208 REPORTS. 



who had previously known him, as to his 

 ultimate fate. Once it was said he had 

 been observed at work in the mines, to 

 which it was the custom of the Spanish 

 Government to send all persons suspected 

 as spies ; at another he was seen in the 

 streets of Carthagena, ignominiously chained 

 with others, under charge of an Altado. 

 But none of these reports led to any sa- 

 tisfactory result; and the continued re- 

 presentations of our Government to the 

 Spanish authorities were of no avail. 

 Living in this dreadful state of suspense, 

 not willing to believe that her son must 

 have fallen a victim to the climate, she 

 caught at the faintest shadow of hope at 

 his being yet alive. Knowing from my 

 friend my residence at the principal sea- 

 port of the kingdom, she vainly thought 

 I could be of considerable service to her ; 

 and as I deeply sympathised with her, I 

 readily assented to be at her command. 

 I therefore never went to London with- 



