Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/229



them we  turn  and  enter  and  come  to  anchor  in  the bay of  San  Diego  at  9  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the 27th, Next  to  San  Francisco  bay  this  is  the  best harbor on  the  coast,  and  the  chmate  is  unsurpassed by any  spot  upon  the  globe. With an  even  tempera- ture throughout the  year,  and  its  soft  seductive  atmos- phere tinctured with  animating  ocean  oxygen,  it  offers all the  charms  of  south  and  north  combined. On the northern shore  of  the  bay  near  the  entrance  sits  the old town,  its  tiled  adobes  sprinkled  with  more  mod- ern wooden houses,  behind  which  are  some  bluff heights, and  on  one  of  them,  overlooking  the  town, was formerly  planted  the  presidio,  while  the  mission was placed  some  five  miles  distant  up  the  river. The opposite shore  of  the  bay  is  a  low  narrow  sandy strip, forming  a  natural  and  effectual  breakwater. Our purpose  in  stopping  here  was  to  obtain  coals,  but as none  were  to  be  had  our  captain  was  obliged  to content  himself  with  wood.

About noon  the  steamer  Fremont,  with  230  passen- gers, likewise northward  bound,  entered  San  Diego bay. At half-past  seven  that  evening  the  Panama weiofhed anchor  and  steamed  out  to  sea,  the  Fremont following shortly  after. A very  heavy  gale  from  the westward had  been  brewing  for  us,  and  that  night we sailed  into  it. For the  season,  the  locality,  and with the  steamer's  lack  of  fuel,  it  was  a  terrific  affair.

I may  safely  say  it  was  one  of  the  severest  storms I ever  encountered. By it  was  clearly  evidenced  that though our  ocean  is  called  pacific,  and  usually  wears a serene  and  smiling  face,  if  thwarted,  it  can  rage right royally. Most of  the  passengers  had  retired f )r  the  night,  but  as  the  wind  rose  into  a  gale  a  few of  us  dressed  and  went  out.  It  was  thoroughly  what the  sailors  call  a  nasty  night, — black  as  pitch,  and  the excited  sea  luminous  with  angry  fire,  like  the  accursed lake  of  apocalyptic  vision  Its  torn  surface  was  laid out  in  furrows,  and  clouds  of  foam  were  driven  by the  wind  across  the  deck.     Rearing  and  plunging  like