theyfloat，alittlehigher，incloudsofagiganticsizeandoftenofawildconfiguration；tothesouth，wheretheyhavestrucktheseawardshoulderofthemountainsofSantaLucia，theydoublebackandspireupskywardlikesmoke。Wheretheirshadowtouches，colourdiesoutoftheworld。Theairgrowschillanddeadlyastheyadvance。Thetrade-windfreshens，thetreesbegintosigh，andallthewindmillsinMontereyarewhirlingandcreakingandfillingtheircisternswiththebrackishwaterofthesands。Ittakesbutalittlewhiletilltheinvasioniscomplete。Thesea，initslighterorder，hassubmergedtheearth。Montereyiscurtainedinforthenightinthick，wet，salt，andfrigidclouds，sotoremaintilldayreturns；andbeforethesun\'sraystheyslowlydisperseandretreatinbrokensquadronstothebosomofthesea。Andyetoftenwhenthefogisthickestandmostchill，afewstepsoutofthetownanduptheslope，thenightwillbedryandwarmandfullofinlandperfume。
MEXICANS，AMERICANS，ANDINDIANS
ThehistoryofMontereyhasyettobewritten。FoundedbyCatholicmissionaries，aplaceofwisebeneficencetoIndians，aplaceofarms，aMexicancapitalcontinuallywrestedbyonefactionfromanother，anAmericancapitalwhenthefirstHouseofRepresentativeshelditsdeliberations，andthenfallinglowerandlowerfromthecapitaloftheStatetothecapitalofacounty，andfromthatagain，bythelossofitscharterandtownlands，toamerebankruptvillage，itsriseanddeclineistypicalofthatofallMexicaninstitutionsandevenMexicanfamiliesinCalifornia。
NothingisstrangerinthatstrangeStatethantherapiditywithwhichthesoilhaschanged-hands。TheMexicans，youmaysay，areallpoorandlandless，liketheirformercapital；andyetbothitandtheyholdthemselvesapartandpreservetheirancientcustomsandsomethingoftheirancientair。
Thetown，whenIwasthere，wasaplaceoftwoorthreestreets，economicallypavedwithsea-sand，andtwoorthreelanes，whichwerewatercoursesintherainyseason，andwere，atalltimes，rentupbyfissuresfourorfivefeetdeep。Therewerenostreetlights。Shortsectionsofwoodensidewalkonlyaddedtothedangersofthenight，fortheywereoftenhighabovetheleveloftheroadway，andnoonecouldtellwheretheywouldbelikelytobeginorend。Thehouseswere，forthemostpart，builtofunbakedadobebrick，manyofthemoldforsonewacountry，someofveryelegantproportions，withlow，spacious，shapelyrooms，andwallssothickthattheheatofsummerneverdriedthemtotheheart。Attheapproachoftherainyseasonadeathlychillandagraveyardsmellbegantohangaboutthelowerfloors；anddiseasesofthechestarecommonandfatalamonghouse-keepingpeopleofeithersex。