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Return of Rabago and the Founding of Cation kiissions
by nature distrustful and disloyal. Like all natives, they were inordinately fond of stealing, restless, insolent, and suspicious. Much like children, they frequently became obsessed with strange delusions and were con- vinced that the Spaniards were planning to betray them. On one occasion, while out hunting, an Indian chief had a dream that the Spaniards had abandoned the missions at Valle de San Jose and taken all the women and children to sell them into slavery. Convinced in his mind of the truth of his dreams, he aroused the whole tribe and returned posthaste to San Lorenzo only to find that nothing had happened. He then accused the women of living in sin with the soldiers and the mission Indians from San Juan Bautista, a falsehood that was easily disproved. Another con- ceived the idea that he ought to kill a Padre. For several days he sat in ambush with a gun in his hand. "Fortunately he changed his mind." says Fray Jimenez, "before he had an opportunity to put his ill-advised desire into practice." A third decided that he would use the altar covering for a breech cloth and only the strongest persuasion on the part of the mis- sionaries held him from his purpose. Possession of firearms by a majority of the natives made their whims and plots all the more serious. The most essential need was. the good Padres concluded, an adequate military guard, preferably a presidio in the vicinity of the two new missions. A larger number of soldiers or a regular presidio and garrison would induce the Indians already congregated to submit to mission routine; it would teach them respect for authority; it would gh-e them a reassuring feeling of security; and it would enable the missionaries to extend their activities to the other tribes of the Apache family, such as the Natages, Mescaleros, and Pelones. Equally important for the success of the enterprise was the duty to furnish the new missions the necessary supplies to feed and clothe all the neophytes until the establishment became self-supporting. If the food was insufficient, it was inevitable that the Indians should be allowed to go in search of sustenance. Under such conditions it was impossible to keep them in the missions under a routine conduch-e to the formation of systematic habits of industry and application. The usual grant of money made by the king for this purpose to all new missions was indis- pensable. "We humbly beg Your Excellency,'' the two friars implo1·cd, "the alms with which the king in his charity is wont to aid nc:w missions."~: 11 Frny Milnuel Jlm,nez and 1:-'ray Manuel Antonio de Cutvn:1 to the= \'lceroy, January 25, 1763. A. G. I., A111JJ"""' a, lrlh:lco, 92-6-u (Dunn Tnn:1crlpu, 1748-1763, pt. 2), pp. 140-146. A 11lmllar letter with 11ome sll!(ht v1ulatlon:1 and dated Januuy 3. In A.G. ,11., HistorJ11, Vol. 29, pt. 1, pp. 168-173. The same letter 1s quoted In full
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