And although he claimed to do it with
only his encomienda, the affair went so well with him that he finished
a vessel of greater burden than was reported or believed. No Indian ran
away from him. On the contrary, the Indians were rich, for he paid them
liberally; and Indians even came from other districts to work there,
because of his fair treatment of them. Father Fray Lucas de la Pena,
[49] a very devout and zealous religious, as we have written before,
was prior of that convent then. He had encounters with the admiral, for
rarely do these fail between the encomenderos and missionaries. These
happened because the Indians were carrying and bringing, and sowing
discord, as they can. The admiral was very indignant, blustered against
the missionary, and said that he would oust him from that place, if
it cost him his estate. When the provincial came, the admiral found a
good opportunity; he went to the provincial, and told him resolutely
that the father must leave there. The father provincial understood
thoroughly that there was no cause for such a proceeding; but he knew
that influential man's obstinacy, and that, if carried away by his
wrath or anger, he might commit some extravagant act.
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