After these troubles, however, the Mission declined rapidly in prosperity.  Though the buildings under Padre Ripoll were in excellent condition, and the manufacturing industries were well kept up, everything else suffered.

In 1817 a girls’ school for whites was started at the presidio of Santa Barbara, but nothing further is known of it.  Several years later a school was opened, and Diego Fernandez received $15 a month as its teacher.  But Governor Echeandia ordered that, as not a single scholar attended, this expense be discontinued; yet he required the comandante to compel parents to send their children to school.

In 1833 Presidente Duran, discussing with Governor Figueroa the question of secularization, deprecated too sudden action, and suggested a partial and experimental change at some of the oldest Missions, Santa Barbara among the number.

When the decree from Mexico, came, however, this was one of the first ten Missions to be affected thereby.  Anastasio Carrillo was appointed comisionado, and acted from September, 1833.  His inventory in March, 1834, showed credits, $14,953; buildings, $22,936; furniture, tools, goods in storehouse, vineyards, orchards, corrals, and animals, $19,590; church, $16,000; sacristy, $1500; church ornaments, etc., $4576; library, $152; ranches, $30,961; total, $113,960, with a debt to be deducted of $1000.

The statistics from 1786 to 1834, the whole period of the Mission’s history, show that there were 5679 baptisms, 1524 marriages, 4046 deaths.  The largest population was 1792 in 1803.  The largest number of cattle was 5200 in 1809, of sheep, 11,066 in 1804.

Here, as elsewhere, the comisionados found serious fault with the pueblo grog-shops.  In 1837 Carrillo reports that he has broken up a place where Manuel Gonzalez sold liquor to the Indians, and he calls upon the comandante to suppress other places.  In March, 1838, he complains that the troops are killing the Mission cattle, but is told that General Castro had authorized the officers to kill all the cattle needed without asking permission.  When the Visitador Hartwell was here in 1839 he found Carrillo’s successor Cota an unfit man, and so reported him.  He finally suspended him, and the Indians became more contented and industrious under Padre Duran’s supervision, though the latter refused to undertake the temporal management of affairs.

Micheltorena’s decree of 1843 affected Santa Barbara, in that it was ordered returned to the control of the padres; but in the following year Padre Duran reported that it had the greatest difficulty in supporting its 287 souls.  Pico’s decree in 1845 retained the principal building for the bishop and padres; but all the rest and the orchards and lands were to be rented, which was accordingly done December 5, to Nicholas A. Den and Daniel Hill for $1200 per year, the property being valued at $20,288.  Padre Duran was growing old, and the Indians were becoming more