Western Hemisphere 161
responded with an establishment of a military outpost in Pirara in August. The Brazil-
ians also sought, and effected by March 1839, the retreat of Thomas Youd and the
British explorers to British Guyana.
The territorial claim continued when Schomburgk, a German explorer under con-
tract with the British, recommended the occupation of Pirara, which he felt would help
him continue his geographical survey of the territory and would promote British com-
merce since the area was lightly settled. Schomburgk arrived in London in September
1839 to discuss the expedition and was appointed to the task on April 1840. He arrived
in Georgetown in January 1841.
Brazil learned of the expedition and sent their own expedition the following month.
The decision to send troops to support Schomburgk was made in August 1841 and,
on December 10, the Brazilians were notified of this decision. Schomburgk’s expe-
dition left Georgetown for Pirara on December 23, 1841. Thomas Youd, a British
missionary who had familiarity with the area (and wanted to establish another mis-
sion) joined them on the way (sometime before January 2). The expedition arrived at
Pirara Landing on February 9. Immediately, three members of the expedition tried to
deliver the message to the remaining Brazilians (three of them) in the area that the
British had made the determination to occupy Pirara and that a military garrison was
forthcoming (which was dispatched on January 11). They arrived on February 12. On
February 14, both military and the boundary expedition arrived at Pirara proper and
had a formal ceremony, complete with the planting of the Union Jack, to signify the
occupation of Pirara. A few Brazilians still remained in the area, but a formal meeting
with Brazilian officials in the area, Captain Antonio do Barros Leal and Friar Jose do
Santos Innocentes, occurred on February 28 in Pirara and, there, the Brazilians were
served with orders to leave on February 28. Around March 2, the Brazilians evacu-
ated. About 10 days later, from March 10–12, the British constructed and occupied
Fort New Guinea, three-fourths mile east of Pirara Creek. The terms of the evacuation,
agreed to by Leal and Fr. Jose, called for Schomburgk’s purpose to be scientific only.
However, Schomburgk and his crew began planting boundary markers for what Leal
and Fr. Jose thought were means to acquire the territory and incorporate it into British
Guiana. These boundary markers were placed around Pirara from March to May. Leal
and Fr. Jose, who made frequent trips back to Pirara to observe the activities from the
outside, objected to the boundary markers.
The story changed in June. On June 3, Youd left Pirara to return to England. This
coincided with mounting problems of the British expedition which was hemorrhaging
money and struggling to keep afloat since the onset of the expedition in early 1842.
Lawless behavior by the troops had become a problem. On June 15, the Church Mis-
sionary Society in London said they wanted to keep their contributions going, but,
given the financial conditions, they would need help from the Colonial Office. Those
monies were not forthcoming. On July 1, they ordered the abandonment of the project.
With Youd leaving, many of the locals (whom the British counted on for popular sup-
port) left the settlement as well. This was not the only change in events.
This case might illuminate the fundamental timing problem in remote stretches
of territory in the middle of the 19th century. Simply put, there was a considerable
gap between events in Pirara and diplomatic discussions between London (and
Georgetown) and Rio de Janeiro. In fact, the news of the occupation did not reach