oo, we were forced
to climb ungainly barricades of timber, with here and there a piece of
ordnance gazing ferociously out into the surrounding country. Although a
casual observer might naturally have supposed that the mud would have
offered a sufficient barrier to all the armies ever raised, still, as
trouble had been brewing, and most of the garrison withdrawn for an
expedition into the interior, these precautions were quite an imposing
display, which was, no doubt, all intended. At last, by dint of
perseverance, we attained a firm foothold in the barracks, and then had
breath and leisure to look around.

Monterey, before the war, contained about five hundred people, but on
our advent there was scarcely a native to be seen: all the men had gone
to join their belligerent friends in the southern provinces, leaving
their property and dwellings to be guarded by their wives and dogs; even
their ladies bore us no good will, and our salutations were returned by
a surly _adios_, extorted from closed teeth and scowling faces. The dogs
were more civil, and even when showing their fangs, were sagacious
enough to keep beyond the chastening reach of Yankee arms. There were a
goodly number of sentinels on the alert, prowling about, with heavy
knives in their girdles, and the locks of their rifles carefully
sheltered from the rain; and at night it became a matter of some bodily
danger for an indifferent person to come suddenly in view of one of
these vigilant gentlemen, for with but a tolerable ear for music he
might detect the sharp click of a rifle, and the hoarse caution of "Look
out, thar, stranger;" when if the individual addressed did not speedily
shout his name and calling, he stood the merest chance of having another
eyelet-hole drilled through his skull.

All this at the first rapid glance gave us no very bright anticipations;
everything looked triste and cheerless. Upon inquiring, too we were
shocked to learn there was nothing eatable to be had, nor what was yet
more melancholy, naught drinkable nor smokable: everybody was so much
occupied in making war, as to have entirely lost sight of their
appetites. We began to indulge the faintest suspicions that somehow or
other we had gotten into the wrong place, and that California was not so
charming a spot as we had been led to believe; however, there was no
appeal, and fortunately for our health and spirits, as we were leaning
listlessly over the piazza of the barracks, staring