‘ 79-- knee-deep in mud and water for'about fix November. 1 • ■ miles. 'The -badnefs o f our
'— ---- 1 road rendered this part of our journey fomewhat unpleafant., About dark
we reached better ground, and foon after the night clofed in, we arrived
at the miffion o f S“ Clara, which according to my eftimation is about
forty geographical miles from St. Francifco. Our journey, excepting
that part of it through the morafs, had been very pleafant and entertaining
; and our reception at S“ Clara by the hofpitable fathers o f the miffion,
was fuch as excited in every breaft the molt lively fenfations o f
gratitude and regard. Father Thomas de la Pena appeared to be the
principal o f the miflionaries. The anxious folicitude o f this gentleman,
and that of his colleague father Jofeph Sanchez, to anticipate all our
withes, unequivocally manifelted the principles by which their conduct
was regulated. Our evening palled very pleafantly, and after a molt
Weilnef. 21. excellent breakfalt the next morning on tea and chocolate, we took a
view of the eftablilhment and the adjacent country.
The buildings and offices o f this miffion, like thofe of St. Francifco,
form a fquare, but not an intire inclofure. It is fituated in an exten-
five fertile plain, the foil o f which, as alfo that o f the furrounding
country, is a rich black produftive mould, fuperior to any I had before
feen in America. The particular fpot which had been felefied by the
reverend fathers, for their eflablifhment, did not appear fo fuitable to
their purpofe as many other parts o f the plain within a little diftance
o f their prefent buildings, which are erefted in a low marfhy fituatioii
for the fake o f being near a run of fine water; notwithftanding that
within a few hundred yards they might have built their houies on dry
and comfortable eminences.
The ftream of water pafles clofe by the walls o f the lathers apartments,
which are upon the fame plan with thofe at St. Francifco ; built
near, and communicating with the church, but appearing to be more
extenfive, and to poffefs in fome degree more comforts, or rather left
inconveniences, than thofe already defcribed. The church was long and
lofty, and as well built as the rude materials of which it is compofed
would allow*, and when compared with the unimproved ftate o f the
country, was infinitely more decorated than might have been feafonably
expefted.
Apartments
Apartments within the fquare in which the priefis refided, were ap-' trs*-
propriated to a number of young female Indians; and the like reafons i_, j
were given as at St. Francifco,' for their being fo fele&ed and educated.
Their occupations were the fame, though fome of their woollen manu-
fa&ures. furpafled thofe we had before feen, and wanted only the operation
of fulling, with which the fathers were unacquainted, to make them
very decent blankets. The upper ftory of their interior oblong fquare,
which might be about one hundred and feventy feet long, and one hundred
feet broad, were made ufe of as granaries, as were fome of the
lower rooms ; all of which were well ftored with corn and pulfe of different
forts; and befide thefe, in cafe of fire, there were two fpacious
warehoufes for the reception o f grain, detached from each other, and
the reft of the buildings, ere&ed at a convenient diftance from the miffion.
Thefe had been recently finilhed, contained fome ftores, and
were to. be kept conftantly full, as a referve in the event of fuch a
misfortune.
They cultivate wheat, maize, peas and beans; the latter are produced
in great variety, and the whole in greater abundance than their necefli-
ties require. O f thefe feveral forts they had many thoufand bulhels in
(lore, of very excellent quality, which had been obtained with little labour,
and .without manure. By the help of a -very mean, and ill contrived
plough drawn by oxen, the earth is once flightly turned over, and-
fmoothed down by a harrow ; in the month of november or december,
the wheat is fown in drills, or broad call on the even furface, and
fcratcfaed in with the harrow ; this is the whole of their fyftem of huf-
bandry, which uniformly produces them in ju ly o r auguft an abundant
harveft. The maize, peas, and beans, are produced with as little labour
; thefe are fown in the fpring months, and fucceed extremely well,
as do hemp and flax, or linfeed. The wheat affords in general from
twenty-five to thirty for one according to the feafons, twenty-five for
one being the leaft return they have ever yet depofited in their granaries
from the field; notwithftanding the enormous wafte occafioned by
their rude method of threlhing, which is always performed in the open
air by the treading of cattle. The produft of the other grains and pulfe
D 2 bears