t.792. Jp t} 1 i.s valley, near the fides of the Carmelo, a few acres of land exhi-
' _ 1 bited a tolerably good plant o f wheat; but as the foil here, as well as at
Monterrey, is of a light fandy nature, its produftions are confequently
inferior to the other two miffions Ihadvifited; yet I was given to under-
ftand, that the interior country here, like that at St. Francifco, improves,
in point of fertility, as it retires from the ocean.
On our return to the convent, we found a mod excellent repad ferved"
■ with great neatnels, in a plealant bower condrudled for that purpofe in
the garden of the midion. After dinner we were entertained with the
methods praftifed by the Indians in taking deer, and other animals, b y
irritating them. They equip themfelves in a drefs confiding of the head
and hide of the creature they mean to take; with this, when properly put
on and adjuded, they refort to the place where the game is expeBed,
and there walk about on their hands and feet, counterfeiting all the actions
of the animal they are in qued of; thefe they perform remarkably
well, particularly m the watchfulnels and the manner in -which deer
feeds. By thefe means they can, nearly to a certainty, get within two
or three yards of the deer, when they take an opportunity o f its attention
being direfted to fome other objea, and difeharge their arrows from
their fecreted bow, which is done in a very dooping attitude.; and the
fird or fecond feldom fails to be fatal. The whole was fo extremely
well contrived and executed, that I am convinced a dranger would not
eafily have, difcovered the deception.
Monday 5. In the evening I returned on board, and was the next day honored
with the company of mod of the party to dinner; including Sen13- Ar-
guello, the governor’s wife, and feme ■ other ladies of the prefidio; but
the- motion of the Ihip", though very inconfiderable, greatly to my difap-
pointment obliged the ladies, and indeed fome o f the gentlemen, very
foon to retire.
The various employments which condantly engaged my time when on
board, joined to my attendance on the obfervatory on fhore, left me
but little leifure to indulge either in exercife, or focial entertainment;
nor was it without much difficulty, that I now and then fnatched a few
hours
hours of relaxation, to partake o f the fociety of our attentive and hofpitable
friends. 1---- — -
It was not until the qth that my arrangements permitted me to make Sunday 9.
another diort excurfion with Sen1'' Quadra and our numerous friends,
to dine at the garden of the prefidio. This fpot might contain about
four acres of land, fituated in a valley about a league to the eaftward of
the prefidio. Its foil, like the generality in this neighbourhood, when
compared with that o f S“ Clara, could be confidered only as indifferently
good; it is however greatly benefited by a fine ftream o f water
that runs clofe paft it, and enables the gardener to keep it properly
moift in dry weather, and in the rainy feafon o f december, january, and
february, prevents its being floated. With thefe advantages it generally
produces a great abundance of thé feveral kitchen vegetables, with fome
fruit; but in confequence of the many veffels, that have been employed
on the coaft o f North Weft America this feafon, reforting hither for re-
frefhments, both on their paffage from and on their return to St. Bias,
the produftions o f this and the only other garden at St. Carlos were
nearly exhaufted. Were a little labour however bellowed on the cultivation
o f an additional fpace for this effential purpofe, a fcarcity would
not be likely to happen ; as the foil feems well adapted -to horti-culture,
and the climate produces a perpetual fpring. O f this we had manifeft
proof by feeing peas, beans, lettuces, cabbages, and various other efcu-
lent plants, fome fpringing from the ground, and fome in perfection,
whilft others had produced their feed or were fallen to decay.
This garden, though fituated at a pleafant diftdnce for an excurfion,
was not provided with any fixed accommodation for vifitors. The only
places of fhelter near it, (for they could fcarcely be ealled houfes) were a
few miferable mud huts, the refidence of the gardener, and a few fol-
diers who are ftationed there for its prote&ion. This deficiency afforded
to Sen'- Paries a fecond opportunity o f exercifing his genius, in
the conllruttion of another temporary bower for our reception, fimilar
to that which he had erected in the garden o f the miffion at St. Carlos,
dn both he had fucceeded much to the approbation of all his friends,
4 who
t