▁expedition ▁had ▁reached ▁its ▁most ▁nor ther ly ▁point ▁at ▁present - day ▁San ▁Francisco . ▁In ▁following ▁years , ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Crown ▁sent ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁follow - up ▁exped itions ▁to ▁explore ▁more ▁of ▁Al ta ▁California . ▁ ▁Each ▁mission ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁turned ▁over ▁to ▁a ▁sec ular ▁cler gy ▁and ▁all ▁the ▁common ▁mission ▁lands ▁distributed ▁amongst ▁the ▁native ▁population ▁within ▁ten ▁years ▁after ▁its ▁found ing , ▁a ▁policy ▁that ▁was ▁based ▁upon ▁Spain ' s ▁experience ▁with ▁the ▁more ▁advanced ▁tribes ▁in ▁Mexico , ▁Central ▁America , ▁and ▁Peru . ▁In ▁time , ▁it ▁became ▁apparent ▁to ▁the ▁Rev . ▁Ser ra ▁and ▁his ▁associ ates ▁that ▁the ▁n atives ▁on ▁the ▁northern ▁front ier ▁in ▁Al ta ▁California ▁required ▁a ▁much ▁longer ▁period ▁of ▁acc limat ization . ▁None ▁of ▁the ▁California ▁miss ions ▁ever ▁att ained ▁complete ▁self - su ffic iency , ▁and ▁required ▁continued ▁( al beit ▁mod est ) ▁financial ▁support ▁from ▁mother ▁Spain . ▁Mission ▁development ▁was ▁therefore ▁fin anced ▁out ▁of ▁El ▁F ondo ▁Pi ados o ▁de ▁las ▁Cal if or ni as ▁( The ▁P ious ▁Fund ▁of ▁the ▁Cal if or ni as , ▁which ▁origin ated ▁in ▁ 1 6 9 7 ▁and ▁consisted ▁of ▁volunt ary ▁don ations ▁from ▁individuals ▁and ▁religious ▁bodies ▁in ▁Mexico ▁to ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Society ▁of ▁Jesus ) ▁to ▁enable ▁the ▁mission aries ▁to ▁propag ate ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Fa ith ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁then ▁known ▁as ▁California . ▁Starting