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Thus before the advent in California of the American as an American, and not as a traveler or a naturalized citizen, the mission had disappeared from the land, and the land was inhabited by a race calling itself the gente de razón, in presumed contradistinction to human beasts with no reasoning powers.
In common parlance the distinction is made thus: the whites and mixed breed are "gente" people, the brown men being merely "Indios" Indians and not people at all. Here, in their own quarter, and among their own people, they seem talkative enough.
The leit-motif has crept into the high form of absolute tones to make it as definite and dramatic as any opera. Per me si va nella cit-ta do-lente; Per me si va nell'eterno dolore; and in still higher chant Per me si va tra la perduta gente. All hope abandon, ye who enter in!" In a violent paroxysm we hear the doom of the monotone in lowest horns.
Few Californian women care for anything but to look beautiful and to marry, not, however, being unique in that respect. Would you not rather live in our capital? You are so far away down there, and there are but few of the gente de razon, no?" "We are well satisfied, señor, and we are gay when we wish. There are ten families in the town, and many rancheros within a hundred leagues.
Formerly two pontifical gente d'armi in full uniform had always stood there amidst a stream of lackeys; and the single servant now on duty seemed by his phantom-like appearance to increase the melancholiness of the vast and gloomy hall.
Alfred de Vigny they spoke of, and Victor Hugo, whom the Padre disliked. Long after the dulce, or sweet dish, when it was the custom for the vaqueros and the rest of the retainers to rise and leave the gente fina to themselves, the host sat on in the empty hail, fondly talking to his guest of his bygone Paris and fondly learning of the later Paris that the guest had seen.
The small settlement lay directly below the fort, composed of about forty dark brown looking huts, or houses, and three or four larger ones, whitewashed, which belonged to the ``gente de razon. This town is not more than half as large as Monterey, or Santa Barbara, and has little or no business.
We had hardly lit our cigars when Jesusita, who had gone to the door, came hastily back, exclaiming: "Papa papa! hay gente fuera!" As we sprang to our feet several shadows appeared through the open walls. Lincoln seized his rifle and ran to the door. The next moment he rushed back, shouting out: "I told yer so!"
As it was now sundown, there began to be some dancing. The Italian sailors danced, and one of our crew exhibited himself in a sort of West India shuffle, much to the amusement of the bystanders, who cried out, ``Bravo! ``Otra vez! and ``Vivan los marineros! but the dancing did not become general, as the women and the ``gente de razon'' had not yet made their appearance.
Guns were being fired and folk were crying out in the streets. It was not yet light, and certain of the garrison, who had been quartered outside the city, ran to and fro with burning matches, shouting out "Que gente? Que gente?" The town at that time was very full of people, and this noise and confusion, and the sight of so many running figures, began to alarm the boat guard on the beach.
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