OCR Text |
Show 208 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE old villages, which had been taken and destroyed by the Tetaus. We were frt!quently stopped by the women, who invited us into their houses to eat ; and in every place where we halted a moment, there was a contest who should be our hosts. My poor lads who had been frozen, were conducted home by old tncn, who would cause their daughters to dress their feet ; provide their victuals and drink, and at night, gave them the best bed in the house. In short, all their conduct brought to my recollection the hospitality of the ancient patriarchs, and caused me to sigh with regret at the corruption of that noble principle, by the polish of 1nodern ages. We descended the creek of Aqua Caliente, about 12 nules, where it joined the river of Conejos from the west. This river was about 30 yards wide, and was settled, above its junction with the Aqua Caliente, 12 miles, as the latter was its whole course frmn the village of that natne. From where they form a junction, it was about 15 miles to the Rio del Norte, on the eastern branch of which was situated the village of St. John's, which was the residence of the president priest of the province, who had resided in it 40 years. The house tops of the village of St. John's, were crowded, as well as the streets, when we entered, and at the door of the public quarters, we were met by the president priest. When my companion who cmnmandcd the escort, received him in a street and embraced him, all the poor creatures who stood round, strove to kiss the ring or hand of the holy father ; for tnysclf~ I saluted hinr in the usual style. My men were conducted into the quarters, and I went to the house of the priest, where we were treated with politeness : he ofFered us co1Tec, chocolate, or whatever we thought proper, and desired me to consider myself at home in his house .. rriiROUGII THE INTERIOR PROVINCES, &c. 209 As I was gt.>ing some time after, to the quarters of my men, I was addressed at the door by a man in broken English :-" My friend, I a1n very sorry to see you here : " we arc all prisoners in this country and can never rc- 4' turn: I have been a prisoner for nearly three years, and 4' cannot get out." I replied, " that as for his being a pri" soner, it must be for son1e crime, that with respect to " myself, I felt no apprehension, and requC'stcd him to " speak French, as I could hardly understand his }.ng<' lish." When he began to demand of me so many different questions on the mode of my getting into the country, my intention, &c. ; that by the rime I arrived in the room of my men, I was perfectly satisfied of his having been ordered by some person to endeavor to obtain some confession or acknowlcdgn1ent of sinister designs in my having appeared on the frontiers, and sornc confidential ~ommunications which n1ight implicate tnc. As he had been rather insolent in his enquiries, I ordered n1y men to shut and fasten the door ; I then told him that I believed him ~o be an emissary seut on purpose by the governor, or some person, to endeavour to betray n1e, that all1ncn of that ~escription were scoundrels, and ne,'er shoulu escape pun. tshment, whilst I possess d the power to chastis them i~1mediately ordering my 1ncn to seize him, and cautionin~ him at the same tin1c, that if he cried out, or made the least resistance, I would be obliged to make usc of the sabre, which I had in my hand ; on which he was so much a~armed, that he begged n1c for God's sake not to injure hnn; that he had been ordered by the government to meet me, and endeavour to trace out, what, and \'rho J was, and what \VCrc my designs, by endeavoring to pro~ ducc a confidence in him, by his excbiming againt.lt the Spaniards, and complaining of th" tyranny which they had excrci~d towar~h him. 1\ftcr thi" confc ~·ion, I order 'd n d |