The Spanish in the Southwest . ines, and the roses, as sweetand fair as those of Castile. To the good father who hadjust come from the barren lower peninsula, and whoseheart was full of glowing anticipations, everything seemedbeautiful and promising. Father Serra determined to start his mission immedi-ately. It would have taken a long while to build achurch, but one was not necessary for a beginning. July16, 1769, the bells were swung in a tree, and a greatwooden cross was raised. Around it were grouped themen of the little settlement; in the background, watchingeverything, were the Indians. T
The Spanish in the Southwest . ines, and the roses, as sweetand fair as those of Castile. To the good father who hadjust come from the barren lower peninsula, and whoseheart was full of glowing anticipations, everything seemedbeautiful and promising. Father Serra determined to start his mission immedi-ately. It would have taken a long while to build achurch, but one was not necessary for a beginning. July16, 1769, the bells were swung in a tree, and a greatwooden cross was raised. Around it were grouped themen of the little settlement; in the background, watchingeverything, were the Indians. Their dusky, stolid facesprobably expressed little of the interest, surprise, andcuriosity which they must have felt. Father Serra raised his hands toward the blue heav-ens, and with that earnest voice of his spoke. He askedGod to bless the rude cross which had just been raised;to bless the mission soon to be built. He prayed for helpto put to flight all the hosts of evil in the barbarous land, Founding of San Diego Mission III. The first service at San Diego and to bring into the church the Indians, still strangers toChrist. How solemn they all were. How Father Serrasheart swelled with hope and piety. How curious theIndians must have been as they lurked in the distance,watching this invasion of their home. Then the hard work began. A number of huts werebuilt. One of them was to be used as a church, the restwere to be lived in until better buildings could be pro-vided. Weeks passed in this task, and the mission stilllacked one thing, the most necessary of all. There wereno converts. In Mexico and in the other missionsfounded later in California, Indians soon came into themission life, but in San Diego many months passed beforea single scholar was enrolled. Although the curious, greedy natives would not live 112 The Missions of Alta California at the mission, they visited it in large numbers, eager forthe presents which the Spaniards gave them as long asthey had anything to give
Size: 1924px × 1299px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidspanishinsou, bookyear1903
