47 o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



the more exposed parts of the coast moved inland a greater or less 



distance. 



Although by no means densely populated according to modern 

 ideas, yet California was well divided up among the numerous 

 tribes, and was probably more completely occupied than any other 

 part of the United States. This is attested by the accuracy with 

 which the tribal lands were marked off^ in many places by artifi- 

 cial boundaries, as also by the rigidness with which trespass on 

 the territory of neighboring tribes was punished. Population 

 must be large, and the natural products of the soil of considerable 

 value, ere land rights are so carefully guarded. A large popula- 

 tion is to be inferred also from the proximity of the missions to 

 each other, since each one required a populous area from which to 

 draw its converts ; and, finally, a large population is attested by 

 the mission figures, which show that during the mission period, 

 from 1769 to 1834, some seventy-nine thousand converts were bap- 

 tized ; and yet this number can not by any means have represented 

 the total population for the sixty-five years, since by no means all 

 the Indians were converted. 



As the Californian Indians were practically in the same cult- 

 ure state as those of other portions of the United States, though 

 upon a somewhat lower plane, I need not dwell further upon their 

 habits save to say that they lived in conical or wedge-shaped 

 lodges of tide or thatched grass, or in temporary wigwams of 

 branches ; wore very little clothing ; lived largely on fish, mollusks, 

 and seeds, and to a less extent upon game ; for the most part made 

 no pottery, but employed soapstone for domestic utensils when 

 that material was available, or used basketry vessels when it was 

 not ; were very fond of ornaments ; had a complex mythology ; re- 

 sorted to their sli am an s for the cure or prevention of disease, for 

 the destruction of enemies, either personal or tribal, for luck in 

 hunting or fishing ; and, finally, were fetich-worshipers. Such 

 were the people to enlighten and Christianize whom was to be 

 the life-work of the Franciscan fathers. Let us now observe the 

 methods adopted for these praiseworthy ends. 



The Spanish and Mexican authorities did not intend that the 

 mission reign should be permanent. The viceroys of New Spain 

 saw in California an important political addition to Spanish-Mexi- 

 can territory, and even when secular colonization failed, and the 

 attempt was abandoned in favor of ecclesiastical methods, the ap- 

 proved plan of the Government for the mission establishments 

 contemplated these as but a temporary means to an end, and full 

 provision was made for the conversion of the missions into secular 

 establishments, quite independent of priestly authority, and for 

 the conferring of citizenship upon the Indians. To this latter end 

 it was provided that after ten years' service in the mission an In- 



