expecting a strong resistance in the City of Mexico, continued his opposition, under pretense that he had not force enough to detach a body of troops. But commissioners having arrived from the City of Mexico to announce that the Government of Juarez had abandoned the capital, and the city was ready to receive the French without resistance, General Forey had no more pretext to opposite to my proposals, and Mr. De Saligny told me that he had obtained from him that the expedition would take place. He thought,nevertheless, that there would be some difficulty to send across the Tierras Calientas, at a season of the year when the yellow fever would decimate them, a body of troops already in a healthy country. But that difficulty could be obviated, since they were waiting for new re-enforcements from France,and a part of them could be employed in the expedition against Matamoras.

Mr. De Saligny pledged himself anew to urge the expedition.

From that time I considered the object of my mission accomplished as far as possible, and I prepared to leave by the first courier, which was to start on the 3rd of June.

Meanwhile I had continued my daily and friendly intercourse with Generals Almonte and Woll, who continued to show toward me the same consideration and friendship. I went to communicate to them my intention to leave, and I took that opportunity to insinuate to them that I had before me that season of the year a long and tedious trip before I could get back home; that I had to go through Vera Cruz, where the yellow was raging, and wait for the English packet, the only one then touching at Havana, and once arrived there, I would yet run the risk of the fever in waiting for a schooner to take me to Matamors. I gave them to understand that it was very hard for me to make a voyage of circumnavigation,when, by forced delays, I had been compelled to wail until the time of the sickly season; that the French Government had many vessels lying idle on the Bahia of Sacrificios, and that it would cost him but little to send me direct from Vera Cruz to Matamoras. I hinted, also, that I expected better from Mr. De Saligny, after I announced to him my departure. These gentlemen agreed to my suggestions, and told me that in fact, and in their opinion, I had the right to be sent home on board of a French man of war, and they immediately paid a visit to Mr. De Saligny to try to have that favor granted. My object, general, in making these suggestions was less to come direct to Matamoras than to gain the personal consideration I thought due to a representatives of our Government, thus involving actively, to a certain extent, the responsibilities of the French authorities toward our Confederacy.

On the same day I received the visit of General Woll,who told me that they had succeed in their object, and that I would receive an order from Mr. De Saligny to the French consul in Vera Cruz to call on the admiral, in order to dispatch me direct by a man of war to Matamoras.

I forgot to mention that in my various conversations with Mr. De Saligny and General Almonte about public affairs, each of them separately asked from me as a favor to write my views on the subject, to which request I offered no objection, thinking that it was not inimical to my mission.

On the 2nd of June the mail from France arrived, and on account of the late events of the surrendering of the City of Mexico it was detained until the 4th. On the 3d, I paid a visit to Mr. De Saligny, to receive the letter to the French consul in regard to my sailing for Matamoras, and I learned from him that the last mail had brought an autograph letter