732 NIEUHOFF S BRAZIL. 



feveral maleladors into that ifland, who, being furnifhed v/Ilh neceflary inftr'uments for 

 cultivating the ground, were forced to feek for their fuftenance there. 



The 1 ith at night we found ourfelves under the fevenih degree, over againft the 

 province of Goyana, about twent)' leagues on this fide of Olhida ; with break of day 

 we faw the fliore of Brazil, but kept out at fea till it was bread day. 



The 1 2th it was very foggy, and we kept our courfe with fair wind and water all 

 along the coaft, and arrived before noon fafely near the Receif, where we caft our 

 anchor at feveral fathoms depth, after we had fpent feven weeks and one day in the 

 voyage. 



After we had returned our thanks to God for his deliverance from the dangers of 

 the fea, and flavery of the Turks, I went afliore the fame night with the mafter and 

 commifTary in a boat, to notify cur happy arrival, and to deliver a letter to Count 

 Maurice, and the governor of the council. I continued afhore that night, but returned 

 aboard the next day. And, 



The 1 5th the pilots conducted our veflel into the harbour of the Receif, where we 

 found twenty-eight veflels and two yachts lying behind the Water Caflel. 



Towards the latter end of Augufl 1643, ^ received orders from the council to fail 

 with the yacht called the Sea Hog, loaden with fullers-earth, to the ille of St. Thomas, 

 to exchange it for black fugar, this being the chief commodity tranfported from thence. 

 My voyage proved fortunate enough, not meeting vidth any fmifter accident, except 

 with a violent tempeft: of thunder, lightning, and rains, and came the 9th of Sep- 

 tember at an anchor there ; the cargo did bear no good price, yet after a flay of four- 

 teen days, I returned with a cargo of black fugar to Brazil, where I arrived the 3d of 

 October before the Receif, after a voyage of near three months. 



The ifle of St. Thomas is of a circular figure, about thirty- fix leagues in compafs ; 

 the high mountains in the midfl of that iHand are always covered with fnow, notwith- 

 ftanding that in the low grounds, by reafon of its fituation under the line, it is ex- 

 ceflive hot. It is very fertile in black fugar and ginger ; the fugar-fields being con- 

 tinually moiflened by the melted fnow that falls down from the mountains. There 

 were at that time above fixty fugar-mills there ; but the air is the mofl unwholefome 

 in the world, no foreigner daring to flay fo much as one night afhore, without running 

 the hazard of his life ; becaufe by the heat of the fun-beams fuch venomous vapours 

 are drawn from the earth, as are unfupportable to flrangers. This fog continues till 

 about ten o'clock in the morning, when the fame is difperfed, and the air cleared, 

 which made us always flay abroad till after that time. This mifl is not obferved 

 at fea. 



The air here is very hot and moift throughout the year, except in the fummer about 

 June, when the fouth-eafl and fouth-wefl winds abate much of the heat of the climate. 

 The vapours drawn up by the fun, occafion certain epidemical intermittent fevers, which 

 carry off the patient in a few days, with exceffive pains in the head, and violent tor- 

 ments in the bowels ; though fome attribute it to the immoderate ufe of women, and 

 of the juice of cocoas. Certain it is, that among a hundred foreigners, fcarce ten 

 efcape with life, and thofe feldom live till fifty years of age; though fome of the 

 inhabitants, as likewife the negroes (who are all loufy here), live to a great age. Its 

 firfl inhabitants were Jews, banifhed out of Portugal ; they are of a very odd com- 

 plexion. Among the mountains dwell abundance of negroes, who are run away 

 from the Portuguefe, and make fometimes excurfions to the very gates of the city of 

 Pavaofa. It is almofl next to a miracle, that any people fhould inhabit fo unwhole- 

 fome a climate ; but that the hopes of lucre makes all danger eafy. 



The 



