70$ NIEUHOFF*S BRAZIL. 



ing rivers thither. Formerly there was a certain town called Seregippe del Rey, fome- 

 what higher up the river, in a very barren place, of a confiderable bignefs, and well 

 built, with three goodly churches, and a monaftery belonging to the Francifcans, but 

 without any fortifications. Above this town you fee a chapel dedicated to St. Chrifto- 

 j)her, whither the Roman catholics come on pilgrimage. 



This captainfhip was firft of all reduced under the obedience of the Portuguefe, or 

 Spaniards, by Chriftovan de Barros ; who for this his good fervice, had all the lands 

 betwixt the fmall lake of Seregippe and St. Francifco granted to him, with full power 

 to fettle colonies there within a limited time. This drew many of the inhabitants to the 

 Bay of All Saints thither, who, within a few years after, laid the foundation of this 

 town, by eredting four fugar-mills, and building about a hundred houfes, with four 

 hundred ftables for their cattle. But this town, with all the circumjacent houfes, was, 

 1637, the 24th of December, laid defolate by our people, the inhabitants retiring to 

 the Bay of All Saints. For the Spanifh general Benjola being, 1637, polled with a 

 body of two thoufand men near that place, did, with ravaging and burning, confider- 

 able damage to our colonies, which obliged Count Maurice to diflodge him from 

 thence ; but being then fick of an ague, he committed this expedition to the charge of 

 Colonel Schoppe ; for which purpofe, having gathered a body of two thoufand three 

 hundred men, befides four hundred Brazilians, and two hundred and fifty feamen out 

 of the adjacent places, near the river of St. Francis^, Alagoas, the cape of St. Auftin, 

 out of the Receif and Moribeka, and given him for his alTiftant Mr. John Van Gieffe- 

 len, a member of the great council, he commanded the Dutch admiral Lichthart to 

 cruife with his fleet near the Bay of AH Saints, thereby to draw the enemy out of his 

 advantageous poft to the fea-lhore. The Spanifh general had no fooner notice of our 

 pafling the river, but fearing to be inclofed betwixt us and the fleet, marched with his 

 body to Torre Garcie de Avila, a place about fourteen leagues to the north of the city 

 of St. Salvador. 



The Dutch general Schoppe hearing of his removal, immediately attacked the place, 

 which he laid defolate, and returned with incredible fwiftnefs to the fouth fide of the 

 river of St. Francis. 



Here he intrenched himfelf, with an intention to annoy the enemy, by cutting off his 

 provifions, and driving away his cattle ; which fucceeded fo well, that we killed above 

 three thoufand of their horned beaft:s, befides what was carried away on the other fide 

 of the river j fo that what was left by the foldiers, was by the inhabitants carried to the 

 Bay of All Saints ; from whence it is evident, what vaft numbers of cattle this country 

 did produce at that time. 



The great council took once a refolution to re-people that part of the country, and 

 agreed, for this purpofe, with Nunno Olferdi, counfellor of jufl:ice in the Receif, who 

 found means to fettle feveral families there ; but the council of nineteen difapproving 

 the matter, it was laid afide. 



In the year 1641, Count Maurice reduced this place under the obedience of the 

 Weft India company, ereded a fort there, and furrounded the town Seregippe del Rey 

 with a ditch. It lies upon a fmall river, betwixt St. Francifco and Real, which, how- 

 ever, at fpring-tide, has fourteen foot water, or thereabouts. Within the jurifdidtion 

 of this captainfliip is the mountain of Tabayna ; from whence feveral forts of valuable 

 ore were prefented to the council of nineteen ; but, upon proof, were found not worth 

 farther looking after. 



The 



