The spectacle was ghastly enough. The exhumed skeletons
of those who had been deposited here lay thickly strewn around, showing
but little respect for the sanctity of the grave, or the rights of the
dead from the living. The cool damp night-breeze sighed and moaned
through the shrubbery and ruinous arches and corridors, planted and
reared by those whose neglected bones were now exposed to the rude
insults of man and beast. I could not but imagine that the voices of
complaining spirits mingled with these dismal and mournful tones; and
plucking a cluster of roses, the fragrance of which was delicious, I
left the spot, to drive away the sadness and melancholy produced by the
scene.
The valley contiguous to the mission is extensive, well watered by a
large _arroyo_, and highly fertile. The gardens and other lands for
tillage are inclosed by willow hedges. Elevated hills, or mountains,
bound this valley on the east and west. Large herds of cattle were
scattered over the valley, greedily cropping the fresh green herbage,
which now carpets mountain and plain.
Colonel Fremont marched from San Juan this morning, and encamped, as we
learned on our arrival, ten miles south.
Pages:
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154