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Show JOUHNAL OF A VOYAGE whonl we boarded during our stay in Chihuahua. When we came to the city we went to his quarters, (by m:der of the general) and considered ourselves as g.uests, havmg not the least idea that we should be charged with board, kn~wing with what pleasure any Amrrican opicer would receive and entertain a foreign brother soldier situated aG we were, and that we shonld conceive it a great insult to be offered pay under similar circumstances. But one day after we had been there about a week, he presented to me an ac:ount for Robinson's and my board, receipted, and begged I~ t~e general enquired of me, that I would say. I ha~ ~aid It: This naturally led me to demand how the dung ongmatcd, he with considerable embarrassment observed, that he had taken the liberty to renlark to the gener~l, that he thoug~t he should be allowed an extra allowance, m order to be ena. bled to treat us with some little distinction. The general flc.w into a most violent passion, and demanded if I had no.t prud him for our board? to which the other replied no, he did not expect pay of us. He ordered him immediately to demand Pay to recei. ve I. t s1· gn a rece1· p t and lodg. e it in his hands; and ' added he w'o uld consult me I· f the t h m· g was do n e ' but which he ~ever did, yet I took care every Sund~y after th~, to deposit in the hands of W alkcr, a sum which was co . sidered the proportion for Robinson and myself.. Ma!ga~ res and several other of the Spanish officers hav~ng hea\ of the thing waited on us much mortified-saymg, Wiht what pleasu' re they would have entertam· ed us h ad not t bc designation of the general pointed out hi•s WI'1 1 on the su }· ject had living with him an old negro, (the only one f ~aw on that side of St. Antonio) who was the property o ~ome person who resi. ded near Natchez, w h o had . bee.n taken with Nolan. :Having been acquam· ted WI·t h h.m.1m the Mississippi country, soli. c.i ted an d o b tam. e d permission THROUGH THE INTERIOR PROVINCES, &c. ~ ~t7 for old Cresar to live with him. I found him very communicative and extremely useful. The day I arrived, when we were left alone he came in, and looked around at the walls of the room and exclaimed, "What! all gone." I demanded an explanation, and he informed me that the maps of the different provinces as taken by ~nd other surveyors, had been hung up against the walls, but the day we arrived they had a1l been taken down and deposited in a closet which he designated. W-gave various reasons for his having left the United States and joined the Spanish service; one of which was, his father having been ill-treated as he conceived by G. at Natchez. At Chih uahua he had charge of the military school, which con. sisted of about 15 young men of the first families of the provinces; also of the public water-works of the city, on a plan devised by the royal engineer of Mexico ; of the building of a new church; of the casting of small artillery, fabrication of arms, &c. &c. Thus, th-ough he had tendered his resignation, they knew his value too well to part with him, and would not accept of it, but still kept him in a subordinate station, in order that he n1ight be the more dependant and the 1nore usiful. And although he candid-ly confessed his disgust to their service, manners, morals, and political establishments, yPt;, he never made a communication to us which he was bound in honor to conceal; but on the contrary fulfilled the station of informer, which in that country is considered no disgrace, with great punctuality and fidelity. In this city the pro .. verb was literally true, that " the walls had ears," for there was scarcely any thing could pass that his excellency did not know in a few hours ati:er. In the evening I wa• notified to be read to march the next day at thrcr o'clock. |