METHOD OF CONVERSION. 109 



dragoons, in the management of their horses, 

 and in the use of the noose, with which two or 

 three of them in conjunction will catch even 

 bears and wild bulls ; a single man is sufficient 

 to capture an Indian. 



Estudillo declared that no Indian ever pre 

 sents himself voluntarily at the missions, but 

 that they are all either hunted in the manner 

 above described, or tricked out of their liberty 

 by some artifice of the monks. For this pur 

 pose, some few in every mission are extremely 

 well treated, as for instance our pilot Marco- 

 These are from time to time sent into distant 

 parts of the country to exert their eloquence on 

 their countrymen, and entice them to the mis 

 sions. Once there, they are immediately bap 

 tized, and they then become for ever the pro 

 perty of the monks. 



To my observation, that affairs would now 

 probably assume a different aspect, as the arbi 

 trary dominion of the clergy, and the dependence 

 of the military upon them were equally termi 

 nated, Estudillo replied, that California might 

 certainly become a powerful state, that she was 

 abundantly provided by nature with all that was 



