sing my
estimate upon the statement of Mr. Wolfskill, an American gentleman
residing here, and whose house and vineyard I visited. Mr. W.'s
vineyard is young, and covers about forty acres of ground, the number
of vines being 4,000 or 5,000. From the produce of these, he told me,
that last year he made 180 casks of wine, and the same quantity of
_aguardiente_. A cask here is sixteen gallons. When the vines mature,
their produce will be greatly increased. Mr. W.'s vineyard is doubtless
a model of its kind. It was a delightful recreation to stroll through
it, and among the tropical fruit-trees bordering its walks. His house,
too, exhibited an air of cleanliness and comfort, and a convenience of
arrangement not often met with in this country. He set out for our
refreshment three or four specimens of his wines, some of which would
compare favourably with the best French and Madeira wines. The
_aguardiente_ and peach-brandy, which I tasted, of his manufacture,
being mellowed by age, were of an excellent flavour. The quantity of
wine and _aguardiente_ produced in California, I would suppose,
amounted to 100,000 casks of sixteen gallons, or 1,600,000 gallons.
This quantity by culture can be increased indefinitely.

It was not possible to obtain at Los Angeles a piece of woollen cloth
sufficiently large for a pair of pantaloons, or a pair of shoes, which
would last a week. I succeeded, after searching through all the shops
of the town, in procuring some black cotton velvet, for four yards of
which I paid the sum of 12 dollars. In the United States the same
article would probably have cost 1.50 dollar. For four dollars more I
succeeded in getting the pantaloons made up by an American tailor, who
came into the country with General Kearny's forces. A Rocky Mountain
trapper and trader (Mr. Goodyear), who has established himself near the
Salt Lake since I passed there last year, fortunately arrived at Los
Angeles, bringing with him a quantity of dressed deer and elk skins,
which were purchased for clothing for the nearly naked soldiers.

Among the houses I visited while here, was that of Mr. Pryor, an
American, and a native of Louisville, Ky. He has been a resident of the
country between twenty and thirty years, but his Kentucky manners,
frankness, and hospitality still adhere to him.

I remained at Los Angeles from the 14th to the 29th of January. During
this time, with the exception of three days, the weather and
temperature wer