220 HISTORICAL SKETCH. 



having a pastor or minister constantly re- 

 sident, who attended to the duties of the 

 church, and to the religious offices apper- 

 taining to his station. 



These missions gradually increased, form- 

 ing, as it were, a sort of intermediate grade 

 between the settled territories of the Spa- 

 niards and the wild retreats of the inde- 

 pendent Indians. It may be doubted, per- 

 haps, whether any large proportion of the 

 Indians were, by means of these missions, 

 converted into devout Catholics or good 

 Christians; but it is certain that the effect 

 has been to impress upon them many of 

 the characteristics of civilization, by in- 

 spiring them with some taste for the en- 

 joyments of social life, and inducing them 

 to bestow upon the land that little culti- 

 vation which is required in South America, 

 to produce an abundant supply for the 

 sustenance of man. 



