cockfighting, racing, fandangoing, hunting, fishing, sailing, and so
forth, time passes quickly away. Its salubrity is remarkable; there has
never been any disease--indeed sickness of any kind is unknown. No
toothache nor other malady, and no spleen; people die by accident or
from old age; indeed the Montereyans have an old proverb, "El que quiere
morir que se vaya del pueblo"--that is to say, "He who wishes to die
must leave the city."

While remaining there I had rather a perilous adventure. I had gone with
some of my friends to a great fishing party at the entrance of the bay,
which, by-the-bye, is one of the finest in the world, being twenty-four
miles in length and eighteen in breadth. The missionary, Padre Marini,
not being very well, had an idea that the sea-air would do him good, and
joined our company. We had many boats; the one in which the Padre and I
embarked was a well-shaped little thing, which had belonged to some
American vessel. It was pulled with two oars, and had a small mast
and sail.

Our fishing being successful, we were all in high glee, and we went on
shore to fry some of our victims for our afternoon's meal. During the
conversation, somebody spoke of some ancient ruins, fifteen miles north,
at the entrance of a small creek. The missionary was anxious to see
them, and we agreed that our companions should return to Monterey while
he and I would pass the night where we were, and proceed the next
morning on an exploring expedition to the ruins. We obtained from
another boat a large stone jug of water, two blankets, and a
double-barrelled gun. As soon as our companions quitted us, we pulled
the boat round to the northern point of the bay, and having selected
proper quarters for the night, we made a kind of shelter on the beach
with the oars, mast and sail, and lighted a fire to make ourselves more