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96 the danger of their being cracked like egg-shells by being thumped against the projecting rocks is always imminent. The vessels load from chutes running down from the bluffs above, and get away with all possible despatch. Thousands of gulls, shaugs, murres, and other sea-birds swarm on the rocks in these sheltered coves, and a pistol-shot will send them screaming and whirling around in the air in clouds in a moment.

From the embarcadero we rode back through the fields to the highway again, and thence past numerous tanneries and other manufacturing establishments to the once fine old Mission on the hill-side above the city, now half modernized by a shingle roof, which has replaced the quaint old red earthen tiles, and half in ruins, and from thence down into the pretty, thriving town to our hotel, where a relishable dinner and welcome rest awaited us. Towns, as I have ascertained by somewhat extended observation, are generally composed to a very great extent of houses, and inhabited by people. Special descriptions are not generally interesting to the great mass of intelligent readers. Santa Cruz is built on the general plan, and is therefore no exception to the rule. It looks neat, prosperous, thrifty, clean, and not unlike any well-to-do manufacturing and farming centre in New England or the Middle States, with California flowers, shade and fruit-trees thrown in ad lib. The ocean, rivers, woods, mountains, were not made with hands, and I like better to be among them and write of them. We will sing the praises of Santa Cruz proper.