Mission San Gabriel

November 28th, 1826 - My party arrived, and I had my things put into the room which I occupied. The Corporal who was called Commandant came to me and, after a few preparatory compliments, observed that the best thing I could do with my guns would be to put them in his charge where they would be safe for said the strangers visiting you would constantly be handling them they being of a kind with which they are unacquainted. I thanked him for his kindness and gave him these arms though I knew his motive differed significantly from the one assigned.

29th Just at sunrise Mr. Rogers and myself were sent for showed forward to the table and served tea, bread, and cheese. The Father was not present then; he was in his devotions.

It may be well for me in this place to give a view of some facts so that my ideas may be more readily understood.

Missionaries of the order of St. Francis about 60 years earlier first settled California. These missions are scattered over the country and include in their several jurisdictions nearly all the natives of the country. The number of Indians attached to each Mission varies from 400 to 2000. These establishments, with their dependencies, include about 3/4ths of the inhabitants of California.

The place at which I was for the time located was the Mission of San Gabriel. The situation of San Gabriel is pleasant, the prospect to the north embracing a considerable range of mountains at the distance of 12 miles on the low south hills and the east and west a smooth country covered with grass. The soil in the vicinity of the Mission has the appearance of great fertility, presenting a gentle slope to the southeast. The hills produce pine of different kinds, and at their feet, groves of low oak and small walnuts. Close along the streams grow cottonwood, ash, willow, small buckeye, and wild grape vines.

Two thousand acres of land fenced in the manner I have before described and so situated as to be easily watered by a small creek that runs through it, producing an abundance of wheat, beans, peas, and some corn. An extensive vineyard and orchards of apples, peach, pear, and olive trees, some figs, and a beautiful grove of about 400 orange trees render the Mission of San Gabriel a scene on which the eye cannot fail to rest with pleasure. On the beautiful lands of the neighborhood are grazing immense herds of cattle and large bands of horses.

The buildings of the Mission form a hollow square—the church on the southeast and the guard house. On the southwest corner are occupied by the Father's rooms, office, dining room, and apartments for strangers: storehouses, granaries, a soap factory, a distillery, a blacksmith, carpenters, and cooper shops. There are shops for manufacturing blankets and lodging rooms for unmarried women. A short distance from the square, the intermediate space being unfenced, there is a street lined with small buildings on both sides occupied by the Indians of the Mission who have families.

At 11 O Clock, the Father came and invited us to dinner. We accompanied him to the office adjoining the dining room. After taking a glass of gin and some bread and cheese, we sat at the table furnished with mutton, beef, chicken, potatoes, beans, and peas cooked in different ways. Plenty of wine made our reverend fathers appear to me quite merry.

The Commandant had forwarded an express to the Governor at San Diego.* (*My two Indian guides were imprisoned immediately upon my arrival and charged with being runaways from the Mission. They were about 16 years of age, and from what I saw of them, I thought them fine, honest, and well-disposed boys.)

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30th November Sunday, A wedding at church, but I did not attend, being a protestant. I thought it might not be agreeable to the Catholics. Two or three young men attended with the groom. The newly married couple dined with us, the bride and her sister being the only females present. Mr. Rogers and I would have willingly absented in our unfashionable dress, but no excuses were to be received.

Our dinner consisted of more than the usual number of dishes. As a dessert, there were dried grapes. Flour, meat, beans, etc., were provided for them in abundance. A dozen Indians were playing on violins, and the soldiers were firing their muskets at the door. After dinner, I spoke to the Commandant for a readily available room for my men. I also proposed that instead of furnishing my men with their provision ready cooked as had been the case previously, they should receive the material and cook them to their taste. To this, he assented but observed that they might not have an Indian to assist them.

From this time, nothing material occurred for several days. Mr. Chapman, the American spoken of by the Father, came from the village of the angels accompanied by Captain Anderson of the Brig Olive Branch and the supercargo Mr. Scott. Mr. Scott is a good translator. Until an answer from the San Diego Governor arrived, I could not make my situation fully known. Besides the gentlemen mentioned earlier, two others who spoke good English came to San Gabriel at different times; John Baptiste Bonnifacio, a Portuguese residing in St Francisco and on his way to San Diego, the other Senor Martinas, a native of South America, and formerly in good circumstances. But being a Royalist lost his property and sought a retreat among the Fathers in California, who are secret friends of Ferdinand. Senor Martinas had lately been called to Mexico and was on his way. He appeared to be a man of science and business. "You will find (says he.) it difficult to make the Governor comprehend your business. Without knowing the hand that fed him as a gentleman - those Mexican gentlemen know very little of the business of any kind and much less of yours. He may perhaps detain you here a long time. He will not consider the expense of the wages of your men nor your anxiety to join your partners.

Improving the opportunity offered, I learned from Father Sanchez that at the different farms belonging to the Mission (San Gabriel), there was 40,000 head of Cattle, 2,000 horses, 3 or 400 head of sheep, and a great many hogs; of these last, they make little use. There are but few white men at this place neither could it be expected there would be many in California, for Father Sanchez told me that no white woman had ever come there to live.

There are attached to the Mission of San Gabriel about Indian inhabitants are kept in the strictest order by being whipped like slaves, the whipping performed by an Indian. To ensure the faithful execution of the command, a soldier stands by with a sword.

Having passed the age of puberty, the two sexes, if unmarried, are kept separate being at night, shut up in different apartments, the work of the day having their tasks, the ringing of the bells in the morning, which is quite early all the Indians go to church. After prayers, the overseers of the various branches of work receive orders from the principal overseer and move off immediately to their several employments.

Being at the Mission, an older man from the Angel village invited me to visit him at his house two or three days after sending his son with horses. I went with my interpreter and was very kindly received by my friend Francisco Abela. The Angel village in which my friend resided contained 70 or 80 Houses. The walls were of mud or unburnt brick, and the roofs of thatch or tile. They were generally small, and few were cleaner than they should be. This village is about ten miles southwest of San Gabriel. The inhabitants cultivate but little ground, depending on their cattle for subsistence. They are generally poor, but a few families are rich in cattle, horses, and mules. Senor Francisco Abela and his Brother Don Ignatio are perhaps the richest. In California, as in Spain, the siesta after dinner is fashionable. They generally sleep two or three hours.