106 DON ESTUDILLO. 



against the savages. Both these requests were 

 immediately granted ; and Don Estudillo him- 

 self offered to command our escort. 



My companions on this journey were Dr. 

 Eschscholz, Mr. Hoffman, two of my officers, two 

 sailors, Don Estudillo, and four dragoons, making 

 altogether a party of twelve. On the evening 

 previous to the day for our departure, Estudil- 

 lo came to the ship with his four dragoons, the 

 latter well armed, and accoutred in a panoply 

 of leather. He himself, in the old Spanish cos- 

 tume, with a heavy sword, still heavier spurs, 

 a dagger and pistols in his belt, and a staff in 

 his hand, was a good personification of an adven- 

 turer of the olden time. He assured us that 

 we could not be too cautious, since we should 

 pass through a part of the country inhabited 

 by " ios Indianos bravos :"" we therefore also 

 made a plentiftd provision of arms, and were 

 ready, as soon as the first beams of morning 

 glimmered on the tops of the mountains, to set 

 forward in our barcasse for the mission of St. 

 Gabriel, lying on the northern shore of the bay, 

 whence our land journey was to commence. 



The weather was beautiful, the wind per- 



