546 
COLONEL WILLIAMS'S EANCHO. 
Book III. 
ancient Californian family, whose estates here number 
20,000 head of cattle. 1 
Owing to a sudden rise of the river, occasioned by the 
heavy rains during' the last few days, we were obliged to 
remain here nearly two days, and await the subsidence 
of the waters before we could cross over. Such rains at 
that time of the year were an unusual occurrence, and such 
as had not happened within the memory of man. 
The winter is the rainy season in California, but in the 
Colorado districts, on the other side of the mountains, it is 
the summer ; and the hard rains we encountered here, on 
the Santa Ana Eiver, were an exceptional transgression of 
the eastern climate upon the western side of the mountain- 
chain. The influence of such irregularities is very unfa- 
vourable to vegetation, causing the seeds of the annuals- 
clover, grasses, and oats — to germinate prematurely, and 
infallibly perish. A few such rains, therefore, may cause 
the destruction of thousands of cattle, no artificial means 
for feeding the cattle existing here. 
The hills and plains in this country, over which our 
route passed, were actually covered with immense herds. 
Leaving the property of the Yorbas family, we came to 
the estate of Colonel Williams, which has the name of 
Santa Ana del Chino, and on which are 10,000 cows. We 
encamped near the dwelling of the Colonel, who is well 
known for his kindness, to travellers. The distance hence 
to Los Angeles, to which place Mr. K. journeyed on 
before, to endeavour to dispose there at once of his waggons 
and mules, was thirty miles. Many of our drivers — in 
1 I learn from the Californian news- 
papers that a German colony has re- 
cently settled on the territory of the 
Hacienda de Santa Ana, the members 
of which turn thefr attention to the 
cultivation of the vine. A more favour- 
able situation cannot be imagined. 
