December 22.—­Clear and pleasant.  Being of the party which performed rear-guard duty to-day, with orders to bring in all stragglers, we did not leave camp until several hours after the main body had left.  The horses of the caballada and the pack-animals were continually giving out and refusing to proceed.  Parties of men, exhausted, lay down upon the ground, and it was with much urging, and sometimes with peremptory commands only, that they could be prevailed upon to proceed.  The country bears the same marks of drought heretofore described, but fresh vegetation is now springing up and appears vigorous.  A large horse-trail loading into one of the canadas of the mountains on our left was discovered by the scouts, and a party was dispatched to trace it.  We passed one deserted rancho, and reached camp between nine and ten o’clock at night, having forced in all the men and most of the horses and pack-mules.  Distance 15 miles.

December 23.—­Rain fell steadily and heavily the entire day.  A small party of men was in advance.  Discovering in a brushy valley two Indians armed with bows and arrows, they were taken prisoners.  Learning from them that there was a caballada of horses secreted in one of the canadas, they continued on about ten miles, and found about twenty-five fresh fat horses, belonging to a Californian now among the insurgents below.  They were taken and delivered at the camp near the eastern base of the St. Ynes Mountain.  Passed this morning a rancho inhabited by a foreigner, an Englishman.

December 24.—­Cloudy and cool, with an occasional sprinkling rain.  Our route to-day lay directly over the St. Ynes Mountain, by an elevated and most difficult pass.  The height of this mountain is several thousand feet.  We reached the summit about twelve o’clock, and, our company composing the advance-guard, we encamped about a mile and a half in advance of the main body of the battalion, at a point which overlooks the beautiful plain of Santa Barbara, of which, and the ocean beyond, we had a most extended and interesting view.  With the spy-glass, we could see, in the plain far below us, herds of cattle quietly grazing upon the green herbage that carpets its gentle undulations.  The plain is dotted with groves, surrounding the springs and belting the small water-courses, of which there are many flowing from this range of mountains.  Ranchos are scattered far up and down the plain, but not one human being could be seen stirring.  About ten or twelve miles to the south, the white towers of the mission of Santa Barbara raise themselves.  Beyond is the illimitable waste of waters.  A more lovely and picturesque landscape I never beheld.  On the summit of the mountain, and surrounding us, there is a growth of hawthorn, manzinita (in bloom), and other small shrubbery.  The rock is soft sandstone and conglomerate, immense masses of which, piled one upon another, form a wall along the western brow of the mountain, through which there is a single pass or gateway about eight or ten feet in width.  The descent on the western side is precipitous, and appears almost impassable.  Distance 4 miles.