We remained here about two weeks, and were visited by numbers of captains of Columbian privateers, most of them Americans, who had obtained commissions signed by General Bolivar; they purchased many articles from us. Before we got the schooner under weigh we took on board three members of the Columbian Congress and their servants. A son of one of the congressmen had been educated in Europe, and spoke good English. We agreed to convey them to Chagres. They came direct from Bogata, the seat of government of this Republic, their congress having just adjourned; they were on their way home, across the Isthmus. The Columbian Congress had passed a law to raise the duties on imports about twelve per cent. We had a large assortment of goods on board, which we sold at retail at every port where we landed. On our passage these members of congress, who had come direct from the seat of government, and assisted to pass laws to raise the revenue and prevent smuggling, purchased over three hundred dollars' worth of goods of us on the passage, and had them put up in proper packages to pass through the custom house as their baggage, so as to defraud the government of the duties. A short time before we arrived at Chagres one of them, who had an English negro servant, ordered him to tell Captain Murray that he could put some of his goods amongst their baggage if he wanted to smuggle them on shore through the custom house, as their baggage was considered sacred, and that no custom house officer dare to examine it. Being well acquainted with the tricks of these Spanish officers, I prevailed on Murray not to trust them, telling him this was only a trick to cheat him out of his goods, as I had heard, from good authority, of a number of tricks of this kind which had been practised by the collector of Porto Bello and other ports on the Main.