178 Audubon s Western Journal 



absence of wood gives an appearance to all the 

 hills, of old fields, but many of the valleys are 

 truly beautiful ; fine sycamores, oaks and cotton- 

 woods along the water making everything look 

 refreshing to a degree that none can realize but 

 those who have been for weeks exposed to sun and 

 rain, keen winds and cold nights, without woods 

 for shelter or fire; in cooking we have often had 

 to keep up a fire with weeds, some men attending 

 to this, while the others fried our meat, made 

 coffee, and what we called bread. 



Los Angeles. This "city of the angels" is any- 

 thing else, unless the angels are fallen ones. An 

 antiquated, dilapidated air pervades all, but 

 Americans are pouring in, and in a few years will 

 make a beautiful place of it. It is well watered by 

 a pretty little river, led ofif in irrigating ditches 

 like those at San Antonio de Bexar. The whole 

 to\vn is surrounded to the south with very luxuriant 

 vines, and the grapes are quite delightful; we 

 parted from them with great regret, as fruit is such 

 a luxury to us. Many of the men took bushels, 

 and only paid small sums for them. 



The hills to the north command the whole town, 

 and will be the place for the garrison. 



San Pedro, twenty-seven miles south-west, is the 

 port, and is said to have a good harbor. All the 

 country round is rolling, and in many places almost 

 mountainous. Before you get to the Coast Range 



