anuary 31st), when we woke, the sun was shining
bright and warm, and the birds were singing gayly in the grove of
evergreen oaks near the house. Having made ready to resume our journey,
as delicately as possible we offered our kind hostess compensation for
the trouble we had given her, which she declined, saying, that although
they were not rich, they nevertheless had enough and to spare. We
however insisted, and she finally accepted, with the condition that we
would also accept of some of her _quesadillas_ and _tortillas_ to carry
along with us. The ranchero mounted his horse and rode with us about
three or four miles, to place us on the right trail, when, after
inviting us very earnestly to call and see him again, and bidding us an
affectionate _adios_, he galloped away.

Travelling over a hilly country, and passing the ruins of several
deserted ranchos, the grounds surrounding which were strewn with the
bones of slaughtered cattle, we reached, about five o'clock P.M., a
cluster of houses in the valley of Santa Clara River, ten miles east of
the mission of San Buenaventura. Here we stopped at the house of a man
named Sanchez. Our arrival was thought to be worthy of notice, and it
was accordingly celebrated in the evening by a fandango given at one of
the houses, to which we were invited. The company, to the number of
some thirty or forty persons, young and old, were assembled in the
largest room of the house, the floor being hard clay. The only
furniture contained in the room was a bed and some benches, upon which
the company seated themselves when not engaged in dancing.

Among the _senoritas_ assembled were two daughters of an American named
Chapman, who has been a resident of the country for many years. They
were fair-skinned, and might be called handsome. An elder and married
sister was also present. They called themselves Americans, although
they did not speak our language, and seemed to be more proud of their
American than their Spanish blood.

A singular custom prevails at these fandangos. It is this: during the
intervals between the waltzes, quadrilles, and other dances, when the
company is seated, a young lady takes the floor _solus_, and, after
showing off her graces for general observation a few minutes, she
approaches any gentleman she may select, and performs a variety of
pirouettes and other Terpsichorean movements before him for his
especial amusement and admiration, until he places on her head his ha