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Chimes of Mission Bells; an historical sketch of California and her missions by Maria Antonia Field
page 22 of 83 (26%)
Indians under the supervision of the Missionaries. In 1771 Junipero
Serra founded the San Carlos Mission in the most entrancing location of
the Carmelo Valley that the nature loving Serra could have chosen; the
forests of oak, pine and cypress for which Monterey is noted to this
day, stretch with even greater beauty as we pierce farther into the
interior, while the fertility of the land drained by the beautiful
Carmelo River together with the commanding position of the spot, made
the site of the Mission ideal. And this Mission of the Carmelo Valley of
Monterey, was Junipero Serra's headquarters, here he lies buried, and
here was the center of that unequalled hospitality and pure society for
which every mission was noted. The Spanish Government made large grants
of land to the missions, and under the labor, care and excellent methods
of the missionaries, they became powerful and wealthy institutions, the
pride and blessing of New Spain. Fine stock, teeming grain fields and
luscious orchards graced every mission, and Mission San Carlos was no
exception, indeed it was one of the most prosperous and beautiful.

Fathers from the Mission at Carmelo, attended the Royal Chapel of San
Carlos in Monterey and continued to do so until long after the last Act
of Secularization in 1835 had been passed by the Mexican Government, and
San Carlos of Carmelo was left desolate with no priest to guard her own
altar light. But of this we shall, alas, have but too much reason to
speak later. Junipero Serra did not stop his arduous work by founding
beautiful San Carlos of Carmelo and consecrating the Royal Chapel of
Monterey; he was to christianize all California, for all California had
now been added to the Crown of Castile and Leon. Spain followed in
California the same policy which has distinguished her in her other
possessions such as Cuba, the Philippines and other colonies, steeped in
idolatry until the Spanish Missionary, whose zeal is proverbial, wrested
their countless inhabitants from the cymmerian gloom of paganism. Thus
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