414 
SANTA CRUZ 
upon the walls and ceiling still remained, consisting 
of crucifixes, doves, and other sacred emblems, sur- 
rounded by inscriptions, scrolls, and flowers, which 
displayed more taste than we had before seen in such 
buildings. Several wooden figures still stood about 
the altar ; but the pictures were all gone. Bats were 
already in full possession of the edifice, and hung from 
the projecting walls and corners, like so many black 
ornaments; while the swallows which were flitting 
about us had also taken up their abode here, and 
added their mud-built nests to its interior decorations. 
This was one of the richest missions in Sonora; and 
its property in cattle was so extensive, that (as we were 
afterwards told) the increase of a single year amount- 
ed to ten thousand head. In the valley below and im- 
mediately adjoining the building, stood the orchard; 
well stocked with apples, pomegranates, peaches, and 
quinces. These last we found in the greatest profu- 
sion, the trees still bending with their loads of fruit. 
There are two varieties of the quince here, one hard 
and tart like our own, the other sweet and eatable 
in its raw state, yet preserving the rich flavor of the 
former. The Mexicans gathered and ate them like 
apples ; but I found them still too hard for my diges- 
tive organs. We gathered a few, which we afterwards 
stewed ; they were then very palatable, and in a meas- 
ure supplied the place of vegetables. The valley here 
is more than half a mile wide, and seems once to have 
been well cultivated. 
Proceeding down the valley, we noticed many 
ruined ranchos, corrals, and other remains of a civil- 
ized community, now overgrown with tall grass and 
