nieuh6ff*s brazil. 709 



populous for a confiderable time, till the building of Maurice's Town, in the ifland of 

 Anthony Vaez. For after Olinda was forfaken by its inhabitants, and deftroyed by us, 

 many of them, but efpecially the merchants, fettled in this RecifFo, or the village of 

 Povoacano, where they ereded magnificent ftruftures. At our firft arrival we found 

 no more than two hundred houfes there, which w^ere afterwards increafed to above two 

 thoufand, fome of which are very goodly edifices. We furrounded it with pallifadoes 

 on the fide of the river Biberibi, which at low water is fordable ; and for its better 

 fecurity fortified it with three bulwarks, one towards Olinda, the other to the harbour, 

 and the third towards the Salt-River ; upon each of which was raifed a good battery 

 with three great cannon. This Receif is fituate under 8° 20' fouthern latitude. 



Some derive the word RecifFo from the I^atin, recipere and receptus to receive, which 

 after was turned into Reciftb, becaufe the fhips ufed' to be received betwixt the Stony 

 and Sandy Receifs, to load and unload their goods. Before the building of Maurice's 

 Town, we kept here our fadories, and all bufinefs both of peace and war was tranf- 

 aded in this place. In the time of the Portuguefe, all the Ihips coming out of the fea 

 did unload on the village of Povoacano, or the Receif, and the goods were from thence 

 in boats and lighters conveyed up the river Biberibi, to the fuburbs of Olinda. 



Before the building of Maurice's Town, moft of the traffic was in the Receif, where 

 all the great merchants had their habitations, and from hence the fugar was tranfported 

 into Holland. To prevent the frauds in the cuftoms, it was furrounded with palli- 

 fadoes, and a goodly hofpital was erefted for the conveniency of the fick and wounded, 

 and the education of orphans, under the tuition of four governors, and as many 

 governefles. 



Upon the uttermofl point of the Stony Receif, on the left fide, as you enter the har- 

 bour out of the fea, is a ftrong and large caftle, built of free-ftone, furrounded with a 

 very high wall, upon which are mounted many heavy cannon, with fuitable artillery and 

 other provifions. When we took the place, we found nine brafs, and twenty-two iron 

 pieces of cannon within it ; fo that it feems both by art and nature impregnable ; there 

 being no coming near it on foot, at high water. 



About five leagues higher, upon a branch of the great river, lies a fmall town of little 

 confequence, called by our people The New City ; and upon another branch of the 

 fame river, oppofite to the former, a village called Atapuepe. 



The JJland of Anthony Vaez, and Maurice^ s Town. 



TO the fouth of the Receif, oppofite to it, lies the ifle of Anthony Vaez, fo called 

 by our people, from its ancient pofleiTor. It is about half a league in circuit, being 

 divided from the Receif by the Salt-River, or Biberibi. 



On the eafl fide of this ifland. Count Maurice laid the foundation of a city, which, 

 after his own name, he called Maurice's Town or city ; the ruins of the churches or 

 monafteries of the city of Olinda furnifhed the materials for the building of it, which 

 were from thence carried to the Receif, and fo tianfported to this place. 



On the weft fide it is environed with a morafs ; and on the eaft fide waflied by the 

 fea, which pafles the ftony ridge. Befides which, it is on the land fide ftrengthened 

 with an earthern wall, four bulwarks and a large moat. 



On that fide where the fort of Erneftus was, the town lay open, and the houfes took 

 up a larger compafs than thofe in the Receif ; but after the revolt of the Portuguefe, 

 moft of thofe houfes were pulled down, and the place drawn into a more narrow com- 

 pafs. 



