ijo Audubon's Western Journal 



of what might be called California; the pleasure I 

 felt then is and will be a lasting one. 



Passing the dividing line, we began our descent 

 following another stream, adorned on both sides 

 with the most magnificent California oaks and 

 sycamores ; not so excessively large, but of splendid 

 form and broad spreading shade and foliage, in 

 full tropical luxuriance. At sundown, far down 

 the valley of Santa Maria, we rejoined our camp, 

 and found all well, and Mr. Browning treated me 

 to a pound or two of most delicious grapes. They 

 tasted so refreshing and delicious, that for a few 

 minutes I forgot everything else, all my anxieties 

 for the termination of our long and tedious journey, 

 with the attendant troubles and difficulties seemed 

 smoothed over. 



\_No date.'] We arrived today at Santa Maria 

 itself, twenty miles further on our way, really 

 enjoying our march through this beautiful valley. 



San Diego Mission. November jd. We spent 

 the night at Santa Maria and then left for San 

 Diego; the country contains many lovely valleys, 

 and some of the hills are beautiful, and richly 

 covered with wild oats, possessing all but water 

 and wood to make it a most desirable land for the 

 farmer. At sundown we reached the Mission of 

 San Diego,^ once evidently beautiful and com- 



^ Charles Franklin Carter's Missions of Nueva California 

 (San Francisco, 1900), gives a good description of the present 



