160 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 



and, girding up their loins with zealous fervor and enthusiasm, 

 and with an enterprise and hardihood worthy of bucaniers, they 

 pushed their adventurous way far into the bowels of the land, 

 preaching devoutly and with commendable perseverance to savages 

 who did not understand a syllable of what they so eloquently dis- 

 coursed ; and returning, after the lapse of many months passed in 

 this first attempt, with glowing accounts of the " mmj hucn 

 indole^ the very ductile disposition of the savages, and of tlie 

 thousands they had converted to " Za santa fe catolica.'" 



Ferdinand and Isabel, of glorious memory, at once beat up for 

 volunteers. Crowds of Franciscan monks, greasy Capuchinos, and 

 nuns of orthodox odor, joined the band ; and saints even of the 

 feminine gender, long since canonized and up aloft among the 

 goodly muster of saints and martyrs, put foot once more on terra 

 JiTina, and, rosary in hand, crossed the seas to participate in the 

 good work. As proof of this latter fact, one Venabides, a Fran- 

 ciscan, whose veracity is beyond impeachment, declared that, 

 while preaching in the regions now known as New Mexico, one 

 million Indians from the " rumbo" known as Cibolo, a mighty 

 nation, approached his temporary pulpit on the Pvio Grande, and 

 requested in a body the favor of being baptized. Struck with the 

 singularity of this request from Indians with whom he had as yet 

 held no communication, and with conscientit«JS scruples as to 

 whether he would be justified in performing such ceremony with- 

 out their having received previous instruction, he hesitated a few 

 moments before making an answer. At this juncture the Indians 

 espied a medallion which hung around his neck, bearing the efhgy 

 of a certain saint of extraordinary virtue. At sight of this they 

 fell on their knees before it ; and it was some time before they 

 found words (in what language does not appear) to explain to the 

 holy father that the original of that eiiigy, which hung pendent 

 from his neck, had been long among them instructing them in the 

 elements of the Christian religion, and had only lately disappeared ; 



