188 MR. HARTWEG'S JOURNAL OF A MISSION TO CALIFORNIA. 



Abronia rosea, and A. mellifera. These two species, the former 

 with pink and the latter with orange flowers, are spreading on 

 the sands near the seashore, and delightfully scent the air with 

 their perfume towards evening. 



Another excursion, which I made to the Rancho de Tularcitos, 

 led over the mission of Carmel. This, like all other missions in 

 California since their breaking up in 1836, is in a sad state of 

 neglect ; the buildings are fast falling to ruin, and the lands 

 nearly in the same wilderness as the first settlers found them. 

 The Indians, who were employed by the friars as labourers, and 

 held in a state of slavery, were then thrown upon their own 

 means for subsistence. The greater part went to the Tietar 

 valley, from whence they commit their depredations upon the 

 property of the white settlers, chiefly carrying off herds of horses, 

 which form their principal food. 



Following up the narrow valley of the Carmel river I entered 

 a beautiful wood of alders, willows, and plane-trees, some of the 

 latter attaining the height of 80 feet, and 12 in circumference. 

 Of herbaceous plants I observed two species of Solidago, Nos. 

 118 and 119; Mimulus cardinalis ; Labiata, No. 122; Ascle- 

 pias, Nos. 127, 117; an annual, No. 120, with an extremely 

 powerful smell, which, if inhaled in excess, produces bleeding 

 at the nose. Of shrubs, a half-climbing Caprifolium, with small 

 dingy flowers ; Clematis, No. 121 ; Cercocarpus sp. ; and oh 

 rocky ground, a patch of Berberis aquifolium. The sides of the 

 mountains, which attain no great elevation, are thinly covered 

 with oaks. 



The higher parts, near the Rancho de Tularcitos, are occupied 

 by Pinus macrocarpa, which rise to the height of 80 to 100 feet, 

 with a stem of 6 to 8 feet in circumference. The larger trees 

 had not yet ripened their cones, but the smaller ones, of twenty 

 to thirty years' growth, ripen theirs at different periods, and fur- 

 nished me with a few cones. On my return thence, over El 

 Toro, a high mountain destitute of trees or shrubs, but thickly 

 covered with wild oats (A venae species), I found, on the north 

 side, in a ravine, a few small trees of Pinus Sabiniana, the 

 highest of them not exceeding 30 feet. In this situation they 

 appear to produce their cones when yet very young. Some trees, 

 measuring from 8 to 10 feet in height, and of as many years' 

 growth, had cones on them, which, like the foregoing species, 

 seem to ripen about November. 



On August the 23rd I embarked on board the bark * Joven 

 Guipuzcoana,' whose owner, Don Jose Antonio Aguirre, invited 

 me to take a trip with him up to the Bay of San Francisco. I 

 gladly accepted this invitation ; the more so, as I intended to 

 visit the valley of the Sacramento river, where I possibly might 



