difficulty in asserting, much original, and I trust useful, information. Of all the Colonies of Old Spain, no one, I repeat, is so little known as that of Central America. Placed in the isthmus which divides the two continents, its situation is most favourable to commerce. It was formerly a captain-generalship, not subject to, as it has been erroneously believed, but always independent of the Viceroyalty of Mexico; and, having established its independence as a free state, which has been acknowledged by that Republic, it has hitherto maintained its integrity out of its own resources—the capital amount of the pecuniary assistance which it has derived from foreign countries not being more than one year's income of the Government.

The Map which faces the Title-page is intended to exhibit the Five States of the Federation, with their respective Districts, conformably to the recent divisions established by the Congress.

NARRATIVE

OP AN

OFFICIAL VISIT

TO

GU A T E M A L A

FROM MEXICO.

CHAPTER I. Leave the capital for the coast of Acapulco.--Arrive

at the hacienda of Cermina.—Disasters on the jour

ney. 21st APRIL, 1825. The Mexican treaty having been negotiated by the plenipotentiaries, Mr. Morier and Mr. Ward, I set off for the new republic of Guatemala, for the purpose of reporting on the state of affairs in that country. The Mexican government, which had hitherto shewn so much jealousy towards Guatemala, had now come to an amicable understanding with her, which had been brought about chiefly through the skill and attention of my esteemed friend Don Juan de Dios Mayorga, minister from the Central Republic at Mexico. Accordingly, I was informed by Mr. Alaman *, on asking for my passport, that an embassy was about to depart in a few weeks from his government. Hesuggested to me whether it would not be better for me to wait a little longer, to enable me to accompany it. Having heard that the Tartar frigate, Captain Brown, was at Acapulco, I resolved not to follow Mr. Alaman's advice. Captain Brown having been applied to with a request that he would take me to some port in Guatemala, he returned for answer that he was going up to San Blas, and should, in about the middle of April, put into Acapulco, from whence he would convey me, in case I should happen to be there, but that the nature of his instructions would not allow him to detain the vessel in that harbour. After some consultation, it was agreed that another letter

* The Mexican Minister for Foreign Affairs.

should be sent by express, pointing out to Captain Brown the urgency of the case, and thus, without waiting for his reply, I prepared to make all the arrangements for my immediate departure; and on Thursday the 21st of April, at five o'clock in the evening, left San Cosme.

My equipage consisted of ten baggage mules, besides two for my servants; one sumpter mule for myself, and three horses, with an escort of ten soldiers. I had made inquiries, some days previous, for any persons who might be likely to be going the same journey, and discovered, to my satisfaction, that a merchant, Don Mateo O, who was trading alternately between Mexico, Guatemala, and Colombia, was about setting off to Acapulco. He joined me just as I was starting, and putting into my hands two papers of gold, each containing eighty doubloon pieces, requested me to lock them in my desk, as he expressed it, for greater security. There was no room for them there, and he therefore put them,

with my permission, into a carpet bag, which was the only part of the luggage which was not already packed; and this, together with the money I took for my own

I occasions, was tied up by one of the muleteers in an estera, or mat of the country. I had just mounted my horse and was starting, when Mr. Mayorga, the Guatemalian minister, arrived to take leave of me. He also informed me that it was his intention to accompany me part of the journey, and that he had sent on his baggage for that purpose. I, of course, entered the carriage which he had provided; a large clumsy machine, drawn by eight mules. I found in it also my particular friend, Don Domingo Saviñon, secretary of the Colombian legation at Mexico.

When we had passed the garita, or gate of the city, it was observed that Mr. Mayorga’s baggage had not passed through it, and we turned back to see if it had gone out by another gate, which also led to San Agustin, the place where we pro