hts of
matrimony.

My strong defense was that I had not charged any of them anything, and
had given them a marriage certificate with a seal on it, made out of a
Mexican dollar; and had given a treat and fired off the anvil. Still,
although the Pope of Rome was beyond the jurisdiction of even the
Alcalde of Tubac, I could not see the way open for a restoration of
happiness.

At last I arranged with Father Mashboef to give the sanction of the
Church to the marriages and legitimize the little Carloses and Carlottas
with holy water, and it cost the company about $700 to rectify the
matrimonial situation in Santa Cruz.

An idea that it was lonesome at Tubac would be incorrect. One can never
be lonesome who is useful, and its was considered at the time that the
opening of mines which yielded nothing before, the cultivation of land
which lay fallow, the employment of labor which was idle, and the
development of a new country were meritorious undertakings.

The table at Tubac was generously supplied with the best the market
afforded, besides venison, antelope, turkeys, bear, quail, wild ducks,
and other game, and we obtained through Guaymas a reasonable supply of
French wines for Sunday dinners and the celebration of feast days.

It is astonishing how rapidly the development of mines increases
commerce. We had scarcely commenced to make silver bars--"current with
the merchant"--when the plaza at Tubac presented a picturesque scene of
primitive commerce. Pack trains arrived from Mexico, loaded with all
kinds of provisions. The rule was to purchase everything they brought,
whether we wanted it or not. They were quite willing to take in exchange
silver bars or American merchandise. Sometimes they preferred American
merchandise. Whether they paid duties in Mexico was none of our
business. We were essentially free traders.

The winter was mild and charming, very little snow, and only frost
enough to purify the atmosphere. It would be difficult to find in any
country of the world, so near the sea, such prolific valleys fenced in
by mountains teeming with minerals. The natural elements of prosperity
seem concentrated in profusion seldom found. In our primitive simplicity
we reasoned that if we could take ores from the mountains and reduce
them to gold and silver with which to pay for labor and purchase the
productions of the valleys, a community could be established in the
country independent of foreign resources. The result wi