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Show 80 PERSONAL ADVE~TURES more earnestness than discrirnination, until they discovered their mistake, and confined their operations to the Spaniards, whotn they compelled to retreat, breathing vows of vengeance. The quarrel had originated in a gambling-house, in consequence of one of the party, a Spaniard, being detecterl in the act of cheatino· an American, who resented the 0 dishonesty by knocking him down. This man, it appears, was waylaid on his road ho1ne ; but, seeing son1e of the Spanish party prowl- . ing about, he changed his itinerary, and made for another house, where he expected to find some of his companions. Fortune favoured him in this matter, and they vvere all returning together, when the natives sud· denly fell upon them. The pistol 've had heard went off accidentally in the scuffle without injuring any one. These scenes 'vere of frequent occurrence, and were indeed so common, that no one heeded them. I passed the remainder. of the night most miserably, though, on the,vhole, we all managed to turn out pretty fresh at muster. After IN CALIFORNIA. 81 parade we were induced, by the representations of the old volunteers, to discard our heavy rnilitary hats, and substitute a light cap, as being more suited to the climate. The olu volunteers, I may remark, wore no uniform, but had adopted a costume partly Spanish, partly Arnerican; nothing but their 'veapons and their belts, except, perhaps, the dexterity with which they handled the forrner, denoting that they belonged to the tnilitary force. As soon as I found myself again at liberty, I renewed n1y excursion into the town, rny first visit being to the church, which stood near our quarters. It is a small edifice, strongly built, and of sitnple style; the only ornaments consisting of a few mouldings over the gothic porch, and on each side of it a niche, intended to contain the statue of a saint. The walls in the interior are whitewashed over, and \vere, when I sa'v thern, extremely dingy and dirty. They are ornaInented \Vith paintings, very indifferent copies of celebrated originals : one of these represented the passion of Christ · another the ' ' E 5 |