COPPER MINES. 
333 
a private quarrel between a Mexican and an Indian. 
They were equally satisfied when assured that the 
prisoner should be kept in chains, and punished if the 
man died ; and the conference ended in good feel- 
ing. The chief, Ponce^ made a long speech on the 
occasion, and said they “all believed it the work of 
one bad man, and that the Commission had nothing to 
do with it.” “ If the man died, they should require 
the punishment of the murderer. If he lived, the 
Mexican should be compelled to labor, and the pro- 
ceeds of it be given to the family of the wounded man, 
as a remuneration for the loss of his services.” 
The wounded man was taken to the hospital where 
he was attended by the surgeons of the Commission 
and the escort, and the best possible care taken of 
him. His wife and mother were in constant attend- 
ance, and his friends had access to him at all times. . 
The chiefs were in daily, and expressed their satisfac- 
tion with my course. The poor man lingered for a 
month when he died. I ordered a coffin made for 
him, and intended having him decently buried; but 
his friends, refusing both the coffin and burial, laid 
him across a mule and carried him to their camp for 
interment, according to their own customs. 
The Indians now waited upon us in considerable 
numbers, accompanied by their chiefs, and demanded 
that the prisoner should at once be delivered into 
their hands. I told them that as the offence was com- 
mitted in our territory, the man must be punished 
according to our laws. Most of the chiefs were assem- 
bled on this occasion, and presented a strange and 
picturesque appearance, as they were distributed about 
