Don Juan had with him a retainer, who was as much like many of the characters in Gil Blas as his master.  He called himself a private secretary, though there was no writing for him to do, and he lived in the steerage with the carpenter and sailmaker.  He was certainly a character; could read and write well; spoke good Spanish; had been over the greater part of Spanish America, and lived in every possible situation, and served in every conceivable capacity, though generally in that of confidential servant to some man of figure.  I cultivated this man’s acquaintance, and during the five weeks that he was with us,—­ for he remained on board until we arrived at San Diego,—­ I gained a greater knowledge of the state of political parties in Mexico, and the habits and affairs of the different classes of society, than I could have learned from almost any one else.  He took great pains in correcting my Spanish, and supplying me with colloquial phrases, and common terms and exclamations, in speaking.  He lent me a file of late newspapers from the city of Mexico, which were full of the triumphal reception of Santa Ana, who had just returned from Tampico after a victory, and with the preparations for his expedition against the Texans. ``Viva Santa Ana!’’ was the byword everywhere, and it had even reached California, though there were still many here, among whom was Don Juan Bandini, who were opposed to his government, and intriguing to bring in Bustamente.  Santa Ana, they said, was for breaking down the Missions; or, as they termed it, ``Santa Ana no quiere religion.’’ Yet I had no doubt that the office of administrador of San Diego would reconcile Don Juan to any dynasty, and any state of the church.  In these papers, too, I found scraps of American and English news; but which was so unconnected, and I was so ignorant of everything preceding them for eighteen months past, that they only awakened a curiosity which they could not satisfy.  One article spoke of Taney as Justicia Mayor de los Estados Unidos, (what had become of Marshall? was he dead, or banished?) and another made known, by news received from Vera Cruz, that ``El Vizconde Melbourne’’ had returned to the office of ``primer ministro,’’ in place of Sir Roberto Peel. (Sir Robert Peel had been minister, then? and where were Earl Grey and the Duke of Wellington?) Here were the outlines of grand political overturns, the filling up of which I was left to imagine at my leisure.

The second morning after leaving Monterey, we were off Point Conception.  It was a bright, sunny day, and the wind, though strong, was fair; and everything was in striking contrast with our experience in the same place two months before, when we were drifting off from a northwester under a fore and main spencer. ``Sail ho!’’ cried a man who was rigging out a top-gallant studding-sail boom.—­ ``Where away?’’—­ ``Weather beam, sir!’’ and in a few minutes a full-rigged brig was seen standing out from under Point Conception.