SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. 493 
I wished to take a view of the town. There had been 
a large fortress here, with bastions; but it was now, 
and seemed long to have been, in a ruinous condition. 
Cannon of large calibre lay near the ports, where they — 
were originally placed, just discoverable beneath the 
dense shrubbery and weeds which filled the inclosure. 
Their heavy carriages had entirely rotted way. I 
seated myself on an old gun, but had no sooner com- 
menced my sketch than I was enveloped with a cloud 
of sand-flies and mosquitoes. In vain did I endeavor to 
beat them off, my friends lending me their assistance. 
My face, hands, and paper were literally covered with 
the pests. I submitted with as good a grace as I 
could, until the smarting pain of their bite compelled 
me to relinquish my task without obtaining the object 
for which I came. I returned to the house of my 
courteous friend, with whom I took tea, and at ten 
o'clock returned to the ship. The prrsans population 
of San Blas is two thousand. 
January 15th. At sea, having Satse during the 
night. Found our brig far more comfortable, in con- 
sequence of the reduced number of passengers. 
January 17th. At sea, with alight wind off shore. 
In the afternoon found ourselves off the volcanoes of 
Colima, bearing east. Near the shore was a large and 
remarkably white rock, rising abruptly from the sea — 
as high as the mast head. By this our captain was 
enabled to find the opening to the bay of Manzanillo, 
to which place we were now destined. There isa great 
uniformity in the thousand miles of Pacific coast which 
Ihave traced. A chain of mountains extends the entire 
length, and often rises abruptly from the shore. Even 
