years.

Mission Santa Clara was the eighth to be established. It was founded on
January 12, 1777. The original lines of this once beautiful Mission are
almost entirely changed but like all its sister missions it still
retains much of its dear old atmosphere, and can boast of the tomb of
Father Magin Catala who died there in 1836 "in the odor of sanctity."
Mission Santa Clara was founded by Father Tomas de la Pena y Saradia;
and its history is fascinating and romantic. The Mission Cross which
Father de la Pena y Saradia planted here, is still standing.

The ninth Mission was San Buenaventura, founded also by Junipero Serra
in person, in company with Governor Felipe de Neve, on Easter Sunday of
March 31, 1783.

From San Buenaventura, Junipero Serra and Governor de Neve marched to
what is now Santa Barbara. Here the Indians were numerous and more
intelligent than any in California, where the Indians were far denser
than either the Incas of South America or the Aztecs of Mexico. Delays,
caused by military differences, retarded the foundation of Santa Barbara
Mission, which would have been the tenth, but Junipero Serra planted a
Mission Cross and selected the site on which it was destined to be
founded four years after his death. From here Serra returned to Carmelo;
his journeys from one Mission to another being always on foot.

And here we must pause: We have come in our narrative to that momentous
year in the history, not only of the missions, but of California. The
year when. Junipero Serra, true priest of God, christianizer, civilizer,
wonderful among wonderful pioneers, or as Governor Gaspar de Portola had
spoken of him years before, "the humblest, bravest man of God I ever