USA > California > Los Angeles County > History of Los Angeles County, California, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, residences, fine blocks and manufactories > Part 5
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born babe in the doorway of their habitation, hnt their father, the spirit, was nowhere to be found. In the midst of sorrow and atliction. they devoted themselves to the care of the helpless julant. It was a lung and tedious day for them, this first, that they passed without the protecting care of their father. In suspense, agony and anxiety, the day wore away, and as the evening shades were drawing around them. they beheld the full and blushing moun, arrayed in golden robes, ascend above the eastern horizon and enshrine herself in mid-heaven. At This majestic sight, joy and gladuess tilled their heurts, und with rejoie. ing they devoted themselves to renring the beautiful pledge which hal been left to their care by the Great Spirit and the moon, when they ascended from the earth. With nnecasing rare and watch fulness the first female child grew up, fresh us the morning and beautiful os light. The periodies! re-appearance of the moon in her splendor is ever hailed wih delight, in remembrance of her ancient solicitude for the welfare of man, as well as with tihnl feelings as the unternul an- cestor at the human l'amily; while the hekleness of her daughters, instead of disarming love, has ever been the subject of leniency in con- sideration of the changeful nature of the first materunl parent.
CHAPTER IN.
SAN GABRIEL MISSION. (1771-1771).
More Missionaries- - San Antonio Mission Founded - Expedition to San Gabriel Attack hy Savages - Son Gabriel Mission Fonoded Indian Account Thereof Brutal Treatment-Letter from President- Destitution-t'onver sing of ladinis Fears of a Relapse Serro Visits Sao Gabriel Returns 1. Mexico Failure of Supplies Suffering Reinforcements Condition of the Indians Ootlerak at San Diego- Marder of Father Lewis Espedi. tim by Harzes-A cold Reception Impressing the Savagex - Their Nia. lors Estimater.
HAVING now some slight idea of the people they came to con- vert, we will follow once more the fortunes of the Franciscan Friars.
In March, 1771, the San Antonio arrived uf. San Diego with a re-enforcement of ten new missionaries from Mexico. Thuse brought with them ten thousand dollars in money, and a vari- ety of sacred vessels and ornaments for the churchrs. Thu4 strengthenedl, the Father President proceeded to found the mis- sion of San Antonio de Padua, in the hills of Santa Lucia, some twenty leagues from Monterey. This accomplished, the establishment of San Gabriel was determined on, and the following miraculous account of the expedition undertaken for that purpose is extracted from " a life of the Chief Missionary Father Junipero Serra," written by Father Francisco Palon, one of the missionaries, and puldished in Mexico, 1787:
On the teuth of August, the Father Friar l'edro Cambon, and Father Angel Somera, guarded by ten soldiers, with the muleteers and beasts requisite to carry the necessaries, set out from San Diego and traveled northerly by the same ronte as the former expedition for Mouterry had gone. After proceeding about furty leagues they arrived at the river called " Temblores," and while they were in the act of examining the ground, in order to fix a proper place for the Mission, a multitude of tudians, all armed and headed by two captains, presented them- selves, setting up horrid yells, and sremed determined to oppose the establishment of the Mission. The Fathers, fearing that war would ensue, took out a piece of cloth, having thercou the image of Our Lady
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HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
le las Dolores, and held it up to the view of the barbarian". This was no sooner done, than the whole were quiet, being subdued by the- sight of this most precious image; and throwing on the ground their bows and arrows, the two captains came running with great haste to lay the beads which they brought about their neeks at the feet of the Sovereign Queen, as a proof of their entire regard; manifesting at the same time that they wished to be at peace with us. They then in- formed the whole of the neighborhood of what had taken place; and the people in large numbers, men women, and children, soon eame to see the holy Virgin; bringing food which they put before her, thinking she required to cat as others. In this manner the gentiles of the mission of San Gabriel were so entirely changed, that they frequented the establishment without reserve, and hardly knew how much to manifest their pleasure that the Spaniards had come to settle in their Country. Under these favorable anspices the Fathers proceeded to found the mission with the acenstomed ceremonies; and celebrated the first muss under a tree on the nativity of the Virgin, the eighth day of September, 1771."
The account given by the natives of their first impressions of the Spaniards, differs somewhat fron this and is interesting by way of comparison ; we quote from Mr. Reid's letters, before referred to :-
The Indians were sadly afraid when they saw the Spaniards coming on horseback. Thinking them gods, the women ran to the brush, and hid themselves, while the men put out the fires in their huts. They remained still more impressed with this idea, when they saw one of their guests take a Hint, strike fire and commence smoking, having never seen it produced in this simple manner before. An occurrenee however soon convinced them that their strange visitors were, like themselves, mortals, for one of the Spaniards leveled bis musket at a bird and killed it. Although greatly terrified at the report of the piece, yet the effect it produced of taking life, led them to reason, and deduced the impossibility of the " Giver of Life " to murder animals, a they themselves did, with bows and arrows. They consequently put them down as human beings, "of ut musty white color, and having ugly blur eyes!" "This party was a small one, and soon left. Having offered 10 violence, they were in consequence not disliked. They gave them the name of "Chichinuhrros" or reasonable beings. It is a fact worthy of notice that on becoming acquainted with the tools and instruments of steel used hy the Spaniards, they were likewise named . Chirbinabros,' which shows the estimation in which they held their conquerors.
Another event soon convinced them of their visitors mortality, for shortly afterward they received another visit from a larger party, who commeneed tying the hands of the adult males behind their backs ; and making signs of their wish to proenre women-these having again fled to the thicket on the first appearance of their coming. Harsh measures obtained for them what they sought, but the women were considered contaminated, and were put through a long course of sweating, drinking of herbs, etc. The natives necessarily became accustomed to these things, but their disgust and ahhorrenec never left them till many years after. In fact every white child boru among them for a long period was secretly strangled and buried !
'The whites made tbem a number of presents prior to using any means to convert them; the presents were never refused, but only those consisting of goods were put to any use whatever. All kinds and elasses of foods and entables were rejected and held in abhorrence. Instead therefore of partaking of them. they were buried secretly in the woods. Two old Indians not long since dead, related to me tbe circumstance of having once assisted wben boys to inter a quantity of frijol and Indian corn just received from the whites. Some length of time afterward, being ont in the woods amusing themselves, they came where these articles had been deposited. Their surprise knew no bounds to now behold an infinity of stalks and plants unknown to them, protruding through the carth which covered the seed. They communicated the fact at home ; their story was verified by others, and the wizards duly pronounced the whitex " witchcrafts!" Even mtuocha, of which they are now so fond, was declared to be the eserement of their new neigbbors.
At the time whereof we write, the site now occupied by the
San Gabriel Mission buildings and the adjacent village, was a complete forest of oaks, with considerable underwood. The water composing the lagoon of the mill (one and a half miles listant), then lodged in a hollow near the mission, on the Los Angeles road. This hollow was a complete thicket of zyca- mores, cotton-wood, larch, ash,, and willow; and was alnost, impassible from the dense undergrowth of brambles, nettles, palmacristi, wild-rose, and wild-vines. Cleared of these encum- brances, this land (which then possessed a rich, black soil, though now a sandy waste) served to grow the first crops ever produced in Los Angeles county. Near by stood the Indian village "Sibag-na." Bears innumerable prowled about the dwellings, and deer sported in the neighborhood. The first establishment was, however, at the "Old Mission," some four or five miles away in a south-easterly direction, on the San Gabriel river, then known as ". El Rio de los Temblores " (the river of earthquakes), and the building referred to was always known as "The Mission Temblores." It was not till some time afterward (probably several years) that the present San Gabriel Mission was erected, the former one having been injured by the almost daily convulsions of nature then preva- lent in that locality.
The priests brought with them a number of vagabonds in the various characters of soldiers, masons, carpenters, etc. Having "converted" a few Indians by presents of cloth and ribbons, and taught thein to say " Amar a Dios" (Love to God), they baptized them, and set them to work under direc- tion of their "Christian " assistants. Once baptized, the poor natives lost custe with their people, and became to them as Pariohs. The ceremony was called by the natives "'soynu," " being bathed," and was regarded as both ignominious and degrading. Unable to revisit their tribe, they remained at the mission, and their hopeless submissiveness to their new masters was duly accredited to a miraculous change of heart. brought about by dircet interposition of the blessed Virgin. Yet, in the ceremonies they were compelled to pass through, these poor creatures "had no more iden they were worshiping God, then an unborn child has of astronomy ! "
The principal uses of the soldiers were, first, to capture new converts, and, second, to awe them into submission. Upon their expeditions of conversion, however, the priests themselves not infrequently assisted. There is a tradition extant con- cerning one worthy father who was an expert with the lasso, as well as a fearless horseman. Riding at full gallop into a village, he would select his man (as an old-time slaver selected his "nigger" in the slave-market, for his breren), lasso him, drag him to the mission, tie him up and whip him into subjec- tion, baptize him, Christianize him, and set him to work all within the space of one hour; then away for another, withont rest: "such was his seal for the conversion of infidels!"
On one occasion an expedition went as far as the present Rancho del Chino, where they tied and whipped every man, woman and child in the lodge," and drove part back with then. On the way home they did likewise to the lodge at San Jose. Upon arrival, the men were directed to throw their bows and arrows at the fect of the priest in token of submis- sion. The infants were then baptized, as also were all chil- dren under eight years of age. The first were. per force left with their mothers, but the latter were kept apart, until maternal instinct compelled the poor women to subunit to the indignity of baptism, in order to see their loved ones again. In time the men gave way also, and this contaminated race, both in their own sight and in that of their kindred, became " followers of Christ," and laborers in the vineyards of the priests! Strange to say, these Indians, though famous in war- fare with other tribes, resisted not their oppressors. Filled with astonishment and fear they sought only to hide from them; all of which was duly accredited to the good offices of "Our Sovereign Lady :"
For several years no attempt appears to have been made by " the missionaries," either to learn the Indian tongue, or to teach the natives Spanish. The sobliers learned enough of the former, the better to gratify their lusts; and the Indians were instructed in the latter to say, " Amur a Dios" Love to til . without understanding the phrase any more than if it had been " Ticdouloureur," or " Jack the Giant Killer."
Having successfully established four missions, the fathers now bent their whole energies to their improvement, and the conversion (or rather subjugation) of the neighboring tribes. Under date August 8, 1772, the Father President writes :-
There is no fear of being under the necessity of abandoning any of the missions now established. The people are ebietly maintained by the Indians, and they live-God knows how. The milk of the cowsand the vegetables of the garden have been two great sources of sulwist- ence for these establishments: both begin, however, now to get scaree: but it is not for this I feel mortified; it is because we have not been able to go on with otber missions. All of us feel the vexations troubles and obstacles we have to encounter, but no one thinks of leaving his mission, or desires to do so. The consulation is, that troubles or no troubles, there are various souls in Heaven from Monterey. Fan Anto- nio, and Sau Diego. From San Gabriel there are none as yet. but there are among those Indians many who praise God: whose holy name is in their months more frequently than in those of many old Christians; yet some think that from mild lambs, which they are at present. they will return one day to be lions and tigers. This may be so if God permits; but we have three years' experience with those of Monterey, and with those of San Antonio two years, and they appear better every day. If all are not already Christians, it is in my opinion only owing to our want of understanding the language. This is a trouble which is not new to me; and I have always imagined that my sins have not permitted me to possess this faculty of learning strange tongues, which is a great misfortune in a country such as thus, where no interpreter or master of languages can be had until some of the natives learn Spanish, which requires a long time. At San Diego they have already overcome this dithiculty. They now bapti e adults and celebrate marriages, and we are here approximating the same point. We have begun to explain to the youth in Spanish, and if they could render us a little assistance in another way, we should in a short time care little about the arrival of the vessels, so far as respects
WASHINGTON GARDEN
AGRICULTURAL
PARK
MAIN ST.
R.
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PUBLISHED BY THOMPSON & WEST.
EL SMITH & OS LITH OAKLAND CAL
RESIDENCE OF EX-GOV. JOHN G. DOWNEY, MAIN STREET, LOS ANGELES, CAL.
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HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
provisions; but as affairs stand at present, the missions cannot much advance. Upon the whole I contide in God, who must remedy all.
While matters were thus progressing elsewhere, the mission of San Gabriel had not been idle.
A sufficient number of Neophytes having been secured active work was comuneneed. Groml was cleared and laid off; adobes made; timber out and hanled; and the mission build- ings erected. At first these were thatched with nettle-hemp. but in time this was replaced with tiles. The new church had a steeple erected on it, but this being soon shaken down by an earthquake the present belfry was substituted. From year to year new buildings were added l'or the soldiers and attend- ants, and finally for the converts likewise, but these never took kindly to the " white men's dwellings," preferring their own huts of reeds, which they could burn down when their customs demanded.
In the interest of the missions he had established, the worthy Father President now determined on returning to Mexico. With this view he first visited the mission of San Gabriel (which he had not before seen), and from there proceeded to San Diego overland, and embarked from that port on board the packet, bont San Carlos, October 20, 1772, and arrived at San Blas on the fourth of November following.
On his arrival in Mexico, he persuaded the viceroy Bucareli to despatch a frigate laden with supplies for the use of the upper missions; but owing to the imperfect navigation of the time, this vessel missed her course, was driven up the gulf, and as a consequence, for eight long months both fathers, soldiers, and converts were nearly starved, and had to subsist almost entirely on milk. In September, 1773, Father Serra again lol't the city of Mexico, accompanied by a further re-enforce- ment of missionaries, also officers and soldiers; together with various supplies intended for the upper missions, these consist- ing of maize, beans, flour and clothing to the value of abont $12,000. Though bound direct to Monterey, his vessel, through accident, put into the port of San Diego, and from here the Father President proceeded overland, desiring to visit the other missions.
With renewed strength, derived from the supply of creature comforts received, and ouce more inspired by the presence and example of their leader, the missionaries strove earnestly to save the souls committed to their charge; at the same time not forgetting to tax the bodies of their converts in improving their missions, and adding to the temporal wealth of the same. The untutored savage, free as the deer upon his native hills, knowing no God save nature, had suddenly become a slave, shrinking beneath the heavy hand of his task- master, laboring yet receiving nought, repeating strange words whose import he knew not, and bowing down before pictures and graven images whose only merit lay in their extravagance of coloring and
hideousness of detail. What wonder if at last his spirit should rell, and the "mild lamb return one day to be a lion or a tiger " ?
The first serious outbreak occurred at the mission of San Diego, on the night of November 4, 1775. According to Father Palou :-
In proportion as the Fathers and the new Christians were full of joy and peace, the discontent of the great enemy of souls was increased: bis infernal fury could not suffer bim to see that in the neighborlukul uf San Diego his party of Gentiles was coming to # close, so muny being brought over to our true religion by means of the ardent zeal of the ministers: and the more particularly that they were about to plant another mission between San Gabriel and San Diego, which would effect the same with the Indians in that district. over whom he still had the power, and which would of course diminish his party. Hle therefore bethought himself of some means, not only of preventing this new establishment, but of destroying that of San Diego, which was the oldest of the whole, and so revenge himself on the missionaries, his opponents.
Upon the night in question, without having given any pre- vious intimation of their design, about a thousand Indians sur- rounded the mission, placed guards at the doors, ransacked the church, and fired the soldiers' quarters. Father Lewis and two white mechanics were killed at the first on-slaught. Father Vincente with five others (four sobliers and a carpenter) defended themselves with so much vigor, that at sunrise the Indians fled, having sustained considerable loss, All of the defenders were more or less injured. The Iulians had only bows and arrows, wooden spears, burning fagots, and stones, as weapons; the Spaniards were armed with muskets.
During the year 1775, a Mexican Friar named Francisco Garzes, made a journey from Sonora to the missions of upper California and preserved a record of his trip. He naturally expected to be received by his brethren of the missions at least with kindness, and perhaps to be admitted as a coadjutor in the work of civilizing, Christianizing, and cuslaving the natives; this more especially, as having verified by his success- ful trip the possibility of land counnunication with Mexico, and of connecting in one band the whole territory from the Rio Colorado to the Pacific. What, then, was his surprise, on arriving at San Gabriel Mission, to find that he was treated with collness and neglect, and to be told, "That it was not desirable a communication should be opened, by which Indians on the Rio Colorado aud intervening plains might be enabled to molest the new settlements." So much displeased was the Governor of California, at the audacity of this interloper, that he refused him provisions wherewith to return home. Chilled by treatment so utterly at variance with what he had expected, the worthy father returned home in great haste, thankful to have retained even sound bones among such an inhospitable people.
Father Garzes traveled on mule-back, and carried a banner made of canvas, on one side of which was painted a picture of
the Virgin Mary, and on the other, our of "the devil in the flames of hell " To unfurl this standard was his first opera- tiou on arriving at an Indian village, and he observes with great gravity that on showing the picture of the Virgin they invaribly exclaimed, " Good!" Int on turning the other side. they said " Bad!" He then questioned them through inter- preters as to their knowledge of food and the Virgin, The names and numbers of their various tribes, and their willing- Hess to become vasals of the king of Spain. He estimated the total member of Indians on the Gila river at 9,000, and those of the Colorado river at 16,500. Throughout the inter vening country, to the Pacific, he considered the natives much less numerons than on these rivers, yet their numbers at this time must have been very considerable.
CHAPTER V.
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO.
San Diego Mission Repair - Expedition to found San Juan-Attacked by Indians-Sito Solertod- Mission Founded- San Juan del Capistrano- East and West General plan of the Missions The Padre Cargania. The Mission Buildings C'completion Manufactories Gardens Old Olive de. chard-Feast of La Formasina-Dream of the Nophyto- The Temblor.
HAVING news of the misfortune which had befallen Sau Diego, the Father President took ship, and proceeded thither from Monterrey. He arrived in June 1776, and at once set to work, added by the sailors, souliers, and such converts as ir- mained, to repair the damage done, and place the mission on its former footing. He then proceeded to found the long con- templated mission of San Juan Capistrano, the dread of which, in Father Palon's opinion, bad so exercised the Enemy of souls, and occasioned the late insurrection.
On their way to the proposed site, the President's party was attacked by wild Indians, and all would probably have been massacred, had not one of the converts, with rare presence of mind, cried out in the Indian tongue, that a large munber of soldiers were elose behind. Upon this tle: assailants gave up their intention, and finally joined the Spaniards upon their journey, received presents, and became friends.
The site selected for the new establishment lay about mil- way between the missions of San Gabriel and San Diego, or say sixty miles from each. Here, in a pretty valley, shut in by low rolling hills, and waterel by a tiny stream emptying upon the sandy beach two miles away, was the mission founded .* The initial page of the oldl Spanish register of bap-
*Excavations were first made at a point wane five miles north-east of the present location. This site was however soon abandoned for that where the village now stands. The former location is still known as "La Mission Vieja," or " The old Mission,"
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HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
tisins, written by the hand of the venerable President Father over a century ago, when the scenes we now relate were being enacted, still attests the fact-that the mission of San Juan Capistrano was here established November 1, 1776, in the reign of Charles 111, King of Spain. The record is in Spanish, and is signed simply-Junipero Serra. It bears date November 29, 1776, twenty-eight days after the establishment. The writing is yellow with age, and the whole volume bears the impress of antiquity.
This was the seventh mission established in Alta California. It was named to perpetuate the memory of a noted Franciscan Friar, who was born in Capistrano, Italy, of a wealthy and powerful family-long years ago. Early in life, he practiced law in his native country, and attained to considerable success in that profession. Fame as an advocate, however, failed to satisfy the yearnings of a noble heart, and he finally renounced worldly honor aud advantage for the cowl and knotted cord of St. Francis. Tradition speaks of him as a good and holy man, and in remembrance of his many virtues, the mission of San Juan del Capistrano was founded, as above stated, by the brethren of his order.
Thus, while our patriot sires in the East, were declaring their independence of European rule, and from many a well fonght battle-tiell driving their oppressors to the sea; those of this western people were tamely submitting to physical and mental slavery, wrought by a European power equally cruel and equally ambitious as that which the first overthrew. The seed of the one has multiplied into a great nation; that of the other has dwindled into a mere handful, and these a standing reproach to the memory of their race.
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