Narrative of an Official Visit to Guatemala from Mexico/Chapter 25
CHAPTER XXV.
Friday, the 11th. Two leagues from Guastatoia, which is ten from Omohita, we met a Spaniard travelling from the coast, by name Señor Valdero, informing us that a British ship of war was arrived at Belize, bringing a consul from his majesty's government, and also three commissioners and a secretary. The information was to me of a very startling nature, and, after my friends had taken leave of the Señor, I rode back about half a league with him, in order to elicit, if possible, something more particular respecting the objects of that Commission; for I was apprehensive, and not without good reason, from his assertions, that the purport of my own had been thus entirely superseded, and that, too, for some cause altogether inexplicable to myself. I left him on coming to the banks of a rapid river which I had with difficulty forded a short time before I first met him, and now turned back to join my companions who were far a-head.
Revolving, however, in my mind this mysterious circumstance, and reflecting upon the agitated state of affairs between the people of Belize and the Guatemalian government, on account of the desertion of the slaves of British proprietors into the Republican territory; and finding that Señor Valdero was conveying letters to Mr. Bayley which might throw some light on these interesting subjects, I turned back once more to overtake him, and to request Mr. Bayley would despatch to me an extraordinario with any news which, by his letters, he might have had communicated to him from England, as well upon these as any other subjects in which the business of that Commission might possibly be concerned. I was also desirous of receiving the latest accounts of the proceedings on the slave question.
Full of these reflections, I had inadvertently omitted to take the right ford of the river, which I had now to repass, and, when about twenty yards from the shore, found my horse plunge all at once into deep water, considerably out of his depth: as he was swimming against the stream, which was exceedingly powerful, and as he grew weak with his exertions, my situation became somewhat perilous: in the course of five minutes, however, he recovered his footing, which he also lost again, successively, two or three times. At last, owing to weakness and the inequality of the river's bed, which was strewed thickly with large stones and as rough as a quarry, the poor animal fell and plunged us both under water. Being disengaged from the saddle, I was determined, at all risks, not to lose the bridle, for fear my horse might swim over me, or, what I more dreaded, swim from me; for I should have been, in such case, perfectly helpless in so impetuous a current. I clung to him, holding on by the rein, till he again recovered footing, and being remounted, we proceeded with the utmost deliberation, when striking his fore feet against some hidden fragment of rock, he plunged down head foremost, and I, of course, with him. I still, however, retained my bridle, but the animal, in his endeavour to rise, struck me with his near fore foot such a blow on the temple as rendered me almost senseless. Still I had fortunately recollection enough not to lose my grasp, and, when I came to myself, found that I was again upon his back, and felt so much inconvenienced with the water which was flowing from my head, that I endeavoured to wipe it off with my sleeves. In so doing, I was brought more immediately to a sense of my peril, when I found that the streams which were flowing from my head were not of water but blood, which poured down copiously; so much so, indeed, that I became seriously alarmed, thinking that so much would not proceed from an ordinary wound, but that I must have injured the temporal artery. By this time, we had come to a complete shallow, which I afterwards discovered was the proper ford, but so similar, by the shape of its banks, to that which I had mistaken for it, that I remained, some moments, apprehensive it might not prove the right one. However, we soon landed, and I continued galloping on after Señor Valdero, for the purpose of overtaking him, for relief, before I might be too weak to continue my intention, from the loss of blood which was still flowing so copiously. In this way I passed two Indians, who, by their exclamations, evidently conceived that I had been attacked by robbers, and was flying from them; and, whilst hesitating whether I should return to avail myself of such surgical assistance as these poor creatures might be able to afford, in the absence of all prospect of meeting any better, I was hailed by two or three voices, and had the gratification to find they were those of Señor Valdero and his retinue.
He had taken up his quarters at a hut a little out of the road side, and had come out with the rest attracted by the noise made by my horse's galloping, which was at its fullest speed. Having dismounted, the first thing I asked for was a looking-glass, but there was none in the humble residence; nevertheless, on account of my anxiety to obtain one, Señor Valdero most kindly unpacked one of his trunks,—a business of no ordinary trouble when made up for travelling in these countries,—and produced a small piece affixed to a pocket-book. In the mean time, they had washed my temples with brandy and water; and I had become so faint that I remember they poured down my throat a large quantity of pure alcohol, which had nearly suffocated me. The blow had, as I thought, been exactly above the temporal artery; but a bandage with a hard plugget, which I made myself for the occasion, being applied as tight as it could be attached, the bleeding fortunately subsided by degrees, and in the course of an hour I was well enough to resume my journey. I took a most deliberate view of the ford before I ventured again into this deceitful river, and my little horse trembled at every step he took: his courage, which was always indomitable, had been quite cooled upon this occasion, and he might, as the jockies say, have been governed with a packthread. On reaching the opposite bank I was glad to find that he was still fresh in vigour and spirit, and as I had written the communication which I wished to make to Mr. Bayley, as also a despatch to the government, I pushed forward to come up with my party, before night fall, at a good gallop, occasionally feeling my temple to ascertain if all was right;—the wound continued to bleed very slightly, and, before dusk, I reached Guastotoia.
This is a village containing about 400 souls: in the centre of it was a large cottage with the usual viranda in front, where the baggage had been deposited. After supper, which had been preparing before my arrival, I felt vertigo and head-ache, but soon fell into a sound sleep.
The next day, although my spirit seldom failed me on ordinary occasions, I found myself too ill to proceed, and by the advice of Don Francisco, and my young attaché, I resolved to delay my departure till the evening. I never shall forget the kind attention of the Creole woman of this little establishment: she killed one of her finest fowls and stewed it into broth for my nourishment, made panada or gruel of various sorts, gave me her best bed, and turned out all her numerous little children into the village that they might not disturb my repose. This, with great abstinence, allayed the fever which was beginning to attack me, and at two o'clock, having sent the baggage on two hours sooner, under the superintendence of Don Francisco, Don Eugenio and myself proceeded, at a slow pace, to pursue our journey.