ADMINISTRATION OF TOBIAS. 23 



arcliives. The spiritual administration of the islands was handed ov^er 

 to friars of the order of St. Augustine, who had come as passengers 

 on the schooner bringing the decree. This religious order continued 

 on the island until its seizure b}' the United States. 



crozet's visit. 



The next governor of the Mariannes, Don Mariano Tobias, has been 

 immortalized by the A])be Raynal in his Histoire et politique desetab- 

 lissements et du commerce des Europeens dans les deux Indes. Raj'nal 

 hated the tyranu}^ and injustice with which primitive nations were so 

 often treated, and believed that the rights of individuals should be 

 considered even though their skins might ])e brown and their clothing 

 scant. He called attention to glaring acts of crueltj' and oppression 

 ])erpetrated by European nations upon the natives of newly colonized 

 countries. In consequence of his bold accusations his book was 

 condemned to be burned (May 29, 1781), and he was obliged to fly 

 from France. 



An interesting account of the island during Tobias's administration 

 is given b}^ Crozet, who visited Guam September 27, 1772." Crozet 

 was an officer of the expedition of the French navigator Marion- 

 Dufresne, which left Mauritius on a voyage of discovery in the South 

 Seas. On June 8, 1772, Marion was killed and eaten by natives of 

 New Zealand b}' whom he and his men had been invited ashore to a 

 feast. The Chevalier du Clesmeur, who commanded one of the vessels, 

 left seeds of a number of useful plants at Guam. Among them were 

 those of Cajan cajan^ which has ever since been called "lenteja 

 francesa" b}^ the natives. Crozet describes the breadfruit tree, the 

 manner of its propagation b}' cuttings, and the preparation of its fruit 

 for food. He noticed that cattle are very fond of its leaves. He 

 speaks of the edible chestmit-like seeds of the ''dugdug," or fertile 

 breadfruit, and mentions the principal fruits growing on the island. 

 Guavas already formed thickets in open places. The indigenous capers 

 growing near the sea attracted him by the beauty and fragrance of 

 their flowers. They had already been transplanted to the Philippines. 

 Provisions were so plentiful that it was not necessar}^ to fish, though 

 the French sailors caught some fresh-water fishes, including eels, in 

 the streams of the island. These were held in less esteem by the 

 natives than salt-water fish. Crozet savs that Tobias had stimulated 

 the natives to cultivate their fields, which they had neglected owing to 

 the importation of breadstufl' for the missionaries and garrison by the 

 galleons from Mexico. He attributes the introduction of the cultiva- 

 tion of maize, rice, sugar cane, and other useful plants to Tobias, who 

 also planted avenues of coconut palms and breadfruit trees four deep 



aNouveau Yovage. See List of works. 



