San Buenaventura, founded also by Junipero Serra
in person, in company with Governor Felipe de Neve, on Easter Sunday of
March 31, 1783.

From San Buenaventura, Junipero Serra and Governor de Neve marched
to what is now Santa Barbara. Here the Indians were numerous and more
intelligent than any in California, where the Indians were far denser
than either the Incas of South America or the Aztecs of Mexico. Delays,
caused by military differences, retarded the foundation of Santa Barbara
Mission, which would have been the tenth, but Junipero Serra planted
a Mission Cross and selected the site on which it was destined to be
founded four years after his death. From here Serra returned to Carmelo;
his journeys from one Mission to another being always on foot.

And here we must pause: We have come in our narrative to that momentous
year in the history, not only of the missions, but of California. The
year when. Junipero Serra, true priest of God, christianizer, civilizer,
wonderful among wonderful pioneers, or as Governor Gaspar de Portola
had spoken of him years before, "the humblest, bravest man of God I ever
knew," had done his work! Junipero Serra was ready for his throne in
Heaven, his crown awaited him, his rough Franciscan habit was to be
glorified. We have briefly glanced at his chief characteristics from
his boyhood in historic Spain, and must have gauged the measure of his
untiring and tried virtue from the time he landed in Mexico and San
Diego, on through the years he labored as the Apostle of California; to
these let us add just a few of the private practices of mortification
which he imposed on his innocent flesh, notwithstanding his age, his
physical infirmities, extraordinary labors and hardships in a new, half
explored country. Virtually they sound like a passage from the lives of
the Saints. His journeys were always on foot, although the old sore
on his leg remained like an instrument of torture throughout his life,
nothing being able to help him. El Camino Real, from San Francisco to
Monterey and from Monterey to San Diego, with its rough roads, was as
familiar to him who walked it with so much difficulty as it is to us
who enjoy it by comfortable travel on the railroad or pleasurable motor
trips; his fasts were austere and frequent, wine he never used, the
discipline was no stranger to him, a bed was not among his possessions,
on the bare floor or bench at most he would rest his sore missionary
body; yet h