DECLARE THEIR INDEPENDENCE. 83 



These things of course could no longer be 

 obtained, and their loss was regarded by the 

 new Christians as a heavy misfortune. Their 

 despair at length broke out into insurrection : 

 they burst their prisons, and attacked the dwell- 

 ings of the monks, but retired before the fire 

 of musketry. The military, with very little 

 loss on their side, defeated great numbers of 

 the natives, and brought them again into their 

 previous subjection. 



A new light dawned on the minds of the dra- 

 ofoons. What would have become of the monks 

 without their valiant support ? Elated by vic- 

 tory, and disregarding all the protestations of 

 the ghostly fathers, whose feebleness and help- 

 lessness were now apparent, they declared them- 

 selves the first class in the country, and inde- 

 pendent of Spain, which for so many years had 

 abandoned them to their fate. 



Similar causes produced similar effects in 

 Old California, and each country now forms a 

 separate republic. 



Spain might with ease have retained these 

 fertile provinces under allegiance. Had their 

 fidelity received the smallest encouragement, it 



