all back from his profession, but
retained him a prisoner of the cross. They used as much mildness as is
compatible with their system, and only compelled their converts to
labor as much as was necessary to the success of the mission, the rest
of the time being devoted to their spiritual edification; that is, they
were employed in repeating Latin prayers and a Spanish catechism, after
an old Indian who acted as prompter. Sometimes it was necessary to
allow the Indians to go abroad for a time, but then their return was
provided for by retaining the squaws and papooses as hostages, in the
same manner as they provided for the return of the plantation bulls, by
shutting up the cows and calves in the _corral_.

The system pursued by the Jesuits, and, after their expulsion, by the
Dominicans, was to treat the Indians as though they were half human and
the other half bestial. Abstractly considered, this was very wrong; but
it was practically the only system of treatment that gave any promise
of improving their condition. Though in many respects they were treated
as slaves, yet the missionaries had generally at heart the best
interests of the Indians. With them it was a settled rule, that when an
Indian was to be married, his kindred should be carefully inquired
after, and that among them he was to marry, or not at all; for long
experience had taught the fathers that certain diseases, hereditary
among them, were checked by each marrying into his own clan, while they
were aggravated by intermarriage with a stranger.

We may sum up the whole story of the combined missionary and
governmental efforts at colonization in Lower Peninsular California,
during a period of two hundred and fifty years, by saying that they
jointly succeeded in establishing a poverty-stricken village of mud
huts, called San Josef, at Cape San Lucas, where the Manilla galleon,
on its voyage to Acapulco, could procure a supply of fresh vegetables
to stay the ravages of the scurvy among its crew. They also established
a less important village at La Paz, which, with Loretto, and divers
small hamlets and ranches, constitutes all there is of this parched
peninsula.

Upper California comes to my aid in illustration of the early condition
of Mexico, for, without this assistance, many phenomena that are
witnessed in Mexico would be inexplicable. The effects of sudden
wealth, the great accumulations of precious metals in few hands, the
gross immoralities to which su