Mirabeau Lamar to Lewis Cass, February 26, 1858

Legation of United states
Managua Febuary [sic] [26] 1858

  Sir

              Captain Sands of the Sus-
quehana fitted—up the Steamer
Morgan for my conveyance up the river.
I left San Juan del Norte on the 23^d
of January and arrived at Castillo
Viejo on the [blank in manuscript] of the same. The comman-
der of the port had been advised of my
coming by the consul at San Juan yet
on my arriving within cannon shot of
the castle a blank cartridge was dis-
charged as signal for us to stop. We
came to anchor accordingly and Lieu-
tenant Hamilton and others went on
shore to learn the reason of this detent-
ion. The commandante admitted that
he was apprised of my being on bord [sic] a-
nd of the purpose of ascending the river b-
ut gave no explination [sic] as to his motive
for interrupting our passage. We were
permitted without further trouble to app-
roach the castle; on reaching which m-
ost of the passengers went on Shore to lig-