Our camp this night was in a nice watering place, where dry oak wood was plenty and grass abundant.  It was at the foot of the San Fernando Mountain, not rocky, as we had found our road some time before, but smooth and covered with grass.  It was rather steep to climb, but an infant compared with the great mountains so rough and barren, we had climbed on our way from Death Valley.  Our present condition and state of mind was an anomalous one.  We were happy, encouraged, grateful and quite contented in the plenty which surrounded us, and still there was a sort of puzzling uncertainty as to our future, the way to which seemed very obscure.  In the past we had pushed on our very best and a kind Providence had kept us.  This we did now, but still revolved the best plans and the most fortunate possibilities in our minds.  We talked of the time when we should be able to show hospitality to our friends, and to strangers who might need our open hand as we had needed the favors which strangers had shown us in the last few days.

We ate our supper of good meat, with a dessert of good beans our kind friends had given us, and enjoyed it greatly.  As we sat in silence a flock of the prettiest, most graceful birds came marching along, and halted as if to get a better view of our party.  We admired them so much that we made not a move, but waited, and they fearlessly walked on again.  We could see that there were two which were larger than the rest, and from twelve to twenty smaller ones.  The little top-knot on the head and their symmetrical forms made them specially attractive, and Mrs. Bennett and the children were much pleased.  The beauty of the California quail is especially striking to one who sees them for the first time.

In the morning we began to climb the hill, getting along very well indeed, for our raw-hide moccasins were now dry and hard and fitted the foot perfectly.  We did not try to make great speed, but kept steadily on, and as we were used to climbing, we reached the summit easily.  From this elevation we could get a fine view of the big grassy plain that seemed to extend as far as the eye could reach and, not far from us, the buildings and gardens of the San Fernando Mission.  If we could shut out the mountains the landscape would remind us of a great Western prairie.  We never could get over comparing this country with the desolate Death Valley, for it seemed as if such strange and striking opposites could hardly exist.

We rested here a little while and then wound our way down the hill to the level land.  A few miles brought us to the mission houses and the church of San Fernando.  There was not much life about them, in fact they seemed comparatively deserted, for we saw only one man and a few Indians.  The man brought some oranges and gave the children one each.  After a little rest we moved on over our road which was now quite smooth and gently descending.  Night overtook us in a place where there was no water, but we camped and suffered no inconvenience.  A stream was passed next day, and a house near by unoccupied.  The road now began to enter gently rolling hills covered with big grass and clover, which indicated rich soil, and we never get tired of talking about it.