Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-04-26
MEXICAN BOUNDARY COMMISSION.
coRREsPoSDEScE OF THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL.
SANTA RITA DE CoBRE,

CORRESPONDENCE OF THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL. .s
=... SANTA RITA DE CoBRE,
n New Mexico. FEBRuAsr l., 1851.
Here, within forty miles of the Ga and In the heart Of
the country Of the Apaches find myself with spare hour
which will devote to giving you account the place and
the journey TO it, Owing to the very uncertain character
Of the Rio Grande, il is highly important that the effects Of
the Commission should be safely before the river be-
gins to rise and this place is the line Of opera
llons, Mr. Bartlett sent parry OF three to examine u with
the commander Of escort had already determined quar-
ter his here until required in the field and avaed
ourselves Of the protection which his going up afforded
Our first march 10 Dona Ana, military post sixty
miles above E Paso under command of Major Shepard
Here had the pleasure Of meeting townsman, Chas A.
Happin formerly Mayor Of Mobile, BY whom, well a. by
Capt. Buord Of the dragons, and the other officers
treated with generous hospitality. , snI
JoRNADA DEL MUERTo. asg ..,s
Leaving Dona Ana we went up the river about twenty
miles, nine miles Of which upon the Jornayda del
Mufo (dead mans journey stretch Of ninety miles, upon
the Santa Fe road without We turned off from this
towards the ver which crossed at point called San
Diego. This is an immense square bluff composed Of
curious congomerate Of jasper We crossed the river nearly
opposite it, and proceeded up the bank some twenty
miles We then took westerly to Mule Spring. pass
ing rounded hills which sewed with angular fag-
ments of that made the road very difficult for our wa
CONS After leaving Mule Spring the road makes long
stretch to the south to pass round the Of Sierra and
river nearly dry, aud had search time tefore
could find water which last found in email pools so
strongly mpregnaed with vegetable matter as to give it
geenish color ard highly disagreeabe TASTE We found
plenty Of fish in Of these pools, something like perch
but not resembling any variety had BEFORE The
Mbes is stream of character unusual In this country;
few miles above where crossed it, it is running rapid
stream with abundance Of water and in the Of
few miles It sinks and almost entirely disappears. "A few
miles after crossing the Mmbres there warm spring which
amply repaid visit; craterke opening, about fifteen
feet of an oval FORM at the top Of mound Of tua filed
with water so hot that the hand could bear it but few
down upon the side Of the hock is an outlet I was sur
pised find fresh water agel plants and insects flourish
ing in water Of this elevated temperature.
- THE COPPER MINES.
We fell in, not far from here, with band of Apaches
We had smoke sgas all US, showing
march observed 1t proved to be Degadta (he ender
and bis party. This Of the principal chiefs Of this
gion, and is well known brave warrior. He is said TO
have shot Major S,iene in engagement between the da
goons and Indians about year ago. His dress was very be-
coming to warrior, fOs he wore light calico blouse and
broad brmmed hat He carried long lance most Of his
party carried rfes and all had bows The last eight ten
miles Of the road through canon, the greater part Of
which travelled for the first time with wagons and it
necessary TO fill up guies cut down trees and make road
At last all arrived in safety The mines have been aban-
doned for about twelve years There formerly popu-
aon Of six hundred people here and the houses occupied
by them still remain in or less ruined condition The
charming sheltered valley surrounded
and bold mountains the sides Of which well wooded
stream Of pure water running through it. The mines
h opened in 1904 and have been worked by ndi
vduss with profit until ls3s The Of labor which
has been performed here immense There OPEN
ings IN the hill The rock Is usually fedspar, and the
red oxide Of copper, n,emixed with native metal Large
Quantities of ready for smelling deposited near the
smelling house. Gold is said have been found near here
and we told that it the Of Of the workers
OF the mines 10 allow the miners Friday and Saturday Of
each week to work their account and that many of
them employed their days in gold ggngt There an old
Tort where the Mexican Government formerly kept force
the protection Of The miners against the Indians This is
taken possession Of by Col Crag and he has converted into
quarters Tor his command.
i THE APAcHEs.
The mining operations were suspended by the Indians It
seems that the State Of Sonora offered premium Of one
dred dollars for each Apache scalp and that man named
Johnston an Indian trader acuaed by the reward induced
large party, under some preence come into his camp
when they had assembled he fired cannon which he had
concealed by covering with saddles &C. into their midst
killing some fifty sixty. This outage rendered the In
dans suspicious of all the whites and they broke up the set
tement at this place by cutting If the train Of supplies We
have had number OF Indians in camp every day They
encamped few miles from here and belong TO the COP
per Nine division Of the Apache tribe Like all others Of
this tribe have seen, they poorly clothed and wo
fed they live principally mule meat mezca the roa ted
root Of asava and pioones (pine-nu's Their clothing
exhibits ingenuity care, being generally tied
about them without any attempt to fashion them into gar
ments They proessed grea, friendship, and declared tha
they would rather help take of animals than
steal them. Col. Craig had long talk with them--,he,
all speak understand Spsnshand told them that al
long they friendly he should be friend to them an,
he should expect them take particular Of his ami
mails, and that no harm them, which they pro
missed to do The Apaches have of the dgnned bear
ing any Of the noble Of the Northern Indians Thos
who know them best place the least confidence In them
always reacherous and ahless The Of FL Pas
related singular instance Of ingraiude in Apache
party Of them encamped about five miles from Ell Pas
great violence and they broke up their camp and left mum
be Of the sick the spot The benevolent padre went 4
the place to see if be might give any aid 10 The sick, ant
found when he arrived there that all were dead
This he had removed to bis house and attended hroug
his sickness with the greatest After the smallpox lei
him he taken with eve and il wesour months beor
be able 10 leave the house, As for all the cura
kindness he left morning, taking away all his horse
and mules
The principal trees here the two species Of evergreen
okt~o cedarr, like red cedar, the 9TH with ben
much larger and ra pines, among themth us eduEs
pnon pine. This bears eatable NUT which fsyorit
article Of food with the Indians II 10 quite pleasant but ra
thef small and troublesome to eat T.
i
You viii end the place on Emory's map Copper an,
Wines and s generally known ia this country th
MS gentleman, Mr.. Coursisr, French resident
Gnhushu n said to have made large fortune by workip
c mines lie had contract furnish the State with cop
per lot coming, tor which he received large price.