and contain about 7000 converts,
north to south ;—
They are in order as follow from
Converts.
, cSan Francisco Solano, estabhshed in 1822, about 1000
.11 San Raphael
I < Sán F rancisco
^ I Sán José
“ (. Santa Clara
' Santa Cruz
j Sán Juan
j Sán Carlos
7 a Soledad
Sán Antonio
Sán Miguel
Sán Luis
De la Purissima
Santa Ignés
Sánta Barbara
1817
1776
1797
1777
1797
1797
1770
Buena Vistura
Sán Fernando
Sán Gabriel
Sán Juan Capistran
Sán Luis Rey
Sán Tomaso
250
260
1800
1500
300
1100
200
500
6910
3000
I could not learn the number of Indians which are in each of the
missions to the southward of Soledad, but they were stated collectively
to amount to 20,000; on this head I must observe that the padres
either would not say, or did not know exactly, how many there were,
even in their own missions, much less the number contained in
those to the southward; and the accounts were at all times so various
that the above computation can be only an approximation. Almost all
these establishments cultivate large portions of land, and rear cattle,
the hides and tallow of which alone form a small trade, of which the
importance may be judged from the fact of a merchant at Monterey
having paid 36,000 dollars in one year to a mission, which was not one
of the largest, for its hide, tallow, and Indian labour. Though the
system they pursue is not calculated to raise the colony to any great
prosperity, yet the neglect of the missions would not long precede the
ruin of the presidios, and of the whole of the district. Indeed, with CHAP.
the exception of two pueblos, containing about seven hundred persons,
and a few farm houses widely scattered over the country, there are no Nov
other buildings to the northward of Monterey ; thus, while the missions
furnish the means of subsistence to the presidios, the body of men
they contain keeps the wild Indians in check, and prevents their making
incursions on the settlers.
Each mission has fifteen square miles of ground aUotted to it. The
buildings are variously laid out, and adapted in size to the number of
Indians which they contain ; some are inclosed by a high wall, as at Sân
Carlos, while others consist merely of a few rows of huts, built with
sun-burnt mud-bricks; many are whitewashed and tiled, and have
a neat and comfortable appearance. It is not, however, every hut that
has a white face to exhibit, as that in a great measure depends upon
the industry and good conduct of the family who possess it, who are
in such a case supplied with lime for the purpose. It is only the
married persons and the officers of the establishment w-ho are allowed
these huts, the bachelors and spinsters having large places of their own,
where they are separately incarcerated every night.
To each mission is attached a well-built church, better decorated in
the interior than the external appearance of some would lead a stranger
to suppose : they are well supplied with costly dresses for processions
and feast days, to strike with admiration the senses of the gazing Indians,
and on the whole are very respectable establishments. In some ofthese
are a few tolerable pictures, among many bad ones; and those wlio have^
been able to obtain them are always provided with representations ot
hell and paradise : the former exhibiting in the most disgusting manner
all the torments the imagination can fancy, for the pui-pose of striking
terror into the simple Indians, who look upon the performance with fear
and trembling. Such representations may perhaps be useful in exhibiting
to the dull senses of the Indians what could not be conveyed
ill any other way, and so far they are desirable in the mission ; but
to an European the one is disgusting, and the other ludicrous.
Each establishment is under the management of two priests if possible,
who ill Upper California belong to the mendicant order of Sân Francisco.