Agustin Janssens, with the promise of complete emancipation as soon as arrangements could be made. In these last years a very large part of the Indians were absent at Los Angeles and at the ranchos.
There were three pueblos of ex-neophytes in the district besides San Juan Capistrano, namely, San Dieguito, Las Flores, and San Pascual, about all of which there is a most unfortunate lack of information. They were composed of Indians selected from the different missions for their intelligence, good behavior, industry, and fitness in all respects for earning their own living and managing their own affairs. They were feeble approximations to such towns of civilized and christianized natives as all the missions had been intended under the original system to become; but in every respect except the choice of the best Indians, the conditions were unfavorable to success. San Dieguito, Las Flores, and San Juan were perhaps organized in 1833, the two former from the ex-neophytes of San Diego and San Luis respectively; and in May 1834 they were represented by the governor as in a flourishing condition. San Dieguito seems to have had about 15 families at the start; and at the time of Hartnell's visit in 1839 they were complaining that their best lands had been taken away. Las Flores had 196 inhabitants in 1836, and they were so far advanced in politics that they presented charges against their Indian alcaldes, who were replaced by others after investigation by Pio Pico. In 1839, Hartnell found 49 families of 143 souls, and in four years they had rid themselves of half their property; but the rest of the live-stock, valued at $867, was distributed with a warning that unless they did better they would be again reduced to mission life. San Pascual was organized in November 1835, with 34 families of 113 souls from San Diego. Nothing more is known of it during the decade.[1]
- ↑ On the pueblos, see this vol., 339; St. Pap. Miss., MS., xi. 25-6; vi. 52; Dept. St. Pap., Ang., v. 78; Hartnell, Diario, MS., 42; Hayes' Miss. B., 230, 305, 497; Id., Doc., 66; S. D. Arch., MS., 114.
