stem. In the
first sermons preached by his friars, the subject of slavery was not
mentioned, and Las Casas sought, more by private conversation and argument
with individuals, to convince them of the grave infraction of morals as
well as the open violation of the law, they committed in holding the
Indians in slavery. His arguments fell upon deaf ears, nor did a single
Spaniard accept his admonitions or entertain for a moment the idea of
liberating his slaves. Nor did their resistance confine itself to a
passive form, for within a short time, the colonists openly refused him
obedience and withheld his lawful tithes, declaring that they would not
receive him as their Bishop, and occasioning him every annoyance and
discomfort they could invent. The refusal of his tithes caused the Bishop
serious embarrassment, as it left him without funds to pay for the ship he
had chartered in Hispaniola for his journey to Campeche. The priest of
the town managed to raise about one hundred castellanos for this purpose
and Las Casas signed a note for the remainder.

The Governor of those regions at that time was Francisco de Montejo, who
had played a conspicuous part in the affairs of Mexico, whither he had
gone with Fernando Cortes. He was absent when Las Casas landed at
Campeche and became the object of such general and determined hostility,
and his son was governing in his stead. In response to the announcement
of the Bishop's presence, the Governor despatched his brother-in-law, who
was a person of some authority, to welcome the Bishop, instructing him to
treat him in all respects with the highest consideration and in case he
wished to come to Merida, to arrange everything necessary for his journey
thither.

It was decided to make the journey by sea rather than by the more
difficult overland route, and one boat-load of friars sailed, carrying a
large part of the stores, which included vestments and altar plate and
other church furnishings. Hardly were the preparations for the departure
of the Bishop and the remainder of his people completed, when the
distressing news of the total loss of this vessel and its cargo reached
them from Champoton, an Indian village, where the few survivors of the
wreck had found refuge. Nine friars and twenty-three other persons
perished in this disaster, the news of which threw a heavy cloud of
sadness over the little band of missionaries. Thousands of miles from
their native land and in a new wo