The rain came down in a steady drizzle, as we anchored in our new haven,
but as the falling water thinned, and rolled partially along the land,
we discerned an endless succession of green gentle slopes and valleys,
with heights of just a medium between hills and mountains, rising
gradually from the shores of the bay, clothed and crowned with
magnificent vegetation. We did not call to mind any land naturally so
picturesque and beautiful. Afterwards, when our excursions had extended
for many leagues in all directions, we were ever amazed to perceive on
every side the loveliness of plain, hill, and valley still the same.
Indeed, for leagues in some directions it presented the appearance of
extensive artificial parks, decked and brilliant with a carpeting of
rich grasses and flowers, shaded by noble clusters of wide-spreading
oaks, all entirely free from undergrowth.
The town of Monterey, if it could be dignified by the title, we found a
mean, irregular collection of mud huts, and long, low, adobie dwellings,
strewn promiscuously over an easy slope, down to the water's edge. The
most conspicuous was the _duana_--Custom House--a spacious frame
building near the landing, which unquestionably had in times past been
the means of yielding immense revenues to the Mexican exchequer, but now
its roomy store-houses were empty and silent. Neither men nor
merchandise disturbed its quiet precincts. Notwithstanding the rain,
numbers of us resolved to dare the moisture, and I, for one, would wade
about on land, up to my neck in water, at any time to get quit of a ship
after forty days aquatic recreation; but here there was no resisting the
gratefully green appearance of the shores around us: we were soon stowed
in a boat--the oars dipped smart and strong in the water, and we went
merrily towards the land. Indeed I have invariably observed that
men-of-war's men are wont to use their arms with much vigor, on first
pulling on shore in a strange port; a physical characteristic which I am
led to attribute to a desire on their part to test the virtues of any
liquid compounds to be met with in the abodes of hospitable publicans.
The anchorage was barely half a mile from the shore, and in a few
minutes we disembarked at a little pier, that only partially served to
check the rolling swell from seaward; but what's a wet foot in a fit of
enthusiasm, or a heavy shower! Nothing, certainly, so we scrambled up
the slimy steps, and while on the point of giving a yell of delight, to
announce our arrival in California, my pedal extremities flew upwards
and down I sank, making a full length _intaglio_ in the yielding
mud--this was my first impression, but after getting decently scraped by
Jack's knives, I became less excitable, and took intense delight during
the course of the afternoon, in beholding my companions going through
precisely the same performances. By cautious navigation we reached the
main street, then our progress was dreadfully slow and laborious. The
mud--a sticky, red pigment, lay six good inches on the dryest level, and
at every step our feet were disengaged by a powerful jerk, and a deep,
gutteral noise from the slippy holes; occasionally, too, we were forced
to climb ungainly barricades of timber, with here and there a piece of
ordnance gazing ferociously out into the surrounding country. Although a
casual observer might naturally have supposed that the mud would have
offered a sufficient barrier to all the armies ever raised, still, as
trouble had been brewing, and most of the garrison withdrawn for an
expedition into the interior, these precautions were quite an imposing
display, which was, no doubt, all intended. At last, by dint of
perseverance, we attained a firm foothold in the barracks, and then had
breath and leisure to look around.
Monterey, before the war, contained about five hundred people, but on
our advent there was scarcely a native to be seen: all the men had gone
to join their belligerent friends in the southern provinces, leaving
their property and dwellings to be guarded by their wives and dogs; even
their ladies bore us no good will, and our salutations were returned by
a surly _adios_, extorted from closed teeth and scowling faces. The dogs
were more civil, and even when showing their fangs, were sagacious
enough to keep beyond the chastening reach of Yankee arms. There were a
goodly number of sentinels on the alert, prowling about, with heavy
knives in their girdles, and the locks of their rifles carefully
sheltered from the rain; and at night it became a matter of some bodily
danger for an indifferent person to come suddenly in view of one of
these vigilant gentlemen, for with but a tolerable ear for music he
might detect the sharp click of a rifle, and the hoarse caution of "Look
out, thar, stranger;" when if the individual addressed did not speedily
shout his name and calling, he stood the merest chance of having another
eyelet-hole drilled through his skull.
All this at the first rapid glance gave us no very bright anticipations;
everything looked triste and cheerless. Upon inquiring, too we were
shocked to learn there was nothing eatable to be had, nor what was yet
more melancholy, naught drinkable nor smokable: everybody was so much
occupied in making war, as to have entirely lost sight of their
appetites. We began to indulge the faintest suspicions that somehow or
other we had gotten into the wrong place, and that California was not so
charming a spot as we had been led to believe; however, there was no
appeal, and fortunately for our health and spirits, as we were leaning
listlessly over the piazza of the barracks, staring might and main at
the little church in the distance, we beheld a body of horsemen coming
slowly over the Verdant plains, and soon after they drew bridles, and
dismounted before us. The _cavallada_ of spare horses were driven into
the corral near by, and we were presented in due form to the riders. It
was the most impressive little band I ever beheld; they numbered sixty,
and, without exception, had gaunt bony frames like steel, dressed in
skins, with heavy beards and unshorn faces, with each man his solid
American rifle, and huge knife by the hip. With all their wildness and
ferocious appearance they had quite simple manners, and were perfectly
frank and respectful in bearing. Their language and phraseology were
certainly difficult for a stranger to comprehend, for many of them had
passed the greater portion of their lives as trappers and hunters among
the Rocky Mountains; but there was an air of indomitable courage
hovering about them, with powers to endure any amount of toil or
privation--men who wouldn't stick at scalping an Indian or a dinner of
mule meat;--and you felt assured in regarding them, that with a score of
such staunch fellows at your side you would sleep soundly, even though
the forests were alive with an atmosphere of Camanche yells. They were
the woodsmen of our far west, who on hearing of the disturbances in
California enrolled themselves for service in the Volunteer
Battalion--more by way of recreation, I imagine, than for glory or
patriotism. In truth, the natives had good reason to regard them with
terror.
We soon became quite sociable, and after a hearty supper of fried beef
and biscuit, by some miraculous dispensation a five-gallon keg of
whiskey was uncorked, and, after a thirty days' thirst, our new-found
friends slaked away unremittingly. Many were the marvellous adventures
narrated of huntings, fightings, freezings, snowings, and starvations;
and one stalwart bronzed trapper beside me, finding an attentive
listener, began,--"The last time, Captin, I cleared the Oregon trail,
the Ingens fowt us amazin' hard. Pete," said he, addressing a friend
smoking a clay pipe by the fire, with a half pint of corn-juice in his
hand, which served to moisten his own clay at intervals between every
puff,--"Pete, do you notice how I dropped the red skin who pit the
poisoned arrer in my moccasin! Snakes, Captin, the varmints lay thick as
leaves behind the rocks; and bless ye, the minit I let fall old Ginger
from my jaw, up they springs, and lets fly their flint-headed arrers in
amongst us, and one on 'em wiped me right through the leg. I tell yer
what it is, hoss, I riled, I did, though we'd had tolerable luck in the
forenoon--for I dropped two and a squaw and Pete got his good
six--barrin' that the darned villians had hamstrung our mule, and we
were bound to see the thing out. Well, Captin, as I tell ye, I'm not
weak in the jints, but it's no joke to hold the heft of twenty-three
pounds on a sight for above ten minits on a stretch; so Pete and me
scrouched down, made a little smoke with some sticks, and then we moved
off a few rods, whar we got a clar peep; for better than an hour we seed
nothin', but on a suddin I seed the chap--I know'd him by his
paintin'--that driv the arrer in my hide; he was peerin' around quite
bold, thinkin' we'd vamosed; I jist fetched old Ginger up and drawed a
bee line on his cratch, and, stranger, I giv him sich a winch in the
stomach that he dropped straight into his tracks; he did! in five jumps
I riz his har, and Pete and me warn't troubled agin for a week." With
such pleasant converse we beguiled the time until the night was somewhat
advanced; when, finding a vacant corner near the blazing fire, with a
saddle for pillow, I sank into profound slumber, and never awoke to
consciousness until the band was again astir at sunrise.