Ex. Doc. No. 41. * 503 



that Ortiz^ the cura of El PasOj had led the troops that came to 

 capture the wagons of the tradersj and that the people of Chihua- 

 hua had made six copper field pieces. 



Xfov 



•To-day we employed much of our time in build- 

 . ing, although there was a drizzling rain that was unfavorable for 

 laborj yet we accomplished the filling in of the warp of light poles 

 hy weaving with rushes. This afternoon we had a festive scene at 

 the camp of a trader from Missouri, who still had some fine claret 

 wine and some good old brandy. We had many tales of wild ad- 

 ^ventures of prairie life, and hair-breadth escapes. W 



'Mike Fint. \»fin. •mifh f^xrn ofliAr 



the Rocky mountains. There M 



desperadoes, for a time lived iu 



head of one of the trio for some trifling bet. One day, under the 



Mike fi 

 said M 



ed away at the tin cupi and his 

 ke, '^ I^ve lost the whiskey, I 



shot a little too low.'' True, the bullet had entered between the 

 eyes of the cup bearer- Shortly after this occurrence, Mike had aa 

 altercation with the second man, and, remarking that he had one of 

 the best rifles that was ever shot, the other Ave^^ a pistol and. killed 

 Mike deadi and this man, on his way to St. Louis, to stand his 

 trial, jumped overboard and was drowned in the waters of the 

 Missouri, Thus, as the narrator stated, perished three of the most 

 desperate men known in the west. Many more tales were told, of 

 Glass, of Colter, and others, but one only I will relate, as it throws 

 some light on the character of the New Mexicans. A few years 

 ago the Mexicans had been endeavoring to defeat the Apachesj not 

 succeeding, they persuaded a party of 140 to come into Chihuahua, 

 ttnder the pretence of making peace with them. Having given, 

 them plenty of aguardiente, they fell upon the intoxicated Indians 

 and killed them; one woman ran to the church, hoping to be pro- 

 tected by the sacredness of the sanctuary. The instinct that com- 

 pelled her to seek safety here was awakened, not only for the 

 preservation of her own life, but for that of another yet unbornj 

 but nought avails: they seize her, they drag their victim to the 

 grand porch and cut her to pieces, tearing out a living child; they 



pt 



IS sent to join 



that of the dead mother! — and now, at this very moment, many 

 of the scalps of these unfortunate beings hang dangling in front of 

 the church, a choice offering to the saints. These are deeds of the 

 descendants of those who came to erect the blessed symbol of 

 the cross, who, with such holy horror, cast down the idols of the 

 Aztecs, and abolished the horrid rites and execrable sacrifices of 

 the priests of Huitzilo polchili. 



Walt<m 



tbe Missouri yolunteers, desiring all the traders to combine at soms 

 «>ne point for' their better defence, as he had received information 

 tliat rendered such a movement necessary. ™^ ^ 



Btcgmher 1.— The month came in with much wind, scattering tbe 



JDuring the morning we had an 

 from the approach of a "mu 



M 



the 



