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the intentions of his Government; and he told my agent that he wa going to write to the Admiral of Marines at Jamaica that same day to have a sailing vessel ready to take me to London with the greatest promptitude as soon as I should an-ive. I am informed of all this and affectionately urged to et ail with all despatch. I immediately went to sec the captain of the same vessel, who had promi cd to take me, and •he said that he would be ready to set sail in fifteen days. I wAs anxious for this time to arrive in order that I might be enabled to communicate with your :Majesty under the pro- tection of the English .Admiral, as soon as I should reach Jamaica, either by way of Vera Cruz or by way of some other place which we sho-qld both judge suitable, for the purpose of obtaining your consent (provided it hould be in accordance with yonr sovereign pleasure) to go to London, yested with the authority and instructions which your l\fajesty should deem prope1· 1 and upplied with two secretaries worthy of this post, and with funds and letters of credit which your :\[aj<>sty should consider sufficient to meet every neees ity, above all, that of properly inspiring fo1·eigners with respect for your :Majesty. And I .· hould not forget to say to your Majesty in this connection that it i. the desire to serve my country which has always animated me and will always impel me to undertake and put into practice the greatest, most arduous, and mo t dangerou cnterprir,e , if only I may hope to bring forth some good fruit in behalf of the great can e of independence. I am incited by these moth·es and not by great talents which I do not possess. I make this confe'sion to your .. Iaje ty impelJed by the same feeling of good will that always does the most to a sure our independence. In view of this plain truth your Majesty may without hesitation nse me in anything that I may be able to perform for the honor of your l\faje ty and of the great nation which y u represent. The reason I have not yet embarked has been that the spies of the panish Con nl accu ed the boat of having gone to Jamaica to treat '~vith the English who were at war with the United tate . They imm<'- diately proceeded to examine the boat and unfortunately they found some English goods, whereupon the boat was confi cated. For this reason I have been pre,•ented from talcing this \'cry important voyage. If I had had the mone~· the voya"e would have been made ancl I would 11ot have had any difficulty, but I ay that there is no grenter mi fortune than for a man to go be"'gin(T, asking and demanding small loans to help his lot. There are times when I can find no one who will e,·en give me a mouthful of food. · Last July, 1 sent another ag nt supplied with the neces ary powers to negotiate with General Dnrand, Admiral of the I land of Guadalupe. Ile is a man of larg m<'nll , ancl those who know him as urc me that he will not fail to help me. In order that you may be informed in detail, I . hall in ert a copy of the letter which I wrote to this gen- tleman: "~fost excellent Sir: Throngh the medium of my feeble voice, nflliet<.>d humanity dares to implore your Ex('cllcncy's prote tion in behalf of a most jnst cause. panish-Americn, (lppre. sed by the hcnvy chain. which lun·c hung
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