PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 47 



peared to lead a comfortable life, though not over well 

 provided with its luxuries. 



We will not, however, pry too narrowly into the 

 internal arrangements of the good fathers' dwelling ; 

 let it suffice, that they gave our travellers a cordial 

 welcome, and entertained them at their board in a 

 most hospitable manner. After joining them in a 

 dram of aquadente, they allowed their guests to retire 

 to their sleeping apartment, where, stretched upon 

 couches of bull-hide as tough and impenetrable as the 

 cuirass of their friend the dragoon (who left them at 

 this place), they soon fell asleep — thanks to exces- 

 sive weariness — and slept as soundly as las pulgas 

 would let them. 



Having breakfasted the following morning with the 

 padres, and being provided with fresh horses, a new 

 escort and vaqueros, the party was about to start, but 

 were delayed by the punishment of an Indian who 

 had stolen a blanket, for which he received two 

 dozen lashes with a leathern thong upon that part of 

 the human frame, which, we learn from Hudibras, is the 

 most susceptible of insult. Some other Indians were 

 observed to be heavily shackled, but the causes of 

 their punishment were not stated. 



A beautiful avenue of trees, nearlv three miles in 

 length, leads from the mission to the pueblo of San 

 Jose, the largest settlement of the kind in Upper 

 California. It consists of mud houses miserably 

 provided in every respect, and contains about 500 

 inhabitants — retired soldiers and their families, who 

 under the old government were allowed the privilege 

 of forming settlements of this nature, and had a 

 quantity of ground allotted to them for the use of 

 their cattle. They style themselves G^nte de Raz6n, 



