ARREST. 



81 



that place. We had no disposition to remain in such 

 hands ; threatened them with the consequences of throw- 

 ing any obstructions in our way ; and I at length said 

 that, rather than be detained there and lose time, I 

 would abandon my journey to Copan altogether, and 

 return by the road on which I came ; but both the officer 

 and the alcalde said peremptorily that we should not 

 leave Comotan. 



The young man then told me to give up my passport. 

 I answered that the passport was given me by my own 

 government ; that it was the evidence of my official 

 character, necessary for my personal security, and I 

 would not give it up. Mr. Catherwood made a learned 

 exposition of the law of nations, the right of an ambas- 

 sador, and the danger of bringing down upon them the 

 vengeance of the government del Norte, which I sus- 

 tained with some warmth, but it was of no use. At 

 length I told him again that I would not give up the 

 passport, but offered to go with it myself, under a guard 

 of soldiers, to Chiquimula, or wherever else they chose 

 to send it ; he answered insultingly that we should not 

 go to Chiquimula or anywhere else ; neither forward 

 nor backward ; that we must stay where we were, and 

 must give up the passport. Finding arguments and re- 

 monstrances of no use, I placed the paper inside my 

 vest, buttoned my coat tight across my breast, and told 

 him he must get it by force ; and the officer, with a 

 gleam of satisfaction crossing his villanous face, re- 

 sponded that he would. I added that, whatever might 

 be the immediate result, it would ultimately be fatal to 

 them ; to which he answered, with a sneer, that they 

 would run the risk. During the whole time, the band 

 of cowardly ruffians stood with their hands on their 

 swords and machetes, and two assassin-looking scoun- 



VoL. I.— L 



