Through Arizona to San Diego 169 



were very tired, and I have stayed here, leaving 

 Mess 6, consisting of Joseph Lambert, Ayres, Weed 

 and Steele five miles behind to wait for Bachman 

 and Walsh. The rest started v^ith John Stevens 

 in charge, for Santa Isabella. I ascended the first 

 hill, and had a view of the long rows of cotton- 

 woods bordering the irrigating ditches of the once 

 highly cultivated, but now deserted. Mission 

 grounds. Desolation reigned everywhere, decayed 

 stumps of gigantic trees planted by hand, indica- 

 tions of shrines, from the clumps of beautiful 

 cedars by which they are so frequently surrounded, 

 and other tokens of industry, told of the comfort 

 that had formerly been enjoyed in this lovely 

 valley. The hills to the east are all bare, but those 

 to the west have many beautiful live oaks, running 

 up the deep ravines that are between each sharp 

 ridge. 



\No date.'] As we rode up the valley, entering 

 the mountains, the contrast between the scene 

 before us, and the desert we had just left, was like 

 coming into Paradise, and we trotted along the 

 banks of a clear little brook, and sauntered on 

 through patches of wild sage and wild oats, the 

 first we had seen, with real pleasure. As we 

 reached the top of the ridge, one of those beautiful 

 natural parks, to be seen only in our southern 

 latitudes,wasbeforeus,and we had the first glimpse 



