HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



265 



because of their age, and the self-denying and ener 

 getic labors with which they are connected. They 

 were the centres, established by a few Catholic priests, 

 from which the rays of enlightenment and civilized 

 enjoyment were spread to the native Indians of Cali 

 fornia. Each mission was a little principality, with 

 many leagues of land attached, with some thousand 

 head of cattle, and all the neighboring Indians sub 

 ject to the control of the padre, and cultivating the 

 land for their own and the padre's benefit. In 1800, 

 these missions were sixteen in number, and three only 

 have been added since that time. They are named 

 and located as follows : San Rafael and San Fran 

 cisco Solano, north of San Francisco Bay ; Dolores, 

 near San Francisco ; Santa Clara and San Jose', 

 near Pueblo San Josd ; San Juan, Santa Cruz and 

 Carmel, near Monterey ; Soledad, San Antonio, and 

 San Miguel, in the valley of Salina River ; San Luis 

 Obispo, La Purisima, Santa Ynez, Santa Barbara, and 

 San Buenaventura, near Santa Barbara ; San Gabriel 

 and San Fernando, near Los Angeles ; and San Luis 

 Rey, San Juan Capistrano and San Diego, on the 

 coast, south of Los Angeles. 



The wealth and power of these missions have fled, 

 and they are all, more or less, in a state of decay. 

 The Indians who were prospering under the care of 

 the priests have either taken refuge in the mountains 

 or linger about the old mission buildings, in a de 

 graded and ignorant state. The immense quantity 

 of land which was once attached to them has been 

 taken from them from time to time, and now they but 

 seem the ruins of former greatness. The beauty of 

 the country surrounding those of the missions which 

 are still existing, and the picturesque appearance of 

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