, and neither his own life
nor that of the Franciscans was any longer safe from the threatened
reprisals of their hostile countrymen. The situation was one of the
greatest gravity and even peril; instead of showing promise of
improvement, it grew daily worse; for, though the men at Cubagua were
somewhat restrained from venturing upon open acts of hostility directed
against him since they had seen what powers the royal cedulas gave him,
their ingenuity in devising vexations, inventing contrarieties, and
creating obstacles which effectually nullified all his efforts, was
extraordinarily fertile. Fray Juan Garceto was of the opinion that Las
Casas should return to Hispaniola to complain to the Audiencia and demand
that some effective restraint be exercised upon the Spaniards at Cubagua
or, failing of success there, that he should even go to the King himself
to obtain redress and the punishment of the offenders. This advice did
not accord with Las Casas's own view, for he had reason to know how
difficult it was to obtain anything from the Audiencia and how easy it was
to evade even the most explicit provisions of royal cedulas, when it
suited the interest of those concerned to do so. His absence at such a
critical moment would also remove the one effective restraint on the
lawlessness of the Cubaguans and doubtless result in the total destruction
of his stores, which were valued at fifty thousand castellanos. Two
vessels were lying off the coast, loading salt for Hispaniola, and during
the days previous to their sailing both Las Casas and Fray Juan gave
themselves up to earnest prayer and each offered his daily mass to obtain
some divine guidance as to the right course to pursue, since they were in
absolute disagreement. Las Casas prepared a full statement of the
situation, and a petition asking the Audiencia to furnish the necessary
remedy without delay, which he intended to despatch by one of the ship's
captains in case he did not go himself when the sailing day came. The
last day finally arrived, and Fray Juan, after saying his mass, sought Las
Casas and said, "It is your duty, sir, to go and on no account to stop
here." "God knows," replied Las Casas, "how much this goes against my
judgment and my wishes but, since it seems right to your Reverence, I am
willing to do it; if it is an error, I would rather err by the judgment of
another than be right by my own, for I hope in God." The wisdom of
submitting his judg