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their part of the engagement. For this and other damages, I claimed an indemnity of $58,000. In 1868 the United States Government sent a Commission to Venezuela for realizing the claims of United States citizens against the Venezuelan Government. The treaty stipulations between the two Republics were binding until 1864, and it was precisely until that time that the Venezuelan Government had engaged my services. My declaration of intention to become an American citizen had been made in New York. I had also with me a certificate of my honorable discharge from the service [?] at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1853. Thus I presented myself to the United States Commissioner, Mr. Talmage. He examined all the documents [convalidating?] my claim and said certificate of discharge. His answer was that I had the right to the United Sattes protection, and to that effect he advised me to leave the documents with the [Legation?], to which I complied. When the [Mixt?] Commission was discussing my claim, a difficulty arose concerning my citizenship; but the United States Commission [a?] answered to the Commission of Venezuela these exact words: "It does not matter if Mr. Abbiati was a Frenchman,