James did not prosper any better than anyone else! Frederick Chatfield was Britain's consul to the Federal Republic of Central America.
Cartago 27th March 1838
Frederico Chatfield Esq
H.B.M.Consul
Sir,
Being a British Subject I am sorry to say am in great distress, I am obliged to apply to you
for assistance.
I was brought to this country by Colonel Galindo, my nephew, under a false idea of
being made a great man & to have made a fortune soon, being in such distress, not having
a single friend in the country for the only friend I had a Mr Edmund Baillie of Cartager,
is now on his way to Lemax.
Therefore I have not a place to put my head in & without money & clothes. The Colonel
left me here without either & without getting me a situation; not knowing the language &
at my time of life being (50 years of age) I cannot expect to learn it now, I cannot be
of any service to anyone. I was obliged to write to the Governor, Don Manuel Aguila of San Jose,
it seems he told Doctor Montedegro? he can do nothing for me except he can get a subscription raised
for me to send me back to Jamaica, where I have been living these past 20 years in a respectable manner.
I received a few lines from the Colonel a few days back, stating he had paid Mr Baillie 25 dollars
which he ( Mr B) denies, & he never received a dollar from either Mr Steiple or the Custom house, all
false and deception.
I am now stopping with a poor woman who can ill afford to keep me without some
assistance having a large family of her own.
I must now put myself under your generosity hoping you
will find the means to send me to Jamaica or New Orleans where I have a good relation; an answer
soon in my unhappy situation will confer a great & ever lasting favor on
Your mo obd servt
Jas Galindo