The Polynesian., 1841-11-13
Vol. 9.-NO. 23.


objection is the temptation given by the
entrus'ing so much power and wealth in
the hands of any class Of men to make Il
temporal use of it, for their own benefit.
In this case the system succeeded as per-
icctly perhaps as any system for cvangel-
lzing the savage has yet done, and was
probably the only one that could have
succeeded at all. The Missions rapidly
increased in numbers, and possessed near
ly all the wealth in the country. The
Mission of St. Gabriel had at one time
over one hundred thousand head of cat
tie, which reckoned at five dollars head,
their current value, the wealth of the mis-
sion in cattle alone was more than five
hundred thousand dollars. Indeed their
flocks and herds were so large that they
could not manage them, but offered TO
stock " rancho," or farm, for any one
who would agree to return the original
number when called upon
The government of the country at last
began to look with an evil eye upon the
wealth of the monastic establishments
from whom they had often been obliged
to borrow money, and in the year 1885
Don Nicolas Gutierrez the Governor of
California, took possession of all the mis-
sions, continuing the monks in charge of
them, but appropriating their wealth for
the benefit of government. This step was
the ruin of the missions. The Indians
who had always considered themselves the
owners or stockholders, finding the wealth
which they had labored to accumulate
thus forcibly taken from them, gradually
deserted the missions and returned to
their former modes Of life, the most civil
lied cultivating ranches and breeding cat
tie, the rest living by hunting. The
buildings rapidly went to decay, and at
the present time, many Of them are en-
tirely broken up and uninhabited, as was
the case with the Mission of Carmel. Its
bells, whose chimes once echoed through
this beautiful valley, calling the faithful to
vespcrs, now hang in mournful silence,
scarce one of those faithful remaining
within sound of their summons.
On returning to town we varied our
route, passing through country rich in
scenery and covered with the most luxu-
RANT vegetation. The excellence of the
road and the spirit of most of our steeds
afforded too great a temptation for a gal
lop, to be resisted, and our party was soon
scattered. | was riding alone when I
came in sight of the town, and seeing to
my great joy, the long expected A. at an
Choir in the harbor, hurried on to meet
my old friend Capt. c. and riding over a
small bridge which was thrown across a
ravine, was passing the Quartet" or bar
racks, when was rudely stopped by some
of the soldiers, who commenced a long
rigmarole in Spanish, which might as well
have been in Choctaw, for any light which
it threw on the cause of the trouble. Nv
ignorance of the language was probably
considered as an insult by these mustach-
iocd worthless, who commenced a prac-
teal Interpretation of their ideas, by first
pulling me from my horse, which one took
one way, while another relieved me of my
spurs, which he took another way, and
some four or five of them took my own
sacred person in still another direction to-
wards a very suspicious looking building
which shrcwdly surmiscd was the Gala
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