ft Los Angeles, to embark
at San Pedro for San Diego. On the 21st a national salute was fired by
the artillery company belonging to the battalion, in honour of Governor
Fremont. On the 22nd, letters were received from San Diego, stating
that Colonel Cooke, who followed General Kearny from Santa Fe with a
force of four hundred Mormon volunteers, had reached the neighbourhood
of that place. Having applied for my discharge from the battalion as
soon as we reached Los Angeles, I received it on the 29th, on which
day, in company with Captain Hastings, I set out on my return to San
Francisco, designing to leave that place on the first favourable
opportunity for the United States.

CHAPTER XIII.

Leave Los Angeles for San Francisco
Don Andres Pico
A Californian returning from the wars
Domestic life at a rancho
Women in favour of peace
Hospitable treatment
Fandango
Singular custom
Arrive at Santa Barbara
Lost in a fog
Valley of the Salinas
Californians wanting Yankee wives
High waters
Arrive at San Francisco.

We left Los Angeles late in the afternoon of the 29th of January, with
two Indian vaqueros, on miserable broken-down horses (the best we could
obtain), and encamped at the deserted rancho at the foot of Couenga
plain, where the treaty of peace had been concluded. After we had been
here some time, two Indians came to the house, who had been sent by the
proprietor of the rancho to herd the cattle. Having nothing to eat with
us, a tempting offer prevailed upon the Indians to milk one of the
cows; and we made our supper and our breakfast next morning on milk.
Both of our Indian vaqueros deserted in the night, carrying with them
sundry articles of clothing placed in their charge. A few days have
made a great change in the appearance of the country. The fresh grass
is now several inches in height, and many flowers are in bloom. The sky
is bright, and the temperature is delightful.

On the 30th of January, leaving the mission of San Fernando on our
right, at a distance of eight or ten miles, we followed the usually
travelled trail next to the hills, on the western side of the plain. As
we were passing near a rancho, a well-dressed Californian rode out to
us, and, after examining the horses of our miserable _caballada_,
politely claimed one of them as his property. He was told that the
horse was drawn from the public _caballada_, at Los Angeles, and could
not be given up. This seem