with the Bishop of those
parts, Fray Vicente de Valverde, it was decided that such foundations
would be premature, since the country was only half subdued and a
continuous state of warfare still prevailed. Their return to Mexico was
therefore agreed upon and, together with a number of Spaniards who were
disappointed with their prospects in Peru, the three friars left for
Panama whence they sailed for Realejo, where they arrived early in March
of 1532.

The Bishop of Nicaragua, who at that time was Don Diego Alvarez Osorio,
had been instructed by the Emperor to establish Dominican convents in his
diocese, and the arrival of the friars afforded him the first opportunity
that had presented itself to obey the royal commands. A convent was
therefore established with the customary ceremonies at Leon, the seat of
the Bishop, and was dedicated to St. Paul. The friars set themselves to
work to learn the language of the natives, which was not difficult for
Pedro de Angulo, since he already knew the Mexican tongue, whose
similarity rendered intelligible communication with the Indians easy from
the outset.

While engaged in the apostolic labour of teaching and converting the
natives who were eager to become Christians, Las Casas received a letter
from the licentiate Cerrato, who had succeeded the Bishop Don Sebastian de
Fuenleal as President of the Audiencia in Hispaniola on the transference
of the latter to Mexico, urging him to return forthwith, as his presence
was necessary for the service of God and the Emperor. Money for the
expenses of the journey accompanied this communication, the nature of
which left its recipient no choice but to obey, so leaving the work of
conversions that had so favourably begun, to the care of the friars who
had returned with him from Peru, Fray Bartholomew and Fray Pedro de Angulo
set out on their long journey by way of Honduras, where a ship might be
found either at the port of Trujillo or that of Caballos.

Upon his arrival at Santo Domingo, where he was cordially received by the
President, Cerrato though his presence was never a source of tranquillity
to the slave-dealing colonists, Las Casas learned that the principal
reason for recalling him, was the President's desire to establish a surer
peace with the cacique Enrique; although the latter had made no attack on
the Spaniards since the agreement of 1529, he had not disbanded his
followers, but remained in an inaccessible mountain fastness