Chimes of Mission Bells; an historical sketch of California and her missions

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n, and a part of the Province of fair Catalonia, one of the most valuable and beautiful portions of Spain. This child, around whom our story clusters was baptized on the day following his birth, and received t

of theology and received the degree of doctor soon after his ordination. The fame of his eloquent preaching and persuasive oratorical powers spread not only throughout Spain but reached other European countries. Still Junipero Serra (as he was known by his own choice after an humble disciple of Saint Francis of Assisi, noted for his charity) was not dazzled by his brilliant mental gifts, and his thirsting desire to evangelize the heathen savage of the New World grew apace with his fame. He declined the offer to become the Court preacher and other ecclesiastical dignities, which he would have been entirely justified in accepting, and practiced those virtues which clung to him with even more perfect maturity throughout his life; heroic virtues which enabled him to un

after Saint Ferdinand, a King of Spain, who lived in the thirteenth century. And to this College, Father Junipero Serra and his companions came after a perilous voyage of nearly one year; for the date of their arrival was January 1, 1760; and here they began their labor! Of the nine years which Junipero Serra toiled in Mexico, six were spent in Sierra Gorda, some distance north of San Fernando, and one of the wildest and roughest of those half explored regions. And what marvels attended the labors of Serra and the other self-sacrificing sons of Saint Francis here! With Junipero Serra at the helm, the good priests learned some of the Aztec dialects in order to convert the savages. Then what followed? With the greatest patience the missionaries acquitted themselves to the task of teaching the classic, cultured language of Spain to these poor aborigines, whose languages like those of the still cruder California Indians, did not contain expressions for

o which they bade farewell when the last glistening silhouette of the Spanish Coast vanished from their view in 1759, but not so! Their pilgrimage was but begun! The pilgrimage which was to blossom heavenly and earthly blessings as beautiful and countless as

sts, and landed on the shores of Monterey. Both of these expeditions, however, were abandoned and California remained the "mysterious vineyard," as it was called. But Vizcaino drew a map of California placing upon it the harbor of Monterey, and wrote glowing accounts of the beauty of the spot. O

sovereign's request the Franciscan Fathers of the College of San Fernando were commissioned to take the newly vacated missions and accompany as missionaries the

ra, whose zeal and sanctity were so well known, as the Father President of the band of missionaries to set out for California. A

whom the missionaries had chosen as the Patron Saint of California. Each ship had two missionaries on board and among the crew were bakers, cooks and blacksmiths; on the San Antonio went the surgeon, Don Pedro Prat. Simultaneously with these ships started two land parties, one in advance of the other in order to stop at La Paz in Lower California, to pick up cattle and sheep wherewith to stock the new country, also to bring some of the converted Indians of the mission in that region, to aid the missionaries and soldiers by translating the speech of the Indians of Alta or Higher California; for while the Indian dialects were numerous, there was some similarity among them. This first land expedition was in command of Captain Rivera y Moncada. The second land party was in command of the newly appointed governor, Don Gaspar de Portolá, the first governor of California, and wise indeed was the choice of this good and excellent man! This second land party was doubly blessed with the presence of Junipero Serra. Many were the dangers and hardships encountered by these sterling men both by land and sea; and as the repetition of what is noble never tires, we will again allude to the p