A bucket of fresh water apiece, a cake of
soap, a large coarse towel, and we went to work scrubbing one another,
on the forecastle. Having gone through this, the next thing was to get
into the head,- one on each side- with a bucket apiece, and duck one
another, by drawing up water and heaving over each other, while we
were stripped to a pair of trowsers. Then came the rigging-up. The
usual outfit of pumps, white stockings, loose white duck trowsers,
blue jackets, clean checked shirts, black kerchiefs, hats well
varnished, with a fathom of black ribbon over the left eye, a silk
handkerchief flying from the outside jacket pocket, and four or five
dollars tied up in the back of the neckerchief, and we were "all
right." One of the quarter-boats pulled us ashore, and we steamed up
to the town. I tried to find the church, in order to see the
worship, but was told that there was no service, except a mass early
in the morning; so we went about the town, visiting the Americans
and English, and the natives whom we had know when we were here
before. Toward noon we procured horses, and rode out to the Carmel
mission, which is about a league from the town, where from the town,
where we got something in the way of a dinner- beef, eggs, frijoles,
tortillas, and some middling wine- from the mayordomo, who, of
course, refused to make any charge, as it was the Lord's gift, yet
received our present, as a gratuity, with a low bow, a touch of the
hat, and "Dios se lo pague!"
After this repast, we had a fine run, scouring the whole country
on our fleet horses, and came into town soon after sundown.
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