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Show 60 APPENDIX TO PART III ing which I kept a journal, made meteorological observations, took courses and distances, from the time I entered theit· country until my arrival at this place, all of which I brought safe off in the men's guns (where l fina lly secreted my papers) without detection. From our unremitting attention day and night, the immense territory they led us through, the long time we were in their country, I have been able to collect (I make bold to assert) a correct account of their military force, regular and inegular; also, important and interesting information on geogt·aphical situations, political sentiments, and dispositions of the people of every class, manners, arts, resources, riches, revenues, value and productions of theit· mines, situation, &c. &c. also, with the annualreveuues paid llonaparte, and had we possessed as great a knowledge of the Spanish language when we entered the territories as when we left them, out· informa· tion would have been neal'ly as complete as I could have wished it, if sent expressly for the purpose of acquiring it, by the open authority of his mnjesty. llut the French language was greatly beneficial, i.n which my communications were sometimes made. By the serjtant, who is still in the rear and never suffered to join me, as gentt•al Salceclo conceived he would probnbly procure some information from him, which he could not if immediately undct· my o1·ders, I expect many other communications of importance from many individuals, who promised to forward them by him. But I pr sumc the general has found himself in an error, as I perceive by a letter from him to governor Cordero, the serjeant killed one of his men, in consequence of some improper conduct, and the general accuses him of great intractibility, as he is pleased to term it. From the foregoi11g statement your ·xccllcncy will obsene that I yet possess immense matter, th<; re!:>ult of one year's traYel, in a country desert and populated, which have both been long the subject of curiosity to the philosopher, t!~e nnxious desires of the miser, and the waking· thoughts and sleeping dt·eams of the man of ambition and the asj1iring soul, and in our present critical situatiou, I do con· reivt', irnmenscly important, <lllO which opens a scene for the gcncro.~ ·tCIJ ancl aggrcmdi.scme,a of OUl' country, with a wide and splendid 1iclcl for han· cst~ of honor for i11divid uals. But my papers arc 1n a mutllatcd state, from the absolute necessity J was under to write ~11 small pieces in tl e Spanish country; also, from being· injured Ill the g·un barrels, some of which I filed three times off to take out the pnpers. These circumstances would m:.~l:e it necessary, iu tlw first place, to take a rough copy as they stmtcl ; then it will be neccs~:\ ry to assort the matter, as military, political, moral, trude, clime, APPENDIX TO PART III. 61 soil, &c. all now form an undigested mass : then, sir, the combining each, the plotting, &c. would take up a time of considerable extent for one man ; and to make duplicates after they were in order could not be done in three months. The general may recollect it was neal'ly that period before my reports were completed last yeat·, although assisted l>y Mr. Nau and the serjeant-major, and sometimes by lieutenants vVilkinson and Graham. Also, with respect to the Spanish country, I must know the extent of the objects il\ view, in order to embrace those points in my reports; and further, my dear si1·, my l1ealth is l>y no means the most perfect, my eyes extremely weak; that it is almost impossible for me to continue for one hour with the pen in my hand, and by that time have a considerable pain in my breast. Fmm those circumstances my general will percch:e the almost imjLracticability of my complying with the contents of his letter as to duplicate reports from this place; b~t I .shall immediately commence the business of atTanging and d1gestmg my papers, and will proceed with the labour with every pe1:severance my situation will permit of until the arrival of my sei]eant and the balance of the party (should they not retard more than 20 days) when I shall proceed immediately to St. Louis, aud fro1~ thence through Kentucky, Virg inia, &c. to the federal city, makmg no unnecessary delay, anti all the whole of the route prosecuting my business at every leisure moment. vVhcn at \ Vashington. I flattet· myself with your assistance and advice. As I 1wopose talung COUI'ses, distances, &c. fr:m1 thence to St. Louis, it wiJJ be ma~•ing; the tour of the greatest p:.wt of Loui.:>iana, crossing the mam rivers at difT'crcnt points, when I am certain with the survey of the Missouri by captains Lewis and Clark, rny own of the Mississippi, lieutenant \Vilkinson's of the lower Arlwusaw (which river I sun·eyed to its source), and 1\I r. Dunual''s of Red river, can be lormed the completest survey of Louisiana ever yet taken. The instruments I had with me I \rish the general to inform me in what light they stood, as the most of them were ruined in the mountains by the falling- of the ltot·ses from pl'ecipiccs, &c. and I left an order at Chiltuahua lor tlte serjeant to sell them at a certain Pt·ice, as the addition of a l<md carriage of 500 leagues would not add to theit· benclit. B.1roncy, if alive, is with my serjeant, and ha:; P~·ovecl a noble fellow iu his line, and I beg· Iibeny to recommend lum to s · I K ·ome ::tppomtmcnt ncar t 1e ans, should any offer. I must further add the following anecdote of my men, in whose breasts lay t!le \~hole secret of my papers, and whom I frequently, when in the Span1sh tenitot·ics, \Vas obliged to punish scvcmls for outrages |