Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/192



courts or  patios,  and  verandas  round  the  upper  stories, beneath which  one  may  walk  during  a  rain  over nearly the  whole  town  without  getthig  wet. The style of  church  architecture  is  sui  generis,  Hispano- American if  you  like,  common  to  the  cathedrals  and missions throughout  the  whole  Pacific  States;  adobe, stone, and  stucco  thrown  together  in  quaint  irregular piles. Some of  the  principal  churches  and  many  of the  buildings  were  in  ruins,  the  roots  of  ravenous plants boring  into  the  crevices,  dislocating  the  stone, and tearing  down  the  huge  walls. The grand  old cathedral, however,  remained,  fronting  on  the  plaza  as all  cathedrals  do,  with  its  towers  filled  with  bells,  and mosses and  creepers  covering  its  crumbling  walls ; beside which  there  were  at  the  time  I  first  visited  the city, a  college,  a  nunnery,  and  four  convents. The cathedral would  hold  four  thousand  persons;  the  roof was supported  by  large  pillars ;  round  the  altar  was  a profusion  of  silver  ornaments,  and  flat  on  the  floor were scores  of  marble  slabs  on  which  were  graven the virtues  of  the  holy  remains  resting  beneath. The twelve  apostles  in  marble  occupied  twelve  niches in the  end  toward  the  plaza. Bats and  lizards  in- fested the building  and  disputed  with  worshippers  the right of  occupation. Pictures adorned  the  walls  and shrines were  placed  at  intervals  around  the  interior. Over the  crucifix  of  the  high  altar  presided  a  large silver stork  with  her  young.

Throughout the  city  pearl-oyster  shells  glittered from steeples  and  pinnacles,  and  from  the  turreted bell-towers at  the  street  corners,  every  morning  at sunrise,  came  discordant  peals,  accompanied  by  the clang of  cathedral  bells,  filling  the  streets  with  pious worshippers slowly  and  silently  wending  their  way  to church. On feast  days  which  were  many,  the  city flaunted hter  bravest  finery,  and  looked  not  unlike  a wrinkled  beldame  in  gaudy  attire. Gaily dressed m^en and  women,  proudly  sporting  their  Spanish  cloaks, and darker-skinned  natives  in  white  costumes,  marched