bearing that legend informed us, and the Exchange, a hostelry, at which we stopped. This establishment is kept by Hoof (familiarly known as Johnny, but whom I once christened Cloven), and Tibbetts, who is also called Two bitts, in honorable distinction from an unworthy partner he once had, who obtained unenviable notoriety as " Picayune Smith." On entering, we found ourselves in a large bar and billiard-room, fitted up with customary pictures and mirrors. Here I saw Lieutenant Derby, of the Topographical Engineers, an elderly gentleman of emaciated appearance and serious cast of features. Constant study and unremitting attention to his laborious duties have reduced him almost to a skeleton, but there are not wanting those who say that an unrequited attachment in his earlier days is the cause of his careworn appearance. He was sent out from Washington some months since, "to dam the San Diego River," and he informed me, with a deep sigh and melancholy smile, that he had done it (mentally) several times since his arrival. Here, also, I made the acquaintance of Squire Moon, a jovial, middle-aged gentleman from the State of Georgia, who replied to my inquiries concerning his health, that he was "as fine as silk, but not half so well beliked by the ladies." After partaking of supper, which meal was served up in the rear of the billiard-room, al fresco, from a clothless table, upon an earthen floor, I fell in conversation with Judge Ames, the talented, good-hearted but eccentric editor of the San Diego Herald, of whom the poet Andrews, in his immortal work, The Cocopa Maid, once profanely sang as follows: "There was a man whose name was Ames, His aims were aims of mystery; His story old, I think by Would make a famous history." I found "the Judge " exceedingly agreeable, urbane, and well informed, and obtained from him much valuable information regarding San Diego and its statistics. San Diego contains at present about seven hundred inhabitants, two-thirds of whom are "native and to the manner born," the remainder a mixture of American, English, German, Hebrew, and Pike County. There are seven stores or shops in the village, where anything may be obtained from a finetooth comb to a horse-rake, two public-houses, a Catholic church, which meets in a private residence, and a Protestant ditto, to which the Rev. Dr. Reynolds, chaplain of the military post six miles distant, communicates religious intelligence every Sunday after noon. San Diego is the residence of Don Juan Bandini, whose mansion fronts on one side of the Plaza. He is well known to the early settlers of California as a gentleman of distinguished politeness and hospitality. His wife and daughters are among the most beautiful and accomplished ladies of our State. One of the latter is married to Mr. Stearns, a very wealthy and distinguished resident of Los Angeles, another to Colonel Couts, late a lieutenant in the First Regiment of U. S. Dragoons, and another to Mr. Charles Johnson, who for a long time was the agent of the P. M. S. S. Company at this place. The whole family is highly connected and universally respected. Having smoked the pipe of contemplation, and played a game of billiards with a young gentleman who remarked "he could give me fifty and beat me," which he certainly did, with a celerity that led me to conclude "he couldn't do anything else," I retired for the night, but not to sleep, as I fondly imagined. Fleas rather! I say nothing at present; my feelings of indignation against those wretched insects are too deep for utterance. On another occasion, when in a milder mood, I intend to write a letter concerning and condemnatory of them, and publish it. Yes, by Heaven, if I have to pay for it as an advertisement! The next morning, bright and early, I parted with my young military friend, McAuburn, who was about to join his company at the Gila River. "Good by, Phoenix," says he, "God bless you, old fellow! And look here, if you go to San Francisco, tell her -no, by George! you always make fun of everything. Good-by." So he wrung my hand and galloped away, and I stood looking after him till his prancing horse and graceful figure were hid by the projecting hills of the old Presidio. "Blessings go with you, my boy!" said I," for a fine, honest, noble-hearted young chap you haven't many superiors in the U. S. Army; and happy, in my opinion, is the woman who gets you." How I went to a Baile, and visited" New Town," and rode forth to the Mission, and attended a Fiesta, and the extraordinary adventures that befell me there, shall form the subject of a future epistle; at present my time is too much occupied, for lo, I am an editor! Hasn't Ames gone to San Francisco (with this very letter in his pocket), leaving a notice in his last edition, "that during his absence an able literary friend will assume his position as editor of the Herald," and am I not that able literary friend? (Heaven save the mark.) "You'd better believe it." I've been writing a "leader" and funny anecdotes all day (which will account for the dryness of this production), and such a "leader," and such anecdotes. I'll send you the paper next week, and if don't allow that there's been no such publication, you |