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Show 2l8 JOUHr\AL OF A YOYAG 1·: a guard of cavalry. When we parted his adieu was" remember Allencaster, in peace or war." Left a note for my sergeant, with instructions to keep up good <.liscipline and not be alarmed or discouraged. As I was about leaving the public square, poor Colly (the Amerjcan prisoner,) came up with tears in his eyes and hoped I would not forget him, when I arrived in the United States. Mter we left the governor we rode on about three 1niles to a defile where we halted for the troops and I soon f(mnd that the old soldier who accompanied us and comJnandcd our escort was fund of a drop of the cheering liquor, as his boy carried a bottle in his cochmelies (a small leather case attached to the saddle for the purpose of carxying small articles.) We were accompanied by my friend Bartholemew. W c ascended a hill and galloped on until about ten o'clock ; snowing hard all the time, when we came to a precipice which we descendPd, meeting with great difficulty ( fron1 the obscurity of the night) to the small village where we put up in the quarters of the pric~~, he being absent. After supper, captain D' Almansa related to me that he had served his catholic majesty, 40 years to arrive at the rank he then held, which was a first lieutenant in the line, and a captain by brevet, whilst he had ~een various young Europeans promoted over his head ; aft r the old n1an had taken his quantum sulficit and gone to sleep, 1ny friend and myself sat up for some hours, he eX· plaining to me their situation, the great desire they felt for a change of afl~tirs, aud an open trade with the United States. I pointed out to him with chalk on the floor the gl'ographical connection and route, froJn North Mexico and Louisiana, and finally gave him a certificat., addressed to the citizens of the United States, stating his fi-icndly THH.OUGll Till: INTERIOR PROVINCES, &c. 2l!J disposition and his being a man of influence. This paper he seemed to estimate as a very valuable acquisition, as he was decidedly of opinion we would invade that country th~ ensuing spring and not all my assurances to the contrary, could eradicate that idea. 5th Marcb, Friday.-It snowing very bad in the morn-ing we did not 1narch until ~ 1 o' clo.c~. In the mca.n tin:e Bartholemew and myself patd a v1s1t to an old mvaltd Spaniard, who received us in the most hospi~a~lc manner, giving us chocolate &c. I-le tuadc many enq tunes as to o~u· 1• government and re tgi•O n, and o f" -. -lf. :1- <!< ·~· If .L li IH• Wh {) 0. 1 l <.. not fail to give then1 the brightest colourmg ; he bemg t'nthusiastic in their favor fron1 his n1any conversations with me, and drawing comparisons with his own country. \Vhat appeared to the old veteran, 1nost exlraordinary, was, that we ever changed our president ; I was obliged to draw his powers on a nearer affinity with those of a monarch, than they really arc, in ord r that they might comprehend his station and that there was a perfect freedom of consience permitted in our country. He however expressed his warm approbation of the measure. In the priests house in which we put up, were two orphan girls, who were adopted by hirn in their infancy and at this time constituted his whol ~family. I bid adieu to my friend Bartholemew and could not avoid shedding tears: he embraced me, and all my men. Wearrived at the village of St. Doming at two o'clock. It is as I supposed, nine miles on the cast side of the Rio del Norte, and is a large village, the population being about 1000 natives, generally governed by ib own chief. . The chiefs of the villages were distinguished by a cane wHh a silver head and black tassell and on our arrival at the public house ; captain D Almansa was waited on by the governor, cap in hand, to receive his orders as to the furnish- |
