than any Prince had left, spiritual and temporal." And the Admiral says
further, "And for this the revenue of a good bishopric or archbishopric
would be well secured, and I say," says he, "as good as the best in
Spain, since there are here so many resources and as yet no priesthood.
They may have heard that here there are infinite peoples, which may have
determined the sending here of learned and intelligent persons and
friends of Christ to try and make them Christians and commence the work;
the establishment of which bishopric I am very sure will be made, please
our Lord, and the revenues will soon come from here and be carried
there." These are his words. How much truth he spoke and how clear a case
there was of inattention and remissness and lukewarmness of charity in
the men of that day, spiritual or ecclesiastical and temporal, who held
the power and resources, not to make provision for the healing and
conversion of these peoples, so disposed and ready to receive the faith,
the day of universal judgment will reveal.

The fourth cause for coming to this island and not stopping to discover
more, which he would have very much wished, as he says, was because the
seamen did not come prepared to make discoveries, since he says that he
did not dare to say in Castile that he came with intention to make
discoveries, because they would have placed some impediments in his way,
or would have demanded more money of him than he had, and he says that
the people were becoming very tired. The fifth cause, was because the
ships he had were large for making discoveries, as the one was of more
than 100 tons and the other more than 70, and only smaller ones are
needed to make discoveries; and because of the ship which he took on his
first voyage being large, he lost it in the harbor of Navidad, kingdom of
the King Guacanagari.[361-1] Also the sixth reason which very much
constrained him to leave the discoveries and come to this island, was
because of having his eyes almost lost from not sleeping, from the long
and continued watches or vigils he had had; and in this place he says
thus: "May it please our Lord to free me from this malady," he says. "He
well knows that I did not suffer these fatigues in order to find
treasures for myself, since surely I recognize that all is vanity which
is done in this age, save that which is for the honor and service of God,
which is not to amass pomps or riches, nor the many other things we use
in this