California

There is no series of structures in the United States that possesses such interest as the old Missions of California. Whether intact, or partially restored, or in ruins, they have an attraction and a charm that are unequaled.

There are various reasons for this. In the first place our country is so comparatively new, that anything that has a flavor of antiquity is attractive in itself. Especially is this so, if in its architecture and general arrangement it differs widely from that to which the average American is accustomed in his home. The fact that there is a chain of these structures, various in size and form and style, yet all paris of one comprehensive plan, multiplies the interest. The story of their inception, of the noble plan and the vigorous realization of his ideal by the untiring and self sacrificing Serra; of their almost miraculous success and prosperity, and then of their equally rapid fall and destruction, all these things appeal to everyone who has human sympathies and aspirations and enthusiasm. They make our quieter life seem tame and uneventful, and they have presented a field to poet and novelist and painter which

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has brought forth some of our choicest productions in literature and art.

So these old Missions have become the Mecca of thousands and tens of thousands of tourists, and there can be no doubt that their very existence, standing as monuments to zeal and self-sacrifice, and preaching a never ending sermon of love and devotion and consecration to God and humanity, has been a continual influence for good, and helped to weaken the widespread spirit of selfishness and commercialism.

The whole story is inspiring, and God forbid that anyone should even by comparison detract from its beauty and influence.

We see a vast country favored above all others by nature in climate and resources, thinly settled by wandering tribes, who lived as their fathers had lived generations before. Though on the coast of Earth's greatest ocean, its people knew nothing of the world beyond the limitations of their frail canoes, and the world knew as little of them.

The white man had come from afar, almost three centuries before, and the Spaniard had settled to the south and the Russian to the north; but this fairest spot in the New Continent had only been glanced at by the venturesome navigator and explorer. For generations the light of the Gospel had been brought to Lower California and Sonora on the south by the Jesuit fathers, and to New Mexico on the east by the zealous Franciscans, but Alta California, far richer than either, was ignored.

The Russian had journeyed southward from

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Alaska to the Bay of San Francisco, and held the services of the Greek Church there, but he had not remained. Even before that, Sir Francis Drake had anchored by the shore and set up an English standard, and his chaplain read the first service of the English Church on the Pacific Coast under its shadow; but he sailed away and was forgotten.

Years passed, until in 1767 the Jesuits were expelled from the Spanish possessions, and the Franciscans were placed in charge of all their missions in California and northern Mexico. They were full of missionary zeal, and to lead their work came Father Junipero Serra, who was not satisfied simply to continue the old work on the lower peninsula, but looked beyond to the region on the north, to Alta California, and determined to christianize its people. At last the hour and the man had come!

This is no place to tell of his efforts and his success. With the strong will and practical ability of Galvez, the visitador general of New Spain, to aid the marvelous zeal and enthusiasm of Father Junipero, the latter performed the work of a century in a few short years.

The plan projected was to establish a line of missions all the way from San Diego in the south to Monterey and San Francisco in the north, each near to the sea, yet out of gunshot from national enemies or the buccaneers of the day; near enough to each other to be a support and a solace, but not so near as to cause over-lapping of activities, or the little jealousies and troubles of too close neighborhood.

The missionaries came by sea and land. King

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Charles the Third was interested in the work, and sufficient troops were sent to offer protection. Three ships were sent from different ports of western Mexico, and two safely anchored in the beautiful Bay of San Diego, where the soldiers after a march of two months were rejoiced to find them. The second division of the little army, with the royal governor of California and Serra himself, arrived on July 1st, and on the 16th, with a full ceremonial both of Church and State, a great cross was erected, and the royal standard was planted and its banner unfurled, mass was celebrated and firearms discharged, and the Mission of San Diego was established.

The work went bravely on in spite of innumerable trials and obstacles. The next year the Mission of San Carlos Borromeo was founded, and two more in 1771. Before the end of the century there were eighteen in all, of which San Luis Rey was last. In the first ten years the Franciscans claimed 3, 000 native Indians as converts, and in 1800, this number had increased to 10,000, under about forty priests of the Seraphic Order.

Father Junipero did not live to see all this accomplished, but succumbed to his untiring labors in 1784, and was buried, as he desired, in his beloved mission of San Carlos. But his spirit survived and controlled and vivified the work.

The list of the whole chain of missions, including the three established after the year 1800, with their dates, is as follows:

San Diego, July 16, 1769.
San Carlos Borromeo, June 3, 1770.
San Antonio de Padua, July 14, 1771.
San Gabriel Arcangel, September 8, 1771.
San Luis Obispo, September 1, 1772.
San Francisco de Asis, October 9, 1776.
San Juan Capistrano, November 1, 1776.
Santa Clara, January 12, 1777.
San Buenaventura, March 29, 1783.
Santa Barbara, December 15, 1786.
La Purisima Concepcion, December 8, 1787.
Santa Cruz, August 28, 1791.
La Soledad, October 9, 1791.
San Jose, June 11, 1797.
San Juan Bautista, June 24, 1797.
San Miguel Arcangel, July 25, 1797.
San Fernando Rey, September 8, 1797.
San Luis Rey, June 13, 1798.
Santa Inez, September 17, 1804.
San Rafael Arcangel, December 17, 1817.
San Francisco Solano, July 4, 1823.

The last was established just as the days of prosperity of all, were to end. As long as Spanish authority continued, the missions were protected and fostered. With Mexican independence this was reversed, and decay and disintegration followed.

Some of the structures are in ruins, others have been most carefully repaired and preserved, others have been "restored" or "modernized" almost beyond recognition, but all have an undying interest as monuments to the zeal and energy of their founders and builders.

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New Mexico

We have dwelt thus long on the Missions of California because in a comparison between them and those of New Mexico, we wished to detract in no way from the great interest that attaches to that remarkable chain of structures, or from the glory and admiration which are so justly due to their builders. Fortunately there can be no rivalry between the achievements of the early missionaries in the two fields, for all were of the same order of St. Francis, and displayed the same heroic self- sacrifice, and each field has its list of martyrs who gave their lives for their Christian faith.

But we are dealing simply with the material structures which they built, many of which remain today, some intact and some in ruins, as their monuments; and with the interest which the ordinary traveler or tourist finds in what is still to be seen of their work.

The claim of New Mexico to superiority in this view of the subject is based firstly on the far greater antiquity of its Mission Churches, and secondly on the greater variety in the history which they have experienced.

The first Mission Church in California was built in 1769--while nearly all of the original missions in New Mexico were established a century and a half before that time, and several of them one hundred and seventy years before. One whole chain of churches, those in the Salinas Valley, whose ruins are today the most interesting of any in New Mexico, had been built and had done their Christian service

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to generations of Indians, and were deserted and destroyed, with that service ended, almost exactly a century before Padre Junipero came to establish the first Mission in California.

Without wishing to anticipate what must appear more at large in subsequent chapters, it is not to be forgotten that the first Mission Church in New Mexico was built in August, 1598, and that before 1630 the whole "Kingdom" was well supplied with both churches and the adjoining "conventos," which were at once the residences of the priests and the centers of missionary work in their respective parochial districts. Fortunately we have exact and accurate chronicles of those early days in both the civil and ecclesiastical records, which under the Spanish system were much more scrupulously kept, and amply certified, and extended far more into detail, than anything recorded by English officers or clergy.

Those who are not familiar with the Spanish documents of that era are always amazed at the circumstantial manner in which every little event, however trivial, is made the subject of an "Auto," written at length, and attested not only by the responsible official, as the governor or commanding officer, but certified to by secretaries and witnesses, with official signatures and "rubrics" that seem to us unnecessarily prolix and formal; sometimes in the old Archives a half dozen of such narrations being made in a single day.

In addition to these official chronicles, New Mexico possesses the unique distinction of having the history

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of its earliest settlement in the form of the most extensive epic poem ever written in the New World. This poem, entitled "Historia de la Nueva Mexico," by Captain Gaspar de Villagra, contains no less than thirty-three cantos, constituting 182 pages of ordinary modern print, and gives a minute as well as graphic narration of all the events of the exploration and colonization under Onate, from first to last.

Villagra was a captain in Onate's expedition and also held the position of procurador general. He was a valiant soldier as well as a courtier and a poet, and his testimony is that of an actual participant in all that occurred in those early days. H. H. Bancroft, the eminent historian of the West, says of the poem, "I found it a most complete narrative, very little, if at all, the less useful for being in verse. The subject is well enough adapted to epic narrative, and in the generally smooth-flowing endecasyllabic lines of Villagra loses nothing of its intense fascination.

"Of all the territories of America, or of the world, so far as my knowledge goes, New Mexico alone may point to a poem as the original authority for its early annals."

In considering the promptitude with which the Mission Churches in New Mexico were founded, after the discovery and very first settlement of the country, we must bear in mind the intimate connection which then existed in all Spanish dominions between colonization and religion, and the important place which the conversion of the heathen held in all projects for exploration and conquest.

The ecclesiastical influence at that time, especially in Latin countries, was the dominating power, and had at least as much to do in shaping public events, as the civil authority; and in addition to this, it was the age of the high fide of the great religious orders, most of which had been founded not very long before, and were now in the full exercise of their vigor and enthusiasm; and after the discovery of a new continent, filled with a great heathen population awaiting conversion to Christianity, the desire to accomplish that work permeated the whole Spanish nation with almost as much force as the determination to rescue the Holy Sepulchre from the unbelieving Moslems had aroused all over Europe in the days of the Crusades.

The sovereigns of Spain in that era were zealots

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in religious matters, and showed in all their acts a genuine desire to bring about the conversion of the millions of new subjects that the discoveries by Columbus and his successors had providentially brought under their control, and to extend the bounds of Christian influence farther and farther into the unknown regions of the New World.

The connection between Church and State was never stronger and closer than at that period. Pope Alexander VI, under a claim to universal dominion, had divided all of the newly found regions of the world between the sovereigns of Spain and Portugal, by establishing a line which gave to the latter country all of what is now Brazil, and to the former the remainder of the American continent; and this became the foundation of the claim to sovereignty over newly found regions more relied upon even than any right by discovery. The power thus bestowed was of course to be exercised for the establishment of ecclesiastical institutions as well as civil ones; and this idea of the "two authorities" was constantly expressed in formal documents, and was almost the first thing taught to the newly discovered races. "There is one God who rules in the Heavens above, and one Emperor who reigns upon earth," in the time of Charles the Fifth, was the foundation of all the teaching to the natives, and of the organization of government.

The first documents that relate to the discovery and settlement of New Mexico are excellent illustrations of these conditions. The grant made by the

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Emperor Charles V to Panphilo de Narvaez, included all of the continent from the extremity of Florida to the Rio de las Palmas in Mexico, and by it Narvaez was authorized to take possession of the whole of that enormous territory and assume the government thereof. This Rio de las Palmas is on the east coast of Mexico considerably south of the Rio Grande; so that the region to be explored, occupied, and governed, embraced not only the States of our Union which border on the Gulf of Mexico but also all of northeastern Mexico, including what is now New kexico, and that great unknown and undefined country beyond.

The petition of Narvaez for this vast grant of power sets forth clearly its religious objects as well as the more material ones connected with sovereignty and riches. It begins as follows:

"Sacred Caesarean Catholic Majesty: In-as-much as I, Panfilo de Narvaez, have ever had and still have the intention of serving God and Your Majesty, I desire to go in person with my means to a certain country on the main of the Ocean Sea. I propose chiefly to traffic with the natives of the coast, and to take thither religious men and ecclesiastics, approved by your Royal Council of the Indies, that they may make known and plant the Christian Faith. I shall observe fully what your Council require and ordain to the ends of serving God and Your Highness, and for the good of your subjects."

This petition was referred to the Council of the Indies, and they acted favorably upon it, largely perhaps

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because Narvaez had offered to pay all of the expenses of the expedition from his own funds; and they recommended that the king concede the right of conquest requested by Narvaez on condition that he take no less than two hundred colonists from Spain and found at least two towns. He was provided with a proclamation to be made to the native inhabitants, when they were discovered, which distinctly sets forth the grounds of the Spanish claim to sovereignty over America. It is addressed "To the inhabitants of the country and provinces that exist from Rio de las Palmas to the Cape of Florida," and reads in part as follows:

"In behalf of the Catholic Caesarean Majesty of Don Carlos, King of the Romans and Emperor ever Augustus, and Dona Juana, his mother, Sovereigns of Leon and Castilla, Defenders of the Church, ever victors, never vanquished, and rulers of barbarous nations, I, Panfilo de Narvaez, his servant, messenger, and captain, notify and cause you to know in the best manner I can, that God our Lord, one and eternal, created the heaven and the earth. All these nations God our Lord gave in charge to one person called Saint Peter, that he might be master and superior over mankind, to be obeyed and be heard by all the human race where-so-ever they might live and be, of whatever law, sect, or belief, giving him the whole world for his kingdom, lordship, and jurisdiction. This Saint Peter was obeyed and taken for King, Lord, and Superior of the Universe by those who lived at that time, and so likewise have all

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the rest been held, who to the Pontificate were afterward elected; and thus has it continued until now, and will continue to the end of things. One of the Popes who succeeded him to that seat and dignity, of which I spake, as Lord of the world, made a gift of these islands and main of the Ocean Sea to the said Emperor and Queen, and their successors, our Lords in these Kingdoms, with all that is in them, as is contained in certain writings that thereupon took place, which may be seen if you desire."

Having thus demonstrated the rightful power of the sovereign, the proclamation calls on them "to recognize the Church as Mistress and Superior of the Universe, and the High Pontiff, called Papa, in its name; the Queen and King our masters, in their place as Lords Superiors, and Sovereigns of these Islands and the main, by virtue of said gift. If you shall do so, you will do well in what you are held and obliged; and their Majesties, and I, in their Royal name, will receive you with love and charity. If you do not do this, and of malice you be dilatory, I protest to you that with the help of Our Lord I will enter with force, making war upon you from all directions and in every manner that I may be able, when I will subject you to obedience to the Church and the yoke of their Majesties."

Unfortunately for Narvaez, this proclamation never was actually used, as this was the ill-starred expedition of which Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca was treasurer, and which was destroyed on sea and land until only that historic man and his three companions

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were left to tell the tale, and to be the first strangers from the Old World to tread on the soil of New Mexico.

The history of all the subsequent expeditions shows the same religious character and influence. When the "Land of the Seven Cities" was to be explored from Mexico, it was Marcos de Niza, a Franciscan, who was placed in charge. Two years later, when Coronado started on his wonderful march, he was accompanied by a goodly number of Franciscan friars; and of these, two--Juan de Padilla a priest, and Luis a lay brother--remained in the newly discovered regions, one at Quivira and one at Cicuic, when the disappointed little army commenced its homeward march; and they soon received the crown of martyrdom which was their sure reward. The next to penetrate the New Mexican region were Friar Ruiz and his devoted companions, Francisco Lopez and Juan de Santa Maria, all three Franciscans; and their journey was exclusively a missionary pilgrimage, induced by their burning zeal for the conversion of the unknown tribes who lived in the Rio Grande Valley in heathen darkness. They penetrated the wilderness as far as Puara, near the present Bernalillo, and then the little guard of soldiers was afraid to proceed or even to remain; and so they separated; the soldiers of the king returned to the safety and ease of their garrison life, and the Soldiers of the Cross went forward, braving hardships and dangers, until they also joined the "noble army of martyrs."

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And when the actual settlement of New Mexico came, under Onate, the colonists were accompanied by no less than ten Franciscan friars, for the conversion of the Indians. This expedition started from San Bartolome, in Mexico, on January 20, 1598, and three months later encamped in a beautiful grove on the banks of the Rio Grande, a little below Paso del Norte, where Onate raised the royal standard and took possession of New Mexico and the adjoining provinces for God and the king. The formal declaration made by Onate on this occasion, is so characteristic of the time, and illustrates so well the union of the religious and the secular powers, that we present its essential parts, as of general interest. It reads as follows:(*)

(* This translation is taken by courtesy of Hon. B. M. Read from Read'sIllustrated History of New Mexico.)

"In the name of the Most Holy Trinity, and the undivided Eternal Unity, Deity and Majesty, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, three persons in one sole essence, and one and only true God, that by his eternal will, Almighty Power and Infinite Wisdom, directs, governs and disposes potently and sweetly from sea to sea, from end to end, as beginning and end of all things, and in whose hands the Eternal Pontificate and Priesthood, the Empires and Kingdoms, Principalities, Dynasties, Republics, elders and minors, families and persons, as in the Eternal Priest, Emperor and King of Emperors and Kings, Lord of lords, Creator of the heavens and the earth, elements, birds and fishes, animals and plants and all creatures corporal and spiritual, rational and irrational, from

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the most supreme cherubim to the most despised ant and tiny butterfly; and to his honor and glory and of his most sacred and blessed mother, the Holy Virgin Mary, our Lady, gate of heaven, ark of the covenant, in whom the manna of heaven, the rod of divine justice, and arm of God and his law of grace and love was placed, as Mother of God, Sun, Moon, North Star, guide and advocate of humanity; and in honor of the Seraphic Father, San Francisco, image of Christ, God in body and soul, His Royal Ensign, patriarch of the poor, whom I adopt as my patrons and advocates, guides, defenders and intercessors.

"I wish that those that are now, or at any time may be, know that I, Don Juan de Onate, governor and captain general, and Adelantado of New Mexico, and of its kingdoms and provinces, as well as of those in their vicinity and contiguous thereto, as settler, discoverer and pacifier of them and of the said kingdoms, by the order of the King, our Lord. I find myself today with my full and entire camp near the river which they call Del Norte, and on the bank which is contiguous to the first towns of New Mexico, and whereas I wish to take possession of the land today, the day of the Ascension of our Lord, dated April 30th, of the present year 1598; through the medium of the person of Don Juan Perez de Donis, clerk of his Majesty, and secretary of this expedition and the government of said kingdoms and provinces, by authority and in the name of the most Christian King, Don Felipe, Segundo, and for his successors, (may they be many) and for the crown

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of Castile, and kings that from his glorious descent may reign therein, and for my said government, relying and resting in the sole and absolute power and jurisdiction of the Eternal High Priest, and King, Jesus Christ, son of the living God, universal head of the Church, because they are his, and he is their legitimate and universal pastor, for which purpose, having ascended to his Eternal Father, in his corporal being, he left as his Vicar and substitute, the prince of Apostles, St. Peter, and his successors legitimately elected, to whom he gave and left the Kingdom, power and Empire. By the medium of the aforesaid power, jurisdiction and monarchy, apostolical and pontifical, there was granted and sanctioned, recommended and entrusted to the kings of Castile and Portugal and to their successors since the time of the Sovereign Pontiff Alexander VI, by divine and singular inspiration, the empire and dominion of the East and West Indies, in and to the kings of Castile and Portugal and to their successors, transferred and lodged upon them by the Church militant, and by the other sovereign pontiffs, successors of the said most holy pontiff of glorious memory, Alexander VI, to the present day, on which solid basis I rest to take the aforesaid possession of these kingdoms and provinces, in the aforesaid name.

"And therefore, resting on the solid basis aforesaid I take the aforesaid possession, in the presence of the most Reverend Father Fray Alonzo Martinez of the order of our lord Saint Francis, Apostolic

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Commissary, (and others). And this said possession I take and apprehend, in the voice and name, of the other lands, Pueblos, Cities, and Villas, solid and plain houses that are now founded in the said Kingdoms and Provinces of New Mexico, and those that are neighbors and contiguous to it, and which were founded before in them, with the mountains, rivers, river banks, waters, pastures, meadows, dales, passes, and all its native Indians as are included and comprised in them, and the civil and criminal jurisdiction high and low from the edge of the mountains to the stone in the river and its sands, and from the stone and sands in the river to the leaves of the mountains. And I, Juan Perez de Donis, clerk of his Majesty and post secretary, do certify that the said lord Governor, Captain General and Adelantado of the said Kingdoms, as a sign of true and peaceful possession placed and nailed with his own hands on a certain tree, which was prepared for that purpose, the Holy Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, an turning to it, with his knees on the ground, said: 'Holy Cross, divine gate of heaven, altar of the only and essential sacrifice of the Body and Blood of the Son of God, way of the Saints, and possession of their glory; open the gate of heaven to these infidels; found the Church and Altars where the Body and Blood of the Son of God may be offered; open to us a way of safety and peace for their conversion and our conversion, and give to our King, and to me, in his Royal name, peaceful possession of these Kingdoms and Provinces for his holy glory. Amen.'

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"And immediately after he fixed and set in the same manner with his own hands the Royal Standard with the Coat of Arms of the most Christian King, Don Felipe, our lord; on the one side the Imperial Arms, and on another part, the Royal, and at the time this was being done, the clarinet sounded, and the arquebuses were discharged with the greatest demonstration of gladness."

Before proceeding to take up the stories of the different Missions separately, it is desirable to devote a chapter to the general history of churchbuilding in New Mexico, so as to have a connected view of the subject.

The commencement of missionary work was almost simultaneous with the first Spanish settlement. The expedition of Coronado was military and in the nature of an exploration of an utterly unknown region. No women or families accompanied the army and there was no idea of colonization or permanent occupation by the expedition. Consequently there was no attempt at church building. The journey of Espejo was equally without any intention of settlement; but the coming of Onate was expressly with a view to permanent occupation. After overcoming many obstacles he left the mines of Santa Barbara on January 20, 1598, with the long line of his soldiers and colonists, which was increased somewhat on the march by the addition of some who were not ready at the time of departure.

According to the best authorities, this expedition when it entered New Mexico comprised about four hundred men, one hundred and thirty of whom were

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accompanied by their families. There were in the train eighty-three wagons and 7,000 head of cattle. Accompanying the expedition were no less than ten Franciscan friars, of whom eight were priests and two lay brothers, all in charge of Padre Alonzo Martinez as comisario. Its progress was necessarily slow on account of the women and children and domestic animals. Onate crossed the Rio Grande not far from Paso del Norte, on May 4, 1598, and the advance guard reached the most southerly pueblos, near the present San Marcial, on May 28th. Continuing up the Rio Grande Valley they arrived at Santo Domingo and San Ildefonso early in July and San Juan on the 9th of that month. On account of the kindness and hospitality received from the Indians of San Juan, the words "de los Caballeros," "of the gentlemen," were added to the name of the town, and the pueblo has always retained its full title of "San Juan de los Caballeros." The beauty and broad expanse of the valley across the river from San Juan and extending up the Chama as far as the eye can reach, attracted the attention of the Spaniards, and it was soon determined that this was the most favorable spot that had been found for the location of their settlement and capital; and the San Juan Indians generously allowed them to occupy the houses in the little pueblo of Yunque until they could erect their own buildings.

It was on the 12th day of July that the settlement was finally made and the colony permanently located; so that this may be called the Birthday of Spanish

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New Mexico; and the three hundredth anniversary of this event was elaborately celebrated by the Historical Society of New Mexico on July 12, 1898, with a procession of Indians on horseback and a number of historical addresses.

Onate was a man of untiring energy, and after determining on this location, he made rapid journeys to Picuris and Taos on the north, and within a fortnight had not only visited those pueblos but extended his rapid excursion to Pecos on the east, to San Marcos and San Cristobal on the south, and to Santo Domingo on the southwest, where he met the main body of his little army, which had marched more slowly than the comparatively small advance guard. He then went directly west to Cia and Jemez, and returned to the new capital, which had been named San Gabriel, on August 10th.

Meanwhile the wagons and cattle of the colony were slowly arriving, and on August 18th the last of them had reached the little town, and there were great rejoicings that the whole body of settlers was at length reunited after their journey of more than six months.

No time was now lost in building their church, the first Mission in New Mexico and almost the first in what is now the United States; for the time antedated the settlement of Jamestown by more than eight years and that of Plymouth by twenty-two. Under the direction of the governor and the zealous Franciscans, the work proceeded rapidly.

It did not need to be very large to meet present

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requirements, and the record shows that it was completed in two weeks; but, if its size was small, the ceremonies of its dedication were made as elaborate as possible in order to impress the minds and hearts of the natives. These ceremonies took place on September 8th, and at their conclusion there was a dramatic representation of a conflict between the Christians and the Moors, in which the former by the timely aid of St. James were gloriously victorious, to the great satisfaction of all the audience, both white and red. To cement the friendship of the Indians and afford them entertainment, festivities were continued for an entire week; all kinds of sports, both of the Spaniards and of the Pueblos, being indulged in, amid much rejoicing.

Advantage was taken of this era of good feeling, and of the presence of large numbers of Indians from all directions, to hold a great meeting of the Spanish officials and ecclesiastics and the representatives of all of the pueblos that could be reached, under the grandiloquent title of "Universal Meeting of all the Earth" (Junta universal de toda la tierra). On this occasion their obligations both to Cross and Crown were elaborately explained to the Indians, and they acknowledged the sovereignty of the Spanish king, and agreed to receive the Franciscans as their religious guides; though at the same time they tactfully suggested that the Spaniards certainly would not wish them to profess a belief which they did not yet comprehend.

All of the friars were of course in attendance, and

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as soon as the ceremonies were concluded, the comisario began the practical part of their missionary work by dividing the whole inhabited territory of New Mexico into seven districts, each of which was assigned to one of the Franciscan fathers.

As this was the initial point of all the missionary work, and those thus sent out were the first band of church-builders in our land, it is well to preserve their names.

To Fr. Francisco de San Miguel was assigned the Province of the Pecos, with seven pueblos on the east, and also the pueblos of the Salinas country extending to the great plain.

To Fr. Juan Claros, the Province of the Tihuas, on the Rio Grande and including the Piros pueblos below, as far as Socorro and San Antonio (Teipana and Qualacu).

Fr. Juan de Rosas was placed in charge of the Province of the Queres, including Santo Domingo, Cochití, San Felipe, San Marcos, San Cristobal, etc.

Fr. Cristoval de Salazar was appointed to the Province of the Tehuas, including San Juan (Caypa), San Gabriel, San Yldefonso, Santa Clara, etc.

To Fr. Francisco de Zamora was assigned the Province of Picuris and Taos and the surrounding country.

To Fr. Alonzo de Lugo was given the Province of Jemez, including Cia, and many pueblos whose names cannot now be identified, in that general vicinity.

Fr. Andres Corchado was put in charge of a Province composed of the country west of Cia, including Acoma, Zuni, and Moqui.

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The other Franciscan friars not so assigned were Pedro Vergara and Juan de San Buenaventura, the lay brother, who appears to have remained with Father Martinez, the comisario, to aid in his work.

The seven who were placed in charge of the districts into which New Mexico was divided, left immediately for their fields of labor; each taking his way into an unknown land, among a people whose language he did not understand, isolated from all familiar faces, with nothing but his undaunted faith and missionary zeal to support him in his lonely work.

"The harvest was plenteous but the laborers were few"; and so, in the succeeding year, Friars Martinez, Salazar, and Vergara went to Mexico for the purpose of securing more Franciscans for the Missions then being established. On the journey Padre Salazar died; Comisario Martinez remained in Mexico, and Fr. Juan de Escalona was sent in his place as the head of the Mission, with six or eight additional brothers.

Besides the inevitable difficulties of their work, the Franciscan missionaries, from the very first, found themselves antagonized, and many of their efforts rendered futile, by the a action of Onate and succeeding governors, and their opposition to the methods of the Franciscans. Their points of view were essentially different. The governors generally had no thought but of holding the Indians in subjection, of making further explorations and conquests and of securing any personal gain possible from their official position. The other officials and the little army

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of soldiers naturally agreed with the governor and his wishes.

The friars, on the other hand, thought only of the salvation of souls, of the baptism of the natives of all ages, and the stamping out of heathen ceremonials. These essential differences created much friction and finally open antagonism. The first letters written at San Gabriel of which we have copies, express this bitterness of feeling. They appear in Torquemada's "Monarquia Indiana," and are written by Father Escalona, the comisario, to the superior of the Franciscan order in Mexico. They accuse the governor of all kinds of crimes and malfeasance. They charge cruelty in sacking Pueblo villages without reason; that he had prevented the raising of corn necessary for the garrison and people and thereby brought on a famine and caused the people to subsist on wild seeds; and insisted that the colony could not possibly succeed unless Onate was removed. On his part, the governor wrote to the viceroy and the king, charging the friars with various delinquencies and general inefficiency.

But notwithstanding these drawbacks, the missionary work went on. There were changes in the person of the chief Franciscan, but no change in policy. Fr. Alonzo Peinado succeeded Fr. Escobar as comisario in 1608, and brought with him eight or nine additional friars. At this time, just ten years after the first settlement, the missionaries reported that over 8, 000 Indians had been converted to Christianity.

Page 45

Six years later, Fr. Peinado gave place to Fr. Estevan de Perea, and he in turn was succeeded by Fr. Zarate Salmeron, who instilled new energy into the missionary work. By 1617 the number of supposed converts had reached 14,000, but there were yet only eleven of the friars. Salmeron was a great orator and indefatigable worker; for eight years he lived at Jemez "sacrificing himself to the Lord among the pagans," and also having charge at Cia and Sandia; and he tells us himself that he baptized no less than 6, 566 persons with his own hands. His success and the account of it which he took personally to Mexico, attracted much atttention, and resulted in the elevation of the New Mexican Mission into a "Custodia" called the "Custodia de la Conversion de San Pablo," claiming 16,000 converts, and having at its head the celebrated Alonso de Benavides, who came from Mexico with twenty-seven additional friars. This increase in the clerical force showed immediate results, as only five years later the baptized converts are reported at 34,000.

Benavides was not only a most energetic custodio, constantly making visitations and inspiring the friars to greater activities, but we are indebted to him for the most authentic history of the mission work which had yet been written, with incidental descriptions of the towns and pueblos, of climate and products, of great interest and value. He had been induced to make a journey across the ocean to Spain in order to interest the king himself in the far distant work of the Franciscans, and his report

Page 46

was presented to the king of Spain in person, in Madrid, in 1630. Benavides never returned to New Mexico, but became archbishop of Goa in Asia.

There can be no doubt that his estimates of the number of Indians, like most of those of that day, were much exaggerated. Apart from the usual enlargement in the numbers of the population when they are estimated and not counted, there was throughout the whole report an evident attempt to impress the king with the greatness of the field and the importance of sending additional assistance to the Franciscan missionaries, and especially of providing a bishop for New Mexico in order that the converts might be confirmed and a better administration secured. But the report is the best authority for the condition of the Missions at that time, and certainly describes a wonderful work performed within thirty years after the first settlement.

He describes each group or "Nacion" separately, and the following condensed summary contains the substance of the report so far as the Missions and churches are concerned:

"Piros nation, most southerly in New Mexico; on both sides of the Rio Grande for 15 leagues, from Senecu to Sevilleta; 15 pueblos, 6,000 Indians, all baptized; 3 missions, Nuestra Senora del Socorro at Pilabo, San Antonio de Senecu and San Luis Obispo at Sevilleta.

"Tihua nation, 7 leagues above Piros, 15 or 16 pueblos, 7,000 Indians, all baptized; 2 missions, at Sandia and Isleta.

Page 47

"Queres nation, 4 leagues above the Tihuas, extending ten leagues from San Felipe and including Santa Ana on the west; 7 pueblos, 4,000 Indians, all baptized; 3 missions.

"Tompiros nation, ten leagues east of the Queres, extending 15 leagues from Chililí; 14 or 15 pueblos, over 10,000 Indians, all of whom were converted and most all of them baptized; six missions; these lived near the Salinas.

"Tanos nation, 10 leagues northwest of the Tompiros, extending 10 leagues; 5 pueblos and 1 mission; 4,000 Indians, all of whom had been baptized.

"Pecos pueblo, of Jemez nation and language; 4 leagues north of the Tanos; 2,000 Indians and a very fine mission.

"Villa de Santa Fe; 7 leagues west of Pecos; capital; 250 Spaniards and 700 Indians.

"Tehua nation, west of Santa Fe toward the Rio Grande, extending 10 or 12 leagues; 8 pueblos, including Santa Clara; 6,000 Indians; 3 missions, including San Ildefonso.

"Jemez nation; 7 leagues to the west there were 3,000 Indians, but half died, people now gathered in 2 pueblos of San Jose and San Diego.

ldquo;Picuris pueblo; 10 leagues up the river from San Ildefonso, 2,000 Indians baptized, and the most savage in the province.

"Taos pueblo, of same nation as the Picuris, but differing somewhat in language, 7 leagues north of Picuris; 2,500 baptized Indians; church and convento.

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"Acoma pueblo, 12 leagues west of santa Ana, containing 2,000 Indians; which was reduced in 1629 and at which one friar was located.

"Zuni nation, 30 leagues west of Acoma, extending 9 or 10 leagues, containing 11 or 12 pueblos and 10,000 converted Indians; there were 2 missions at Zuni."

Benavides summarizes the whole matter by saying that at that time there were about fifty friars in New Mexico, serving over 60,000 natives who had accepted Christianity; that they lived in ninety pueblos, grouped into about twenty-five Missions with churches and conventos, and that each pueblo also had its own church.

In 1629 a considerable number of friars arrived from Mexico under the leadership of Father Estevan de Perea; and these occupied new fields and erected some of the most important churches. Among these was Father Garcia de San Francisco, who founded a church at Socorro, and Father Francisco Acevedo, who is credited with the erection of the churches at Abo, Tenabo, and Tabira, in the Salinas region, lie died in 1644, so that we have an approximate date for the building of those notable edifices. The Salinas pueblos were destroyed or abandoned owing to the persistent attacks of the Apaches, between 1669 and 1676, as will be stated in more detail when those pueblos are described.

The "Cronica" of Vetancur contains a list of the principal Missions as they existed in 1680, just prior to the Pueblo Revolution, with the name of the priest

Page 49

in charge of each. The points of interest in this will be embodied in the separate descriptions of the Missions. It shows how thoroughly the whole of New Mexico was covered at that time by the Missions of the Franciscans, most of them being the centers of districts, from which the friars living in the central convento visited and served the smaller surrounding villages.

In summing up, in his report to the king, the triumph of the Cross in New Mexico, Benavides refers to one matter that has not received the attention to which it is entitled. After telling of the condition of the people in the old days of paganism, and the almost miraculous change made in little more than twenty years, and of the regard and affection of the people for the friars and for Christianity, he says:

"as is amply shown by all the churches and conventions which they have built, all of which have been made solely by the women and the boys and girls of the doctrine; for, among these nations it is the custom for the women to make the walls, and the men spin and weave their mantas, and go to war and the chase, and if we oblige any man to build a wall he seeks to escape from it and the women laugh at him."

From this it appears distinctly that the walls of the churches built, at least as late as 1629 when Benavides wrote, were made by the women, assisted only by the boys and girls of the missions. The use of the word "solamente" clearly excludes any others.

Page 50

Inquiry in existing pueblos as to this subject has failed to show any knowledge, among those questioned, as to this building of the church walls by the Indian women; from which it may be inferred that such has not been the custom since the Revolution of 1680. But it can scarcely be assumed that so reliable an authority as Benavides should make a statement so broadly unless it was a fact, and especially as to a matter which must have been within his personal knowledge during the very active years in which he was at the head of the entire mission work of the province.

It certainly adds to the interest of the older of the Missions still existing, and the ruins of others, built before 1680, to know that their massive walls were the work of the women of that generation.

Like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, the Pueblo Revolution of 1680 fell upon the devoted heads of the Franciscan friars who ministered to the missions of New Mexico.

There had been rumblings of discontent, and occasionally some local revolt or act of violence, but nothing to presage the general and simultaneous rising that brought such tragic results.

As before stated, during much of this period there was increasing friction between the civil and the religious authorities; the friars claiming almost absolute power in matters connected with the Indians, and the governors vigorously resenting this interference with their authority. Each side complained of the other to the higher powers in Mexico and Spain, and long controversies resulted. Governor de Rosas was stabbed to death in 1641 or 1642, and this was said to be in connection with the difficulties just referred to. About this time the Inquisition was introduced, and this added to the friction between the ecclesiastics and the governor. Meanwhile the Indians were becoming more and more restless under the heavier burdens of the Spanish rule.

For a number of years after the colonization, the

Page 52

best of feeling existed between the native Pueblos and the newcomers; but, as time went on, the Spaniards began to exact as duties those services which had at first been rendered from kindness. Little by little they assumed greater powers, introduced European laws, and punished the natives for the least infraction of a foreign code of which they had never heard. The favorite penalty was slavery, as that provided the labor of which the colonists stood in need, especially in the mines, where the servitude was of the most harsh character. At the same time, the early Franciscans, who came as true missionaries, actuated by love, and easily won the hearts of the people, were succeeded by ecclesiastics of a more severe type, who sought to convert the natives by compulsion, and introduced various forms of punishment, in order to compel the universal observance of their religion.

Under all the circumstances, the Pueblos, who had lived for generations an easy life of freedom and happiness, until the coming of the pale-faced strangers, naturally changed in their feelings from welcome and hospitality to hatred and a determination to expel the invaders whenever opportunity should be presented. The middle of the seventeenth century was filled with a succession of revolts and conflicts arising from this state of affairs. Many of these were local and easily ended, but others were well-arranged, and formidable. As one after the other attempt failed, either from lack of coöperation or because the project was divulged prematurely, the

Page 53

Indians learned that only by united and secret action was success to be achieved; and preparations for such an uprising were cautiously discussed, year after year, at the great Pueblo festivals.

What they most needed was a leader of acknowledged ability, and in the excitement which followed the severe punishment of forty-seven Indians for alleged witchcraft, in 1675, a man came into general notice who seemed by his fearless intrepidity as well as by his good judgment well fitted for the task. His name was Pope, of the pueblo of San Juan, and from that time he seems to have been regarded as a leader, and was untiring in his endeavors to unite the whole Pueblo population in a general uprising against the Spaniards.

With this view he traveled from town to town, urging a forgetfulness of old jealousies, and using his wonderful eloquence to great effect. He was ably seconded in this by several other natives of large influence, prominent among whom were Catití of Santo Domingo, Jaca of Taos, and Tacu or Tupatu of Picuris. By their efforts the whole Indian population was brought into a condition of preparation, and only waited for an opportune moment to strike a decisive blow. There is some doubt as to the occasion of the final rising, but the tradition is so general that we can hardly think it without foundation, that the caving in of the shaft of a silver mine, and the consequent burying alive of a large number of Pueblo Indians who had been forced to labor there, was the "last straw" which exhausted the

Page 54

long-tried patience of the natives, and precipitated the revolt.

The day finally fixed on by the leaders for the uprising was August 13, 1680, and swift messengers were sent to every Pueblo town to carry the information and call for its coöperation. Warned by previous failures, every means was used to secure secrecy. Not a woman was entrusted with the secret, and so intense was the feeling that Pope killed with his own hand his son-in-law, Nicholas Bua, the governor of San Juan, because he was believed to be disloyal. But even all these precautions did not suffice, for on the 8th of August two Indians of Tesuque, which was so near to Santa Fe that the Indians were specially intimate with the Spanish authorities, revealed the whole plot to Governor Otermin, and other Indians at San Lazaro and San Cristobal gave information to Father Bernal, the Franciscan custodio.

The fact that they were betrayed was almost immediately known by the Pueblo leaders, who saw that their only chance of success now lay in immediate action. Orders were consequently issued to that effect, and were so swiftly carried, that within two days, in all the pueblos, except those far distant, every Spaniard was slaughtered without regard to age or sex, except a few girls reserved for wives for the young braves. The news of this general massacre naturally created the utmost consternation at the capital and in all the Spanish towns. Otermin sent messengers through the territory directing the

Page 55

people at the north to concentrate at Santa Fe, and those of the south at Isleta, and immediately set about fortifying the capital.

Many of the Spaniards reached these cities of refuge, but a still larger number, found in their houses or on the roads, were slain. Those living in the extreme north, finding it impossible to reach Santa Fe, assembled at Santa Cruz, and endeavored to fortify the town; but on the eleventh the Indians carried it by storm and massacred all who were found there.

By this time the people of every pueblo were on the war-path and news came to the governor from all quarters of approaching armies. The men from the Tanos pueblos were marching from the south, while the Tehuas had united near the Rio Tesuque and were hourly expected from the north. The city of Santa Fe was transformed into one great fortification. The outlying houses were abandoned, and all the inhabitants gathered in the plaza, the entrances to which were closed and fortified, and the palace put into condition to stand a siege. All recognized that it was a life and death struggle, for the war was one of extermination.

Before the preparations were completed, the Tanos Indians were seen marching over the plains from the south. The governor sent out envoys to endeavor to treat with them before their northern allies appeared, but without success. They would only make peace on condition that the Spaniards should immediately leave the country. This attempt having failed, Otermin determined to make an attack

Page 56

and endeavor to gain a victory before the Tehuas should arrive; and an immediate sortie was therefore made. A desperate battle ensued, the Indians fighting with great energy, and the Spaniards having gradually to bring out their whole force to take part in the contest. The destruction of the natives was terrific, but the number of fighting men among the Spaniards was not great, and was being gradually reduced by wounds and fatigue, while the Pueblos were constantly re¨nforced by fresh arrivals. As there was no hope of relief from without, and a continuance of the siege meant sure destruction, the Spaniards finally concluded that in view of their reduced condition and the scarcity of provisions it would be better to evacuate the town while the coast was clear. Preparations were accordingly made during the night of the 20th, and at early dawn the next morning, the whole population mournfully left the town, and started on their long and toilsome march to the south. There were not even horses enough to carry the sick and wounded, so that all the women and children as well as the men had to proceed on foot, carrying all their personal property, as well as provisions, in bundles on their backs. Meanwhile, the Indians stolidly viewed them from the surrounding hills., making no attack, but apparently well content so long as the intruder's were leaving the country. They followed the retreating band for about seventy miles in order to see that they were actually proceeding south, and then returned to their homes to enjoy the independence

Page 57

in both civil and religious matters which they desired.

The Spaniards continued their march down the river, hoping to find their countrymen from the southern part of the province at Isleta; but were disappointed in this, as they had already left in charge of the lieutenant governor for El Paso. The provisions were almost exhausted and none were to be found in the route, so that at length they were compelled to stop and send south for assistance. The call was responded to by Father Ayeta, of El Paso, who sent four wagon-loads of corn; and thus partially relieved, the fugitives continued their retreat, joining their southern brethren on the road, and finally selecting San Lorenzo, above El Paso, as their winter quarters. Here they built rude houses, but suffered many privations, both from cold and hunger, and lost a large fraction of their number who sought a less unhappy life in the villages of Chihuahua.

The Spaniards who were left behind in various parts of New Mexico, were with scarcely an exception killed after their countrymen had abandoned the country. Especially did the priests, against whom and the Christian religion the Pueblos were greatly incensed, suffer horrible deaths--those at Zuni, Moqui, Jemez, and Acoma being among those thus doomed to a dreadful fate.

The Franciscan order never had suffered such a loss from the martyrdom of its members as at this time. No less than twenty-one gave up their lives

Page 58

on that fatal 10th of August, 1680. On the 1st of March of the succeeding year a great memorial service was held in the cathedral of the city of Mexico, in the presence of the viceroy and other high officials, when a commemorative sermon was preached by Doctor Ysidro Sarinna y Cuenca, in which each of the twenty-one martyrs is named, together with the place of his death. A copy of this sermon, printed in 1681, is in the possession of the Historical Society at Santa Fe, which has published a translation.

From that celebrated sermon we take the following extract, containing the list of the. Franciscan martyrs, and the missions which they served. But three friars remained alive in the north, Fathers Cadena, Duran, and Farfan, who accompanied the retreating Spaniards from Santa Fe to Paso del Norte, and tried to encourage the weary travelers.

"This Kingdom" (New Mexico), said the eloquent doctor, "was utterly foreign in character from the event which was so soon to occur, judging from the peace and tranquility which prevailed." "Everything seemed to be peaceful outwardly; but inwardly all was rabid passion, instigated by the devil; for, on the 10th day of August, dedicated by our Holy Mother Church to the honor of the Most Glorious Spanish Protomartyr, St. Lawrence, the fury of the nefarious sacrilegious wickedness, which had been hidden in the quiver of the heart, suddenly broke forth.

"On this day, the venerable Padre Fray Juan Bautista Pio, a native of the City of Victoria in the Province of Alaba, having gone to celebrate the holy

Page 59

sacrifice of the Mass at the Pueblo of Tesuque, which is a mission of the City of Santa Fe, the Capital of that Kingdom, was killed by the Indians of that very pueblo, This is the death which is first mentioned in the authentic accounts of the conspiracy.

"On that same morning they killed in different and distant Conventos twenty other Religious.

"In Santa Cruz de Galisteo, the Reverend Fathers Fray Juan Bernal, the actual Custodian, and Fray Domingo de Vera, natives of the most noble City of Mexico.

"At San Bortolome de Xongopavi, the Rev. Padre Fray Joseph de Truxillo, a mad of exemplary virtues, the knowledge of which induced the higher Prelates to elect him Prelate of the Convento of San Cosme without the walls of this city of Mexico.

"At the Convento of Porciuncula [Pecos], the Rev. Padre Fray Fernando de Velasco, who had served thirty years as a missionary in that Holy Custodia; both of these latter being natives of Cadiz.

"In that of Nambe, the Reverend Padre Fray Thomas de Torres, a native of Tepozotlan.

"In that of San Ildephonso, the Reverend Padre Fray Luis de Morales, a native of Ubeda of Baeza; and in company with him, the brother Fray Antonio Sanches de Pro, a native of this city, who from the order of the Descalces passed to the Observancia, with the object of going to serve in that Holy Custodia.

"In that of San Lorenzo de Picuries, the Reverend Padre Fray Mathias Rendon.

"In that of San Geronimo de Taos, the Reverend

Page 60

Padre Fray Antonio de Mora; both the last named being natives of the City of Los Angeles; and in the same Convento de Taos, Brother Fray Juan de la Pedosa, a native of Mexico.

"In that of San Marcos, the Reverend Padre Fray Manuel Tinoco, a son of the Province of San Miguel in Estremaaura.

"In that of Santo Domingo, the Reverend Padres Fray Francisco Antonio Lorenzana, a native of Galicia; Fray Juan de Talaban, Custodio habitual, a native of Seville, who had been a missionary almost twenty years, and Fray Joseph de Montesdoca, a native of Queretaro.

"In that of San Diego de Jemez, the Reverend Padre Fray Juan de Jesus, a native of Granada.

"In that of San Estevan of Acoma, the Reverend Padre Fray Lucas Maldonado, Difinidor actual, a native of Tribugena.

"In that of the Purisima Concepcion of Alona, the Reverend Padre Fray Juan de Val, of the Kingdom of Castile.

"In that of Aguatubi, the Reverend Padre Fray Joseph de Figueroa, a native of Mexico.

"In that of Oraibe, the Reverend Padre Fray Joseph de Espeleta, Custodio habitual, a native of Estela in the Kingdom of Navarre, who had been thirty years a missionary, and the Reverend Padre Fray Agustin de Santa Maria, a native of Pasquaro."

As soon as the Spaniards had retreated from the country, the Pueblo Indians gave themselves up to

Page 61

rejoicing, and to the destruction of everything which could remind them of the Europeans, their religion, and their domination. The army which had besieged Santa Fe quickly entered that city, took possession of the palace as the seat of government, and commenced the work of demolition. The churches and the monastery of the Franciscans were burned with all their contents, amid the almost frantic acclamations of the natives.

The gorgeous vestments of the priests had been dragged out before the conflagration, and now were worn in derision by Indians, who rode through the streets at full speed, shouting for joy. The official documents and books in the palace were brought forth, and made fuel for a bonfire in the center of the plaza; and here also they danced thecachina,with all the accompanying religious ceremonies of the olden time. Everything imaginable was done to show their detestation of the Christian faith, and their determination utterly to eradicate even its memory. Those who had been baptized were washed with amole in the Rio Chiquito, in order to be cleansed from the infection of Christianity. All baptismal names were discarded, marriages celebrated by Christian priests were annulled, the very mention of the names Jesus and Mary was made an offense, and estufas were constructed to take the place of the ruined churches.

The same course was pursued in all of the pueblos where there were churches or conventos. Many were entirely destroyed, while others were despoiled

Page 62

of everything connected with Christian worship. It seemed as if, in a few days, the whole work of a century--the plant watered by the blood of Friar Ruiz and his companions just a hundred years before--had been destroyed.

The Spaniards, succored and sustained by the aid of Father Ayeta, now the head of the New Mexican Franciscans, settled down in the vicinity of Paso del Notre, where a mission had been established some years before, and awaited the reconquest of the northern province.

This, however, was not soon to be accomplished. We cannot go into the details of the various attempts to reoccupy the country. In November, 1681, Governor Otermin penetrated to Isleta, where the people, to the number of 1157, returned to their allegiance to Church and King, and General Mendoza went as far as Cochite; but they finally returned, without permanent result. Everywhere they found the same story of desecrated churches and revived paganism.

One fruitless expedition followed another, the most notable one resulting in the temporary capture of Cia by Governor Cruzate in 1688, until Diego de Vargas was appointed governor in 1692. His rapid marches and remarkable victories are historic. In his first campaign, by tact more than by force, he restored the old authority, both civil and religious, and the Franciscan friars baptized nearly a thousand children. After returning to Paso del Norte for the winter, he reëntered New Mexico in the fall of 1693

Page 63

with colonists as well as troops, but encountered more difficulty. Fierce contests occurred at most of the important pueblos, as well as at Santa Fe but ultimately the whole country was subdued.

Toward the end of 1694 De Vargas made a tour which included nearly all of the existing pueblos (many had been destroyed or deserted during the Revolution), formally receiving the submission of the people and in return granting pardon for their rebellion. He also delivered over to them their women and children, who had been captured at various times grid were held in slavery. The new Franciscan friars who had accompanied the reconquest were established in their missions, and immediately proceeded to restore or rebuild the churches, and the conventos necessary for their accommodation. As the different Missions are considered, it will be found that many of the more modern structures date from about this time.

The Missions thus reëstablished, together with the names of the Franciscan priests placed in charge of them, were as follows: Padre Francisco Corvera at San Ildefonso and Jacona; Padre Geronimo at San Cristobal and (temporarily) at Santa Clara; Padre Antonio Obregon at San Cristobal and San Lazaro; Padre Diego Zeinos at Pecos; Padre Juan Alpuente at Cia; Padre Francisco J. M. Casanes at Jemez; Padre Juan Munoz de Castro, vice custodio and head of the Inquisition, at Santa Fe; Padre Jose Diez at Tesuque; Padre Jos Garcia Marin at Santa Clara; Padre Antonio Carbonel at San Felipe, Cochite, and

Page 64

later Taos; Padre Miguel Tirso at Santo Domingo; Padre Jose Arbizu at San Cristobal; Padre Antonio Moreno at Santa Fe (temporarily), La Canada, and later Nambe Padre Antonio Acevedo at Nambe Padre Francisco Vargas, custodio.

Within the next two years, two new villas were established; these being Spanish towns not connected with former Indian pueblos, and the only ones in New Mexico until recent times, with the single exception of Santa Fe.

The first of these was the Villa of Santa Cruz de la Canada, near the junction of the Santa Cruz River with the Rio del Norte, and in this place the colonists brought up from Paso del Norte by Father Farfan, were permanently settled. As there had been a settlement there before the Revolution of 1680, the new town is uniformly called in all documents the 7ldquo;Nueva Villa de Santa Cruz." The church erected here was for a long time the largest in New Mexico, and the villa itself was the cabecera or capital of the Northern Jurisdiction of New Mexico for many years. The other was Albuquerque, then always spelled Alburquerque. This was established in 1706 by Governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdes, who had been appointed governor ad interim by the viceroy of New Spain, who was the Duke of Alburquerque. In honor of his patron, the new town was founded, with thirty families, and was christened "San Francisco de A1burquerque." On being officially informed of this compliment, the viceroy gently reprimanded the governor for acting without authority, and directed

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that in honor of the king, Don Philip V, the name be changed from San Francisco to San Felipe de Alburquerque. A church was immediately established at the new villa, the records of which are comparatively perfect and extend back nearly to the time of its foundation.

The churches in the villas, although not strictly Mission churches, will be described in later chapters of this work.

Since the reëstablishment of the Missions after the reconquest by De Vargas, there have been several changes, some additions and some abandonments; but these are reserved for mention in the separate articles on the respective Missions in order to avoid repetition.

A century ago there was perhaps no town of its size in the United States that was so amply supplied with places of worship as Santa Fe. While they were not all Missions in the strict sense of the word, yet they are all of such historic interest, that to omit them from this work would be unreasonable and would detract from a proper appreciation of the labors of the founders of Christianity in the Southwest. For more than two hundred and fifty years Santa Fe was the center and headquarters of the missionary work, and no history or description would be complete which ignored the work at the capital and the influences originating there.

A hundred years ago there were in Santa Fe no less than five churches and three private chapels, as follows:

1. The Church of San Francisco, which was the parish church of the villa.
2. The Church of San Miguel, first church erected, in the ward of Analco, and primarily intended for Indians, including the Tlascalans from Old Mexico.
3. The Rosario Chapel, at the western end of the town, where De Vargas encamped in 1692.
4. The Church of Our Lady of Light, otherwise known as the Castrense or Military Church, on the south side of the Plaza.
5. The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the southwest section.
Besides these churches, where services were regularly held, there were at least three private chapels.

1. The Chapel of the Ortizes.
2. The Chapel of the Vigiles.
3. The Chapel of Pablo Montoya.
The Ortizes were at that time the wealthiest and most influential family in the town. They were the direct descendants of Nicolas Ortiz Nino Ladron de Guevara, who accompanied De Vargas in the resonquest, and whose son of like name was the grantee in 1744 of the large tract of land lying between Santa Fe and the Rio Grande, known as the Caja del Rio Grant, and covering over 60,000 acres of land. The peculiar addition to the original name of Ortiz, that is, "Nino Ladron de Guevara," which, as "ladron" means thief, at first sight appears like a disgrace instead of an honor, originated from a famous exploit of one of their ancestors, who in the Spanish wars against the Moors, by surprise "stole" from the latter the city of Guevara, and was rewarded by the king by this addition to his name, as a lasting distinction. In the latter part of the eighteenth century the richest and most important citizens of Santa Fe were the brothers Juan Antonio and Antonio Jose Ortiz, grandsons of the Caja del Rio grantee, and they were the owners of the private chapel,

Page 68

which was situated on lower San Francisco Street at the west corner of the present Sandoval Street where the large stone building that narrows San Francisco Street at that point now stands.

The Chapel of the Vigiles (Holy Trinity) was situated on the west side of the Plaza, somewhat south of the center of the block, and in the early part of the last century belonged to Juan Bautista Vigil y Alarid, who for many years was an official under the Spanish and Mexican governments, postmaster for a long time, and finally as secretary and acting governor after Armijo had left the city, received General Kearny when he entered Santa Fe in August, 1846, and was continued in office by General Kearny until the appointment of Charles Bent as governor and Donaciano Vigil as secretary, on September 22, 1846. This chapel afterwards became the property of Manuel Alvarez, who moved it, after the American Occupation, to his ranch at Tesuque, with all of its appointments for religious services, and on his death it, with the remainder of the ranch, came into the possession of Major Jose D. Sena.

The chapel in the house of Pablo Montoya was named the Chapel of San Jose. This and the two preceding were examined by Don Agustin Fernandez, vicar general of the diocese, under direction of the vicar capitular of Durango about 1826 and found in excellent condition. At the same time this official examined another chapel in Santa Fe, being that of the Third Order of St. Francis, adjoining the parish church on the south side; but he made a very unfavorable

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report as to it, as it lacked everything required for the celebration of the mass; and its concession was annulled by the vicar general.

There was one other chapel in the town, being that connected with the ancient cemetery that existed for years in the north of the town on the road ascending to Fort Marcy Heights, and not far from the garita. This cemetery was used for many years until about the time of the American Occupation, and contains the remains of many of the most distinguished citizens of the capital. Unfortunately there are no tombstones by which to distinguish the graves, but tradition points out the location of some of those best known, and among them the final resting place of the four leaders in the Revolution of 1837, Desiderio Montoya, Antonio Abad Montoya, Juan Jose Esquibel, and Jose Vigil, who were executed at the garita on January 24, 1838. In the center of the east side of the cemetery was the chapel, the walls of which are still standing, but it is understood that it was only used as a mortuary chapel and not for any other religious services.

For more than forty years this cemetery was entirely neglected and made the depository of all the rubbish in that section of the city. The desecration of the chapel went so far as to lead to its use as a goat corral. But in 1914 the Society for the Preservation of Spanish Antiquities applied to Archbishop Pitaval for permission to clean up the premises, level and regrade the cemetery, and repair the walls of both chapel and campo-santo. Permission

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being obtained, the work was begun in May, 1914, and has resulted in the restoration of the premises to a proper condition.

Separate chapters will be devoted to the principal churches in the capital city.

The following verses, by a New Mexican now deceased, Mr. Fred B. Harris, tell the story of the Old Bell which after long years of service in calling the people of Santa Fe to worship, is now forever mute.

The old church-bell of Santa Fe,
Brought centuries ago from Spain,
Though fallen from its tower so gray
Yet still on earth it doth remain.
What stories strange might it not tell,
Had it a tongue,--that old church-bell.
Once highly proud in air it swung;
For centuries its potent voice,
In mighty tones, far distant rung,
Exultingly did it rejoice;
With eloquence it seemed to swell,
That mute and tongueless old church-bell.
Its rare voice swayed the human heart
Alternately with joy and woe;
E'en as by some enchanter's art
Both grief and joy did from it flow;
The marriage-peal, the funeral-knell,
Alternate rang that old church-bell.
Each morning at the rise of sun,
With its resounding, steady stroke,

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Announcing a new day begun,
The sleeping multitude it woke;
Afar its tones arose and fell;
The music of that old church-bell.
At each day's long and weary close,
Its welcome sounds pealed on the air,
Inviting all to calm repose,
To blessed sleep, devoid of care.
To all around who there did dwell,
A firm friend was that old church-bell.
Its solemn summons, loud and clear,
Unto God's temple, oft was heard,
Calling the people far and near,
To hear the blessed, heavenly word;
The tidings glad proclaimed full well,
This ancient, voiceless, old church-bell.
Companion, monitor and friend,
Of generations of the past,
Sad, sweet, strange memories 'round thee blend,
Of ancient scenes too fair to last;
For ages, faithful sentinel,
Wert thou for all, thou old church-bell.
Finished thy mission, thou dost rest
Half buried in the darksome ground;
With eloquence once rarely blest,
Devoid now of the faintest sound.
Like all on Earth, it tells too well
Of Life and Death, that old church-bell!

Naturally the first of the churches in the capital to be considered, is that which has arrived at the dignity of a cathedral. For more than two centuries it was the parish church of the city, until the long delayed coming of a bishop, who made this his official home, brought the higher honor.

Singularly enough it was not the oldest church in Santa Fe but the reason for this is clearly set forth by Father Alonzo de Benavides in his celebrated report of 1630, and it is certainly creditable both to the missionary zeal of the Franciscans and to the unselfishness of the first Spanish settlers. The distinguished missionary in his address to the king, after describing the capital city itself, says: "Only it lacked the principal thing, which was the church, that which they had being only a poor 'jacal' because the Friars gave their first attention to building churches for the Indians whom they converted and among whom they lived and labored; and therefore as soon as I became Custodian, I began to build the church and convento, to the honor and glory of God."

As will appear when "Old San Miguel" is described, the suburb of Analco, across the river, was

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the home of the converted Indians from Mexico, and consequently the first church building was erected for them; and it was years before the Spanish soldiers and citizens had a separate place of worship of their own. As Benavides came to New Mexico in 1626, we may safely conjecture that the first parish church, bearing the name of the patron of the city, San Francisco, was built in 1627. It is a satisfaction to have a date of so much interest clearly established.

There is no reason to suppose that this church, built by Benavides, was not located exactly where the parish church has ever since been established, and where the cathedral now stands. It was practically destroyed at the outbreak of the Pueblo Revolution of 1680, and was not rebuilt until 1713.

In Archive No. 491, in the office of the surveyor general of New Mexico, relating to a suit over some land in Santa Fe, in 1713, reference is made to the "Church which is now being built in Santa Fe."

Archive No. 1072 is a deed from Antonio Godines, to Nicolas Ortiz, made in 1714, and it describes a house "on the main street which goes from the Plaza to the new Church now being built."

Archive No. 1074 is a deed from Pedro Montes de Oca to Nicolas Ortiz, and describes another house quite similarly situated "in the principal street of this villa which goes to the new church which is being built.rdquo; This is dated December 6, 1714; and these three documents conclusively fix the time of the rebuilding of the church as being in 1713 and

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1714. Archive No. 162 also refers to a church then being built, in 1713, and Archive No. 181 to its building in 1714, and they thus corroborate the above.

This church stood and performed its mission until the new cathedral was ready to take its place. The present Cathedral of St. Francis is a monument to the indefatigable energy of Bishop Lamy. From the time of his arrival, the new bishop saw the necessity of erecting an edifice which should be worthy of its position. The nearest Roman Catholic cathedral on the south was at Durango in Mexico, and there was then no important church building west of St. Louis. The people were comparatively poor, but the bishop had faith and determination. After years of preparation the corner stone was laid on July 14, 1869. The new edifice was built around the old adobe structure without disturbing the latter, so that services were continued without interruption. The part of the main building from the front to the arms of the transept is 120 feet long and sixty feet broad, with a height in the middle nave of sixty-five feet. The walls are massively constructed of native stone, and the ceiling is made of a very light volcanic tufa, of a red color, brought from a mountain twelve miles distant. When the towers had reached a height of eighty-five feet, work on them was suspended, and has not yet been resumed. Every effort was then made to complete the roof, and when that was accomplished, the adobe walls of the old building were taken down and carried away, and the services continued uninterruptedly in the magnificent new edifice.

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The east end of the old building still remains, however, as the completion of the entire cathedral will cost a very large sum and is unnecessary for any practical purpose now. The most notable feature, at least historically, in the church, is in this remaining east end of the former building, being the immense stone reredos originally carved under Governor Del Valle for the Church of Our Lady of Light in the Plaza, and removed to the cathedral when that church was demolished. A full description of this will be found in the chapter on the Castrense. The new building has been beautified by the gradual acquisition of fine stained glass windows and other appropriate ornaments, many of which have been donated as memorials; and the whole interior was expensively decorated quite recently under Archbishop Pitaval.

To the tourist, however, its interest is rather in the rare old pictures and images which have belonged to the parish through many generations. Some of these have been changed in position from time to time, and some for lack of space have been relegated to the Museum which adjoins the building; but none has been disposed of, and all can be found by the zealous lover of medieval art. The following is a list of the principal objects as they were arranged about thirty years ago, and shows what a mine of artistic wealth is presented to the visitor with time and patience to devote to their examination.

"Opposite the chancel, and facing the altar (which

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is itself well worthy of notice for the beauty of its metallic workmanship) are two very large paintings, made to match each other, one being of San Francisco, and one of San Antonio de Padua. Each is surrounded by cherubs.

"The chapel to the south is that of San Jose. In this are a number of beautiful and valuable pictures. Over the altar the large picture is St. Joseph, and underneath that, is a statuette of the same Saint, crowned, and with the Infant Jesus.--On the right the upper picture is also of St. Joseph, then comes a narrow portrait of a monk, and below that one of St. Augustine wearing a bishop's mitre. On the opposite side are pictures of the Good Samaritan, of a Saint in penitential robes, and of a Franciscan Friar.

"On each side of the altar is a life-size image, made of wood, one being of Our Lord crowned with thorns, the other of St. John the Apostle.

"On the left is a large picture of Our Lady of Carmel aiding suffering beings in purgatory, another of the crucifixion, and modern paintings of Our Lady of Sorrows, and 'Ecce Homo.' Opposite are pictures of the Virgin and Child, and of the Resurrection.

"On the north side is the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin, also containing many interesting works of art. On each side of the altar is a life size figure of a female saint, the one on the right in bright colors, and that on the left in black. Over the altar is an image of the Virgin clothed in rich silk vestments, above which is a picture of the Madonna, and beneath

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an 'Ecce Homo.' On the left and right are paintings of the Assumption of the Virgin and of St. Joseph, companion pieces, and between them and the altar smaller pictures representing two female saints. On the right side of the chapel, as you approach the altar, are pictures of the Virgin standing on the new moon; of the Crucifixion, St. John, the Virgin, and Mary Magdalen being at the foot of the cross; and of the Holy Family, with a representation of purgatory below. On the opposite side is a very large picture of the Holy Family.

"In the body of the church are the usual 'Stations of the Cross,' of large size, and on the north side a niche containing an image of Christ in the Tomb, used in the ceremonies between Good Friday and Easter. Over the chancel are three stained glass windows, with figures representing St. Francis, St. Joseph, and the Immaculate Conception.

"In the sacristy, is a most admirable painting of Our Lord; add a statue in wood and enamel of San Antonio de Padua, of Spanish origin, eighteen inches high, and similar in style to those at Santa Cruz and the Guadalupe Church. In the same place is a large image of the Santo Nino Conquistador."

This church possesses additional interest on account of being the last resting place of the bones of a number of those who were distinguished among the early missionaries.

Governor Marin del Valle, who built the Castrense church in 1759, in that same year made two journeys, one to Picuris and one to Cuare, in order to

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exhume the remains of two venerable priests who had been interred in those places, and give them suitable burial within the consecrated precincts of the Santa Fe Church. The body of Friar Ascencion Zarate was found in the ruins of the old Church of San Lorenzo at Picuris, and that of Friar Geronimo de la Llama in the ruins of the deserted Mission of Cuara in a place pointed out by the old Indians. Both were carried to the capital, and on August 31, 1759, were buried in a large coffin which was placed in the wall of the Gospel side of the parish church, where it still remains. The burial ceremonies were conducted with great solemnity in the presence of the governor and other high officials and a vast concourse of people.

On the coffins are two inscriptions in Spanish, of which we give English translations, as follows:

"Here rest the bones of the venerable P. Fray Geronimo de la Llama, an apostolic man of the order of St. Francis. These bones were unearthed from the ruins of the old Mission of Quarac in the Province of Las Salinas, on April 1st, 1759."

and

"Here rest the bones of the venerable Fray Ascencion Zarate, an Apostolic man of the order of St. Francis. These bones were exhumed from the ruins of the church of San Lorenzo, of Picuris, May 8th, 1759; and the remains of the two venerable missionaries were transferred to this Parish of Santa Fe, and buried on August 31st, of the same year, 1759."

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The church records show that Father de Llama died exactly a century before, in 1659, and was greatly venerated by the Indians of Cuare.

Governor Del Valle's administration was further signalized by one of the very rare visits of a bishop, and the longest and most important one which ever took place until New Mexico became a diocese itself. In 1760, Bishop Tamaron of Durango came in April to visit this northern district of his great diocese, and remained until July. During this period he visited all of the principal towns of the territory and confirmed no less than 11,271 persons, including many adults who had had no previous opportunity of being presented to a bishop. Naturally a large amount of time was given to the capital city, and the Church of San Francisco was the Central point of the visitation. The journeys of the episcopal party were like a royal progress. The bishop was always accompanied by the custodio with a guard of twenty-two men, and the entire party included no less than sixty-four persons. Everywhere the people turned out, from the "ancianos" feeble with age and infirmities to the youngest child carried in its mother's arms, to do honor to the dignified ecclesiastic. Many stories are still current connected with this notable occasion. At one time, on a steep hillside, the bishop's carriage was overturned, and he might have been seriously injured but that the prelate with rare sagacity fell on top of the custodio, who was a well-rounded man admirably adapted to serve as a cushion, and was absolutely uninjured. We are also told

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that the bishop's visit was attended by such copious and long-continued rain that the crops in all of the valleys were almost miraculous both in volume and quality, and the Jornada del Muerto, whose name was generally synonymous with absolute dryness, became thoroughly saturated and covered with standing pools of water.

6.1. PROCESSIONS, ETC.
There are many interesting ceremonies which take place in the cathedral, marking special occasions in the church year.

On the eve of the day of San Francisco, the whole vicinity of the building is aglow with innumerable bonfires which illuminate the scene half through the night and present a special attraction to tourists.

But the most conspicuous celebrations are the processions of Corpus Christi and the Conquistadora or Lady of Victory. The latter will be found described in the chapter devoted to the Rosario Chapel, and no visitors should miss seeing it if they can possibly arrange to be in Santa Fe at that time. It is unique, because it is local and identified with the early history of the capital city.

6.2. CORPUS CHRISTI
The festival of Corpus Christi is made the occasion of special services and a grand annual procession in Santa Fe. This festival was instituted by Pope Urban IV in the year 1264, and in most Roman Catholic countries is celebrated with much ceremony and splendor, and usually with processions carrying

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the consecrated Host through the principal streets. This is not common in the United States, but the day has never ceased to be observed in Santa Fe with unabated fervor.

The festival itself comes on the first Thursday after Trinity Sunday, called the First Sunday after Pentecost in the Roman calendar; but for the convenience of the people, who are mostly engaged in necessary occupations on a week day, it is celebrated in the Cathedral of Saint Francis on the succeeding Sunday, and of late years there has been a second celebration, by the parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one week later.

Early in the morning, or the night before, the streets through which the procession will pass are lined with evergreens brought in from the mountains, and present quite a gala appearance. The route of march is lined with people long before the hour of starting. At various places private altars are prepared in front of the houses of prominent members of the church, who are glad to manifest their devotion in this manner. These altars are surmounted by canopies and are tastefully and beautifully decorated with paintings and statues, which are preserved from year to year exclusively for this purpose. A photograph of the altar in front of the Sena residence on Palace Avenue is reproduced as an illustration, to show the general form and style of these street altars. Sometimes there have been as many as six, but the number varies with changes in families, and of late years those of the Sena, the

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Delgado, and the Ortiz families have been the most attractive.

This procession, as explained by the vicar general of the archdiocese, is for the purpose of allowing the faithful to show their faith. It is not consideredby them an ostentatious declaration of faith but as a beautiful ceremony in which the sacred Host is carried through the streets for the adoration of the believers in the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

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The procession leaves the cathedral at 11 o'clock, after the principal mass, and proceeds through the leading streets of the eastern part of the city which comprises the parish directly connected with the cathedral. The route is arranged so as to pass all of the street altars which have been erected. While the order of procession varies somewhat year by year, yet the following is substantially the order usually observed:

The Cross and acolytes.
The children of Mary of the Cathedral.
The young ladies of Loretto Academy.
The children of St. Vincent.
The girls of the parochial school.
The children of St. Catherine school.
The ladies of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The ladies of the cathedral.
The Association of St. Joseph.
The men of the cathedral.
The Alumni of St. Michael's College.
The little girls with flowers.
The guard of honor to the Blessed Sacrament, being fourteen gentlemen.
The Blessed Sacrament, celebrant, and priests.
The choir.
The pallium bearers, being twelve gentlemen.
Directors of the procession, usually twelve in number.

The bands of the different societies afford the music for the march, and from time to time the "Salve Maria' is sung all along the line, led by

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some of the older participants and quickly followed by the mass of those marching, and especially by the hundreds of women who form a large portion of the procession and are most fervent in their devotions. The number who participate in the ceremony is really remarkable in a place no larger than Santa Fe, the resident parishioners being largely augmented by those who flock to the city to take part in the ceremony. At the street altars a special service or benediction takes place and the faithful on bended knees receive the blessing. The procession finally returns to the cathedral where the Host is replaced in the tabernacle.

The clergy who take part in the procession are headed sometimes by the archbishop in person and sometimes by the vicar general of the diocese, and comprise all of the cathedral clergy besides as many visiting priests as are able to be present.

This church, so celebrated for its antiquity, which claims to be the oldest place of worship in the United States, and as such is visited by thousands of tourisis every year, is situated on the south side of the Santa Fe River, in what is always called in the old archives, the "Barrio de Analco"--the ward of Analco. "Analco" is an Aztec word which became incorporated into the Castilian of New Spain, meaning "on the other side" or "beyond the river." On the map of Santa Fe made by Joseph de Urrutia about the year 1768, all this part of the town situated on the south side of the river, is marked "Pueblo or Ward of Analco, which owes its origin to the Tlascalans who accompanied the first Spaniards who came for the conquest of the kingdom." This seems to give the whole history in a sentence, and agrees with the statement made in many documents showing that the Mexican Indians from Tlascala, who formed part of the early expeditions, settled themselves "on the other side of the river" from the Spaniards who settled around the Plaza when the new capital was established. And this also accounts for San Miguel being the oldest church in the town, and antedating the regular parish church.

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It is pretty well settled that the removal of the seat of government from San Gabriel, where it was established in 1598, to Santa Fe, took place in 1605, while Onate was still governor; and judging from the stress laid on regular religious services by the Spaniards of those days, we would naturally expect to find that one of the first acts, after fixing upon the location, would be to erect a place of worship. So it had been at San Gabriel, where that was the first business of importance; and so it would naturally be in the new capital. But we find in the famous report of Benavides, which we have occasion so often to quote, because it is the foundation of accurate knowledge regarding the early days of New Mexican Missions, the following sentence in relation to Santa Fe. After stating that the population consisted of "perhaps two hundred and fifty Spaniards, only fifty of whom can be armed," "and about seven hundred souls as servants," so that altogether there may be a thousand, counting Spaniards, Mestizos, and Indians, he goes on to say: "It only lacked the principal thing, which was the church; that which they had being a poor 'jacal,' because the Friars attended first to the building of the churches for the Indians whom they converted, and with whom they lived; and so as soon as I became Custodio I began to construct the church and convento to the honor and glory of God." From which it appears that in the mind of these missionaries it was more important to build a church for the Indians than for their own countrymen, and so these Tlascalan Indians

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took precedence in this matter, even of the Spanish officials themselves.

We know nothing more of the history of this antique place of worship until the time of the Pueblo Revolution in 1680, for all the records of those years were destroyed in the general conflagration of documents, in the center of the Plaza, after the Spanish retreat. Then, at the very beginning of the siege of Santa Fe, we are told that on the morning of August 15, 1680, about five hundred Indians appeared in the fields near the Chapel of San Miguel, across the Santa Fe River, in that part of the town occupied by the Tlascalan Indians who had settled there from Mexico. Before two more days had passed all of the buildings in the capital were burned except around the Palace and the Plaza.

Twelve years passed before San Miguel was again seen by Christian eyes. Fortunately its walls were so solid, that only the woodwork had been consumed. We have evidence of this from the fact that for the repair of the edifice, sufficient to allow it to be used for religious services, after the reconquest by De Vargas, there is no mention of any stone or adobe or other material to be used in the walls. History records that in December, 1693, soon after the reoccupation by De Vargas, a number of men were sent to the mountains to cut timber for the repair of this church, but that they returned in a few days without accomplishing their object, on account of the extreme cold. From this it would appear that the walls were

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standing, as large timber could only be needed for the vigas. We fortunate in having a full account of the action of the governor on this occasion, and the details are so interesting and so quaintly told that it seems desirable to insert it at length. Here it is, literally translated:

"Santa Fe, A. D. 1693, December, 18.

"On the said day, month and year of the date, I, said Governor and Captain- General, very much grieved on account of the severity of the weather and the cold suffered by the Indians who in troops while away the time visiting the huts in the plain; and, in order to act in everything with necessary prudence, I mounted on horseback, and with a few military officers and the captains Francisco Lucero de Godoy and Roque Madrid, I went to examine the church or hermitage which was used as a parish church for the Mexican Indians who lived in the said town under the title of the invocation of their patron, the Archangel San Miguel. And having examined it, though of small dimensions, and not for the accommodation of a great number; notwithstanding, on account of said inclemency of the weather, and the urgency of having a church in which should be celebrated the Divine Office and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and in order that Our Lady of the Conquest may have a becoming place, I, said Governor and Captain- General, recognized that it is proper to roof said walls, and to white- wash and repair its windows in a manner that shall be the quickest,

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easiest, briefest, and least laborious to said natives.

"The parties alluded to being present, and the said governors of the aforesaid pueblo, Joseph and Antonio Bolsas, I ordered that they should send said natives; having taken measures in respect to the lumber aforesaid, and having offered them axes, and mules for its fast conveyance, that those who were adapted to hewing said lumber should do so, and that those who were fit for the trade of masons in repairing said walls should be ordered in like manner, and that I, on my part, should have the Spaniards whom I had with me to assist thereat.

"And that said work should be immediately executed, I went with them to the aforesaid pueblo, and being within their village plaza, I ordered the natives who were there in the manner before described. And I also exhorted them to go with cheerfulness to said labor, and that such it really was not, to make a house for God and His Most Blessed Mother, our Virgin Lady, who was enclosed in a wagon; and that if a lady came they were obliged to furnish her with a house, and that such was their duty; and mine it was to issue such orders with much force, because the Lord our God might punish us, seeing that, being Christians, we did not make the church immediately; which they promised to accomplish, as I had ordered; and they afterwards sent for the axes which I gave unto them immediately, and a hide to make a ladder.

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"And for the authenticity of these proceedings, I have had a record thereof drawn up, and signed it, with my Secretary in civil and military affairs.

"D. DIEGO DE VARGAS ZAPATA LUJAN PONCE DE LEON.

"ROQUE DE MADRID.

"JOSEPH DE CONTRERAS.

"Before me, ANTONIO BALVERDE,

"Military and Civil Secretary."

While there was some delay in obtaining the vigas (roof beams) immediately, yet no doubt the chapel was made comfortable for use in the spring if not during the winter. Still those repairs were probably hasty and temporary. Fortunately a new governor was soon to come, whose devotion, and perhaps whose pride, were equal to the task. For over two centuries the massive timber, which stretches across the church and supports the gallery, has remained in its place, bearing the inscription which has been read by tens of thousands, and is the best monument to the generous governor. The entire rebuilding of the church was completed in 1710, as appears from this inscription, still plainly legible on the great square viga near the west end of the building, which reads: ''"El Senor Marquez de la Penuela hizo esta fabrica, el Alferes Real Don Agustin Flores Vergara, su criado. Ano de 1710." "The Marquis de la Penuela erected this building. The Royal Ensign Don Agustin Flores Vergara, his servant. The year 1710."''

From that time until now, more than two hundred

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years, the venerable chapel has been continually used for religious purposes. When the Christian Brothers established their educational work in Santa Fe in 1859 this church was turned over to them as a college chapel, and is so used today. In the course of all these years repairs have of course been a necessity. In 1830 the old roof was found to be dangerous and was rep1aced by a new one. At that time new round vigas took the place of the ancient square ones, only two of which still remain.

At that time and for almost half a century later, the church had a triple tower, diminishing in size at each stage; but in 1872 Santa Fe was visited by a severe storm and the upper sections of the tower fell with a crash. Various repairs were made in order to prevent injury to the walls, which were in danger from the action of water, until in 1888 it was determined to secure them permanently by the construction of stone buttresses on each side of the front, and in other ways prevent any possibility of the destruction of this historic edifice.

Of the illustrations that are presented, the first shows the church as it was before 1872, with the triple tower surmounting the entrance; the second gives its appearance between 1872 and 1888, after the fall of the tower, and with a temporary shed to protect the door-way, and the third represents the structure as it is at present with the strong buttresses, which will protect this venerable relic of early missionary effort to be a shrine for Christian pilgrims and a unique attraction for tourists, for generations to come.

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"The old church is seventy feet long, twenty-four feet wide and twenty- five feet high on the inside; the walls are about five feet thick, which must be doubled and added to the inside dimensions to get the total length and width on the outside," says Brother David. The walls are of adobe, battlemented on top of the sides, and the roof, like those of all the older churches, is made of vigas supported by carved timbers at each end, the whole being covered with boards and about twelve inches of closely packed earth. In this church only two of the ancient square vigas, one under the gallery and one near the chancel remain, the others having been replaced by newer round ones. The gallery has a puncheon floor, which is quite interesting, and there is considerable of Spanish and Mexican carving upon it. The spiral pillars are native work. The church fronts on the Santa Fe Trail, or rather we should say on the road from Santa Fe to the pueblo of Pecos, which had been in use for over a century before any one dreamed of the commerce over the Great Plains, which developed the Santa Fe Trail between the Missouri River and the Old Capital in the Rocky Mountains.

There are two illustrations of the interior of the church, one representing the eastern or altar end, and the other showing the western end with the doorway and gallery. The latter is specially interesting as showing the great squared viga that supports the gallery and bears the inscription of 1710 concerning the reparation of the church. It will be observed that this great timber, now over two hundred years

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old, supports thirteen cross vigas which in turn hold up the floor of the gallery. The picture also gives a very good idea of the way in which the roof is constructed, and of the carved supports on which the vigas rest at each end. All of the old Mission Churches were roofed in this way, and the width of the building was limited to the length of the vigas which it was possible to obtain. The consequence was that the larger churches were necessarily made very long, as it was impossible to increase the width.

The picture of the chancel and altar includes the old paintings which attract much attention and of which Brother David, who is specially in charge of the church, is so proud. This venerable and most lovable brother, whose health does not permit more active duties, devotes himself entirely to this work and has published several descriptive pamphlets, in which he modestly calls the author, "The Usher." We cannot do better in giving a description of these paintings than to quote the words from his enthusiastic pen: "The large painting above the altar shows the Archangel St. Michael hurling Lucifer down into the infernal regions. It was copied from Rafael and is over three hundred years old, but was retouched. A copy of Leonardo da Vinci's 'Ecce Homo' is seen at the top. The painting with gilt rays around it represents 'Our Lady of Perpetual Help.' It is copied from a very old painting, held in great veneration in Candia. The original is in Rome. This painting was blessed by the Holy Father. The ikons, or holy paintings of Russia and Greece, are painted in this style.

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"An oval painting, representing a Spanish King, Ferdinand III, a great conqueror, but a holy man, may be seen to the right of the 'Ecce Homo.' On the other side on a level with it, may be seen the holy founder of the Franciscans, St. Francis of Assisi.

"The large rectangular paintings represent the Annunciation by Giovanni Cimabue. The rich colors and beautiful blending are characteristic of this celebrated artist. Only the old masters could make such lasting colors. They were painted in 1287. One

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of these paintings was brought from another church when it was torn down. Cimabue was a great friend of the Franciscans. He and Giotto, his pupil, often did work for them, especially fresco work. These old paintings were often rolled up and put aside to be used only on certain days. One of these has two narrow holes, made by hostile Indians, very probably when carried in procession.

"The oval painting to the left, over the railing, represents the great Spanish nun, St. Teresa of Jesus. It is over three hundred years old, and has faded very much. Its carved frame is Spanish work and as old as the painting itself. There are four of these old Spanish frames. A dry rot has harmed them somewhat. Opposite this painting is one of St. Gertrude, a favorite saint of the Spaniards. She was a Benedictine Abbess. The office of an Abbess carries with it a crozier."

7.1. THE OLD BELL
in the San Miguel Chapel is one of the greatest objects of interest and the particular delight of Brother David. It weighs seven hundred and eighty pounds, but being four inches thick, its size is not so great as its weight would indicate. It bears the inscription "San Jose ruega por nosotros" (St. Joseph pray for us). There has been a great deal of discussion as to its age and history. Brother David has no doubt that it was cast in Spain in 1356, and brought to America by Nicolas Ortiz Nino Ladron de Guevara, who was with De Vargas in the reconquest

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and became the head of the Ortiz family, and was used in the Ortiz Chapel on lower San Francisco Street until it was abandoned; and others think it has been in the San Miguel Chapel from the daysof the conquest; and others that it is a more modern creation. We do not pretend to decide so delicate a problem, but insert the story as it appears in theLife of Bishop Machebeuf,by Rev. W. J. Howlett,

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which ought to be correct, if it is not. At all events the bell looks old enough to have been used by Noah in the Ark, and of the sweetness of its tone, all visitors can judge.

"In a little room at the base of the tower of San Miguel is the sweetest- toned bell in America, and perhaps the richest. It, too, has its history, filled with poetry, and romance of the ages of the faith.

"In 1356, so the legend runs, the Spaniards were fighting the Moors. Battle after battle was fought and lost by the Christians, until the people vowed a bell to St. Joseph as a gage of their confidence in his assistance. They brought their gold and silver plate, their rings and their bracelets, their brooches and ear-rings, and cast them into the melting-pot with the other metal. The bell was cast, and in its tone were the richness of gold and the sweetness of sacrifice. It sounded the defeat of Moslemism in Spain, and then came to ring in the birth of Christianity in Mexico, and with the Padres it found its way up the Rio Grande to rest and ring out its sweet notes over the City of the Holy Faith.

"In the old adobe church stands the bell--
From the ancient tower its notes have ceased to swell
O'er the houses, quaint and low,
Whence it summoned long ago
Spanish conqueror, Indian slave,
All to gather 'neath this nave.
Pealed it many a bygone day

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O'er the roofs of Santa Fe.
And before that, century long,
Had it sent its sacred song
O'er the hills and dales of distant, sunny Spain.
Six long centuries have passed
Since the ancient bell was cast,
And sounded forth its first long sweet refrain.
Strike it now and you shall hear,
Sweet and soft, and silver clear,
Such a note as thrills your heart
With its tender, magic art,
Echoing softly through the gloom
Of that ancient, storied room,
Dying softly, far away,
In the church at Santa Fe."