COPPER MINES. 307 
estimated as with us, especially in a moral point of 
view. The fate that threatened her under these cir- 
cumstances, being too apparent, I felt under no neces- 
sity of regarding the protestations of Blacklaws, as to 
the honesty of his intentions, inasmuch as the treaty 
prohibits purchases of this kind “under any pretext 
whatever.” J therefore deemed it to be my duty—and 
a pleasant one it certainly was, to extend over her the 
protection of the laws of the United States, and to see 
that, until delivered in safety to her parents, she © 
should be “treated with the utmost hospitality” that 
our position would allow. 
The substance of the following brief statement was 
furnished by this young captive : 
Her name is Inez Gonzales, daughter of Jesus 
Gonzales, of Santa Cruz, a small frontier town, near the 
River San Pedro, in the State of Sonora. She was 
then in the fifteenth year of her age. In the Septem- 
ber preceding she had left her home, in company with 
her uncle, her aunt, another female, and a boy, on a 
Visit to the fair of San Francisco, in the town of Made- 
lena, about 75 miles distant. They were escorted by 
a guard of ten soldiers, under the command of an 
ensign named Limon. When one day’s journey out, 
viz.,on the 30th of September, 1850, they were at- 
.tacked by a band of Pifiol Indians, who lay in ambush 
in a@ narrow wooded cafion or pass. Her uncle was 
killed, and all the guard, save three persons, who 
made their escape. She with her two female com 
panions, and the boy, Francisco Pascheco, were carried 
away into captivity. She has been with the Indians 
ever since. The other captives she understands were 
