The Travels and Adventures of Monsieur Violet in California, Sonora, and Western Texas | Page 7

by an enemy seven or eight times superior to us In numbers. By various
stratagems, which I shall not dwell upon, aided by the good condition
of our horses, we contrived to escape them, and to bring our prisoners
safe into the settlement. Now, although we had no fighting, yet address
is considered a great qualification. On my return I was therefore
admitted as a chief, with the Indian name Owato Wanisha, or "spirit of
the beaver," as appropriate to my cunning and address. To obtain the
rank of a warrior chief, it was absolutely requisite that I had
distinguished myself on the field of battle.
Before I continue my narration, I must say a little more relative to the
missionaries, who were my instructors. One of them, the youngest,
Polidori, was lost in the Esmeralda, when she sailed for Monterey to
procure cattle. The two others were Padre Marini and Padre Antonio.
They were both highly accomplished and learned. Their knowledge in
Asiatic lore was unbounded, and it was my delight to follow them in
their researches and various theories concerning the early Indian

emigration across the waters of the Pacific.
They were both Italians by birth. They had passed many years of their
lives among the nations west of the Ganges, and in their advanced years
had returned to sunny Italy, to die near the spot where they had played
as little children. But they had met with Prince Seravalle, and when
they heard from him of the wild tribes with whom he had dwelt, and
who knew not God, they considered that it was their duty to go and
instruct them.
Thus did these sincere men, old and broken, with one foot resting on
their tombs, again encounter difficulties and danger, to propagate
among the Indians that religion of love and mercy which they were
appointed to make known.
Their efforts, however, to convert the Shoshones were fruitless. Indian
nature would seem to be a nature apart and distinct. The red men,
unless in suffering or oppression, will not listen to what they call "the
smooth honey words of the pale-faced sages;" and even when they do
so, they argue upon every dogma and point of faith, and remain
unconvinced. The missionaries, therefore, after a time, contented
themselves with practising deeds of charity, with alleviating their
sufferings when able, from their knowledge of medicine and surgery,
and by moral precepts, softening down as much as they could the fierce
and occasionally cruel tempers of this wild untutored race.
Among other advantages which the Shoshones derived from our
missionaries, was the introduction of vaccination. At first it was
received with great distrust, and indeed violently opposed, but the good
sense of the Indians ultimately prevailed: and I do not believe that there
is one of the Soshones born since the settlement was formed who has
not been vaccinated: the process was explained by the Padres Marini
and Polidori to the native medical men, and is now invariably practised
by them.
I may as well here finish the histories of the good missionaries. When I
was sent upon an expedition to Monterey, which I shall soon have to
detail, Padre Marini acccompanied me. Having failed with the
Shoshones, he considered that he might prove useful by locating
himself in the Spanish settlements of California. We parted soon after
we arrived at Monterey, and I have never seen or heard of him since. I
shall, however, have to speak of him again during our journey and

sojourn at that town.
The other, Padre Antonio, died at the settlement previous to my journey
to Monterey, and the Indians still preserve his robes, missal, and
crucifix, as the relics of a good man. Poor Padre Antonio! I would have
wished to have known the history of his former life. A deep
melancholy was stamped upon his features, from some cause of
heart-breaking grief, which even religion could but occasionally
assuage, but not remove.
After his death, I looked at his missal. The blank pages at the beginning
and the end were filled up with pious reflections, besides some few
words, which spoke volumes as to one period of his existence. The first
words inscribed were; "Julia, obiit A.D. 1799. Virgo purissima, Maris
Stella. Ora pro me." On the following leaf was written: "Antonio de
Campestrina, Convient. Dominicum. in Româ, A.D. 1800."
Then he had embraced a monastic life upon the death of one dear to
him--perhaps his first and only love. Poor man! many a time have I
seen the big burning tears rolling fast down his withered cheeks. But he
is gone, and his sorrows are at rest On the last page of the missal were
also two lines, written in a tremulous hand, probably a short time
previous to his death: "I,