ience. In fact, the Californians appear to be a
people on whom a curse had fallen, and stripped them of every thing but
their pride, their manners, and their voices."

There is always much amusement in Monterey; and, what betwixt
cock-fighting, racing, fandangoing, hunting, fishing, sailing, and so
forth, time passes quickly away. Its salubrity is remarkable; there has
never been any disease--indeed sickness of any kind is unknown. No
toothache nor other malady, and no spleen; people die by accident or
from old age; indeed, the Montereyans have an odd proverb, "El que
quiere morir que se vaya del pueblo"--that is to say, "He who wishes to
die must leave the city."

While remaining there I had rather a perilous adventure. I had gone
with some of my friends to great fishing party at the entrance of the
bay, which, by the bye, is one of the finest in the world, being
twenty-four miles in length and eighteen in breadth. The missionary,
Padre Marini, not being very well, had an idea that the sea-air would do
him good, and joined our company. We had many boats; the one in which
the Padre and I embarked was a well-shaped little thing, which had
belonged to some American vessel. It was pulled with two oars, and had
a small mast and sail.

Our fishing being successful, we were all in high glee, and we went on
shore to fry some of our victims for our afternoon's meal. During the
conversation, somebody spoke of some ancient ruins, fifteen miles north,
at the entrance of a small creek. The missionary was anxious to see
them, and we agreed that our companions should return to Monterey while
he and I would pass the night where we were, and proceed the next
morning on an exploring expedition to the ruins. We obtained from
another boat a large stone jug of water, two blankets, and a
double-barrelled gun. As soon as our companions quitted us, we pulled
the boat round to the northern point of the bay, and having selected
proper quarters for the night, we made a kind of shelter on the beach
with the oars, mast, and sail, and lighted a fire to make ourselves more
comfortable. It was one of those beautiful mild evenings which can be
found only in the Bay of Monterey; the gentle and perfumed breeze softly
agitated the foliage around and above us, and as night came on, with its
myriads of stars and its silvery moon, the missionary having, for some
time, raised his eyes above in silent contemplation, reverted to scenes
of the pa