IN THE OLD WEST ^57 



emblem of the Catholic faith, was to be upraised 

 in the remotest corners of the country, and the 

 natives instructed and compelled to worship it, in 

 lieu of the grotesque images of their own idola- 

 trous religion. 



To carry into effect these orthodox instruc- 

 tions, troops of pious priests, of friars and monks 

 of every order, and even of saintly nuns, followed 

 in the wake of the victorious armies of Cortez; 

 and girding up their loins, with zealous fervor 

 and enthusiasm, and with an enterprise and hardi- 

 hood worthy of buccaneers, they pushed their 

 adventurous way far into the bowels of the land, 

 preaching devoutly and with commendable perse- 

 verance to savages who did not understand a syl- 

 lable of what they so eloquently discoursed; and 

 returning, after the lapse of many months passed 

 in this first attempt, with glowing accounts of the 

 " muy huen indole,''^ the very ductile disposition 

 of the savages, and of the thousands they had 

 converted to " la santa fe catolica.'* 



Ferdinand and Isabel, of glorious memory, at 

 once beat up for volunteers. Crowds of Francis- 

 can monks, greasy Capuchinos, and nuns of 

 orthodox odor, joined the band; and saints even 

 of the feminine gender, long since canonized and 

 up aloft amongst the goodly muster of saints and 

 martyrs, put foot once more on terra firma, and, 

 rosary in hand, crossed the seas to participate in 

 the good work. As proof of this latter fact, one 



