Taylor.

permission from the Commandant, General Castro, for himself and party, to pass through a portion of the province. The desired permission was gi-anted, but after the party had entered California, Fremont received information from Americans, that Castro was preparing to attack him with " a comparatively large force of artillery, cavalry and infantry, upon the pretext that, under the cover of a scientific mission, he was exciting the American settlers to revolt." This was indeed mar- veUous intelligence, and most marvellous means did the scientific Captain take to remove the groundless suspicions of the Californian General. Instead of making his way out of the province as fast as he could, and proceeding upon the business entrusted to him by his Government, *' he took a position on a mountain overlooking Monterey at a distance of about thirty miles, entrenched it, raised the flag of the United States, and with his OAvn men sixty-two in number, awaited the approach of the Com- mandant-General." But the Captain, however valiant, did not depend solely on his sixty-two men to resist the artil- lery, cavalry, and infantry of Castro ; for the Secretary tells us, " the American settlers were ready to join him at all hazards, if he had been attacked ;" and hence