hat of the Missions of Lower
California (Mexico) be clearly understood.

As I have already shown, the Jesuit padres founded fourteen Missions in
Lower California, which they conducted with greater or less success
until 1767, when the infamous Order of Expulsion of Carlos III of Spain
drove them into exile.

It had always been the intention of Spain to colonize and missionize
Alta California, even as far back as the days of Cabrillo in 1542, and
when Vizcaino, sixty years later, went over the same region, the
original intention was renewed. But intentions do not always fructify
and bring forth, so it was not until a hundred and sixty years after
Vizcaino that the work was actually begun. The reasons were diverse and
equally urgent. The King of Spain and his advisers were growing more
and more uneasy about the aggressions of the Russians and the English
on the California or rather the Pacific Coast. Russia was pushing down
from the north; England also had her establishments there, and with her
insular arrogance England boldly stated that she had the right to
California, or New Albion, as she called it, because of Sir Francis
Drake's landing and taking possession in the name of "Good Queen Bess."
Spain not only resented this, but began to realize another need. Her
galleons from the Philippines found it a long, weary, tedious and
disease-provoking voyage around the coast of South America to Spain, and
besides, too many hostile and piratical vessels roamed over the Pacific
Sea to allow Spanish captains to sleep easy o' nights. Hence it was
decided that if ports of call were established on the California coast,
fresh meats and vegetables and pure water could be supplied to the
galleons, and in addition, with _presidios_ to defend them, they might
escape the plundering pirates by whom they were beset. Accordingly plans
were being formulated for the colonization and missionization of
California when, by authority of his own sweet will, ruling a people who
fully believed in the divine right of kings to do as they pleased, King
Carlos the Third issued the proclamation already referred to, totally
and completely banishing the Jesuits from all parts of his dominions,
under penalty of imprisonment and death.

I doubt whether many people of to-day, even though they be of the
Catholic Church, can realize what obedience to that order meant to these
devoted priests. Naturally they must obey it--monstrous though it
was--but the one th