December a®ftance o f a few o f the friendly and well-difpofed natives, they carry
*— V"— ' ’nto effeft with great advantage to their families. Fertile fpots are ah
ways chofen for planting thefe colonies; by cultivating which, they are
foon enabled to raife eorn and cattle fufficient, not only for their own
fupport, but for the fupply o f the wants o f the millions and Prefidios
in their neighbourhood. Being trained to arms, they early inftruCt the
riling generation, and bring them up to the obedience of military authority;
under the laws o f which they themfelves continue to be governed.
There is no fuperior perfon or officer refiding among!! them for the
purpofe o f officiating as governor, or as chief magillrate; but the pueblos
are occafionally vifited by the enfign of the Prefidio, within whofe particular
jurifdiftion they are lituated. This officer is authorized to take
cognizance of, and in a certain degree to redrefs, fuch grievances or complaints
as may be brought before him ; or to reprefent them, together
with any crimes or mifdemeanors, to his commanding officer ; and alfo
to report fuch improvements, regulations, or other matters arifing in
thefe little focieties, as may either demand his permiffion or alfent; from
whofe decifion there is no appeal, but to the governor o f the province;
whofe powers, I underftood, were very extenlive, though I remained ignorant
concerning the particular nature of his jurifdiftion.
Thefe pueblos generally confift o f about thirty or forty old fdldiers
with their families, who may be confidered as a fort o f militia, of the
country,_ and as affifting in the increafe o f its population, which, as far
as it refpefts the Spaniards, is yet in a very humble Hate.
The mode originally adopted, and fince conftantly purfued, in fettling
this country, is:by no means calculated to produce any great increafe of
white inhabitants. »The Spaniards in their miffions and Prefidios, being
the two principal diftinftions o f Spaniffi inhabitants, lead a confined, and
in molt refpefts a very indolent, life; the religious part of the fociety
within a cloilter, the military in barracks. The laft mentioned order
do nothing, in the ftriaeft fenfe o f the expreffion; for they neither
till, fow, nor reap, but wholly depend upon the labour o f the inhai-
bitants of the miffions and pueblos for their fubfiftence, and the 'common
necelfaries of life. T o reconcile this inactivity whillt they remain
on
on duty in the Prefidio, with the meritorious exertions that the fame de- .793.
fcnptipn of people are feen to make in the pueblos, is certainly a very .Deccymber'.
difficult talk; and the contradiftion would have remained very prejudicial
to their character, had I not been informed, that to fupport the con-
fequence of the foldier in the eyes of the natives, and to infure him their
refpeft, it had been deemed highly improper that he ffiould be fubjefted
to any laborious employment. This circumftance alone is fufficient to account
for the habitual indolence and'want of indullry in the military part
o f thefe focieties.
The introdu&ion o f Chriftianity amongft the natives, the cultivation
o f their minds, and making them difciples of the Romiffi church, being
wholly intruded to the religious o f the refpeaive orders; none o f
thofe Indians are fuffered to be employed in the Prefidios but fuch as are
particularly recommended; to whom the officers who give them employ
are obliged to pay a certain daily fum o f money, according to the
fervice received; whijlt, at the fame time, the fathers have hundreds at
their command,, who when employed by them are rewarded with the
produce refulting from the labours o f fuch of their own fociety as are
engaged in agriculture, in manufacturing their woollen garments, or in
gardening.
Thefe are the payments by which the wages o f the carpenter, the
fmith, the mafon, and other mechanics are fatisfied; and as-they, have
few perfo s of thefe trades amongft themfelves, the whole o f fuch bufi-'
nefs is performed by the Indians, under the immediate inftruftion and1
infpeChon of the Rev. Fathers, who by thefe means alone have erefted-
all their fabrics and edifices. At S'* Barbara a new church was building,
and; at Buena Ventura the whole was to be rebuilt, both of which when
finilhed, might be juftly taken for the workmanffiip of more experienced;
artifts. Thefe two miffions form each an intire fquare; the
buildings are more lofty and extenfive, and the fuperior quality of the
materials with which they are ereCted, give them a decided fuperiority
over all the others,
Thele benevolent fathers are the corporeal as well as fpiritual phyfi-
cians of : all the Indian tribes in the neighbourhood o f the miffions; ' and -
V0L- IL - a-S they: