Ewing Young in Far Southwest 25 which gave Young an opportunity to call at the mission of San Jose and to establish friendly relations with the Spanish authorities. 16 To begin at the beginning of the story, a number of Christian Indians had run away from that mission and had fled to the mountains where they had been befriended by the gentiles. The alcalde, Fran- cisco Jimenez, was dispatched to look for the fugitives. A battle ensued in which the Spaniards and their auxil- iaries were driven back. Being told by Indians of the presence of the Americans on the streams of the Sierra Nevada, Jimenez immediately set out to find them and obtain what help he could from them. A party of eleven men under the command of Kit Carson was dispatched to assist the Spaniards. The result was that the Indians were defeated and forced to deliver up the fugitives. Taking advantage of the situation, Young with three of his men, on July 11, took occasion to present himself at the Mission of San Jose for the purpose of ingratiating himself with the Spaniards and of opening trading rela- tions with them. In answer to questions put to him at that time, he stated that he had twenty-two men in his company, all but one of whom had set out with him from the San Luis valley, a day's journey from New Mexico. The other one had been added to his party from the Eng- lish trappers whom he had met — the Hudson's Bay party under Ogden. His passports were examined and ar- rangements were made to trade his furs for horses. A week later Young returned to the mission with his furs which he traded to Don Jose Asero, captain of a trading ship in port. With the proceeds of the sale, he purchased horses and mules and returned to his camp in the mountains. A few days later a band of Indians succeeded in entering camp and driving off some sixty head of horses. Twelve of the trappers on the remain- ing horses immediately set out in pursuit but had to 16 Jose Berreyeza, July 15, 1830 (Departmental State Papers, II, 135- 139. Ms. in Bancroft Library).
