AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. 297 



manner which proved terribly disastrous to 

 another party of Americans, who happened at 

 the time to be trapping on Rio Gila not far 

 distant. The enraged savages resolved to take 

 summary vengeance upon these unfortunate 

 trappers; and falling upon them, massacred 

 them every one ! They were in all, including 

 several Mexicans, about fifteen in number.* 



The projector of this scheme had probably 

 been under the impression that treachery was 

 justifiable against a treacherous enemy. He 

 also beheved, no doubt, that the act would be 

 highly commended by the Mexicans who had 

 suffered so much from tlie depredations of 

 these notorious chiefs. But in this he was 

 sadly mistaken; for the affair was received 

 with general reprehension, although the Mexi- 

 cans had been guilty of similar deeds them- 

 selves, as the following brief episode will 



sufficiently show. 



Li the summer of 1839, a few Apache pri- 

 soners, among whom was the wife of a distin- 



• The Apaches, previous to this date, had committed but few 



parties 



foreigners — resti 



the wilderness unmolested, while large caravans of Mexicans suf- 

 fered frequent attacks. This apparent partiality produced unfound- 

 ed jealousies, and the Americans were openly accused of holdmg 

 secret treaties with the enemy, and even of supplying them with 

 arms atid ammunition. Although an occasional foreigner en- 

 gaged in this clandestine and culpable traffic, yet the natives 

 themselves embarked in it beyond comparison more extensively, a^ 

 has been noted in another place. This unjust impression against 

 Americans was partially effiiced a3 well by the catastrophes men- 

 tioned in the text, as by the defeat and robberj- (m which, how- 

 ever, no American lives were lost), of a small party of out people, 

 about the same period, in La Jornada del Muerto, on their way 

 from Chihuahua to Santa F^. 



