CONVERTS TO CHRISTIANITY. 79 



scarcely superior to the animals by whom they 

 were surrounded, was to introduce the Catholic 

 worship, or, more properly, tiie dominion of 

 the monks, by force of arms. The missions 

 multiplied rapidly. In New California, where 

 we now were, the first of these, that of St. 

 Diego, was established in 1769 ; now there are 

 twenty-one in this country. Twenty-five thou- 

 sand baptized Indians belong at present to 

 these missions, and a military force of five 

 hundred dragoons is found sufficient to keep 

 them in obedience, to prevent their escape, or, 

 if they should elude the vigilance of their 

 guards, to bring them from the midst of their 

 numerous tribes, improving the favourable op- 

 portunity of making new converts by the power 

 of the sword. 



The fate of these so called Christian Indians 

 is not preferable even to that of negro slaves. 

 Abandoned to the despotism of tyrannical 

 monks. Heaven itself offers no refuge from 

 their sufferings ; for their spiritual masters 

 stand as porters at the gate, and refuse en- 

 trance to whom they please. These unfor- 

 tunate beings pass their lives in prayer, and in 



