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Show 114 PERSONAL ADVENTURES the millions of oyster-shells I saw piled up on the beach, the trade must have been of no small importance. The country around the bay of La Paz is elevated and picturesque, though rugged; the soil being composed principally of rock and sand, wildly and irregularly covered with thB most prickly species of cacti, stunted bushes, and shrubs of sunburnt hue. The cocoa and the palm-tree rear their giant heads far above their forest brethren, amongst which they are abundantly interspersed, whilst here and there shoots up an enormous cactus, enhancing the novelty of the scene, and i1nparting to it quite an Oriental character. These 'vere my first impressions of La Paz, as I gazed at it from the deck of our vessel, now slowly sailing into the harbour. On the 22nd, we entered the town, march· ing up the principal street, which is very prettily and regularly built ; on each side, at the outer edge of the trottoirs, 'vere rows of green trees, whose overhanging foliage afforded us luxurious shelter from the intensely bot IN CALIFORNIA~ 115 rays of the sun. One of the houses I observed was completely dismantle·d. It had been of superior dimensions and architecture and belonged to the Mexican Governor, but' was pulled down by the natives during the recent fight, in consequence of his siding with the Americans. At the extrerne end of the street was a stone wall, or parapet, constructed so as to form a seat, and extending almost across the thoroughfare; it also had gaps in it, to perrnit the passage of the inhabitants, and beyond it were the remains of a beautiful orchard. ~orne of the houses were, as at Nlonterey, built of adobe, plastered over and whitewashed with flat roofs of the same rnaterial, but sur~ rounded by parapetted walls, which adapted them, in case of need, to the purpose of defence. Further on were numerous dilapidated dwellings, adobe and bamboo; devastated orchards · gardens trampled over and parched up for' want of the husbandman's care; vecretables and fruit in abundance, trodden into 5 rottenness · branches of trees broken and half burnt' ' |