290 
SCE N E S IN T II E 
P A C I F I C. 
Don was less brave, patriotic, or in any other sense less a 
Californian cavallero, than Alvarado, he is desired to suspend 
the expression of such an unworthy opinion until he shall 
have read the following account of a campaign which, I am 
credibly informed, is considered by the warriors of that coun¬ 
try the most remarkably glorious on record. 
In the spring of 1838, a courier arrived from Santa Bar¬ 
bara, bearing a message of mighty import from the illustrious 
Don Carlos Antonio Carrillo to Alvarado the Conqueror. 
Its purport was that the high-—mighty—invincible—and 
ever-to-be-dreaded Central Government at Mexico, had bared 
its puissant arm, stretched it out, raised it up, brought it down, 
and at a single blow, made and put together a gentleman 
Don, to w T it, Don Carlos Antonio Carrillo, and constituted 
him the Goubernador del Alta California: and with the ex¬ 
ercise of the like resistless power had ordered the said Alva¬ 
rado—villain—robber—slave—to surrender, lay down, and 
for ever after eschew the sceptre of Goubernador del Alta 
California ; unto which message His Excellency, in the true 
Castilian spirit, and with as much good sense as any one had 
a right to expect of him, Alvarado the Conqueror, replied. 
“ On seeing the commission of my successor, and on finding 
it conformable to the usages of the Nation ; and on obtaining 
from him my said successor, a guaranty of safety to my per¬ 
son and property, and also to the persons and property of 
those who acted with me in the Revolution of 1836, I will 
resign the reins of government into the hands of my illustri¬ 
ous uncle. Otherwise not—never!” This response of the 
lofty Alvarado was soon en route towards the dwelling-place 
of the Don. But the mountainous character of the country 
over which its bearer passed retarded its speed so much that 
the sixth day had well nigh closed before the indignation of 
that exalted man was fired at the story of Alvarado’s inso¬ 
lence. It was fortunate, undoubtedly, that so much time was 
allowed to elapse between the development of the courage 
necessary to enable the Don to send the messenger to Alva- 
