They have also another delightful characteristic, which indeed the men share with them; I mean a beautiful voice, soft and tremulous among the women, rich, sonorous, and majestic among their lords.

An American traveller has said: "a common bullock-driver on horseback, delivering a message, seemed to speak like an ambassador to an audience.

In fact, the Californians appear to be a people on whom a curse had fallen, and stripped them of everything but their pride, their manners and their voices." There is always much amusement in Monterey; and what betwixt cockfighting, racing, fandangoing, hunting, fishing, sailing, and so forth, time passes quickly away.

Its salubrity is remarkable; there has never been any disease--indeed sickness of any kind is unknown.

No toothache nor other malady, and no spleen; people die by accident or from old age; indeed the Montereyans have an old proverb, "El que quiere morir que se vaya del pueblo"-- that is to say, "He who wishes to die must leave the city." While remaining there I had rather a perilous adventure.