entitled to any weight whatever with a view to a just decision upon a point of international rights ; yet as the allegations above-mentioned involve an imputation against the good faith of Great Britain, to which his Majesty's Government cannot but feel sensibly alive, the undersigned has been honoured with the King's commands to cause the official correspondence with the court of Madrid, at the period alluded to, to be carefully inspected, in order that the circumstances which really took place upon the occasion might be accurately ascertained. That inspection has accordingly been made, and the undersigned has the honour to communicate to M. Moreno the following extracts, which contain all the material information that can be gathered from that correspondence relative to the transaction in question : The Earl of Rochfokd to James Harris, Esq. " St. James's, 25th January 1771. " I enclose to you a copy of the declaration signed on Tuesday last by Prince Masserano, with that of my acceptance of it in his Majesty's name." Spanish Declaration. " Sa Majeste Britannique s'etant plainte de la violence qui avoit ete commise le 10 Juin de I'annee 1770, al'Ile communement appe- lee la Grande Maloiiine, et par les Anglais dite Falkland, en obhgeant par la force le Commandant, et les sujets de sa Majeste Britannique, a evacuer le port par eux appele Egmont, demarche oifensante a I'honneur de saCouronne, le Prince de Masseran, Ambassadeur Extra- ordinaire de sa Majeste Catholique, a recu ordre de declarer, et declare, que sa Majeste Catholique, considerant I'amour dont elle est animee pour la paix, et pour le maintien de la bonne harmonie avec sa Majeste Britannique, et reflechissant que cet evenement pourroil I'interrompre, a vu avec deplaisir cette expedition capable de la trou- bler ; et dans la persuasion ou elle est de la reciprocite de ses senti- r