TRAVELS IN THE CALIFORNIAS. 
197 
When he enters La Paz bay the Loretto Indians leap over¬ 
board and swim ashore; the Padre, Captain and soldiers fol¬ 
low hastily in their boats; but do not arrive in time to 
prevent the Loretto tribe from such warlike demonstrations as 
put the Guaycuros to flight. They flee, leaving their wives 
and children to follow after at a slower pace. The Loretto 
Indians do not regard the orders of Padre Salva Tierra ; 
but led by savage impulse, fall upon the hapless women and 
children. These attempt to defend themselves with stones. 
But they must have perished had not the Captain and the 
nimblest of the soldiers arrived at the commencement of the 
infamous encounter. The unoffending creatures are saved; 
and wailing horribly, follow their cowardly fathers and hus¬ 
bands. 
This unfortunate event tries exceedingly the good Padre 
Salva Tierra. He sorrows that his benevolent designs should 
terminate in an outrage upon those whom he comes to cherish. 
But it is apparent that this rashness of the Loretto Indians 
renders useless any attempts at friendly connections with the 
Guaycuros. He therefore distributes to the prisoners from 
the pearlfishers’ vessels, some agreeable presents, explains to 
them, that his object in visiting their countrymen was to re¬ 
store themselves to their homes, and enter into friendly rela¬ 
tions with the Guaycuros nation, and dismisses them with 
such other marks of his good intentions as will open a proba¬ 
bility of successful negotiation with their countrymen on 
another occasion. He returns to Loretto with a heavy heart: 
and sends the brigantine to Matanchel for goods and pro¬ 
visions. A furious storm strands it; the vessel and cargo are 
a total loss; and nine persons are drowned. Thus death 
again thins the ranks of the Californian missions ; w 7 ant and 
nakedness stalk among them ; and the old San Xavier, after 
eighteen years’ service, is the only sea craft connecting them 
with the continent and with life. Amidst all these difficulties, 
however, the untiring Padres found the mission of San Igna¬ 
cio in the Cada Kaaman, or the vale of the Sedge Brook. 
