Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1857-05-02
From The Golden Era
Adventures with Joaquin,
The Mountain Bandit.
BY JOHN II. FITZGERALD.

LII the spring OF lS0U left tne Sal-
inas Plains with herd of cattle that |
had purchased from Bernardo Murphy
and while en- route for the Southern
mines, we encamped for night at the
Mission of San Jose, where myself and
companions were joined by company
of Mexicans. consisting of a padre, the
the patron, (or owper, his wife and
wife's sister, and four poems (or slaves
making in all eight persons of their
company. Our party consisted of two
partners and myself, besides raquero
The padre was tall, sallow> faced
individual, but withall as jovirl fel-
low, and as free to taste of the con-
tents of the eanttna coiorado as any in
the company; and then bis face would
assume such comical expression, that
one was 10th to believe that he ever
kept Lent. He was dressed in the ca
nonieals of Capuchin friar, he rode a
dun colored mule, and sat sidewise up
on the annual, the saddle Covered with
heavy Spanish machiAa) and bride
were decorated with small silver bells,
which kept up jingling that was rath-
er pleasant, and broke the quiet mon
otony of a lot days ride, while rosary
beads AID cross swung back and forth
upon his side, as his mule ambled along
at an easy, raokine pace. After in
dulging in an extra draught at the can
teen, he would throw back his hood,
exposing the top of his sh~ven Uranium
TO the hot suns rays, and the poems
would cross themselves at what they
considered his religious devotion, while
he ehaunted in Latin what sounded
more like bachanalian song than the
litany o, the church, for when 'ecce sig
mum este pevpetua' escaped from his lips
in merry, musical tone of voice, he
would raise a splrndidly wrought can
teeu from under his clio TX, and apply it
TO his lips, and after hearty draught
would add 'Innita Minerva and his
small, dark gray eyes would twinkle
with humorous light. as much as to say,
I'VE know what is good, don't we!'
The patron was young man of
about twenty five voars. HIS hair and
eyes were back, and the effeminacy Of
his face, without beard, gave him 81
most the appearance Of a woman. His
eountenance, when unanimated, shone
with radIent expression that was sell
dom forgotten when once seen by a
stranger, but when excited, the thin
lips would contract with d terminrd
energy. and the eyes fairy st,rt from
their sockets, displaying the depth of
his feelings only in his face, while bis
voice became more muaical in its in
tonafions. His height was about FIVE
feet ten inches. and his well-developed
limbs denoted strength beyond any idea
that might be formed by casual OBJ
server His dress consisted of dark
velvet knee-breeches with row of sill
yer buttons, long Spanish boots with
leather leggings, a velvet vest, loose
flowing jacket, embroidered with gold
lace, and Spanish serape, his head
was covered by WIDE brimmed som5rc
ro, surrounded by a gold band He
rode large-sized mule, with a heavy
silver-mounted saddle, the leather COW
er of which was worked with antique
devices in threads of silk, silver and
gold, and he rode with the grace of one
long accustomed no the saddle.
His wife was woman of extraor-
dinary beauty. Her complexion was
a light olive, and her features we're
purely Castiiian; the finely arched
nose, thin lips, and the lsrge, lustrous
orbs of her eyes, bespoke the ancient
Moorish blood of old CASTLE that cours-
ed in her veins. The case and grace
with which she rode her mule, gave her
more the appearance of some proud
dame ambling upon her paltry to pay
her devotion to some neighboring
shrine, attended by her retinue, than
one upon long journey. The flow
ing skirt, fastened at the waist, and the
snow-white chemiSette that covered her
bosom, leaving her arms bare, and the
fapaio of rich embroidery that conc al |
cd her face and sheltered her head
from the suns's rays, only set off TO
botier advantage her beauty. Her sis
Ter resembled her in every particular.
excepting that her features were more
full, displaying ripe womanhood in tho |
embonpotat developments of her form.
The poems were dressed in stout lea,h-
er jackets and breeches, while at their
saddle bows each carried a Mexican
eseopet, short sword. and rmta, and
were as ill-favored a set of African
featured, dark-skinned hombres as I
ever saw. They anticipated every
want of their master, and we're as SER
vile as they were attentive.
As we passed through the romantic
vale of Correll Hollow, | must confess
that more picturesque cavalcade
had mover seen. We reached Gray
sonville, at this time quite thriving
little town on the San Joaquin river
Tae river was very much swollen b. |
the melting SHOWS of the mountains,
aud 1t would compel US to 60 far up the
stream oeiors VIC would be able to terry
aciess to the opposite bank Ny Span
lsh friends determined TO make the cir
cult OF upper ferry in preference TO re-
naming there TO wait. Tor the water to