IS VOYAGE TO THE 



sages in the Romish litany ; and also, to cross them- 

 selves properly on entering the church. In a few days 

 a willing Indian becomes a proficient in these mys- 

 teries, and suffers himself to be baptized, and duly 

 initiated into the church. If, however, as it not un- 

 frequently happens, any of the captured Indians show 

 a repugnance to conversion, it is the practice to im- 

 prison them for a few days, and then to allow them to 

 breathe a little fresh air in a walk round the mission, 

 to observe the happy mode of life of their converted 

 countrymen ; after which they are again shut up, and 

 thus continue to be incarcerated until they declare 

 their readiness to renounce the religion of their fore- 

 fathers. 



I do not suppose that this apparently unjustifiable 

 conduct would be pursued for any length of time ; and 

 I had never an opportunity of ascertaining the fact, as 

 the Indians are so averse to confinement that they very 

 soon become impressed with the manifestly superior 

 and more comfortable mode of life of those who are 

 at liberty, and in a very few days declare their readiness 

 to have the new religion explained to them. A person 

 acquainted with the language of the parties, of which 

 there are sometimes several dialects in the same mis- 

 sion, is then selected to train them, and having duly 

 prepared them takes his pupils to the padre to be bap- 

 tized, and to receive the sacrament. Having become 

 Christians they are put to trades, or if they have good 

 voices they are taught music, and form part of the 

 choir of the church. Thus there are in almost every 

 mission weavers, tanners, shoemakers, bricklayers, car- 

 penters, blacksmiths, and other artificers. Others 

 again are taught husbandry, to rear cattle and horses ; 

 and some to cook for the mission : while the females 



