JUAN JOSE, THE APACHE CHIEF. 295 



the world to understand that the kingdom of 

 tlie Gauls had at length been whirled topsy- 

 turvy, by the glorious achievements of el valor 

 Mexicano / 



From what has been said of the ravages of 

 the Apaches, one would be apt to beheve tliem 

 an exceedingly brave people ; but the Mexi- 

 cans themselves call them cowards when 

 compared with the Comanches ; and we are 

 wont to look upon the latter as perfect speci- 

 mens of poltrooner)^ when brovight in conflict 

 with the Shawnees, DelaAvares, and the rest 



of our border tribes. 



There was once a celebrated chief called 

 Juan Jose at the head of this tribe, whose ex- 

 treme cunning and audacity caused liis name 

 to be dreaded throughout the country. AVhat 

 contributed more than anjihing else to render 

 him a dangerous enemy, was the fact of his 

 having received a liberal education at Chi- 

 huahua, which enabled him, when he after- 

 wards rejoined his tribe, to outwit his pursuers, 

 and, by robbing the mails, to acquire timely 

 information of every expedition that was set 

 on foot against him. The following accomit 

 of the massacre in which he fell may not be 

 altogether uninteresting to the reader. 



The government of Sonora, desirous to 

 make some efforts to check the depredations 

 of the Apaches, issued a proclamation, giving 

 a sort of carte blanche patent of * marque and 

 reprisal,' and declaring all the boot>' thatmight 

 be taken from the savages to be the rightful 



property of tlie captors. Accordingly, in the 



