r o u n d t h e w o r l d . 11
flo ck ;' nor was the place of its growth within fight of the miffion; though No^ c ,-.
the richnefs of the contiguous foil, feemed equal to all the purpofes of L— ^— >
hufbandry. One large room was occupied by manufa&urers of a coarfe
fort of blanketting, made from the wool produced in the .neighbourhood.
The looms, though rudely wrought, were tolerably well contrived,
and had been made by the Indians,, under the immediate direftion
and fuperintendance of the fathers ; who, by the fame affiduity, had
carried the manufacture thus far into execution. The produce refulting
from their manufactory is wholly applied to the clothing of the converted
Indians. I faw fome of the cloth, which was by no means defpicable;
and, had it received the advantage of fulling, would have been a very
decent fort of clothing. The preparation of the wool, as alfo the fpin-
ning and weaving of it, was, I underftood, performed by unmarried
.women and female children, who were all refident. within the fquare,
and were in a ftate of converfiqn to the Roman Catholic perfuafiop.
Befides manufacturing the wool, they are alfo inftruCted in a variety
of neceffary, ufeful, and beneficial employments, until they marry,
which is greatly encouraged; when they retire from the tuition of the
fathers to the hut o f their hufband. By thefe means it is expeCted,
that their doctrines' will, be firmly eftablilhed,' and rapidly propagated;
and the trouble they now have with their prefent untaught flock will be
hereafter recompensed, by having fewer prejudices to combat in the
rifing generation. They likewife confider their plan as eflentially neceffary,
rin a political point o f view, for infilling their own fafety. The
women and girls being the deareft objeCts o f affeakm among!! thefe
Indians, the Spaniards deem it expedient to retain conftantly a certain
number of females immediately within their power, as a pledge for
the fidelity of the men, and as a check on any improper defigns the
natives might attempt to carry into execution, either againft the mif-
fionaries, or the eftablilhment in general.
By various encouragements and allurements to the children, or their
parents, they can depend upon having as many to bring up in this way
as they re q u ireh e r e they are well fed, better clothed than the Indians
>C 2 . ‘ in