San Francisco was the most northerly of the missions in Costanoan territory, and in fact the most northerly of the Franciscan missions in California except that of San Rafael [and San Francisco Solano in Sonoma County]. The missionaries in charge in 1811 were Ramon Abella and Juan Saenz de Lucio.
At this mission there were five languages.(1)
When married people separate, the children regularly follow the mother.
As soon as a person has stopped breathing, if he has few relatives or lazy ones, they bury him. Those who have friends or relatives who will bring wood, are burned. The little property that they have, and some few seeds, they burn with them, which is the more usual practice.
1 The five languages of this mission may have been the dialects of the five Costanoan tribes mentioned in Schoolcraft as gathered at this mission: Olhon, Ahwaste, Altahmo, Romonan, Tulomo. [Return]