most of their clothes, and chained them in Lhe hold of the Bravo until their arrival at Matagorda, where they were continued in confinement. Through the urgent representations of the consul of the United States at that place, however, all but the captain were ultimately released; and although a respectful note was addressed to your excellency in relation to this transaction, under date of the 30th of May last, the undersigned has not been able to ascertain whether that unfortunate individual (the captain of the Hannah Elizabeth) still_ remains confined in the dungeons of the Bravo de Santiago, or whether any satisfaction has been offered for an outrage so daring. On the 17th of February last, William Hallett and Zalemon Hull, citizens of the United States, were arrested in the streets of Matamoras by a party of armed soldiers, who struck Hull in the face with a sword, and forcibly took both to the principal barrack •in that city, where they were confined upon suspicion of being about to proceed to Texas. Sentinels were placed at the doors of the consul's residence subsequent to the arrest of Hallett and Hull, under false pretences, and all communication therewith prohibited. Armed soldiers broke open his gate during his absence, forcibly took a mare and two mules belonging to him, entered his house with drawn swords, and searched every room in it, with the avowed object of finding the consul himself. Hallett and Hull have been released; but to the note addressee\ to your excellency, on the 9th instant, on this subject, no satisfactory answer has been received. The schooner Eclipse, Abner Lane, master, of Mobile, arrived off Tabasco in .March last, with a cargo of lumber; and, on being boarded by an officer of the customs below the city, the captain delivered his papers, agreeably to the laws of Mexico; he was then ordered on shore, and there detained until the ensuing morning. At that time the officer alluded to made search of the vessel for contraband goods, and then sealed the hatches, forecastle, and bulkheads; which being done, a guard was left on board, and the vessel despatched up the river. On her passage up, she was visited by four or five boats that reported themselves as belonging to the custom-house; but they had no ensign or other mark to distinguish them as such. Each of these boats overhauled every thing on board not under the custom-house seal, and forcibly took the ship's provisions for their own use, leaving the
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