In fact, the Californians appear to be a
people on whom a curse had fallen, and stripped them of everything but
their pride, their manners and their voices."
There is always much amusement in Monterey; and what betwixt
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.
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