y tes . ▁Sometimes , ▁the ▁Francis c ans ▁allowed ▁ne oph y tes ▁to ▁escape ▁the ▁miss ions , ▁or ▁they ▁would ▁allow ▁them ▁to ▁visit ▁their ▁home ▁village . ▁However , ▁the ▁Francis c ans ▁would ▁only ▁allow ▁this ▁so ▁that ▁they ▁could ▁secret ly ▁follow ▁the ▁ne oph y tes . ▁Upon ▁arriv ing ▁to ▁the ▁village ▁and ▁capt uring ▁the ▁run aw ays , ▁they ▁would ▁take ▁back ▁Indians ▁to ▁the ▁miss ions , ▁sometimes ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁ 2 0 0 ▁to ▁ 3 0 0 ▁Indians . ▁ ▁A ▁total ▁of ▁ 2 0 , 3 5 5 ▁n atives ▁were ▁" att ached " ▁to ▁the ▁California ▁miss ions ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 6 ▁( the ▁highest ▁figure ▁recorded ▁during ▁the ▁Mission ▁Period ); ▁under ▁Mexican ▁rule ▁the ▁number ▁rose ▁to ▁ 2 1 , 0 6 6 ▁( in ▁ 1 8 2 4 , ▁the ▁record ▁year ▁during ▁the ▁entire ▁era ▁of ▁the ▁Francis can ▁miss ions ). ▁During ▁the ▁entire ▁period ▁of ▁Mission ▁rule , ▁from ▁ 1 7 6 9 ▁to ▁ 1 8 3 4 , ▁the ▁Francis c ans ▁bapt ized ▁ 5 3 , 6 0 0 ▁adult ▁Indians ▁and ▁buried ▁ 3 7 , 0 0 0 . ▁Dr . ▁Cook ▁estimates ▁that ▁ 1 5 , 2 5 0 ▁or ▁ 4 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁decrease ▁was ▁caused ▁by ▁disease . ▁Two ▁ep ide m ics ▁of ▁meas les , ▁one ▁in ▁ 1