The Sun.
London, England, 1823-11-06 00:00:00

MEXICO.

We some time ago alluded to the discovery
made by the Spanish Governor of the Castle of
St. John de Ullua, of certain French agents who
had been sent to Mexico, for the purpose of in-
triguing among the inhabitants of that country.
Subjoined is the official Report of the above
officer respecting this affair, transmitted to the:
Captain-General of the Island of Cuba, for his
guidance and information. We do not hesitate
to give it as our opinion, that the discovery of
the project contained in this dispatch, hastened
the nomination and departure of our Consuls to.
South America : •

" MOST ExcELLt XT Stn--The Captain of the French
frigate, Le Faroe, which entered this port together with our
own, the Constitution, on landing on the 18th ult. introduced to
me two persons of his own nation, whom he said he had brought
on board of his vessel through the recommendation of his Go-
vernment, which recommendation the latter had been induced
to give at the solicitation of a company of merchants, who by
this means endeavoured to obtain in this country information
merely relating to their commercial pursuits. The object of
the aforesaid French Commander was, that the above-men-
tioned persons should land at Vera Cruz, with my permis-
sion ; and considering, that although I should refuse the re-
quest, it would be extremely easy for them to gain their object
by landing on any other point of the coast, I shewed the
more frankness and readiness to oblige them, as my con-
versation with the persons reenminended, excited in me some
suspicions that they were not such persons as they represented
themselves to be, and that their. coming here was cloaked,
by some mystery, which I only flattered myself with being
able to discover by allowing them to go to the neighbouring
city, where, through the medium of my own agents, I should
be able to watch their conduct, and ascertain the real object
of their mission. I was very soon • informed, that out of sixty
trunks which they landed, scarcely any of them contained mer-
chandize ; and that, contrary to their former professions and
appearances, nearly all of the above trunks belonged to the
heavy baggage of themselves and families, as the duties in the
Custom-house, which they had to pay, did not amount to 50
dollars. 1 further ascertained that they brought with them bills
of exchange payable in Vera Cruz, to the amount of 16,000
dollars, which were indorsed by several merchants of credit in
France, and lastly by the Ministers of the Treasury Department
of that nation. These facts were sufficient to confirm my first
suspicions respecting the persons alluded to, and induced me to
make every exertion to ascertain thoroughly the mission they
were sent on hither by their Government, and for this purpose
relied on the peculiar levity of the French nation, and also of
the necessity they would be under of having, in a foreign coun-
try, and one also divided into parties, to make acquaintances in
order to obtain such information as they stood in need of. My,
hopes were not frustrated, and through a person on whose vera-
city I can rely, with the greatest confidence, anti who has seen
document 4 proving the truth of his assertion, t have ascertained
that the principal of them is Mr. Julian Bchmalte, a Colonel of
Engineers, and a Chevalierof the Order of St. Louis, Who conies
appointed Ambassador Extraordinary of his Most Christian
Majesty to the Government of Mexico. The other is his Se.
eretary ; his name is Achille de la Motte, and he is a Knight
of the Order of Malta., The instructions they have brought
over with them from the French Minister of Foreign Attars,
direct them'to extend their observations respecting the bias,
character, and way orthinking of the inhabitants of this coml•
try, as regards the reeiption that would be given to a mem.
ber of the French family of the Bourbons, who might come
over to reign here ; the result of which they are to communicate
to the aforesaid Minister through the medium of the French
frigates, which at different periods are to arrive at this port.
In case there are no hopes of realising the views of the French
Government on the above subject, the aforesaid persons are in-
structed to make proposals to the Government of Mexico re-
specting a treaty of commerce 'between the latter and France.
Finally, the allowances granted to these persons by their 00.
vernment amount to 20,000 dollars annually. God preserve
you, &c --Castle of St. John de Ullua, this 24th day of
7
Feb., 1023.
(Signed) " FRANCISCO LEMAtiR.
" To his Excellency the Captain;General
of the Island of Cuba, &c.. &c. &c."
After the perusal of this most important Do-
cument, our readers will know what to think of
some of the recent Declarations of the. Govern.
inents of England and France on the subject of
South America.—(Morniv, Chronicle.)

SEA MortsTett.—(Extract of a Letter from
Montreal, dated Sept. 15.)---" The steam-boat,
Lady Sherbroke, arrived on Friday from Quebec :
the passengers on board reported that they bad
been followed to within a few miles of this city
by a large sea-monster; some supposed it to be
the famous sea-serpent, while others believed it
to be a whale or a grampus. However, all con-
curred that it was a fish of a very large kind,
statidg the length from 35 to 80 feet. In the
evening of Friday, the monster rose alongside the
team ferry-boat, which plies from the Cross, (two
miles below the city),, to Long Guile, and ap-
peared to be nearly the length•of the boat. On
Saturday morning two enterprising Captains,
Brush and Seymour, with a crew of eight men,
went down in the long-boat belonging to the
steam-boat. About three mikis below Montreal
they had the satisfaction• to see the fish rise and
blow. They immediately pulled for his track,
and soon came alongside when the harpooner
fixed the dart into him. Now a scene took place
which surprised those who had collected on shore.
The eurrent running with great rapidity, it is not
common to see a boat propelled up atreapi with
any swiftness ; but the whale, for so we must
now call him, darted with the boat.in tow up the
current, at the rate of 10 or 12 miles an hour.
The whale, perhaps not wishing to approach too
near the city, soon tacked about and stood down
for Long Point, and remained towing the boat
until near twelve o'clock, going where he pleased,
and drawing the boat much faster than those in
her were accustomed to travel even by steam.
Finally, the harpoon gave way, and the whale
for the present made his escape. The party,
however, are determined to make a second trial
to-morrow, when they will be better supplied
with proper instruments. Hundreds were assem-
bled on the shore to witness the attack and chase,
ned certainly it was a novel one to see a whale
GOO miles up from the sea-board."
Bannow states, that the visiting ticket sent by
the Governor of Pe-tche-lee to the British Am-
bassador, was crimson paper, and of such dimen.
sions, that a room of moderato size might have
been papered with it.