PAPERS F ::\[U't.\BEAU BUONAP.\R'rE LAl[AR. 27 me that the troops were well armed; that there were sufficient muni- tions; and thaf they lacked only the provisions, the scale of salaries, the discipline which was to be observed upon the march, and the assurance that my government would allow them some bounty after the conclusion of the war. All were of the opinion that I should furnish the provisions, fix the scale of salaries, dictate the discipline, and a sure them in regard to the bounty. I was sati fied and prom- ised to . et forth everything in writing. I began by making a plan of sub i tence among the officers, sergeants, and petty officers; in which each one should contribute according to his means, and in which a record should be kept of what each one gave in order that each might be paid, accordinO' to his eorrespondinO' account, as soon as we should reach there. All agreed to this, and it , as evident that among tho officers, sergeants and petty officei·s there would be enough provisions to supply [an army, for there was an individual who gave p_rovisions for a hundred men. The di cipline was founded upon the following principal conditions: the soldiei·s should be subordinate to the officers, sergeants and petty officers, who with their subalterns, should in turn be subordinate to their superiors; ca es of insubordination should be punished by penaltie ; lack of respect on the part of anyone for the Catholic religion, families and property upon entering the provinces of 1\Jexico hould be puni hed by death. I fixed the scale of salaries and a ured them that they should be paid bounties after the close of the war..................................... , .............. .
and thaH]1° they would make greater and better fortunes, if they did
not go subject to so many formalities. When I learned their depraved intentions, I forsook them entirely; but notwithstanding this fact, a body of real troops, though reduced in number and certainly without auy ubtle ambition, waited upon me and said that if I would lead them, they would promise not to demand that I give them food·; but would donate what they could, and if their provisions gave out, .they would live by lmnting. I told them that it would be impossible to make an expedition in this "ay, for being obliged as we "·ould be, under thes{l· circumstances, to travel in a disorderly manner, our enemies would. be able to take advantage of us and destroy us any- -.-her . I told them it would be better for all to unite and make a more certain campaign; and that I weli knew that the expedition would be made without fail in three or four months. [Tl1ey a]U accepted my advice, but when the march was delayed, the drought compelled them to return to then lands. The expedition was not effected until last Jnly, when it left for lfatagorda_in small boat by way of Lafourche. It appears that there are not more thau 'six hundred men, but I believe that they have topped at an island to reinforce themselves more securely for their march upon San Antonio de Bexar. They assured t,e that they had "One-third of a page is gone from the manuscript. The portion In brackets Js translated from a typeWTltten copy which was probably made before tbe manuscript was so badly mutilated.
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