12 VOYAGE TO THE 



tion of an oath of allegiance to the reigning authori- 

 ties, which these holy men considered so egregious a 

 violation of their former pledge to the king of Spain, 

 that, until he renounced his sovereignty over the 

 country, they could not conscientiously take it ; and, 

 much as they were attached to the place in which they 

 had passed a large portion of their lives, and though 

 by quitting it they would be reduced to the utmost 

 penury — yet, so much did they regard this pledge, 

 that they were prepared to leave the country, and to 

 seek an asylum in any other that would afford it them. 

 Indeed, the Prefect preferring his expulsion to re- 

 nouncing his allegiance, had already received his dis- 

 missal, and was ready at the seaport of Monterey to 

 embark in any vessel the government might appoint 

 to receive him. A third grievance, and one which, 

 when duly considered, was of some importance, not 

 only to the missions but to the country in general, 

 was an order to liberate all those converted Indians 

 from the missions who bore good characters, and had 

 been taught the art of agriculture, or were masters of 

 a trade, and were capable of supporting themselves, 

 giving them portions of land to cultivate, so arranged 

 that they should be divided into parishes, with curates 

 to superintend them, subservient to the clergy of the 

 missions, who were to proceed to the conversion of the 

 Indians as usual, and to train them for the domesti- 

 cated state of society in contemplation. 



This philanthropic system at first sight appeared to 

 be a very excellent one, and every friend to the rights 

 of man would naturally join in a wish for its prospe- 

 rity ; but the Mexican government could not have suf- 

 ficiently considered the state of California, and the dis- 

 position of the Indians, or they would have known it 



