The men composing the Californian battalion, as I have before stated, have been drawn from many sources, and are roughly clad, and weather-beaten in their exterior appearance; but I feel it but justice here to state my belief, that no military party ever passed through an enemy’s country and observed the same strict regard for the rights of its population.  I never heard of an outrage, or even a trespass being committed by one of the American volunteers during our entire march.  Every American appeared to understand perfectly the duty which he owed to himself and others in this respect, and the deportment of the battalion might be cited as a model for imitation.  Distance 18 miles.

CHAPTER X.

  Tremendous rain
  Mission of San Luis Obispo
  Gardens
  Various fruits
  Farm
  Cactus tuna
  Calinche
  Pumpkins
  Trial of Tortoria Pico
  Procession of women
  Pico’s pardon
  Leave San Luis
  Surf of the Pacific
  Captain Dana
  Tempestuous night
  Mission of St. Ynes
  Effects of drought
  Horses exhausted
  St. Ynes Mountain
  View of the plain of Santa Barbara and the Pacific
  A wretched Christmas-day
  Descent of St. Ynes Mountain
  Terrible storm
  Frightful destruction of horses
  Dark night
  What we are fighting for
  Arrive at Santa Barbara
  Town deserted.

December 15.—­The rain fell in cataracts the entire day.  The small streams which flow from the mountains through, and water the valley of, San Luis Obispo, are swollen by the deluge of water from the clouds into foaming unfordable torrents.  In order not to trespass upon the population at the mission, in their miserable abodes of mud, the church was opened, and a large number of the soldiers were quartered in it.  A guard, however, was set day and night, over the chancel and all other property contained in the building, to prevent its being injured or disturbed.  The decorations of the church are much the same as I have before described.  The edifice is large, and the interior in good repair.  The floor is paved with square bricks.  I noticed a common hand-organ in the church, which played the airs we usually hear from organ-grinders in the street.

Besides the main large buildings connected with the church, there are standing, and partially occupied, several small squares of adobe houses, belonging to this mission.  The heaps of mud, and crumbling walls outside of these, are evidence that the place was once of much greater extent, and probably one of the most opulent and prosperous establishments of the kind in the country.  The lands surrounding the mission are finely situated for cultivation and irrigation if necessary.  There are several large gardens, inclosed by high and substantial walls, which now contain a great variety of fruit-trees and shrubbery.  I noticed the orange, fig, palm, olive, and grape.