But even Apolinaria's
sorrow at leaving Monterey could not destroy the interest and pleasure
felt on arriving at Santa B?‡rbara, one of the most beautiful places in
the province, and at that time much larger than Monterey. As the ship
came into the roadstead which served as a harbor, the town lay spread
out before them: in the foreground, straggling along the beach and for
some distance back, were the adobe houses of the inhabitants, about one
hundred in number, most of them glittering white in the brilliant
sunlight; among them, somewhat distant from the shore, was the huge, low
building of the presidio, frowning out over the rest of the scene;
beyond the houses, and nearly two miles from the water, was the mission,
a large group of buildings, from the midst of which rose the white
two-towered Moorish church. Back of all was the long range of mountains,
stretching off far into the north, in color a wonderful changing golden
pink, streaked with palest blue-grey in the shadows. It was a perfect
picture of peace, the sole hostile point in the whole being the
presidio, which served but to accentuate the quiet beauty of the rest.
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