leave their homes. Medina recounts numerous instances of cruel and
oppressive treatment of the Indians by the Spaniards, and of insolence
and opposition on the part of the latter to the missionaries and their
work. With this, he also urges that the religious be allowed to inflict
punishments upon the natives, when the latter are disobedient or commit
misdeeds. In this argument Medina makes a curious admission, especially
as he writes after missionaries had labored sixty-five years in the
islands--saying of the Indians: "For they detest, as a rule, church
matters--to such an extent, that they would even pay two tributes to
be free from the church. They love their old beliefs and revelries
so strongly that they would lose their souls for them. Without any
fear, how would they attend to their duties?" The missionaries also
desire to break up the native habits of sloth and vagabondage, by
compelling the Indians to live in villages; but many Spaniards oppose
this policy. Medina recounts the difficulties between the friars and
the ecclesiastical authorities, in Bishop Salazar's time, regarding
the religious jurisdiction of the former.

Further extension of missions is made during the provincialate of
Fray Diego de Alvarez (elected in 1584). Each district in which a
mission is introduced or enlarged is described by our writer, who adds
many pertinent and interesting observations on the natives and their
character, their relations with the Spaniards, the affairs of his
order, the progress of the colony, the products of the country, etc.

_The Editors_

December, 1904.