304 CALIFORNIA DESERT TRAILS 



Purisima Concepcion, which was founded In 1780 

 and came to a tragic end in the following year along 

 with the neighboring Mission of San Pablo and San 

 Pedro, ten miles down the river. From earliest days 

 this was a favorite place for fording the river, and 

 from 1849 for many years there was a regular service 

 by ferry. In 1850, following the war with Mexico, a 

 fort, remains of which may be traced, was estab- 

 lished on the hill where the Indian school now 

 stands, and the place became known as Fort Yuma. 

 In 1852 the first of the river steamers, a stem- 

 wheeler, appeared at Fort Yuma, to the intense ex- 

 citement of the Indians, who, having assembled at 

 the report of the prodigy, beat a retreat on its ap- 

 proach, crying out that "the devil was coming up 

 the river, blowing fire out of his nose and kicking up 

 the water behind him with his feet. "'One of the old 



crossed the Colorado River, but for several years before that he had 

 been knocking about among the Yumas, Mojaves, Apaches, gaining 

 their good-will by his geniality, tact, courage, and simplicity. It is 

 said that he would eat Indian food and appear to enjoy it as much as 

 his hosts — a stiflf test for even the Franciscan "rule" and his native 

 courtesy. His influence with Palma, the Yuma chief, smoothed the 

 way for Anza's expedition in 1774, and he accompanied the gallant 

 "Captain of Tubac" for the whole distance from Sonora to the coast, 

 returning from San Gabriel alone. 



It is sad to record that a few years later Padre Garces fell a victim 

 when the "bold and rebellious" Yumas rose against the whites. He, 

 with three more priests and practically all the other white men at 

 the two newly established Missions (including the military com- 

 mander, Captain Don Fernando Rivera y Moncada, and many sol- 

 diers), fell in a general massacre in the summer of 1781. The bodies 

 of Fray Francisco and a companion priest were found, the following 

 year, where they had been buried by a kindly Indian woman in a 

 little spot of grass and flowers in the midst of the burned area where 

 the Mission had stood. The record says that among the flowers was 

 the camomile — a pleasant touch of detail. I like the association of 

 that modest little blossom with brave, simple Padre Garces. 



