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60 



Ex. Doc. No. 41 



I 



are covered with fragments of blue limestone and rich 



An Apaclic has just come in^ and says the people Virho agreed to 

 meet us at the spring yesterday are coming on with some mules to 

 trade. 



Three miles from the camp of last night we had reached 

 the ^^Uvide," and from that point the descent was regular and con- 

 tinuous to Night creek. The ravines on either side of the ^^divide" 



specimens 

 of the magnetic oxides of iron. 



October 20. — My curiosity was excited to see by daylight how ray 

 camp^ was disposed and what sort of place we were in. It was quite 

 certain the broad, level Talley we had been traveling the last few 

 miUs was narrowing rapidly, by the intrusion of high precipices; 

 and the proximity of great mountains in confused masses indicated 

 some remarkable change in the face of the country. We were, 

 in truth, but a few miles from the Gila, which I was no less desi- 

 rous of seeing than the Del Norte. 



The general sent word to the Apaches he would not start till 9 or 

 10. This gave them time to come in, headed by their chief, Red 

 Sleeve. They swore eternal friendship to the whites, and everlast- 

 ing hatred to the Mexicans. "The Indians said that one, two or 

 three white men might now pass in safety through their country; 

 that if they were hungry, they would feed them; or, .if on foot, 

 mount them. The road was open to the American now and forever. 

 Carson, with a twinkle of his keen hazel eye, observed to me, "I 

 would not trust one of them." 



The whole camp was now busily engaged in attemptino-to trade. 

 The Indians had mules, ropes, whips and mezc,al. We wished to 

 get a refit in all save the mezcal, offering to give in exchange reu 

 shirts, blankets, knives, needles, thread, handkerchiefs, &c., &c.; 

 but these people had such extravagant notions of our w-ealth, it was 

 impossible to make any progress. ^ At length the call of "boots and 

 saddles" sounded. The order, quickness and quietude of our move- 

 ments seemed to impress them. One of the chiefs, after eyeing the 

 general wuth great apparent admiration, broke out in a vehement 

 manner: "You have taken New Mexico, and will soon take Cali- 

 fornia; go, then, and take Chihuahua, Durango and Sonora. We wiH 

 help you. You fight for land; we care nothing for land; we figW 

 for the laws of Montezuma and for food. The Mexicans are ras- 

 cals; we hate and will kill them all." There burst out the smothered 

 fire of three hundred years ! Finding we were more indifferent 

 than they supposed to trade, and that the column was in motion, 

 they became at oqce eager for traffic. 



They had seen 



them, and many of them collected there. 



which pleased 



made- 

 t of 



some trumpery about my camp 



. My packs were 



One of my gentlest mules at that moment took fright, and wen 

 like a rocket on the back trail, scattering to the rTght and left al^ 

 ■who opposed him. A large, elegant lopking woman, mounted a 

 straddle, more valiant than the rest, faced the brute and chargeiif 

 upon him at full speed. This turned his course back to the catnpj 

 and I rewarded her by half a dozen biscuit, and through her inter- 

 vention, succeeded in trading two broken down mules for t^Oi 



