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Show JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE " would be necessary to our country or ourselves. I am " now here, on a visit to this man's wife ; attended by a " corporal of dragoons as a guard, who answers very well " as a waiter guide, &c. in my excursions through the coun" try; but I will immediately return with you to Malgarcs." Thus ended Robinson's relation, and I in return related what had occurred to the party and 1nyself. We agreed upon our future line of conduct and then joined my old captain in the house; who had been persuaded to tarry aH night, provided it was agreeable to me, as our host wished Robinson to remain until the next day; with this proposition, I complied in order that Robinson and myself might have a further discussion before we joined Malgares, who I suspected would watch us close. The troops proceeded on to the village of Tousac, that evening. 8tb Marc/;, Sunday.-Marchcd after taking breakfast and halted at a little village, three miles distance, called Tousac, situated on the west side of the Rio del Norte. The men informed me that on their arrival over night, they had all been furnished with an excellent supper, and after supper, wine, and a violin, with a collection of the young people to a dance. When we left this village the priest sent a cart down to carry us over, as the river was nearly four feet Jeep. When we approached the village of St. Fernandez, we were met by lieutenant Malgares, accompanied by two or three other officers ; he received me with the most manly frankness and the politeness of a man of the world. Y ct my feelings were such as almost overpowered me and obliged me to ride by myself for a short period in order to recover myself: those sensations arose from my knowledge, that he had now been absent from Chihuahua ten months, and it had cost the king of Spain more than 10,000 dollars, to effect that which a mere ac· cident and the deception of the governor had effected. THROUGH THE INTERIOR PROVINCES, &c. ~2 Malgares finding I did not feel myself at ease took every means in his power to banish my reserve, which made it impossible on my part not to endeavor to appear chearful ; we conversed as well as we could and in two hours were as well acquainted as some people would be in the same nun1- ber of months. Malgares possessing none of the haughty Castillian pride, but much of the urbanity of a Frenchman; and I will add my feeble testimony to his loyalty, by declaring that he was one of the few officers or citizens whom I found, who was loyal to their king, felt indignant at the degraded state of the Spanish monarchy; who deprecated a revolution or separation of Spanish America, from the mother country ; unless France should usurp the government of Spain. These are the men who possess the heads to plan, the hearts to feel and the hands to carry this great and important work into execution. In the afternoon our friend wrote the following notification to the Alcaldes of several small villages around us. " Send this evening " six or eight of your handsomest young girls, to the vii" lage of St. Fernandez, where I propose giving a fan" dango, for the entertainment of the American officers " arrived this day." (Signed) DoN F.ACIENDO. " This order was punctually obeyed, and pourtrays more clearly than a chapter of observations, the degraded state of the common people. In the evening when the company arrived, the ball began after their usual manner, and there was really a handsome display of beauty. It will be proper to mention here, that when my small paper trunk was brought in, Lt. Malgarcs struck his foot against it, and said : " the governor informs me this is a " prisoner of war, or that I have charge of it, but, sir, only '' assure me, that you will hold the papers therein contain- |