Another motive, which is a very secondary one, and that is, having no steward at this moment, the one who was with me for six years having left me to set up a coffee-house. I cannot bring my establishment with me, even if I had a house to go to at Monte Video, and therefore I am obliged to live at the Consul's, which is a great inconvenience to him, and consequently very disagreeable to me; but, as I have said, this is a trifling consideration, which may be got over very easily. Again, Mr. Hood may come by the next packet--where shall I go then? All these considerations, put together, make me very anxious, not so much to get through the treaty, for the sake of concluding it, as to be ready, when circumstances require my departure, to come back here. Ever, my dear M. de Vidal, your faithful and sincere friend, J. H. MANDEVILLE. * * * * * (PRIVATE.) _Buenos Ayres, August 18th, 1842._ MY DEAR M. DE VIDAL,--I had the greatest pleasure in receiving your friendly letter, without date, which was accompanied by an official note brought to me by M. le Comte de Lurde, to which you require an answer. If you will weigh the contents of this note, you will find that it is impossible that I can answer it in any other way, than has done the French Plenipotentiary by that of acknowledging the receipt of it. In the first place, no formal tender of mediation has as yet been made by the French Plenipotentiary and me, and therefore, until it has been positively refused, it would be as unusual as it would be impolitic to have recourse to threats to enforce the acceptance of it. But other and more powerful reasons forbid this line of conduct; you who are accustomed to give directions to your foreign Ministers and agents, know that they must act by their instructions, and by their instructions alone. I cannot take upon myself to say what means are at the disposal of the Comte de Lurde, but I know I have no more the power of constraining General Rosas to pay respect to the wishes of the mediatory powers, as far as physical force goes than you have. If I were to ask the British naval officer on this station to land his men and garrison Monte Video, or prevent any power blockading the port, (which in my opinion, you may rely upon it, will never be done by General Rosas), he would laugh at me, unless I could show that I had positive orders from my Government to require it of him. To make a declaration to this effect to General Rosas, without having the means of carrying it into execution, would be only exposing myself to ridicule, and my future communications to this Government as unworthy of belief.