DON JOSE CASTRO.

31

so directly contrary to their own interests-the enterprising strangers having ingratiated themselves with the natives. Instead, therefore, of obeying the impotent mandates of Mexico, the worthy patriots, Castro and Pico, very unceremoniously threw off their allegiance, and sought to barter themselves and their country for French or English gold, hoping to be continued in their high offices, and decked out with stars and garters and ribbons. Their party was large and powerful, consisting of subordinate military officers from Mexico, petty employées of the custom-house, and a considerable number of rancheros, who had been woh over by magnificent promises. Their ablest adherent was José Antonio Carillo, who reflected the views of Pico, and officiated as his especial mouth-piece.*

The Junta met about the time of our arrival at Monterery, and I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of General Vallejo. At that time, however, I knew nothing of the existence of the Junta, the object and deliberations of which were secret; nor did I know anything of the state of politics in the country, except the notorious facts that two parties existed, and that General Vallejo was supposed to be the leader of the American party, while Castro was at the head of the European movement. Subsequently, however, I obtained from persons concerned in the Junta, and also from documentary evidence, all the facts which I have before related, as well as sketches of the principal speeches.

It happened some weeks after our arrival that I met Don José Castro in the Pueblo de San José, and in the course of a conversation I had with him, he inquired whether the government of the United States would give him a brigadier-general's commission in case he decided to "pro

* It is even probable that the speech I have attributed to Pico was in fact delivered by Carillo, my informant being likely to speak of the acts of the latter as those of Pico.

+ Pronounced " Val-ya-ho."

32

ANCHORAGE OF MONTEREY.

nounce for the establishment of their authority? He spoke apparently in jest, but I could perceive that the promise of such an appointment would have had its effect. His excellency, when out of the filagree Mexican uniform, was dressed in the calzoneros, botas, gaiters, sarape, &c., usually worn by the Californians, and his heels were armed with spurs of formidable length. His forehead is high but not broad, indicating a fair average of brains; his hair, black as a raven's wing, is arranged in thick clustering curls; his black bushy whiskers and moustaches form an unbroken cordon of hair from ear to ear via the upper lip, similar to the same appendage on the face of the king of Hanover; his complexion is a dark olive; his eye a brilliant black, indicating intelligence; his lips are thick, his nose aqueline, and his figure stalwart, inclining to stoutness. The anchorage at Monterey is in the S. E. corner of the bight which forms the harbor, anywhere inside of a line from Point Año Nuevo drawn through Point Pinos, or where the two points lap. The bottom is apt to be either rocky or too hard for good holding ground in any other part of the harbor, which, being open to the N. W., is rarely smooth anywhere else. In from four to six fathoms you have in that part of the road a stiff clay bottom.

CHAPTER III.

Hunting-Camping Out-California Travelling Dress -A BearSplendid Landscape-Los Infernos-Tom Cole and the BearDelights of Travelling in California.

THE officers who had preceded us, gave glowing accounts of the hunting in California. According to some of their stories, the whole territory was stocked with game, as various as it was abundant. As soon, therefore, as we had secured our ship at her anchors, we got up a party to pay our respects to these interesting natives. I had done some little shooting in my day, on the north-western prairies, and was not at all loth to try my hand on the shores of the Pacific. A couple of our countrymen residing at Monterey, kindly consented to act as our henchmen, and beat up the quarters of our unsuspecting victims. Having sent forward to a place of rendezvous divers beasts of burthen loaded with a variety of creature comforts, we set out from Monterey well mounted and equipped for the excursion. After riding several miles through a dark pine forest, we emerged upon a level plain, having before us a stream of water singing its way merrily to the sea, which was spread out in "boundless continuity" upon our right. Upon a small elevation at no great distance, we saw the ruined towers of an old church, and also some walls built of adobe, which had evidently enclosed extensive and commodious buildings, now fallen into utter decay. This was the ancient mission of Carmel, which, in common with all the

34

CARMEL MISSION.

other missions, had been suppressed by an act of the Mexican Congress for reasons which I am unable to disclose.

This consecrated spot, so long the abode of holy men, is now the property of a private person, and has fairly "gone to grass." Whether the surrounding Indians are any the worse Christians, or more troublesome neighbors, may be easily guessed by those who know that Catholic missionaries exert a more wholesome influence over the aborigines than any others. It seems to be a peculiarity of the Roman priesthood, to accommodate themselves to circumstances, and to render their religion as attractive as it is powerful. As a general rule the reverend padres are popular men, and make friends wherever they go.

We rode along the ruins of what had once been a neat and convenient aqueduct, watering a now uncultivated vineyard. We pursued our way along a plain which bore evident traces of the taste and industry of the missionaries and their docile Indian pupils, and leaving to the left a collection of huts, whose wretched appearance and squalid inmates furnished no favorable commentary on the change which had followed the expulsion of the padres, we struck at once into the hilly country.

After surmounting several lofty hills, and winding through some lovely valleys, following all the way the devious course of a bridle-path, we stopped to rest upon a spur of the coast mountains, having travelled about fifteen miles from Monterey. We now refreshed man and beast, and starting again, in high spirits, we reached in the afternoon a beautiful and fertile valley, and camped on the bank of a "purling rivulet." Now "camping" in California, is not precisely the same thing that is implied by that term in other countries, but "on the contrary, quite the reverse.' It is a sort of lucus-a-non-lucendo operation, the "camp" part of the performance being decidedly minus. In fact, it consists of nothing more, than stripping your saddle and

depositing it on the first convenient spot of mother earth. To select a tree or a bank would be deemed rather fastidious, but to collect bushes for a hut, would be considered by a true Californian frightfully effeminate. However, the saddle used in California, is admirably contrived for the primitive system of camping which prevails there. The "muchillas" and "coraza,” serve as a capital bed-the solid leather of which they are composed, keeping off the dampness of the ground, while the " fusta" furnishes a pillow, by no means to be sneezed at by the weary traveller. In addition to these comfortable equipments, the Californian always takes with him, even when he leaves home only for a day or two, the "armas de pélo," which consist of two entire goat skins tanned with the hair on, and depend from the saddle-bow on either side of the horse. In wet weather these are drawn around the waist of the horseman, covering the lower part of the person, and extending below the stirrups; and with this and his well-woven sarape," and broad-brimmed hat covered with oil-skin, the cavalier is rendered impervious to the heaviest showers. It may be surmised that these little articles come comfortably into the account while travelling in a country where the ranchos are far apart and the wayfarer is often compelled to put up at this kind of indigenous "California Hotel," which I have described. Nor is this simple mode of lodging any hardship in the lovely climate of California during the dry season; for sleeping in the open air in that pure and balmy atmosphere, is far preferable to being smothered in the close and ill-contrived houses of the rancheros, where travellers, without respect of persons, are generally devoured by those inseparable and nimble companions of the Spanish race, which manage to elude all attempts to entrap them.

Not having been accustomed to the saddle for some time we had private reasons for going no farther that night, and accordingly made preparations for concocting coffee, and