184 HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



ludicrous. The females, some of whom have rather 

 pretty faces, and particularly fine eyes, were dressed . 

 out in the most tawdry finery, with divers furbelows, 

 flounces, and ruffles, encircling the shoulders, where 

 the dress begins, and terminating somewhere about 

 or below the knee. Some of the younger ones were 

 entirely model artiste, at least so far as their clothing 

 was concerned, but the forms of most were rather 

 indifferent. Many were sitting or lounging about the 

 doors or in the cabins, eating tamarinds, oranges, and 

 other fruit, surrounded by hairless dogs, pigs, naked 

 children, turkey-buzzards, and some other little live 

 stock, forming altogether quite a congruous and homo- 

 geneous mixture. 



"Ina country like this, where the temperature is 

 so nearly alike throughout the year, there is a natural 

 tendency to indolence and sloth, and it is remarkable 

 what an influence the climate exerts on the character 

 of the people. Here nature with a bounteous hand 

 spontaneously fructifies the earth, and the natives, 

 with few wants to supply, pluck the fruit and are 

 satisfied ; and with few necessities for enterprise and 

 industry, such is their love of indolence, that all the 

 charms of existence appear to consist in dreaming 

 away life in quiet and repose. Basking beneath a 

 tropical sun, or listlessly reclining on nature's downy 

 couch, days — years — are passed in drowsy languor 

 and supine sloth. 



" But the influx of men from rougher climes and 

 bleaker regions will probably exercise a salutary influ- 

 ence, by showing them the advantages of industry 

 and patient toil. Already they begin to perceive 

 this, to some extent, and though such dear lovers of 

 money, that in closing a bargain they will jabber their 



