OCR Text |
Show 76 Ex. . Doc. No. 41. tiful ¥ari 'ty. In thr c~fion we hean1 in ~ulvancc of us the crack of a rifle; on <"Oming .up we fo1tnd that old Fran cif'co, onr of the guides, had killrd a cal!·, left thcr ' , cloubtl<'ss, by the Apa~hcs. The dry creel· by ""h~ch '':c no. sed to th~ a.n 1 dro n.\·er wa th(' great highway lcadtng from the mountatn iastnc~scs mto the plai11s of anta Cru:,r,, Santa Anna, and 'l'unwon, front1er to·wns of Sonora. Along thi:::. valley was distinctly marke<l the same fresh trail, 11oted ye~trrday, of hors<·s, caltl ;uul mules. 1'h, bed or this creek was drcply cut, an<l turnc!l at sharp angles, formino- a 7.irrz<tg 1ikc the bayou ,' Jnid by app rs iu approaC'IJing a fortr ·s~, ('<lt'h turn or which (an<l th )y w )rc innumerable) forme<{ a stron~~ d!'fcnsivP position. The Apache onre in pos~cssion of them is secure fron1 pursuit or invasion from the Mexican. Since the JsL Nove1nbcr, we have been traversing, with in re<lible labor and great cxpcndiLur of mul' power, the stronghold of these snountain robbers, having no other obje ·t in vi w than making our distance westward; yet h re we arc at this camp, only five seton 1s of lime wct't or camp 9, at Di appointm ·nt cr ·ek, and one minute and four ~c 'OJl<l.' west of our camp at the mouth of the San Frane i ·co. Natnre has don!' her utruost to faYor a condition of tllings which has en au l cd a sa \'ag<' n n<l unci vii ized lri be, armed w i Lh th c bow and Ian<'·, to hold as tributary powers three fertile and once flourishing slat ·s, 'hihuahua, 'onora, and Durango, peop1ed Ly a Chri. tian rarr, <·ountrym '-'n of the immorta1 Cortez. These ·tat s were at one time flourishing, but uC'h has been th devastation and alarm spr "'ad by these children of the mountains, that they ar · now lo ·ing population, commeree and manufacture at a rate which, if not soon arrestecl, mu-.t leav(' them uninhabited. :November G.-l~'or th double purpose of allowing the howit7.crs to come up, and to r ·ruit our mules, it is decidPd this shall bP a d~y of r 'sl. The grama. is good, but sparsely SC'atlered over the lulls, and it is necessary to loosen every animal and let thE:-Jn gra:t.c at will. vVc arc yet 500 mile from the nearest settlement, an<l no one survrying our <:avalry at this moment woul<l form 11otions favorable to the f'ucce. s of th(' (' prdition. JjJxc pta few saddle mules, th private property of ofTic rs, whi ·h h~ve been allowed to run loose, every animal in amp is covered Will~ patches, scars, and sore , made by the packs in the un~qual motton cauged by the ascent and c.lcscrnt of step hill ' . . The f.ailure of the Apaches to bring in their mules, was a serious d1 appotntment, and entirely justifies the name given to the creek, where tlt ey. agrcc<l to rne~t us. 13 ·sides, being the on I y mrans of transpor~at.lOn, they are, m extremity, to serve us as food, and the P.oor ua 'nng creall.trcs before u., give no very agre able impres SlO~ of the soup whH:h .their meat will furnish. However grave the subJect may appear, 1t 1s the ammon source of merriment. All seem to anticip_atc it as a.ma.ller of course, and the constant re ·urren<' e of th m111d to the Hlea, will no doubt accustom us to it, and make mule as acceptable as other soup . |