Arrived  at  Buenos  Ayres,  I  felt  that  we  had  reached  the  initial
point  of  our  work.  My  first  duty  was  to  visit  Mr.  Pendleton,  of
Virginia,  the  representative  of  our  government  near  the  Argen-
tine Confederation,  and  the  public  authorities  of  the  place.  In
co-operation  with  Mr.  Schenck,  of  Ohio,  our  minister  to  Brazil
(who  had  visited  Buenos  Ayres  for  the  purpose),  Mr.  Pendleton
was  engaged  in  negotiating  a  treaty  with  the  "Provisional  Di-
rector." I  informed  them  of  my  letters  of  credence  to  the  Presi-
dent of  Paraguay,  and  my  joint  commission  from  the  President
of  the  United  States,  wherein  Mr.  Pendleton,  Mr.  Schenck,  and
myself  were  authorized  and  empowered  to  conclude  a  "  treaty  of
commerce"  with  that  republic.
My  letters  of  instructions  invested  me  with  full  powers  to  act
individually,  should  it  not  be  proper  or  convenient  for  these  gen-
tlemen to  absent  themselves  from  Buenos  Ayres,  the  scene,  as  we
have  shown,  of  important  events  at  this  time.  Mr.  Pendleton  in-
formed me  that,  having  been  invited  by  Sir  Charles  Hotham,  the
British  minister  at  Buenos  Ayres,  to  accompany  him  to  Para-


VISIT  TO  SAN  JOSE.  39

guay,  he  had  accepted  the  invitation,  and  availed  himself  of  the
opportunity,  at  the  same  tune,  with  the  ministers  of  England,
France,  and  Sardinia,  to  negotiate  and  sign  a  treaty  of  navigation
and  commerce  with  President  Lopez.
