Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/26

 14 Joseph J. Hill Vaca by persuading the miserable creature to receive smuggled skins into his house, which he had in the desert. This man, for resisting the search of his house, was lamentably shot and killed by the soldiers who assisted the arresting alcalde, who succeeded in taking out twenty-nine packs of very fine beaver skins which were spoiling that summer in the warehouse of the subcomis- sariat of the territory." 11 Briefly, then, the points in common in these various accounts may be summed up as follows: The letter of Narbona, Governor of New Mexico, indicates that Ewing Young obtained a passport for eighteen men to go to the Gila in August, 1826, for the purpose of trapping beaver. According to Barrows there were eleven men hired to Young, but Young himself did not accompany the expe- dition as first organized. The story of the life of 'Teg- leg" Smith states that Smith and Le Duke led a party of five to the waters of the Gila about this time and names Sublette as a member of the party. Barrows mentions "Peg-leg" Smith and Sublette as members of Young's party. The two groups apparently traveled together, making the party of sixteen referred to by Yount, as the Yount Sketch refers to "Peg-leg" Smith as being a mem- ber of the party which Yount accompanied. Barrows speaks of the party being attacked by the Apaches and forced to return to New Mexico where it was reorganized and increased to a company of "about thirty" with Young at its head. The Smith account says that the party was attacked by Apaches and lost all of its traps. Evidently it had to return to New Mexico for a new supply although the Smith account does not mention that detail. Yount, also, refers to the party at first as a company of sixteen, and the Sketch of his life speaks of it later as consisting of thirty-two. The Yount Sketch speaks of Yount's furs being confiscated upon his return to New Mexico. Gregg 11 Jose Augustin Escudero, March 22, 1831 (Mexico. Archivo de Go- bernacion. Jefes Politicos. 1831-1833. Legajo 59, No. 1).