stefansson-wrangel-09-37-021

-20-

States in removing guano therefrom against any interference
from authorities of the government of Hayti, or any other
government.” The United States ship "Saratoga” was thereupon
sent to the island, and her commander. Turner, addressed a
communication to the Minister of Foreign Affairs at Hayti,
explaining the nature of his mission. The Haytien vessels
were withdrawn.

This occurred in August, 1858. In November of the same
year, Mr. Clark, the commercial agent of Hayti in Boston,
acting under the instructions of the Emperor, wrote to the
Secretary of state, saying: ’’The territory over which Hayti
now claims sovereignty was once the property of Spain, who,
in the exercise of an undisputed right, ceded said territory
to France. France, in 1825, through auchief, Charles X, ack-
nowledged the independence of Hayti, and thereby vested her
with a perfect title to the ‘French part' (popularly termed)
and all its dependencies, among which dependencies the islands
of Tortugas, LaVache, Cayemete, Navasa, and Gonaive Island
are declared to. be.

The government of Hayti, although frequently importuned,
has never ceded, sold, or leased any of these dependencies to
any nation, company, or individual. I therefore most respect-
fully ask, in behalf of the government of Hayti the attention
of the government of the United States to the infringement of
the rights of Hayti involved in the unauthorized occupany of
Navasa Island by citizens of the United States.”