Arriving by mule or horse I guess, in mid August 1796, Tom rides the 22 miles from San Blas on the coast to Tepic in the hills. This was a privilege not afforded to the other sailors picked up by Tobar. The town is the administrative centre for the state and home of the Colonial administration and therefore offered Tom access to polite society for the first time in a long time. He meets and is befriended by a naval captain Don Juan Mattute and a fellow Scot, Robert Gibson. However he doesn’t have money and has to write to the Viceroy trying to persuade him to grant him access to the money needed to cross Mexico and travel to America.

If you live close to this location and would like to help visualise this piece of Tom’s journey please contact me.