Page:Vol 3 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/351

Rh were then with their settlements turned over to the Franciscans of Nueva Galicia. The principal mission on the mesa was transferred on February 1st, the same day the Jesuits left. All the missions were reported to be in a lamentable condition as to the spiritual and temporal welfare of the natives, who received no religious instruction, absented themselves at will, and worshipped their idols unmolested, so that it was necessary to use force in order to bring in whole families living thus. At the time the Tecualmes of San Pedro Iscatan still spoke their native tongue; but this was entirely lost before 1785, when they used the mixed Mexican and Spanish spoken in most of the New Spain missions. At the other Nayarit missions the Indians were Coras.

The province was garrisoned by a company of about forty soldiers, under a comandante who was at the same time protector of the Indians, and who not infrequently misused his power to oppress the natives. It is said the Jesuits had been so lenient with their flock that under their regime the Indians only confessed in articulo mortis, and most frequently through interpreters. If the Franciscans applied more stringent measures, it is not shown that they made more progress than their predecessors; in 1789 only twelve friars were engaged in missionary work in Nayarit, nor do the records show how long the garrison or missions were continued.