so that we again met as old friends.  Immediate preparations were made for landing, and, as I was quartermaster and commissary, I had plenty to do.  There was a small wharf and an adobe custom-house in possession of the navy; also a barrack of two stories, occupied by some marines, commanded by Lieutenant Maddox; and on a hill to the west of the town had been built a two-story block-house of hewed logs occupied by a guard of sailors under command of Lieutenant Baldwin, United States Navy.  Not a single modern wagon or cart was to be had in Monterey, nothing but the old Mexican cart with wooden wheels, drawn by two or three pairs of oxen, yoked by the horns.  A man named Tom Cole had two or more of these, and he came into immediate requisition.  The United States consul, and most prominent man there at the time, was Thomas O. Larkin, who had a store and a pretty good two-story house occupied by his family.  It was soon determined that our company was to land and encamp on the hill at the block-house, and we were also to have possession of the warehouse, or custom-house, for storage.  The company was landed on the wharf, and we all marched in full dress with knapsacks and arms, to the hill and relieved the guard under Lieutenant Baldwin.  Tents and camp-equipage were hauled up, and soon the camp was established.  I remained in a room at the customhouse, where I could superintend the landing of the stores and their proper distribution.  I had brought out from New York twenty thousand dollars commissary funds, and eight thousand dollars quartermaster funds, and as the ship contained about six months’ supply of provisions, also a saw-mill, grist-mill, and almost every thing needed, we were soon established comfortably.  We found the people of Monterey a mixed set of Americans, native Mexicans, and Indians, about one thousand all told.  They were kind and pleasant, and seemed to have nothing to do, except such as owned ranches in the country for the rearing of horses and cattle.  Horses could be bought at any price from four dollars up to sixteen, but no horse was ever valued above a doubloon or Mexican ounce (sixteen dollars).  Cattle cost eight dollars fifty cents for the best, and this made beef net about two cents a pound, but at that time nobody bought beef by the pound, but by the carcass.

Game of all kinds—­elk, deer, wild geese, and ducks—­was abundant; but coffee, sugar, and small stores, were rare and costly.

There were some half-dozen shops or stores, but their shelves were empty.  The people were very fond of riding, dancing, and of shows of any kind.  The young fellows took great delight in showing off their horsemanship, and would dash along, picking up a half-dollar from the ground, stop their horses in full career and turn about on the space of a bullock’s hide, and their skill with the lasso was certainly wonderful.  At full speed they could cast their lasso about the horns of a bull, or so throw it as to catch any particular foot.  These fellows would work all day on horseback in driving cattle or catching wildhorses for a mere nothing, but all the money offered would not have hired one of them to walk a mile.  The girls were very fond of dancing, and they did dance gracefully and well.  Every Sunday, regularly, we had a baile, or dance, and sometimes interspersed through the week.