Arizona citizen., 1871-08-26

but owing to mall contracts, and a
 branch line of stages owned by and
 connecting with Flint, Bixby & Co.
 at San Juan with Monterey, the stage
 travel will not be shortened this year,
 at least; besides, some road-making
 would beinvolved in the change. The
 company have lately whipped up and
 caught up six or eight hours, which is
 devoted to sleep or rest on the south
 ern side of Salinas valley. So, you
 see, were the 30 miles staging cut off,
 or change to Hollister, besides these
 hours gained, you would get mails at
 least 12 hours earlier than now. But
 you must bide the time.
 Leaving Los Angeles at , P. M., run
 over rolling prairie to San Buenaven-
 tura; smooth road except certain
 stretch where the gophers have always
 undermined it, and with s light load,
 the very devil is to pay with you. A
 Quartermaster's clerk, returning to
 his nammy from Camp Apache, and
 myself were the only occupants that
 night, and we were thrown about and
 ''telescoped' together i'll great distress.
 At day break, and after breakfast at the above town, the scene is remarka-
 bly, reviving. The mountains crowd
 the road down into the very breakers of the ocean, and you are carried along as pretty sea-beach drive for many miles, as there Is i'll the world. The wheels of the coach are switched and washed at times by the breaking waves. Reaching Santa Barbara at s A. M., thence out over picturesque foothills, and sharp mountain is to climb, cutting off a number of miles and leaving the old Gaviotta Pass road quite westward toward Point Conception. I look upon Santa Bar bara settlement, its soil and climate as fourishing and inviting as any in the State, but was disappointed in the looks of the town proper; the blend ing of old Spanish novels with the modern improvements, is too general and noticeable. Now, Los Angel S is unfolding itself like a silkworm- pushing off the old shell from within, and you can pay your money and take a slice of either view; but Santa Bar bara is a sort of architectural misce- genation throughout. This may be charitable and otherwise excusab ble-I simply remark 1t.
 Once up the Santa Juez mountain, the road is carried at a considera ble elevation long distance, or until the Salinas Plains are reached. Alter ternate hills, mountains, and level runs, with few places in the entire distance, however, that the road has ever been changed from what nature made it. In the Spring time, the adobe stretches are muddy, but most of the time these several hundred miles of hi rhway are so smooth and hard that horses are subject to jam as on plank road. No dust to speak of anywhere.
 San Luis Obispo county is all roll ing, and @ good pasture region; and the country between San Buenaveu- tura and Salinas Plains, everywhere dotted with live oak, is otherwise tim bered and good to look at. When the grass and flowers are in season, 1 can no more pleasing landscape 1r trip to take than that between Los Angeles and Gilroy; and the continua- ion southward to San Diego is no doubt as well. Whoever comes over the present divide looking down lpon the town of San Juan, at this season, will see "a scene for painter" md no nonsense. At all these old owns, the red tiled roofs lend a pecu- jar charm to the situation, after all; md the brick walls, etc., of modern seem to paint things nto a pretty tumble. The universal old mission" or cathedral, is at all joints along the coast route as usual.
 I have used the word settlement" where speaking of towns nd neighborhoods, for how discon- and sparsely the State is cul- ivated to the southward! Were it { lot for a sheep-herder's shed here and here, the stage stations would appear $ lonely almost on the coast line as n Arizona.
 Speaking of sheep again, word as | o the "drouth' in California, short 1 rops, etc. There is yet little or no among horses or cattle, much ess sheep. It is feared there may be n the Salinas plains, but never saw stock look much better than { Il along, and thousands were in