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look of great suspicion. I had some little talk with him, having 

 frequently seen him there before. He returned directly to the 

 Guard-house, and an hour afterwards five blandengues, or horse- 

 soldiers, salhed from the place at full speed, and, surrounding us, 

 demanded our arms at the peril of our lives. Each of us obeyed, 

 hy surrendering his fowling-piece, M. Godefroy at the same time 

 enquiring the cause of this extraordinary treatment; but they ordered 

 him to be silent, and to march oii along with us, or they would tie him 

 on horse-back. V^'^e were conducted to the Guard-house, and de- 

 livered (the officer being absent) to the corporal on guard, a fiery 

 old Spaniard, who ordered us into an inner room and placed two 

 sentinels at the door. The fellow was so stifled by passion, that we 

 could not get an answer from him ; at every moment he was drawing 

 a long sabre which hung at his side, and venting his fury in the 

 most abusive language. After a full half-hour of expostulation on 

 pur part, and menace on his, M. Godefroy obtained a hearing from 

 him, and, declaring that he was a merchant, married and actually 

 settled in Monte Video, begged to know by what authority and 

 under what pretext he was imprisoned. The corporal, on learning 

 this, sent a soldier to the officer on guard, and while waiting his 

 return, related tliat D'lago had described us as Englishmen be- 

 longing to a privateer, who had landed with an intention to blow up 

 ihe powder-magazines, kill bullocks, and plunder the natives. It 

 was evident from his manner that he was very willing to believe this 

 account, and that by treating us with severity he hoped to display 

 his zeal for the service, and obtain promotion. M. Godefroy tes- 

 timony being at length attended to, another soldier was dispatched 

 to DTago's party, who were not yet embarked, with notice that one 

 of us affirmed himself to be a resident in Monte Video. This they 

 did not contradict, but persisted in their accusations of the rest of 

 our party; Mr. Ortiga denied any knowledge of Captain Collet, 

 probably imagining that, in case of our conviction, he should benefit 

 by the cargoes which the latter had consigned to him ; and for 



9 



