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20 The old question of mission supplies still remained open as a ground of controversy. The reasons which had impelled the padres to give with a spirit of cheerfulness, real or feigned, had largely ceased to exist. Now most gave grudgingly, because they could not help it; or in a spirit of apathetic indifference to what might become of the mission property; or in a few cases refused in the interest of their neophytes. Padre Duran on one occasion told Martinez of San Francisco that he could send no more supplies, and it would be best to discharge the soldiers if there was a lack of rations. Martinez in turn asked the governor for permission to take the supplies by force. Padre Viader wrote that Santa Clara had to buy wheat for its neophytes, while the pueblo had plenty of grain to sell the presidios. "The moment the keys are taken from us by force," he wrote, "we will not take them back, nor attend the temporal administration." The destitution was very great at San Diego, but the comandante in his letters implies that the padres gave all they could. The commandant of Santa Bárbara had a sharp correspondence with Padre Ibarra of San Fernando, trying to prove that the furnishing of supplies was by no means a special favor to the troops, but an ordinary duty of the missions until the expected memorias should come from Mexico, together with a new band of missionaries. The padre, however, was incredulous about the anticipated aid. "If you do not eat till then," he said, "you will need elastic bellies; and as to the coming missionaries, I will believe it when I see them, not before." He would, however,