1826. 



24 VOYAGE TO THE 



CHAP, manufactures of their barbarous countrymen, which, 



v^ ' , by the by, are often better than their own ; and some 



Nov. with the secret determination never to return. On 

 these occasions the padres desire them to induce as 

 many of their unconverted brethren as possible to 

 accompany them back to the mission, of course, 

 implying that this is to be done only by persua- 

 sion ; but the boat being furnished with a cannon 

 and musketry, and in every respect equipped for war, 

 it too often happens that the neophytes, and the g^nte 

 de razon, who superintend the direction of the boat, 

 avail themselves of their superiority, with the desire 

 of ingratiating themselves with their masters, and of 

 receiving a reward. There are, besides, repeated acts 

 of aggression which it is necessary to punish, all of 

 which furnish proselytes. Women and children are 

 generally the first objects of capture, as their hus- 

 bands and parents sometimes voluntarily follow them 

 into captivity. These misunderstanding and captivities 

 keep up a perpetual enmity amongst the tribes, whose 

 thirst for revenge is almost insatiable. 



We had an opportunity of witnessing the tragical 

 issue of one of these holyday excursions of the neo- 

 phytes of the mission of San Jose. The launch was 

 armed as usual, and placed under the superintendance 

 of an alcalde of the mission, who, it appears from one 

 statement (for there are several), converted the party 

 of pleasure either into one of attack for the purpose 

 of procuring proselytes, or of revenge upon a particu- 

 lar tribe for some aggression in which they were con- 

 cerned. They proceeded up the Rio San Joachin until 

 they came to the territory of a particular tribe named 

 Cosemenes, when they disembarked with the gun, 

 and encamped for the night near the village of Los 



