Nothing but the character of the people prevents Monterey from becoming a large town.  The soil is as rich as man could wish, climate as good as any in the world, water abundant, and situation extremely beautiful.  The harbor, too, is a good one, being subject only to one bad wind, the north; and though the holding-ground is not the best, yet I heard of but one vessel’s being driven ashore here.  That was a Mexican brig, which went ashore a few months before our arrival, and was a total wreck, all the crew but one being drowned.  Yet this was owing to the carelessness or ignorance of the captain, who paid out all his small cable before he let go his other anchor.  The ship Lagoda, of Boston, was there at the time, and rode out the gale in safety, without dragging at all, or finding it necessary to strike her top-gallant-masts.

The only vessel in port with us was the little Loriotte.  I frequently went on board her, and became well acquainted with her Sandwich Island crew.  One of them could speak a little English, and from him I learned a good deal about them.  They were well formed and active, with black eyes, intelligent countenances, dark olive, or, I should rather say, copper complexions, and coarse black hair, but not woolly, like the negroes.  They appeared to be talking continually.  In the forecastle there was a complete Babel.  Their language is extremely guttural, and not pleasant at first, but improves as you hear it more; and it is said to have considerable capacity.  They use a good deal of gesticulation, and are exceedingly animated, saying with their might what their tongues find to say.  They are complete water-dogs, and therefore very good in boating.  It is for this reason that there are so many of them on the coast of California, they being very good hands in the surf.  They are also ready and active in the rigging, and good hands in warm weather; but those who have been with them round Cape Horn, and in high latitudes, say that they are of little use in cold weather.  In their dress, they are precisely like our sailors.  In addition to these Islanders, the Loriotte had two English sailors, who acted as boatswains over the Islanders, and took care of the rigging.  One of them I shall always remember as the best specimen of the thoroughbred English sailor that I ever saw.  He had been to sea from a boy, having served a regular apprenticeship of seven years, as English sailors are obliged to do, and was then about four or five and twenty.  He was tall; but you only perceived it when he was standing by the side of others, for the great breadth of his shoulders and chest made him appear but little above the middle height.  His chest was as deep as it was wide, his arm like that of Hercules, and his hand ``the fist of a tar—­ every hair a rope-yarn.’’ With all this, he had one of the pleasantest smiles I ever saw.  His cheeks were of a handsome brown, his teeth brilliantly white, and his hair, of a raven black, waved in loose curls