176 Audubon's Western Journal 



The Mission of Luis Rey,-^ as it is now called, 

 now in the possession of the Americans, is kept by 

 an old Mexican; it presents, as you get the first 

 view of it going north, one of the most impressive 

 scenes I can recall ; its long row of low, but regular 

 arches, the fa9ade whitewashed, and the church 

 at the east end, with many outlying buildings 

 covered with red tiles, the whole standing in a 

 broad valley running eastward for miles, until the 

 view ends in the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada, 

 compels the traveller to pause and to admire. 



As we stood looking at all this, from a hill higher 

 than the one on which we were, swooped a Califor- 

 nia vulture, coming towards us until, at about fifty 

 yards, having satisfied his curiosity, though not 

 mine, he rose in majestic circles high above us, and 

 with a sudden dash took a straight line, somewhat 

 inclining downwards, towards the mountains 

 across the valley and was lost to sight, from actual 

 distance. 



The garden of the Mission has been beautiful, 

 and we found it still well stocked with vines, olives, 

 figs, etc., but the same desolation is visible every- 

 where through this country of splendid soil, which 

 here is rather sandy. There is still lack of wood 

 and water, irrigation has been universal. 



^ San Luis Rey was reoccupied and a Franciscan college 

 established there in 1893. 



