I have lived in Salinas, Ca. 60 mi. north of Jolon, for 44 yrs. I have hunted & fished all over that region many times, for many yrs. Its obvious that Lonjano de Castro's "Monterey Homestead" was about 60 mi. south of Monterey,which would be the Big Sur area on the coast. I know this because he rides his horse out 40 mi. every friday to get grub & mail in Jolon, which is about 20 mi. to the east, over a big mountain from the coast. Twenty miles each way accounts for the forty miles he travels. BTW the old stagestop is still there and a small store, if it is still open. I havent been there for a couple of years now. However, I must disagree with Mudchuck on the meaning of Barrancas, I'm almost positive it means "mountains". Also I am totally convinced that his wife was indeed going for help, and not trying to escape. BTW, I have been singing the Kingston Trio version since it first came out in the 50s. I now sing the original also. Lonjano appears to be a Spanish Grandee's Rebel child. I know that whole southcoast, infact most all of California was at one time split-up into large landgrants to Spanish Grandees. It's very beautiful country, and still full of mountain lions. I myself have heard them scream in the "barrancas".