Ex. Doc. No. 41. 73 



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witt great agitation. The talk was long and tedious. I exhausted 

 CTery argument to induce him to come into camp. His principal 

 fear seemed to be the howitzers, which recalled at once to my mind 

 the story I had heard of the massacre by Johnson. At last a bold 

 young fellow tired of the parley threw down his rifle, and with a 

 step that Forrest in Metamora might have envied, strode off to- 

 vrards camp, piloted by Carson. We w^ere about to follow when 

 the chief informed us it would be more agreeable to him if we re- 

 mained until his warrior returned." _ • 



The ice was now broken, mosf o( them'seeing that their comrade 

 encountered no danger, followed one by one. They said they-be- 

 longed to. the' tribe of Pifron Lanos] that "they were simple in 

 head, but true of heart." Presents were distributed; they promised 

 a guide to pilot us over the mountain, five miles distant, to a spring 

 with plenty of good grass, where they engaged to meet us next 

 day with 100 mules. . . 



The mezcal flourishes here; and at intervals gf a half a mile or 

 so we found several artificial craters, into which the Indians throw 

 this fruit, with heated stones, to remove the sharp .thorns and re- 

 duce it to its saccharine state. ' ^ 



Observed last night for latitude and time, and our position is in 

 latitude 33° 14' 54", longitude 110° 45' 06". Our camp was on the 

 the head of a creek which, after running in a faint stream one bun- 

 fired yards, disappeared below the surface of the earth. On its 

 margin grew a species of ash unknown in the United States, and 



the California plane tree, Which is also distinct in species from our 

 sycamore. • _ 



J^ovember 3. — Our expectations were again disappointed, the In-" 

 Qians came, but only seven mules were the result of the days' la- 

 °o "°^^, tenth of the number absolutely required. 



Uur visiters to-day presented the same motley group we have 

 ^l^^ays found the Apaches. Amongst them was a middle-aged wo- 

 ^^i^) whose garrulity and interference in every trade was the an- 

 ^oyance of Major Swords, who had charge of the trading, but the 

 amusement of the by-standers. ' 



^he had on a gauze-like dress, trimmed with the richest and most 

 ^ostiy Brussels lace, pillaged no doubt from some fandango-going 

 IjJ ^°f Sonora; she straddled a fine grey horse, and whenever her 



anket dropped from her shoulders, her taw^ny form could be seen 

 ^rough the transparent gauze. After she had sold her mule, she 

 ^.as anxious to sell her horse, and careered about to show his qua,li- 

 th^'f ^^'^.'^^ time she charged at full speed upaste'ep hill. In this, 



« lasteriings of her dress broke, and her bare back was exposed to 

 ^^ crowd, who ungallantly raised a' shout of laughter. Nothing 

 ^ Jinted, she wheeled short round with surprising dexterity, and 

 and^^t^ \^e mischief done, coolly slipped the dress from her arms 

 Jiua-l ^* between her seat and the saddle. In this state of 



taS • ^^^ ^^^^ throucrh camp, from fire to fire, until, at last, at- 

 miA^l tlie object of h°er ambition, a soldier's red flannel shirt, she 



^ her adieu in that new costume. 



* Doy about 12 years of age, of uncommon beauty, was among- 



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