that when one Cagayan Indian was trying to persuade another Indian to become a Christian, and was declaring the blessings to be derived from it, the latter answered to his arguments:  “Bah! the Castilians have no better sense than we have; since they act as they do, and do not observe that law; say nothing more about it.”  Or they say:  “That law must be only for the fathers.”  In this way great offenses and things displeasing to God follow, and offense to His law and gospel, so that it is held in odium and seems evil to these natives, just after it has been preached to them with so great moral example and sanctity of life—­the true preaching that moves and converts this race.  They do not recognize or know that the fault is not in the law, nor can it be attributed to it, but to those who do not observe it, because of their necessities—­or rather their baseness, vileness, and greed which they excuse under the name of poverty and lack of support.  Therefore, a great part of the reformation in this matter—­which is so important, and demands reformation, but without having it—­will be effected by having fewer offices and larger jurisdictions.  This is advisable and necessary for the removal of many great wrongs—­offenses against our Lord, and harm to the natives.  But if the contrary is done, and things continue as at present, more troubles have followed and will continue to follow each day that this reformation is delayed; for it will be, as says the proverb, like rain upon wet ground.  Following upon the continual oppression, grievances, and other injuries received because of the abuse, greed, and audacity of these wrongdoers, and the trifling punishment inflicted upon those who have perpetrated these misdeeds, and exhausted, as is notorious, the natives, the present injuries, although fewer, will be felt more severely, because of the distress, need, and wretchedness in which things are, and to which they have come.  Our only hope is in the law and charity of God, and in the will of your Majesty constraining them to remedy the above, as well as in the tolerance and mercy of our Lord in preserving this country and island by saving therein those whom He has chosen for Himself.  He has not chosen them for us Spaniards, by whose offenses, great greed, and evil examples, so contrary to the good of society and to the gospel, His Divine Majesty is not pleased; nor does He permit so many offenses for the sake of those who commit them, or to the end that there should be no amendment of them.  But even if no attention should be given to anything but worldly gain alone, which we love so much, yet even to keep some of this wretched race, we must see to their way of life, so that they may not perish and die as happened to so great a multitude of people in Sancto Domingo.  It is well to be warned by this example, and to notice how much diminished, reduced, and changed are things here now, and are tending to be, in comparison with their former condition—­as is well known to those who have an experience of both