▁the ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁quad rangle , ▁inside ▁which ▁religious ▁celebr ations ▁and ▁other ▁fest ive ▁events ▁often ▁took ▁place . ▁The ▁cu ad rá ng ulo ▁was ▁rarely ▁a ▁perfect ▁square ▁because ▁the ▁mission aries ▁had ▁no ▁surve ying ▁instruments ▁at ▁their ▁dispos al ▁and ▁simply ▁measured ▁off ▁all ▁dimensions ▁by ▁foot . ▁Some ▁f anc iful ▁accounts ▁regarding ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁miss ions ▁claimed ▁that ▁t unn els ▁were ▁incorpor ated ▁in ▁the ▁design , ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁emer gency ▁e gress ▁in ▁the ▁event ▁of ▁attack ; ▁however , ▁no ▁historical ▁evidence ▁( written ▁or ▁physical ) ▁has ▁ever ▁been ▁un cover ed ▁to ▁support ▁these ▁assert ions . ▁ ▁Francis c ans ▁and ▁native ▁cons cription ▁▁▁ ▁The ▁Al ta ▁California ▁miss ions , ▁known ▁as ▁redu ctions ▁( redu cciones ) ▁or ▁con greg ations ▁( con greg aciones ), ▁were ▁settlement s ▁founded ▁by ▁the ▁Spanish ▁colon izers ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁World ▁with ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁totally ▁assim il ating ▁ind igen ous ▁populations ▁into ▁European ▁culture ▁and ▁the ▁Catholic ▁religion . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁doctrine ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 5 3 1 , ▁which ▁based ▁the ▁Spanish ▁state ' s ▁right ▁over ▁the ▁land ▁and ▁persons ▁of ▁the ▁Ind ies ▁on ▁the ▁Pap al ▁charge ▁to ▁evangel ize ▁them . ▁It ▁was ▁employed ▁wherever ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁populations ▁were ▁not ▁already ▁concentr ated ▁in ▁native ▁pue bl os . ▁Indians ▁were ▁con greg ated ▁around ▁the ▁mission ▁proper ▁through ▁forced