366 
VOYAGE TO THE 
OTAP. name, to listen if the simple Indians, who had never spoken a Spanish 
word before, pronounced it correctly, or any thing near the mark. After 
1826 repeated these names satisfactorily, their blind tutor, after a 
pause, added — “ Santos” — and recapitulated the names of a great many 
saints, which finished the morning’s tuition. I did not attend the next 
schooling to hear what was the ensuing task, but saw them arranged on 
their knees repeating Spanish words as before. 
They did not appear to me to pay much attention to what was 
going forward, and I observed to the padre that I thought ' their 
teachers had an arduous task ; but he said they had never found any 
difficulty ; that the Indians were accustomed to change their own gods, 
and that their conversion was in a measure habitual to them. I could 
not help smiling at this reason of the padre, but have no doubt it was 
very true; and that the party I saw would feel as little compunction 
at apostatizing again whenever they should have an opportunity of re- 
turning to their own tribe. 
The expenses of the late expedition fell heavy upon the mission, 
and I was glad to find that the padre thought it was paying very dear 
for so few converts, as in all probability it will lessen his desire to under- 
take another expedition ; and the poor Indians will be spared the horrors 
of being butchered by their own countrymen, or dragged from their 
homes into perpetual captivity. He was also much concerned to think 
the Cosemenes had stood their ground so firmly, and he was under 
some little apprehension of an attack upon the mission. Iinjoressed 
with this idea, and in order to defend himself the more effectuallv, 
he begged me to furnish him with a few fireworks, which he thought 
would strike terror into his enemies in case of necessity. 
Morning and evening mass are daily performed in the missions, 
and high mass as it is appointed by the Komish church, at which all 
the converted Indians are obliged to attend. The commemoration of 
the anniversary of the patroness saint took place during my visit at San 
Jose, and high mass was celebrated in the church. Before the prayers 
began, there was a procession of the young female Indians, with which I 
was highly pleased. They were neatly dressed in scarlet petticoats, and 
white bodices, and walked in a very orderly manner to the church, where 
