laycap 
An Apache has just come’in, and says the people who agreed to 
= \ ce TS a a er 
“wees of + Py ; 
eae ote oye ey WN meets, 
a é 
meet us at the spring yesterday are coming on with some mules to. 
trade. - 
Three miles from the camp of laste night we had reached 
the ‘‘divide,”’ and from that point the descent was regular and con- 
tinuous to Night creek. The ravines on eitherside of the “divide” 
are covered with fragments of blue limestone and rich specimens 
of the magnetic oxides of iron. 
October 20.—My curiosity was excited to see by daylight howmy 
camp was disposed and what sort of place we were in. It was quite 
certain the broad, level valley we had been traveling the last few 
miles was narrowing rapidly, by the intrusion of high -precipices; 
and the proximity of great mountains in confused masses indicate 
some remarkable change in the face of the country. e 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, 
4 
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 attempting to trade. 
The Indians. had mules, ropes, whips and mezcal. We wished to 
get a refit in all save the mezcal, offering to give in exchange red 
shirts, blankets, knives, needles, thread, handkerchiefs, &c., &c.; 
but these people had such extravagant notions df our wealth, 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 with great apparent admiration, broke out in a vehement 
“mamner: “You have taken New Mexico, and will soon take Cali- . 
fornia; go, then, and take Chihuahua, Durango and Sonora. We will 
help you. You fight for land; we care nothing for land; we fight 
for the laws of Montezuma and for food. The Mexicans are:°ras- 
-eals; we hate and will kill them all.” There burst out the smothered 
_ fire of three hundred years! Finding we were more indifferent 
‘them, and many of 
than they supposed to trade, and that the column was in motion, 
ecame at once eager for traffic. E Fi 
ey had seen some trumpery about my cam p which please 
collected there. My packs were made. 
One of my gentlest mules at that moment took tright, and went o 
like a rocket on the back trail, scattering to the right and left all- 
~who opposed-him. A large, elegant looking woman, mounted a 
-s straddle, more valiant than the rest, faced the brute and charged 
_ upon him at full speed. This turned his course back to the camp; 
_ and I rewarded her by half a dozen biscuit, and through her inter- 
i 
vention, succeeded in trading two broken down mules for two 
