194 
CALIFORNIA ILLUSTRATED. 
After making two or three miles, we were brought to a dead 
stand on a sand-bar; our boatmen backed up, we mounted and 
were carried to the shore. They succeeded in getting the bungo 
over the shoal and we reembarked half a mile below. 
It will be imagined that we had but little spare room in our 
craft after putting in eleven trunks, as many traveling-bags, as 
many pairs of blankets, and fifteen human beings. This was the 
case ; and some of our passengers having tasted the luxury of a 
California life, looked upon our voyage down the river as a 
hardship unendurable, and censured the fellow-passenger who 
had made the contract. The latter worthy, feeling it an unjust 
imputation, gave the dissatisfied gentlemen above mentioned 
the privilege of taking passage in any craft that might come 
along. This led to personalities, and the feelings of our party 
were immediately in a state of ferment; brandy did not serve to 
allay the excitement, but seemed to add fuel, and we were on 
the eve of spontaneous combustion. 
We arrived at a rancho, where it was proposed to dine. Here 
commenced a dissertation on “poco tiempo,” (little time). These 
two words constitute almost the entire vocabulary of a native. 
Ask him how far it is to a rancho, “ poco tiempo,” how far it is 
to water, “ poco tiempo.” If they are employed by you, and you 
allow them to stop under any pretext, they never start, but are 
always on the point of so doing ; it is “ poco tiempo.” 
We had contracted to be taken through by daylight, and we 
had no time to spare; but after dinner the crew and “ el capitan ” 
must have their u swsta.” We would urge them to start, but they 
were fatigued, they would start 11 poco tiempo.” They would 
11 caro agua ,” or“ caro cognac ,” and after a detention of two hours 
we got into the bungo and were in the act of shoving off, when 
they consented to come on board, and we were again under way. 
I omitted our bill of fare at the above rancho. Our worthy 
hostess was on the shady side of forty, and surrounded by half 
a dozen u muchachos ,” all as naked at they came into the world. 
Our hostess had paid a little more attention to her toilet, and 
seemed dressed with an express view to comfort, her entire 
wardrobe consisting of a pair slippers and a Panama hat. Our 
first dish was a stew of lizards and carna ; this was served out in 
gourd-shells, which were held to our mouths, and the pieces of 
