El Camino Real 199 



I first visited Pala and Pauma, ten miles nearer the 

 desert, to see the Fiesta of San Luis Rey. A ramdda 

 had been built, an oblong shelter of brush, arranged 

 with booths along the sides, in the centre of which was 

 the dancing-floor. All the country people, the first 

 families and all the rest, for miles around, had come in, 

 mostly Mexicans, and a scattering of Indians, who were 

 camping in the vicinity. During the day there were 

 horse-races and games of various kinds. The old 

 Indians danced and sang, but the chief display was at 

 night when the ramdda was lighted with lanterns. It 

 was " on with the dance, let joy be unconfined," in the 

 most solemn fashion. The ramdda was a miniature 

 village. One booth was a butcher-shop. The owner 

 of the next sold fruit ; then came a barroom, where 

 "dago red" and poor whisky were retailed. A monte 

 " outfit," or the wheel of fortune, followed, or roulette ; 

 and in the next the national game of poker was ex- 

 ploited by several gentlemen of fortune from Los 

 Angeles. 



As darkness grew apace, the young Mexican women 

 took seats around the dancing-floor, and a violin and 

 guitar began to pour forth the melodious strains of 

 La Paloma. A young man would steal up behind 

 the woman of his fancy and break a cascardn on her 

 raven locks they were all raven and over them would 

 fall, like snowflakes, masses of gold, silver, and coloured 

 paper, which had filled the egg. It was a Spanish 

 invitation to dance, and the lady thus decorated rose, 



