163 
TRAVELS IN THE CALXFORNIAS. 
dians on the waters of the Gila and Colorado in the year 1700. 
These Padres have wrought well in the vineyards of the Faith. 
And they are now met to converse about the fate of these la¬ 
bors. They have learned that malice has destroyed their in¬ 
terest in Mexico and Spain. They know that the lives of the 
garrison at Loretto depend on their sole energy and means. 
And well would it be for the distressed everywhere if the re¬ 
lief which they need were dependent on such hearts and heads 
as those of the Padres Kino and Salva Tierra. The Indian 
farms are laid under contribution, and the keel of genuine 
mercy is fast cutting its way to Loretto to feed the dying 1 
Words, wishes, speeches, associations, societies, general and 
special committee rooms, and newspapers devoted to “ the 
cause,” are the outlets and substance of benevolence in the 
seventeenth century—an untiring chase after the shade of a 
great idea. In the seventeenth, these hated priests of an 
odious order, whose name has come to be the common term 
of the most refined knavery, and even introduced into our 
lexicons as the appellation for the basest villany, perform acts 
of the highest virtue, endure hardships of the severest charac¬ 
ter, and make sacrifices of the noblest nature, for a class of 
beings who will never have intelligence enough to appreciate 
them. 
After succors are sent to California, these Padres agree to 
explore the northwest country, in order to ascertain whether 
California be an island, or whether it be merely a peninsula. 
This question is deemed of great moment to the missions in 
California; for if supplies can be sent by land from Padre 
Kino’s mission to Loretto, the expense of shipping to carry 
them across the Gulf will be avoided, and the certainty of 
their arrival much increased. Accordingly, it is agreed 
that Padres Kino and Salva Tierra shall take differ¬ 
ent routes towards the Colorado. They determine to 
visit, on the way, Padre Kino’s converts at the several 
missions in that region, and meet at Mission de Lolores. 
Accordingly Padre Salva Tierra goes by San Ignacio, 
