Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/452

434 to the governor as was possible on short notice, his coming not being known in advance at the mission. Arriving at Santa Bárbara the same day, Chico presented a complaint on the subject to Prefect Duran, who did not attempt to deny or justify the alleged discourtesy of the friars, paying very little attention to the charges, but offering a long argument to the effect that unsecularized missions were under no obligation to furnish aid to the government. This argument, and the resulting secularization of Santa Inés and San Buenaventura, will receive attention in another chapter. Duran also flatly refused to celebrate mass at the swearing of the bases, on the ground of his allegiance to Spain.

It does not appear that there was any controversy during Chico's presence at Santa Bárbara. If there was any exhibition of ill temper in the governor's