TO SANTA CRUZ. 
399 
The joy of the father and friends in again behold- 
ing the face of her whom they supposed was forever 
lost from them, was unbounded. Each in turn (rough 
and half naked as many of them were), embraced her 
after the Spanish custom ; and it was long ere one 
could utter a word. Tears of joy burst from all ; and 
the sun-burnt and brawny men, in whom the finer feel- 
ings of our nature are wrongly supposed not to exist, 
wept like children, as they looked with astonishment 
on^the rescued girl. She was not less overcome than 
they ; and it was long before she could utter the name 
of her mother, and ask if she and her little brothers 
yet lived. The members of the Commission who wit- 
nessed this affectionate and joyful scene, could not but 
participate in the feelings of the poor child and her 
friends ; and the big tears as they rolled down their 
weather-beaten and bearded faces, showed how fully 
they sympathized with the feelings of our Mexican 
friends. 
The captain or leader of the party was Don Ilarion 
Garcia, a gentleman of intelligence, from whom we 
obtained much interesting information about the coun- 
try. He was a merchant and government contractor ; 
had been in California ; and was well acquainted with 
Colonel Fremont, and the pioneers of that State. He 
told us of mines in Sonora that produced ores of gold, 
silver, cinnabar, and copper, in several of which he pos- 
sessed an interest. 
After leaving our Mexican friends awhile to them- 
selves, I returned to my tent, to learn the news. They 
all assured me that the restoration of a young female 
to her family, after being carried off by the Indians, 
