José Fernandez to A copy. CAYETANO ROMERO, Secretary. Washington, D. C. , June 12, 1884, May 21, 1884

The governor of the State of Tamaulipas informed this department, by a communication of the 23d of February last, that several individuals from Texas, headed by W. W. Bohrman and O. W. Brewerton, invaded the island of Morteritos, in the Rio Bravo, and took possession of it, dislodging from the same the Mexican citizens who possessed it, who were residents of Mier City.

From the investigation made by the council of this city of Mier and from the statements and inclosures, copies of which were sent to the governor, it appears that the invasion took place on the 20th of January of this year; that the island, which was inhabited by residents of Mier, has always been considered as an integral part of the territory of Mexico, being on the right of the largest arm and the deepest channel of the Bravo at the fixing of the limits of these two nations by the treaties of 1848 and 1854, which established as the dividing line as far as the parallel of 31° 47′ north latitude the deepest channel of the river, where it had more than one channel, as it had at this point, and that by a, recent change made in the channel by the freshets in the Bravo, the island referred to has remained on the left of the largest arm of the deepest channel of the said river.

In order to adopt suitable measures, this department asked information from the governor of Tamaulipas, relative to the change in the currents of the Rio Bravo, owing to which the island aforesaid has remained on the left bank of the largest arm of the deepest channel of said river, whether it occurred in a slow manner in the course of time, or whether the change was sudden and violent, determining in a short time the present situation of the said island.

I also asked said functionary to join to his report, for the better illustration of the point, a sketch in which could be seen with due precision the present position of the island and the one it held before.

The above-mentioned governor has answered by a communication of the 7th of the current month, inclosing a letter sent to him by the president of the council of the city of Mier, in which he says it is impossible to comply with the request of this department, for want of an engineer to make the required sketch. In view of the importance of this matter, and for the purpose of adopting suitable measures, I beg you to name an engineer that could go in person to examine the disputed spot, in order to present to this department the information and sketch requested from the governor of Tamaulipas.

To the Secretary of Public Works.