WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 8l 



as an army post, this warlike tribe of Indians having revolted and 

 gone to war in the year 1618, when we had nothing left but the 

 cities and garrisons of Belen and Sao Luiz ; on various occasions 

 there were killed over no Spaniards. 



220. The country having revolted and having been lost in this 

 manner, Capt. Benito Macier Pariente went and sought aid from 

 Brazil, and brought back from there 400 men, both Spaniards and 

 Indians, and in the year 1619 he entered this province and after 

 having numerous encounters with the Indians, he conquered them 

 and drove them back more than 200 leagues, as far as Batatan, in 

 the Province of Pacaxar. 



221. Later, when this Benito Macier Pariente was Captain Major 

 of the city of Belen, he built an excellent fort there and provided it 

 with weapons and munitions ; and in the 6 years that he governed 

 that State with great courage, he conquered 12 provinces and tribes 

 of heathen — those mentioned above ; and in the year 1623 he ousted 

 the Dutch and English who had settled and ensconced themselves in 

 two forts they had on the Parnaiba channel, between the two islands, 

 and he had them dismantled ; and that same year he fought with a 

 Dutch ship which was near the North Point fort, in the Province of 

 the Tucujus, and with only five small boats he forced it to surrender, 

 and the heretics set it on fire. In the year 1625 he fought with the 

 Dutch of the North Point fort and beat them ; he had the fort dis- 

 mantled and captured and killed all who were in it ; in fact, in the 

 three forts and the ship over 200 Dutchmen lost their lives, and 

 over 80 others are being held prisoners on the island of Todos Santos 

 and in the city of Sao Luiz. 



222. In the year 1623 he had the Amazon channel sounded, by 

 order of His Majesty ; the pilot for this task was Antonio Vicente 

 and he took soundings of the channel for more than 70 leagues ; it 

 is very broad and deep ; the depth is from 30 to 50 fathoms, although 

 there are shallows toward the islands. The deep channel is ordi- 

 narily 2 leagues wide, in some places more, and in some, less. The 

 Dutch who had intrenched themselves in the forts, navigated upstream 

 over 100 leagues, returning for fear of the great numbers of aborigines. 



223. Capt. Roque de Chaves Ossorio, whom His Majesty has 

 graciously rewarded for his services with the post of Alcalde Mayor 

 of Tacuba and Tlanenepantla, near Mexico City, was 3 years in these 

 provinces, from 161 2 to 161 5, during which time he learned the 

 Topinambu language, which is general in these parts as far as the 

 Rio de la Plata ; and thus he understood the Indians and was much 

 beloved by them. He traveled up the Rivers Munin, Tabucuru, and 



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