$4,000 in fitting out the volunteers in his command and the debts contracted in the fitting out of the auxiliaries, according to the Convention, were to be honored by the Centralist government which would obtain possession of the Federalist property. Seguin had his way, and with his interpreter crossed the river and proceeded to Mier,[199]  where he expected to find Generals Arista and Reyes. At Mier he found only Reyes; but he was well received by him, and during his stay of three or four days there he saw Vasquez come in with seven hundred men and three pieces of artillery and heard frequent conversations relative to an approaching campaign against Texas. The chiefs, officers, and soldiers all seemed enthusiastic about such a campaign and anxiously awaited the moment to begin the march.[200]

From Mier Seguin proceeded to Monterey to see Canales and to have an audience with Arista about the pay of his men for which the Convention made by Canales had called. During the course of his discussion with Arista, the latter mentioned to Seguin his forthcoming campaign against Texas. [Ed: details on pp. 387-388] Seguin encouraged the conversation, as he later said, for the purpose of gaining as much valuable information as possible, and it was soon being reported from Monterey that Don Juan Seguin, the "commander of a party of Strangers [Texans] and Bejarenos," who had come to join Canales, had presented himself to General Arista, making known to him his decision in favor of the cause of the fatherland and "the most profound aversion to the usurpers of our territory" against whom he now offered his good services.[201]  Seguin had several conversations with Arista until the latter realized that Seguin did not contemplate entering the Mexican service and withdrew from further conversation on the campaign.[202]  As for paying