Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/328

310 between the decree and the law of 1813 on which it purported to rest, and strong points were made by ridiculing the pretended desire to civilize and educate the Indians in view of what the gente de razon had accomplished in that direction for themselves. In a note I give some brief quotations from Padro Duran's epílogo.

There was no trouble about the furnishing of supplies in 1831. Naturally the padres were disposed to do their best, and the only records in the matter are one or two orders from Victoria to comandantes, intended to prevent excessive demands on the missionaries. At the beginning of the year, and probably in consequence of the secularization movement, a passport for Habana was tendered to Duran as soon as a successor at San José could be procured. He apparently had asked license to retire. Three missionaries died at their posts, padres Boscana, Barona, and Suñer, while no Franciscans came to fill up the