CALIFORNIA. 219 



Padre Mercador served us with wine and fruit ; of the latter, the 

 pears were delicious. Don Miguel having notified me that it was 

 expected our party should ask to see the church, I made the request; 

 and the padre having supplied himself with a large bunch of keys, 

 ushered us through several narrow passages, to the door of the vestry- 

 room in the rear, into which we entered. Several pairs of massive 

 candlesticks of silver were standing about on tables, and around the 

 room were large trunks, which he opened, and showed us the rich 

 altar-pieces, costly robes, and fine laces, which they contained. Many 

 of the former were most magnificently embroidered in gold and silver, 

 and composed of substantial silks and satins of divers colours. The 

 splendour of the wardrobe was out of character with the smallness of 

 the church ; and on my remarking it, he said these things were for 

 processions, to have effect upon " los gentiles." One or two small pic- 

 tures that hung in this room were worthy of notice. Don Miguel 

 asserted that he thought if I desired them, there would be no great 

 difficulty in procuring any article that could be spared. I had no dis- 

 position to authorize him to make the attempt ; but this suggestion 

 tends to show in how little regard the obliging padre was held by the 

 community. We next passed into the church, the whole length of 

 which was thrown into one, without any columns. At one end is the 

 altar, and at the other the choir, which the padre informed me con- 

 sisted of some eighty Indians, who are daily in practice. He said that 

 the Indians were fond of music, had good ears, and little difficulty was 

 found in teaching it to them. In making the selections of performers, 

 they generally took those whose physical qualifications seemed best 

 adapted to the particular instrument, and practice did the rest. In 

 this way, such music as pleased the Indians and people of the 

 country, and which therefore answered his purposes, was produced. 

 The chapel is painted in fresco, or I should rather say daubed, by a 

 young artist of Mexico. The saints are all represented in fall 

 costume, and the scenes depicted are those most likely to attract the 

 attention and wonder of the neophytes. The whole has a gaudy 

 and unsightly appearance. We parted from Padre Mercador at the 

 church door, knowing it was about the hour of his noon service ; and 

 received from him a pressing invitation to visit him in the evening, 

 to play a game of chess, of which he said he was very fond. 



We now returned to the administrador, whom we found enveloped 

 in his large overcoat, with a white nightcap on his head, waiting in 

 his salle a. manger to receive us, and afford us entertainment. Don 



