Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 18.djvu/125



Even to-day a trip across Mexico is attended with delays and difficulties. The foreigner is met with suspicion, and, if He be an American, with positive dislike. Nothing but a fanatical belief in his mission could have led Kelley to disregard or at least underestimate the obstacles to be encountered in passing through that country before the day of railroads, in the midst of pestilence, brigands, and civil war. Yet this is what he undertook to do in 1833, alone, encumbered with baggage, and ignorant of the language of the people. His account of his experiences in Mexico is especially complete, and it will be given here in his own words as far as possible.

"Landing at the port of Vera Cruz, Lovett, the treacerous actor at New Orleans, called on me to offer his greetings, and to tender his services in repacking my effects, and preparing for my early departure from that place of pestilence and death. . . . His cunning and insinuating manner drew to him some friends, and there were some about him, friends to nobody. To have suggested to others my bad opinion of him would have exposed myself at that time to the assassin's power. Indeed, being privately reminded of ingratitude at the time of embarkation at New Orleans, his jealousy was aroused, and he told me with great emphasis, if I named any circumstance exposing his character in that place, I must do all my repenting at Vera Cruz, and be prepared for the worst results. However, not intimidated, I gave him wholesome advice, forbade his taking a step with me into the interior, or traveling the same road the same day. . . . In view of this threatening aspect of things, I was not wanting in circumspection and civilities, both in regard to this villain, the captain, and their accomplices.

"Soon after my arrival, a snare was laid by him, which he and a colored man, his associate, were unable to spring upon