368 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP, of little Indian domestics, who stood gaping round the table. F or this 
purpose, he had every day two piles of pancakes made of Indian corn ; 
Nov. and as soon as the dlla was removed, he would fix his eyes upon one of 
the boys, who immediately opened his mouth, and the padre, rolling up 
a cake, would say something ludicrous in allusion to the boy’s appetite, 
or to the size of his mouth, and pitch the cake at him, which the imp 
would catch between his teeth, and devour with incredible rapidity, in 
order that he might be ready the sooner for another, as well as to please 
the padre, whose amusement consisted in a great measure in witnessing 
the sudden disappearance of the cake. In this manner the piles of cakes 
were gradually distributed among the boys, amidst much laughter and 
occasional squabbling. 
Nothing coidd exceed the kindness and consideration of these 
excellent men to their guests and to travellers, and they were seldom 
more pleased than when any one paid their mission a visit : we always 
fared well there, and even on fast days were provided with fish dressed 
in various ways, and preserves made with the fruit of the country. We 
had, however, occasionally some difficulty in maintaining our good 
temper, in consequence of the unpleasant remarks which the difference 
of our religion brought from the padres, who were very bigoted men, 
and invariably introduced this subject. At other times they were very 
conversible, and some of them were ingenious and clever men ; but they 
had been so long excluded from the civilized world, that their ideas and 
their politics, like the maps pinned against the walls, bore date of 1772, 
as near as I could read it for fly spots. Their geographical knowledge 
was equally backward, as my host at San Jose had never heard of the 
discoveries of Captain Cook ; and because Otaheite was not placed upon 
his chart, he would scarcely credit its existence. 
The Indians after their conversion are quiet and tractable, but 
extremely indolent, and given to intoxication, and other vices. Gambling 
in particular they intlulge in to an unlimited extent: they pledge the 
very clothes on their backs, and not unfrequently have been known to 
play for each other’s wives. They have several games of their own, 
besides some with cards, which have been taught them by the Spaniards. 
Those which are most common, and are derived from the wild Indians, 
