In the evening several of the brothers, sisters, and brothers and sisters-in-law of the family collected, and the guitar and violin, which were suspended from a beam in the house, were taken down, and we were entertained by a concert of instrumental and vocal music.  Most of the tunes were such as are performed at fandangos.  Some plaintive airs were played and sung with much pathos and expression, the whole party joining in the choruses.  Although invited to occupy the only room in the house, we declined it, and spread our blankets on the outside.

The next morning (January 31st), when we woke, the sun was shining bright and warm, and the birds were singing gayly in the grove of evergreen oaks near the house.  Having made ready to resume our journey, as delicately as possible we offered our kind hostess compensation for the trouble we had given her, which she declined, saying, that although they were not rich, they nevertheless had enough and to spare.  We however insisted, and she finally accepted, with the condition that we would also accept of some of her quesadillas and tortillas to carry along with us.  The ranchero mounted his horse and rode with us about three or four miles, to place us on the right trail, when, after inviting us very earnestly to call and see him again, and bidding us an affectionate adios, he galloped away.

Travelling over a hilly country, and passing the ruins of several deserted ranchos, the grounds surrounding which were strewn with the bones of slaughtered cattle, we reached, about five o’clock P.M., a cluster of houses in the valley of Santa Clara River, ten miles east of the mission of San Buenaventura.  Here we stopped at the house of a man named Sanchez.  Our arrival was thought to be worthy of notice, and it was accordingly celebrated in the evening by a fandango given at one of the houses, to which we were invited.  The company, to the number of some thirty or forty persons, young and old, were assembled in the largest room of the house, the floor being hard clay.  The only furniture contained in the room was a bed and some benches, upon which the company seated themselves when not engaged in dancing.

Among the senoritas assembled were two daughters of an American named Chapman, who has been a resident of the country for many years.  They were fair-skinned, and might be called handsome.  An elder and married sister was also present.  They called themselves Americans, although they did not speak our language, and seemed to be more proud of their American than their Spanish blood.