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Show 70 APPENDIX TO PART III. route. I have demanded of your excellency to know if we arc t0 be considered as prisoners of war. You inform me, you do not cons idet· us in that lig ht. Not to embarrass your excellency with many demands; I only request to receive it from under your hands~ in what manner I am to considet· myself, and the orders for my passmg into the country; also whether the expense of the. voyage is t~ be consiclercd as defrayed by the government of Spam or the U111tcd States. Excuse my lang uage, as I am not much accustomed to wri1ing in French, but your excellency having no person who understands English, obliges me to attempt the languag·e. I am, sir, &c. (Signed) Z . l\1. PIKE. l No. 9. l TRANSLA TIO~. TIIE first lieutenant of the Anglo American troops, of the name of z. Montgomery Pike, with the party of soldiers under his command, having been met with the troops undc t· my orclct.'s, at four days journey ft'Om the scat of government, in this provlllce, which is under my charge, he was required personally to appear, wl1ich he voluntarily did, and complying with the order~ of th.e c~mmanding gcnerai of these intemal provinces; I bid th~ sate! heu-tenant proceed on his march, w1. th Iu· s party eqm·p pc<1 Wl t11 hor.s e·s ' provisions and equipage, under the charge of an ollicer a~d stxly men of our troops, with orders to intt·oducc him to the smcl com· manding general in the town of Chihuahua. I permitted said party to carry their arms and ammunition; actu· atcd by proper consideration, and in order to grant said anglo Arne· ric an's pcti tion. I cet·tify the foregoing contents to be accmate. Santa Fe, lVlm·c!t 3d, 1807. (Signed) J oACUIM RL. ALLE~CASTF.H ,APPENDIX TO PART III. 71 [ No. 10. J l . E.l'TF.n TO GOVEHNOR AI.tK~' CASTEil. Sm, St. Fcruandt: , 7 t /1 .111(11'ch, 1807. ON my anivnl at this village, and meeting with Dr. Hobinson, 1JC informed me lhat he acknowlcdg·cd to lieutenant Malgares to belong to my party. As this acknowled~ment in fact, only interestc<l l1imsclf, I am constrained to explain to you t· cxrellcncy, my reasons lor ha,·ing denied his conncxion with me. H e marched from St. Louis wi th my detachment, as a voluntcct·, (after having with much pain and solicitation obtained permission from the general for that purpose:) on our arrival on the Rio del No1·tc, (then supposed Red river) he le ft the party jn order· to come to Santa I-'c, 'l'ith a view of obtaining information as to trade, ancl collect some debts due to persons in the Illinois. On my bcjng- informed of his cmbanassmcms, I conceived it would be adding- to them, to acknowledge his havinr; accompanied a rnilita1·y puny on to the frontie t'S of lhe province, and conceived myself bound in honor and ft·icndship to conceal it; hut his scorning a11y longer the disguise he had assu mcd, has left me at liberty to make this acknowledgm ent to your excellency, which I hope will suflicicntly exculpate me in the opinion of every man of honor, and of the wol'icl, fot· having de nied a fact, when l conceived the safety of a friend, iu a foreign country, was conccm ed in the event. The above statement will be corroborated by g·encral Wilkinson, and he will be reclaimed by the United States as a citi zen, ag reeably to our treaties with Spain, t·cg·ulnting- the inte rcomsc, colTltnercc, &c. between the two nations. I felt disposed to entet· into an expostulation with your excellency, as to the deception {Wncticcd on me by the officers who came out with your invitation to enter the province, but will omit it, and only request that my se1'jcant and party may be ordered to follow with all possible dispatch, as he l1as all my astronomical instrument~ and clothing, except those [ now wear. I have found lie utenant ~Talgarcc; to be what you stated him, a gentlcnum and a soldier, and I sincerely wish the forttrnc of Wa1·, may one day, enable Die to shew the gentlemen of the Spanish :tl'llly, with whom I have had the honor of forming an :u;tluailltancc, With what g r'atitudc 1 appreciate th eir fri endship and politeness, and llonc more highly than yonr excellency. ( Sig·ned) 'Vlth sincere, &c. |