Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/112

94 and perhaps future comforts across the sea. The truth can never be known. An investigation brought to light nothing more suspicious than the transfer of certain barrels and boxes of wine, soap, and olives, with perhaps other packages of unknown contents, from San Buenaventura to Santa Bárbara. In their own letters, the padres said they had left the mission property intact. Duhaut-Cilly, however, had lately sold Ripoll an English draft for 7,000 francs, which he said came to him legitimately from his stipend. Though Alvarado and Vallejo accuse the padres of having stolen large sums, and their method of flight favored the suspicion, I suppose that a few thousand dollars was probably all they took, and that they had but little difficulty in justifying the act to their own satisfaction, in view of their past stipends either unpaid or invested in supplies for the Indians.

In reporting the flight of Ripoll and Altimira, Echeandía suggested the expediency of granting passports to those who had asked for them, with a view to avoid such scandals; and he did send a pass to Padre Martinez in September to prevent the disgrace of his intended flight. There was also a scandal respecting the actions of President Sanchez, whose letters and some goods being conveyed by John Lawlor from San Gabriel to the sea-shore were stopped