Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1854-08-02
Ftoss Gss 0asitbrnia Pioneer.
fsasl niving.
- :. aoULp suryux.

. d NJ
~ n aoULp auryux.
Beautiful Gulf of California The uncloud.sl
ID blue Of heaven rests ever above Il; ard IL
he long, pleasant days ofeternal summer time
1f the tropics. the hosoW of its little inle on
which the sun Is always casing are nnrippled.
save BY the leap Of the graceful dolphin or the
u 1.-The playful porpcise. Islsnis,
green and gem like. rise shove its surface. .. 4
round whose base the seal and the otter sport
away their happy lives; and lasily ,basking in
The sunshine, tie meditative turtle and tor.
loise lie asleep upon it's breast. Far down in
It's depths are clusters Of psarl shellA. wherein
are enclosed treasures with which queens might
proudly deck their hows. Along its shoFss.
the rustiing lsasss Of coceAMut and oeto pnim
trsesson which persppiel ftsisA ars steS1 -.
~ lc e. Z
sird gofesogs ESs5, sacljclsl d H. issv
day is ended. Attract ed by che irrssissible
spirit Of adventure, lived for several months
upon Its borders, and memory often reverts to
IT now. when years have passed, bringing
pleasant smiles where care has sought and
found a resting place.
In theyear ls47, a detachment of u regiment
somewhat celebrated from variety Of causes
was stationed at the town Of La Paz q hundred
miles above the entrance Of the Gulf on the in
ner coast of Lower California. The site Of the
present town is on the point where Cortex
landed, when, after cOnquering Mexico, he atill
sc ught westward for new jewels with which
to deck the diadem Of Spain. We We're amusing
ourselves by playing soldier" catching oys.
ters and turtle, collecting shells. eating grapes
aud fresh tropical fruits. and listening to soft
guitar-tones and softer voices singing In tho
liquid and passionate language OF Spain, be,
meath the broad ever green branches Of fig.
tree grove through which the moonbeams
peeped upon our pleasures. We had also in
our poor " ay fiaunted our bright uniforms and
made the best of our bad Castillan in captiva.
ting the innocent hearts of the beautiful .ssno.
ritas" whose smiles always welcomed us to
their houses, and who were sad 1t our depRrt.
ure. Though the stern DEGREES of war after.
wards Obliged US to fght with their brethren
and their friends. lie people around us were
ever kind aud hospitabie, 4 tears a'tested their
sorrow, " hen, a, The c ose Of the war. the "a
merican os" sailed away, and left b.hind them
pleasant memories of hours " hich we regretted
had sometimes been rendered dark aud gloomy
by miduiph, skirmjshes. roaring cannon. dy.
ing Rroans aud silent solemn burials. II is q
pleasant thought, however, TO him who loves
and has faitl, In his race, that even the horrors
of warfare and blood cannot wholly DESTROY
the kindly sympatbies which spring up in the
garden of the heart, and wiFich bind together
with an invisible but indissoiuble tie the com
mon children of our common Father
Wearied with our agreeable but some wi a.
mopo,onous life. one October afternoon. n par.
ty Of four ol us projected and arranged u trip
to :he pearl fishery OF San Lorenzo. distant a.
hout twenty miles dow n the gulf, from La Paz
TIE day time heing calm aud still. we chose
lhe eysring for our departure. when a deli
cious breeze from off tbe land would make our
boat dance over the still water. aud relieve US
Of the necessity Of rowing. which. although an
excellent pxcrrise and h,uhly promo.iye of an
texpdnsi0n II The chest. IL not, however, An n
grecable amusement when the thermometer i,
ranging between eighty and ninety. Anticips
ting an absence Of two or three days. we oh
t,inei permission from ou- commanding off
Ger. and placing IN our boat . keg OF water. .
good supply Of cold boiled pork. some dried
! figs and fresh lines newly plucked from tbs
trees ia the garden Of our barracks. made al
in readiness COR our departure. A little aitel
sunset we doffedour uniform coats. epaale'te'
and swordrin whic', we had JUS. aPprased up
ON parade, ard shouldering nm each started
'or our boat and were soon bounding over The
water, OF the guf :,
~ was a st''i and lovely evening, coudiess
ana s,ari't az are the evenings always ~ Low
er California On ,he horizon were sun ling
s.ng % thd mei owed go'orh hues o, sunset
The land sreeze fan'td our faces. aud came 10
w. 'aoen WIN 'he Hserahce u or""Ss Baruens
ana trof'eai flowers. soon. wnen the h'sh'
began To gather. IN me Depths o, me clear wa
Ter thrIe sremta another sky, IKE 'ha. ABOVE
US studded WI, stars and lighted oy me nroad
pleasant isugh,ns fa'e OF the moon. Miillon'
oi niue enera,d coiored gems o' PhospoTesceh'
fhsh, were hpat'ng over the surface, ana VIZ
tracks "' me e9'neh dol phina ana piay.ul Pnf
p"'ses appeared IKE streams OF l4uid hrs' VI
'ne neacn SOME was ahehu we saw hgnt' ~
of hre to,'t mere: ana az the ~ihh was oy
ing; we 'nane lor IT, ana e'inqnish,hg we re'
We had AT hrs' enter'a'ne ',ol reaching san Lo
rehz' daf,ns lhe n'ght. oh arriving at th'
shofe, we found Two orawny' la tnaked Ina,
ans cook'ng 'heir evening me"i ai'rr 'hri
day > 'abor III ra'ching tortoise we hanet