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Show APPENDIX T PAHT lli. fore mentioned provjnce~, Don Ni n1c'iio Salcedo, likewise produceu a small trunk which he hrou~bt wi t'' h in1,~ '-lnd that in tht· p1·cscncc of the nnclcrsi~ncd, opened him::.c lf, and took out ditfc t'Clll book~ and p.1p rs when ha' inp· scpi.lratccl ' . ith hie, own hancl'i, under our cognizance, :.~II that ,lppcarccl ll) b , H' that he said was private, ut· had no connection with the voyage; cleli \·c rcd the remainder to the dcrnancl of the commatH!a:H t;t•neral, whirh \H~ rr· soldy those comprehended iu the foregoing inventory wl1ich we lt.we !armed, and for the verification of which we have si!;neu these pre ~c nts ut Chihuahua, the 8th of April, 1807. (Signed) FHA;'\Ctso VAr.A sco. JuAN J>gnJto \ \ .\T.Krm. Translated from the o1·iginnl, by Z. l\1. Pike, captain. -·- f No. 17. J S1a, C!ti/malwa, .Jij1rit 4th, 1807. I HOPE yonr excellency may not attribute it to presumption, or a disposition to imrude when I address you on a subj ect foreign from my official duties, and on which I can only speak as an inuivitlual, but I should feel myself wanting in humanity, an<l that attention which every man owes to his {cJJow c•·eaturcs in distress should I remain silent; and more especially when those who arc compatriots and some former companions, now in a strange country, languishing out their days, far from thcit• friends and rcbtions, without scarcely a dawn of hope remaining of evet· again being blest with the view of their native homc:s. It it scarcely necessary to add that I allude to the unfortunate companion5 or Nolan, who having entered the territories of his cathclic majesty in a clandestine manner, equally in 'iolation of the trcotics between the two goYct·nments, the laws of the United Statc5 and thoc.;e of Sp:1in, could not be reclaimed or Iloticcd by thc i•· country; yet from CYcry ini'onuation I have received on the whject, tlw men of the prtrty were innocent, belie ing lhat Nola11 had passports from the SJ anish g-overno•· to carry on the traffic of horses. l pt·etencl not to ju ~ tdy the many i•·rcgularities of their conduct since in the Spanish do111inions, but hope that it mr~y • The want of candor exh ib ited in the ccrtiuc:lt..: is manifest, and was an imbecile attempt to bhcw that all , y t ttuns were voluutary, and that in the ddivcry of my papers there was no dq~rce of con~tr01int. APPENDIX TO P A H.T' JII. 8:1 be Yicwe<l with an eye of clem~ncy, as they arc most of them vc ry .illit~.:r·.1te, and po~scssin ~~ scarcely any part of an ·ducation. D.lvicl Fcro was formerly a subaltern in a ro•npany of infantry of the United States, commanded by my f-tthct· at the time 1 served os a volunteer, but left the service (as I have been i11formcd) owing- to somt irregularities of conduct; his having been uncc my companion l'lltitlcs him at the prc~ent to my particular attention ; yet 1 will her mention to your excellency a circumstance which m1.1y uppear if known in an unfavorable light, vi~. About 1 f> days past I Wi..\5 informed F •ro was in town, and that he tlc5ircd to sec me. 1 was extremely mot·tiliccl at recei\-ing the information, ns 1 cone ivcd he must have lcl't his post in a clandestine m~mner, yet I could not find jn my heart to refuse the intenicw, which 1 gave, but determined at the same time to inform you of the circumstance, conceiving that vou could not look on il as a matter of much Lriminality. ~ But to conclude, I have to beg of your excellency, if in )'0\11' })Ower, and consistent with the line of conduct you conceive prop•.:t· to pursue, to inform rue if any thing· can be done towards restoring these poor fellows to their libcny, friend~ and country, and in a par· ticular manner I intercede for Fero. J[ it i · Ollt of the power of the general to grant them leave to return to the United States, I beg to know if there is any objcctio11 to my taking out letters to thci1· fathers, wives &c. I shoul(l not have addres~cd this letter to the general, had 1 not conceived the fate of those men alluded to wa~ at his disposal, as he had suflcrcd one of them to join the service of his catholic mc.1jesty i not· neither do I request the honor of any otllct· thun a verbal reply, as l write iu the character of an indi\idual, and not as an o!Ttcer or the United ~tates. I am, !>it·, \Vith hi~h consideration, Your humble, obedient sen·ant, (Signed) z. l\I. PIIa:. IIis excellency, geucral Nimcsio Salcedo. -·- [ No. 18. ] .A utc!Jitocht•,y, 20th August, 1807. Stll, PH EVIOUS to my departure from Chihuahua, we had entered so fully into the subject of the seizure of my papers, that I should |
