. History of the discovery and conquest of Costa Rica . back,^^ but these and other efforts in favor ofEstrada Rávago were without result. Beside that of Cavallón, who was a man hardand cold, the figure of the Padre stands out ina most attractive light: a curious mixture ofmonk and conqueror, but unblemished by the de-fects and vices of either personality—a characterbetter synthesized as that of a warrior his inclination to acquire worldly posses-sions can be charged against him, and even thischarge should rest lightly when it is consideredthat he acquired nothing by violence, and
. History of the discovery and conquest of Costa Rica . back,^^ but these and other efforts in favor ofEstrada Rávago were without result. Beside that of Cavallón, who was a man hardand cold, the figure of the Padre stands out ina most attractive light: a curious mixture ofmonk and conqueror, but unblemished by the de-fects and vices of either personality—a characterbetter synthesized as that of a warrior his inclination to acquire worldly posses-sions can be charged against him, and even thischarge should rest lightly when it is consideredthat he acquired nothing by violence, and that hegave freely of all that he had. Judging himsolely as a conquistador, and from the point ofview of results achieved, it must be confessed thatCavallón was the greater, because he succeededin establishing Spanish dominion, in permanentform, over a large part of the territory of Costa Peralta—Ibid., p. 456. This letter is dated on the 25thof January, 1572, and addressed to Fray Diego ón Fernández—Documentos, Vol. VII, p. Iaiutinir liy rilian,iii Miisciiiii (if tin- Irailn, Mailriil CONQUEST OF COSTA RICA 211 Rica—from the borders of the Gulf of Nicoyato the village of Corrosi, on the slopes of theAtlantic, while Estrada Rávago failed com-pletely in his attempt at colonization on thecoasts of that ocean. But it must also be takeninto account that circumstances were much morefavorable for Cavallón. On the Pacific slope theclimate was much more benign, provisions werenot so scarce and the natives more numerous andless warlike. It must also be considered that thePadre had from the first to contend against illfortune which brought him two shipwrecks andthe serious hardships that resulted from his beingfar removed from Nicaragua, the base of opera-tions for both expeditions. Estrada Rávago governed the province for afew months, and there is reason to suppose heentertained the hope that he would be definitelyconfirmed in his government; but this ho
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