|
William Henry Hudson - The Famous Missions of California
one another, that communication might be kept up, companionship enjoyed, and, in case of need, advice
given and assistance rendered. The foundations of Santa Barbara, La Purisima, Santa Cruz and Soledad,
had done something, as will be seen, towards the ultimate drawing together of the scattered outposts of
church and civilization. But with them a beginning had only been made. Further developments of the
same general plan which aimed, it will be understood, not alone at the spiritual conquest, but also at the
proper control of the new kingdom - were now taken under consideration. And, as a result, five fresh
missions were presently resolved upon. One of these was to be situated between San Francisco and Santa
Clara; the second, between Santa Clara and Monterey; the third, between San Antonio and San Luis
Obispo; the fourth, between San Buenaventura and San Gabriel; and the fifth, between San Juan
Capistrano and San Diego. The importance of these proposed settlements as connecting links will be at
once apparent, if we observe that by reason of their carefully chosen locations they served, as it were, to
put the older missions into actual touch. When at length the preliminary arrangements had been made, no
time was wasted in the carrying out of the programme, and in a little over a year, all five missions were
in operation. The mission San Jose (a rather tardy recognition to the patron-saint of the whole
undertaking), was founded on the 11th June, 1797; San Juan Bautista thirteen days later; San Miguel
Arcángel on the 25th July, and San Fernando Rey de España on the 8th September of the same year; and
San Luis Rey de Francia (commonly called San Luis Rey to distinguish it from San Luis Obispo), on the
13th of the July following. The delay which had not at all been anticipated in the establishment of this
last-named mission, was due to some difficulties in regard to site. With this ended - so far as fresh
foundations were concerned - the pious labours of Lasuen as padre-presidente. He now returned to San
Carlos to devote himself during the remainder of his life to the arduous duties of supervision and
administration. There he died, in 1803, aged eighty-three years.
His successor, Father Estevan Tapis, fourth president of the Upper California missions, signalized his
elevation to office by adding a nineteenth to the establishments under his charge. Founded on the 17th
September, 1804, on a spot, eighteen miles from La Purisima and twenty-two from Santa Barbara, to
which Lasuen had already directed attention, this was dedicated to the virgin-martyr, Santa Inez. It was
felt that a settlement somewhere in this region was still needed for the completion of the mission system,
since without it, a gap was left in the line between the two missions first-named, which were some forty
miles apart. With the planting of Santa Inez thorough spiritual occupation may be said to have been
accomplished over the entire area between San Francisco and San Diego, and from the Coast Range to
the ocean. The nineteen missions had been so distributed over the vast country, that the Indians scattered
through it could everywhere be reached; while the distance from mission to mission had, at the same
time, been so reduced that it was in no case too great to be easily covered in a single day's journey. The
fathers of each establishment could thus hold frequent intercourse with their next neighbors, and
occasional travelers moving to and fro on business could from day to day be certain of finding a place for
refreshment and repose[7].
[6] The original adobe church was injured by earthquakes in 1806 and 1812. The present edifice was
begun in 1815 and finished in 1820.
[7] The table given by the French traveler, De Mofras, in his authoritative Exploration du Territoire de
L'Oregon, les Californies, etc., shows us that the distance between mission and mission nowhere
exceeded nighteen leagues, and that it was often very much less.
IX.
|
