The news of the Defeat of Mr. Young’s Trapping Party by the Indians reaches Taos—­Young raises a Party to chastise the Indians—­Kit Carson becomes a Conspicuous Member of the Expedition—­The Indians are found on Salt River—­The Fight—­Trapping Exploits—­A new Country—­Trials and Vicissitudes—­Sacramento Valley—­California and its Roman Catholic Missions in 1829—­Another Indian Fight—­Sale of Furs—­Indian Depredations—­Kit Carson and Twelve Trappers engage with the Indians in a Battle—­Return to the Camp with recovered Property.

The news of the attack and defeat of his men by the Indians, was brought to Mr. Ewing Young at Taos by a member of the unfortunate expedition.  On learning the causes which brought this unpleasant termination to his enterprise, Mr. Young raised a party of forty men, consisting of Americans, Canadians and Frenchmen, and put himself at its head.  Kit Carson was received into the party, and soon became one of its most prominent and efficient aids.  Mr. Young’s object was two-fold:  first, to chastise the Indians; and, second, to make all he could out of the expedition by employing the men in their calling as trappers.  Under the Mexican laws, licenses were required from the government to all Mexicans who set out on trapping expeditions.  These were not granted to citizens of the United States.  This was not the mere will of governmental officials; the Mexican statutory law prohibited the granting of licenses to citizens of the United States.  This law was, however, often made a dead letter by Americans; for, they frequently, but stealthily evaded it.  In order, therefore, to hoodwink the Mexican authorities, Mr. Young had to resort to various expedients.  His preparations were so carefully and secretly made, that the real business he had in contemplation did not transpire, or even a suspicion gain currency as to his intended whereabouts.

In April, 1829, the party set out, eager to bring about results equal to their anticipations.  At first, to avoid the curiosity and inquiring disposition of the Mexicans, they traveled northward, as if their destination was into the territory of the United States.  Hints had been sufficiently freely bestowed upon the Mexicans to lead them to believe that such was the destination of the party.  After journeying fifty miles in this direction, and feeling themselves free from the scrutiny of the Mexican authorities, they changed their course to the southwest, and travelled through the country occupied by the Navajoes, who are an interesting and dangerous race of Indians, even to the trader of this day.  On their route, the company passed through Zuni, a Peublo town; thence they traveled to the head of Salt River, one of the tributaries of the Rio Gila.  Here they discovered the band of Indians who had attacked and defeated the former party.  As soon as the Indians discovered the party of trappers, they became eager for the affray.  The usual preliminaries for such fights were, therefore,