The battalion remained encamped at Santa Barbara, from the 27th of
December to the 3rd of January, 1847. The U.S. flag was raised in the
public square of the town the day after our arrival.
The town of Santa Barbara is beautifully situated for the picturesque,
about one mile from the shore of a roadstead, which affords anchorage
for vessels of any size, and a landing for boats in calm weather.
During stormy weather, or the prevalence of strong winds from the
south-east, vessels, for safety, are compelled to stand out to sea. A
fertile plain extends some twenty or thirty miles up and down the
coast, varying in breadth from two to ten miles, and bounded on the
east by a range of high mountains. The population of the town I should
judge, from the number of houses, to be about 1200 souls. Most of the
houses are constructed of adobes, in the usual architectural style of
Mexican buildings. Some of them, however, are more Americanized, and
have some pretensions to tasteful architecture, and comfortable and
convenient interior arrangement. Its commerce, I presume, is limited to
the export of hides and tallow produced upon the surrounding plain; and
the commodities received in exchange for these from the traders on the
coast.
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