176 | FORT YUMA 
tunity, rushed upon them with their clubs, and massa: 
cred every soul at the ferry, embracing some twelve 
or fifteen persons. Three men were at some distance 
in the wood cutting timber; these, seeing from the 
actions of the Indians that something was wrong, suc- 
ceeded in concealing themselves, and made their escape 
by joining a party of Mexicans who soon after came 
along. <A large sum of money, all that had been saved 
by Langdon and Gallantin (estimated at from fifteen 
to thirty thousand dollars), fell into the hands of the 
Indians; and this was freely used by them in supply- 
ing their wants from the emigrants who afterwards 
passed. They knew little of the value of gold, and 
would sometimes give four or five doubloons for an 
old worn-out blanket, or a gold eagle for a tattered 
shirt. 
No sympathy was felt for the men who had thus 
lost their lives; but the event tended to encourage the 
Yumas in acts of violence, in which many innocent and 
unoffending parties perished. I heard of one occa- 
sion on which a party of emigrants crossed while the 
Yumas retained the ferry. The Indians showed friend- 
ship for them, and assisted in making their fires and 
in taking charge of their animals. The party cooked 
their meal, and sat down quietly to eat; for although 
numbers of the Yumas were about their fires and the 
camp, their presence caused no uneasiness, as they 
were unprovided with arms. But on a sudden, ata 
given signal, they each seized a billet of wood from 
the fire, and knocked out the brains of the Ameri- 
cans. 
The ferry is at present well conducted, and though 
