which he had carelessly or wantonly caused me, I delayed my departure over two weeks. . . .
"I hastened arrangements for resuming the journey, and called for the property deposited in the custom house. To my surprise, it was refused, on the ground of a requisition of custon house duties. I had never, at home or abroad, declined to render 'unto Caesar the things that were Caesar's,' but to pay a tax in Mexico on property not dutiable, I unhesitatingly declined to do. A bond would have been given, if requested, guarding against the sale of so much as a single article in that country. . . .
"After several days of entreaty, through the consul, explaining the object of my journey, giving my reasons for taking that circuitous route to Oregon, and presenting the passport from the State Department of the United States, the cupidity of the revenue officers relaxed a little, and I was permitted to select four packages from the eight. The amount of duties demanded was nearly the invoice value of the property. By what rule of calculation, or principle of right they had fixed upon any specific amount of tax, or had taxed at all, I could not understand. . . .
"In the proper construction of the passport furnished me by the State Department of the U. S. A., protection should have been given both to my person and property. But protection was given to neither."[1]
On May 27, 1833, Kelley left Vera Cruz by stage and arrived the following day at Jalapa,[2] where he remained eighteen days, familiarizing himself with the country round about. From Jalapa he wrote to Anthony Butler, the American chargé d'affaires at the city of Mexico, complaining of the detention of his property at Vera Cruz. He proceeded on foot to Puebla, and after three days left by stage for the City of Mexico.
Almost the first man he met upon his arrival was Foster,
