s large and as beautiful as
the Arno, flowing from the southeast, and watering opulent valleys which
had been formerly occupied and cultivated. The presidio was called
Tu-bac (the water). The Mexican troops had just evacuated the presidio
of Tubac, leaving the quarters in a fair state of preservation, minus
the doors and windows, which they hauled away.

The presidio of Tubac was about ten leagues south of the mission church
of San Xavier del Bac, on the Santa Cruz River, on the high road (camino
real) to Sonora and Mexico; consequently we struck camp at the Mission
San Xavier del Bac, and pulled out for the presidio of Tubac to
establish our headquarters and future home.

There was not a soul in the old presidio. It was like entering the ruins
of Pompeii. Nevertheless we set to work, cleaned out the quarters,
repaired the corrals, and prepared to make ourselves as comfortable as
possible.

The first necessity in a new settlement is lumber, and we dispatched
men to the adjacent mountains of Santa Rita to cut pine with whip-saws,
and soon had lumber for doors, windows, tables, chairs, bedsteads, and
the primitive furniture necessary for housekeeping. The quarters could
accommodate about three hundred men, and the corrals were ample for the
animals. The old quartel made a good storehouse, and the tower on the
north, of which three stories remained, was utilized as a lookout. The
beautiful Santa Cruz washed the eastern side of the presidio, and fuel
and grass were abundant in the valley and on the mountain sides. It was
not more than a hundred leagues to Guaymas, the seaport of the Gulf of
California, where European merchandise could be obtained. There were no
frontier custom houses at that time to vex and hinder commerce.

In the autumn of 1856 we had made the headquarters for the company at
Tubac comfortable, laid in a store of provisions for the winter, and
were ready to begin the exploration of the country for mines. When you
look at the Santa Rita Mountains from Tubac, it seems a formidable
undertaking to tunnel and honeycomb them for mines. Nevertheless, we
began to attack with stout hearts and strong arms, full of hope and
enthusiasm. The mines in the Santa Rita Mountains had been previously
worked by the Spaniards and Mexicans, as was evident by the ruins of
arrastres and smelters. Gold could be washed on the mountain sides, and
silver veins could be traced by the discolored grass.

As soon as it was known in