THE AUSTIN PAPERS 1051 I am told that in the time of the inquisicion there were four other patios or open courts that belonged to the part of the building that was used as a prison-they formerly communicated with each other by obscure passages which are now closed. The entrance into each from the street was always separate as they still are so that if the friend of a prisoner saw him enter one of the outside doors, he could not from that circumstance form any idea of the patio or part of the building where he was confined.· The patio I am in communi- cates with the street by a narrow dark passage about 150 feet long. Padre Servnndo Mier 1 a very distinguished patriot was confined in the same dungeon I am in by the tribunal of the inquisicion in its time, and also by the emperor Iturbide. I visited him here in this room in October 1822, he was a member of congress and was arrested the 20 of August with 14 other members. General Morelos the most distinguished of the generals in the beginning of the revolution, was confined in a dungeon near mine in this range from which be was taken to be shot. In short each of these dungeons has some tradition of the sufferings of some victim of the inquisicion or of th~ revolution. Since the Independence this builc!_ing has been used as a prison for political opinions or offences-no one accused of felonious crimes is confined here. The prisoners are well treated. The first o~ April all the prisoners were put in communication except myself and four others we remained shut up untill yester- day-our doors are now open from sun rise to 9 o'clock at night- we have the free use of the patio and can visit another extensive l'ange of dungeons in the 2d story of the main building which com- municates with this patio by a dark passage and much darker stone staircase. From this range there is a passage onto the a..sotea or roof of our range of dungeons which is flat so that we can walk over our dungeons and all around our patio and have sufficient room for exercise . I was shewn a dungeon in the 2d story where a man from ~u~tamala was confined by the inquiscion 30 years he is now livmg in a hospital of this city and has given some account of the treatment of prisoners in those days of superstition and despotism I have received no personal ill treatment·from any of the officers or guards who have had charge of me since my first'arrest up to this day I received such provisions as I needed them through the guard-they were handed in at the hole in the inside door. When I left Monterey the officer of the guard, Cap Manuel Barragan, told me that he would put no guard over me except my word that I would not attempt to escape nor speak or write to any one without his permission. I gave it of course, for I would have returned to Mexico on the simple order of the Govt my conscience told me that I had 1 Blographlcal sketch in Bancroft, History of Mexico, IV, 451.
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