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Show 226 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE ,, some presents to conduct me in ; th.ey agreed, con· " ducted me to their camp where their women were, '' and in about five minutes we were on our Inarch. ~hat '' night we encamped in the woods, and I slept very httle, '' owing to my distrust of my companions. The ?ext day " at three o'clock, P. M. We arrived at the VI~Iage of " Aqua Caliente, where I was immediatC'ly tal~en mto the " house of the commandant, and expresses dispatched to '' Santa Fe. That night I was put to sleep on a mat~ass on '' the floor. The next day we departed early, lcav.I~g my " arms and baggage at the commandants, he promism~ to " have them forwarded to me at the city. On our arnv~l " at Santa Fe, the governor received n1e with great auster~" ty at first, and entered into an examination of my bust" ness and took possession of all my papers. , After all '' this was explained, he ordered nle to a room where the " officers were confined when under an arrest and a non" colnmissioned officer to attend me, when I walked out " into the city' which I had free permission to do. I was " supplied with provisions from the governor's table, who " had promised he would write to Babtiste Lalande to come " down and answer to the claim I had against him ; whose " circumstance I had apprized rnysclf of. 'The second day " the governor sent for n1e, and inforn1ed n1c, that he had " made enquiry as to the abilities of Lalande, to discharge " the debt, and found that he possessed no property' but " that at some future period, he would secure the money " for me. To this I 1nade a spirited remonstrance, as an " infringement of our treaties and a protection of a rcfu~cc " citizen of the United States against his creditors, which · · to " had no other eficct than to obtain me an invttatlOn " dinner and rather more respectful treatment than 1 had ' · r htly " hitherto received from his excellency, who bemg s 1g . l . J. . · · tO }11', '' affiicted with the dropsy, n~questel my a v1ce as THROUGH TilE INTERIOR PROV1NCES, ~c. 227 " case ; on which I prescribed a regimen and mode of " treatment which happened to differ fron1 the one adopt· " ed by a n1onk and practising physician of the place, " brought on 1ne his enmity and ill offices. The ensuing " day I was ordered by the governor to hold myself in rea. " diness to proceed to the internal parts of the country, to " which I agreed ; determining not to leave the country in " a clandestine manner, unless they attempted to treat me " with indignity or hardship ; and conceiving it in n1y " power to join you on your retreat, or find Red river " and descend it ; should you not be brought in, but in " that case to share your destiny : added to this I feel a " desire to see 1nore of the count:·y for which purpose I was " willing to run the risk of future consequences. We " marched the ensuing day, I having been equipped by my " friend, with son1e small articles of which I stood in " need of, such as I would receive out of the numerous "offers ofhis country. The fourth day I arrived at the " village of St. Fernandez, where I was received, and taken " charge of by Lt. Don Facien do Malgares who command" ed the expedition to the Pawnees, and whom you will " find a gentlen1an, a soldier and one of the most gallant " men you ever knew ; with him I could no longer keep " the disguise and when he informed n1e, (two days since) " that you were on the way in, I confessed to him my be. " longing to your party, and we have ever since been anti" cipating the pleasure we three will enjoy, in our journey " to Chihuahua; for he is to com1nand the escort, his " dragoons being now encamped in the field, waiting your " arrival. Since I have been with him I have practiced phy" sic in the country in order to have an opportunity of ex" amining the manners, customs, &c. of the people, and to " endeavor to ascertain the political and religious feelings "and to gain every other species of information which |
