460 INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL, 



a commissioner had arrived from Mexico, and had 

 negotiated a treaty for tiie return of Yucatan to the 

 Mexican confederacy, subject to the approval or dis- 

 approval of the Mexican government. In the mean 

 while, electors were called to nominate deputies to 

 the Mexican Congress, as if the treaty was approved, 

 and at the same time the Legislature was summoned 

 in extraordinary session, to provide for the protec- 

 tion of the state against invasion, in case the treaty 

 should be rejected. Both bodies were then sitting. 

 Three days after our return, a vessel arrived at Sis- 

 al, having on board a special envoy, bearing Santa 

 Ana's ultimatum. He was detained one day at the 

 port, while the government considered the expedi- 

 ency of permitting him to visit the capital. Apart- 

 ments were prepared for him at our hotel, but he 

 was taken to the house of the secretary of war, os- 

 tensibly to save him from insult and violence by the 

 populace, who were represented as highly excited 

 against Mexico, but in reality to prevent him from 

 holding communication with the partisans in favour 

 of reunion. Great dissensions had grown up. The 

 revolution had been almost unanimous, but two years 

 of quasi independence had produced a great change 

 of feeling. The rich complained of profligate ex- 

 penditures, merchants of the breaking up of trade by 

 the closing of the Mexican ports, and while many 

 asked what they had gained by a separation, a strong 

 " independent" party was more clamorous than ever 

 for breaking the last link that bound them to Mexico. 



