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Show 358 PERSONAL ADVENTURES and the soil is evidently but ill adapted for cultivation. We also touched at San Pedro, \vhere we saw some tents belonging to persons on their way to the mines. We were informed that they were in a state of the greatest distress and embarrassment, having neither provisions to subsist upon where they "'yere, nor money to enable them to pursue their voyage up the coast. Some of them had come thus far from the most distant part of Lower California, whilst others had been put on shore from sorne of the ships. Fortunately, there happened to be a small military station here; and the American officers had humanely done every thing in their power to alleviate their distress. Whilst lying here, we received a visit from a nun1ber of dark-eyed senoTitas, who surveyed the stearnerwith great admiration and beinD" received • ' ' 0 'vith politeness, remained on board as long as they reasonably could. A few of them \Vere graceful and pleasing in their appearance and manners, but the majority ·were very far removed from the standard of beauty. Such as they were, however, they infused a little gaiety and cheerfulness amongst us; and the sunshine of their srniles had such an effect on the rough beings that composed ~he .majority of our passengers, that I feel certain, If t~me had permitted of it, many ·would have laid theu persons and fortunes at their feet. IN CALIFORNIA. 359 A few days before we reached San Bias, where the majority of the Spaniards were expected to go ashore, one of the invalids, whose constitution had been broken do,vn by constant hardship and exposure in the mines, after great suffering, breathed his last. I happened to be standing at the foot of the ladder in the steerage, when I heard loud groans issuing from a dark bunk to my right ; and, going over to inquire \-vhat was the matter, found an elderly Spaniard 'vrithing in agony, and his son leaning over him, apparently in great embarrassment as to the course he should pursue. The attack, as far as I could judge from what he told me, was a sort of spasmodic cholera. I went irnmediately in search of the doctor; but before I could succeed in finding him, the man was dead. As we proceeded do,vn the coast, the land everywhere assumed a gree~er and fresher appearance, the result no doubt of the heavy dews that fall at this period of the year. We soon arrived at San Bias, a picturesque but apparently miniature town, partly screened fron1 our view by lofty trees and foliaD"e of the most luxuriant description. It lies about 21 o N. latitude, and is surrounded by low marshes, which re~(ler. t~e climate very unhealthy. During the rains, It IS completely abandoned by the inhabitants. The roadstead is good; but we had to wait a conside- |