The road, if road it
can be called, where all marks of hoofs or wheels are erased by each
succeeding tide, runs along a hard sand-beach, with occasional
projections of small points of level ground, ten or fifteen miles, and
the surf, even when the tide has fallen considerably, frequently
reaches to the bellies of the horses. Some demonstration has been
confidently expected here, but we encamped in this pass the first day
without meeting an enemy or seeing a sign of one. Our camp is close to
the ocean, and the roar of the surf, as it dashes against the shore, is
like that of an immense cataract. Hundreds of the grampus whale are
sporting a mile or two distant from the land, spouting up water and
spray to a great height, in columns resembling steam from the
escape-pipes of steam-boats. Distance 6 miles.
_January 5_.--The prize-schooner Julia was lying off in sight this
morning, for the purpose of co-operating with us, should there be any
attempt on the part of the enemy to interrupt the march of the
battalion. We reached the mission of San Buenaventura, and encamped a
short distance from it at two o'clock.
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