dexterity in the practice as seldom to miss his aim. As soon as he
perceives a troop of Indians, he throws his noose over one of them
before he has time to defend himself, then setting spurs to his horse,
rides back to the mission with his prisoner, and is fortunate if he
bring him there alive. I can myself bear witness to the skill and
boldness of the dragoons, in the management of their horses, and in the
use of the noose, with which two or three of them in conjunction will
catch even bears and wild bulls; a single man is sufficient to capture
an Indian.

Estudillo declared that no Indian ever presents himself voluntarily at
the missions, but that they are all either hunted in the manner above
described, or tricked out of their liberty by some artifice of the
monks. For this purpose, some few in every mission are extremely well
treated, as for instance our pilot Marco. These are from time to time
sent into distant parts of the country to exert their eloquence on their
countrymen, and entice them to the missions. Once there, they are
immediately baptized, and they then become for ever the property of the
monks.

To my observation, that affairs would now probably assume a different
aspect, as the arbitrary dominion of the clergy, and the dependence of
the military upon them were equally terminated, Estudillo replied, that
California might certainly become a powerful state,--that she was
abundantly provided by nature with all that was requisite to her
political aggrandizement, but that she needed a man of ability in her
councils. "Don Louis Arguello," said he, "is not the man to
re-invigorate our radically disordered finances, to introduce a
wholesome subordination, without which no government can flourish, and
to establish a constitution upon which our future tranquillity and
improvement may be founded. Our soldiers are all of one mind; whoever
pays them the arrears due from the Spanish government is their master;
he purchases them, and to him they belong. Induced by a knowledge of
this disposition, Mexico has entered into negotiations with us; and the
question whether California shall exist as an independent state, or
place herself under the protection of another power, has been
particularly discussed at the late congress at Monterey, and is still
undecided."

I confess I could not help speculating upon the benefit this country
would derive from becoming a province of our powerful empire, and how
useful it would pr