her Fathers
immediately sent a message to the surgeon of the Royal Presidio of
Monterey, who at the time was Don Manuel Quixano (step-father of the
writer's great grandmother). After holding an autopsy on the martyred
body, Dr. Quixano found that the saintly Father had been horribly and
cruelly murdered. The details are preserved in the Santa Cruz Mission
archives, but are not given to the public. The capulin tree which the
Indians made use of to make it appear that the Father's death was a
natural one, was at the time in full bloom, and in a few hours became a
dry lifeless trunk. A remarkable act of Providence indeed!

The fourteenth and fifteenth missions established were Mission San Jose
and beautiful Mission San Juan Bautista, founded respectively on June
11th and June 24th of the year 1797.

We have generously used words denoting beauty and prosperity in
describing the missions, but no less can be said of these mighty and
bountiful institutions, who, even in their regal ruins are California's
chief attraction to this day.

The sixteenth mission was San Miguel, founded by Fathers Francisco
de Lasuen and Buenaventura Sitjar, with very impressive and elaborate
ceremonials, on July 25th, 1797. The brilliant frescoing of this mission
was done in 1824 by the writer's great grandfather, Esteban Munras, a
Spaniard from Barcelona, who had studied art in his native city, and who
was intimately connected with the early missionaries, especially those
of Monterey, where he resided. Esteban Munras did the frescoing of San
Miguel Mission at the request of Father Juan Cabot, also a native
of Barcelona. Thus we see the undaunted steadfastness of these early
missionaries who, although California had already passed from Spanish
to Mexican rule, and mission power was beginning to wane, still were
zealous for the greater adornment of God's holy temples.

On September 8, 1797, Mission San Fernando, Rey de Espana was founded.
In June of the following year San Luis, Rey de Francia, fifty-four
Indian children being baptized on the day of its foundation. It was in
the patio (court yard) of this mission that the first pepper tree in
California was planted by Father Antonio Peyri.

On September 17, 1804, beautiful Santa Ynez Mission was founded. Here
Father Arroyo, a brilliant scholar, prepared a working grammar of the
language of the Indians of the San Juan region. In December, 1817, San
Rafael was founded, and made a splendid record of