At this time the reverend Friar Bartolomé de las Casas, who was afterwards Bishop of Chiapa, arrived in Spain, by whom it was asserted that the Spaniards were treating the natives in the manner we have mentioned, and it was even hinted that their behaviour was worse still. His Majesty ordered the assembly of grandees and prelates, jointly with men learned in the law who were members of his distinguished and puissant Council, to determine what should be provided for the good government of the new realm or empire of the Indies. They met many times in the presence of the King, some arguing, others thinking; and their deliberations resulted in the New Laws, which for this, and not for what the people in Peru supposed, were enacted; so that we can, in each one of them, see points which demonstrate the feeling and the reason for their adoption. As these Ordinances were very famous, and as Gonzalo Pizarro stood in Peru in opposition to them, thereby giving rise to great battles and many wars, we will insert them in this place word for word, taken from the originals. I know from my experience gathered during a long residence in the Indies that there were great cruelties and much injury done to the natives, such as cannot be lightly stated. All know how populous the island of Española was, and that if the Christians had treated the natives decently and as friends there would certainly be many there now. Yet there remains no other testimony of the country having once been peopled than the great cemeteries of the dead, and the ruins of the places where they lived. In Tierra Firme and Nicaragua also not an Indian is left. They asked Belalcázar how many he found between Quito and Cartago, and they desired to know from me how many now remain. Well, there are none. In a town which had a population of ten thousand Indians there was not one. When we came from Cartagena with Vadillo I saw a Portuguese, named Roque Martín, who had quarters of Indians hanging on a perch to feed his dogs with, as if they were those of wild beasts. In the new Realm of Granada and in Popayán they did things so ruthless that I would rather not mention them. In fine, as nothing is concealed from princes, his Majesty became fully informed, and as soon as he was able to spare time from the affairs of the empire, he gave his attention to these matters.