OCR Text |
Show APP.ENDI/ TO l'.AltT IlL undel' no x·estrictions previous to al'l'iving at Santa Fe, I had secreted all my papers which I conceived necessary to preserve, leaving my book of charts, my ol"ders, and such others as to induce the go· ven101' to know me in my proper character, and to pt·cvent hi!i sus· picions being excited to a strict~r enquiry. On examinin~ my commission, orders, &c. he told me tore· move my trunk to my own quartel's, and that on the morrow he would converse with me on the subject. I had caused the men to secrete my papers about theil' bodies, conceiving- it safer than in the ba~mag e ; but in the evening, finding the ladies of Santa Fe were treating them to wine, &c. I was appl'ehensive their intemperance might discover the secret, and took them from all but one (who had n1y journal in full) who could not he found, and put them in my trunk, conceiving that the inspection was over; but next morning an oniccl', with two men, waited. on me and informed me he had cou1e for me to visit tile j:_;overnor, and broug-ht these two men to take up my trunk. I immediately perceived I was outgeneraled. On my arrival at the govemor's house, his excellency demanded if I had the key. My reply Yvas in the affirmative; when he observed " it is well;" my trunk would be a sacred deposit in the charg<; of 1he officer, who would escort me to Chihuahua, for which place, after dinner, I rnat·ched, under the escort of lieutenant Don Facrmdo Jlfalgarcs, and G5 men, whose character I be~ leave to introduce to thr i.ltlcntion of your excellency as an European possessing all the l1igh sense of honor which formerly so eridcntly distin gllishcd his nation, as the commandant of the 600 troops who made the expedition to the Pa:zunecs, as an officer of distinguished merit, who in his mode or living fully justified the pomp ~md style of his actions, out· shines many of their gorernors of provinces, and whom in my futu1 ·e reports I shall have frequent occasion to quote. lie observed to me, "The governot· informs me, sir, your trunk is under restrictions, but your word of hC>not· as a soldier that no papers shall be taken out, and you have free ingress, as usual." I f;a' c it, and I presume it is scarcely necessary to add it was religiously adhered to. On ou1· an·ival at Chihuahua the general demanded my trunk, and on its being opened and the papers laid on the table, he took. them in hand one by one and demanded what wns the pmporl of each, which truth obliged me to declare; and had I been di!iposcd to have equivocated, ensign \Valket·, of his Catholic majesty's sci'· vice, who stood present and assisted in the examination, could have immediately detected the fr:;tud; also his excellency understands sufiicient of the English language to cliacover the general purport of any pnpcr APPENDIX TO PART Ill. 59 After going throug them in this manner and separating them mto two piles, he observed to me, "You will leave those papers for my inspection, and in the mean while, in concert with ensign vValker (who will give the Spanish translation) you will give me a derailed account of yom· route, views, destination, &c. and during that time I will examine the papers now before me." To this I complied, flattering myself that it was his intention to return me my l>aprrs, by his demanding a sketch ; also, so great was my confidence in the all-protecting name of my country, I conceived it was a greatet· step than the general would venture to take, to seize on the papet·s. l3ut when I had fini!>hed the proposed sketch and presented it, and found a still further delay, I addressed the general on the !iubjcct, when, after a few days, some were returned but I W:ls oflicially infot·mcd that "the remaining papers were seized on, but wouPd be kept in the scct·et cabinet of that captain generalship, until the pleasure of his Catholic majesty was known," ··at the same time presenting me with a certificate specifying the number ancl contents of those detained, and added that they were assorted by my owr; hand, and v olu.ntariliJ. This asscnion \ras so cnntrary to truth, honor, ot· tire line of conduct a g eneral ~hould have pursued with a young gentleman, th at I took the liberty of telling one of the officers who signed said certificate that it was incol'l'cct. But as serj eant -:\leek was still in the rear, with neal'ly all my baggage, I took care to give him ot·ders that none of said baggage should. be opened, except by force, which will evince that, although I preferred acting like a gentleman to obliging general Salcedo to resort to rough treatment, yet that it was not a volunteer surrender of my papers. llut the general will please to recollect that my joul'l1als were saved at Snnta Fe, which "ere continued and arc entire to this post; a fortunate circumstance of the docto1·'s having- copied my courses and distances through all the route (except an excursion we n1ade to the sout·ce of the ri \'er La Platte) unto the Spanish territories, preserved them. These will enable me to exhibit a correct chart of the route, although not so minutely as the one seized on, which was plotted daily by the eye and angular observations. Thus my only essential papers lost were my astronomical ob~crvatious, meteorological tables, and a book containill~~ remarks on minerals, plants, &c. with the manner~, population, customs, &c. of the savag·es; but the result of the former were in part communicated, and probably my joumal may supply part of the balance, and our memories will make the loss of the lattc1· of but little consequence. 'Vhilc in the Spallitih tcnitorics I was forbid the usc of pen and paper, not withstand· |