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Show 218 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE a guard of cavalry. .W hen we parted,, his adieu was" re. n1embcr Allencaster, In peace or war. Left a note for my sergeant, with instructions to keep up good discipline and not be a.larmed or discouraged. As I was about leaving the pubhc square, poor Colly (the An1erican prisoner,) came up with tears. in hi~ eyes and h.oped I would not forget him, when I arnved In the Umted States. After we left the governor we rode on about three miles to a defile where we halted for the troops and I soon found that the old soldier who accompanied us and com· JTic,mded our escort was fond 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 car· rying small articles.) We were accompanied by my friend Bartholemew. We ascended a hill and galloped on un· til about ten o'clock; snowing hard all the time, when we came to a precipice which we descended, meeting with great difficulty (frmn the obscurity of the ni~ht) to. the small village where we put up in the quarters of the pnest, he being absent. After supper, c~ptain D' Almansa related to m~ that he had served his catholic majesty, 40 years to arnve at the rank he then held, which was a first lieutenant in. the line, and a captain by brevet, whilst he had seen vanous young Europeans promote d over hI. s h ea d ., af ter the old man had taken his quantum sujficit and gone to sleep, my friend and myself sat up f·o r son1e ho urs, he e·x·. plaining to me their situation, the great desire they fclt_£01 a change of affa.i rs, and an open trad e W·i t h th e Umted States. I pointed out to him with chalk on the floor ~he geographical connection and route, from North McxJc~ and Louisiana, and finally gave him a certificate. ad~~esslel · to the citizens of the U nitcd States, statm· g 11 IS fncnt '\ THROUGH THE INTERIOR PROVINCES, &c. 219 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 the ensuing spring and not all my assurances to the contrary, could eradicate that idea. 5th March, Friday.-It snowing very bad in the morn. ing we did not march until ll o'clock. In the mean time Bartholcmcw and mys If paid a visit to an old invalid Spaniard, who received us in the most hospitable manner, giving us chocolate &c. He made many enquiries as to our government and religion, and of >lf:=lfcj..jf. .JI: )ftif:if:-.. ., who did not fail to give them the brightest colouring ; he being enthusiastic in their favor from his many conversations with me, and drawing comparisons with his own country. What appeared to the old veteran, most extraordinary, was, that ~e ever changed our president ; I was obliged to draw hts powers on a nearer affinity with those of a monarch, than they really are, in order that they mio·ht comprehend his station and that there was a perfect fr~edom of consience permitted in our country. Ile however expressed his wann approbation of the measure. In the priests house in which we put up, were two orphan girls, who ~ere adopted by him in their infancy and at this time constituted his whole family. I bid adieu to my friend Bartholemew and could not avoid shedd~g tears: he embraced me, and all my men. . Wearnved atthe village ofSt. Domingo at two o'clock. It 15 as I supposed, nine miles on the east side of thl:) Rio del Nort~, and is a .large village, the population being about 1~ natives, generally governed by its own chief. The ~htefs of the villages were distinguished by a cane wilh a ;. 11ver head and black tassell and on our arrival at the pubIc house ; captain D Almansa was waited on by the go-vernor, cap in hand, to receive his orders as to the furnish .. |
