nieuhoff's brazil. 723 



frelli water for the conveniency of the Receif : it abounds likewlfe in wood both for 

 building of houfes and fhipping. This illand was much infefted with wild beads, which 

 did great mifchief to the fugar-reeds : this moved Peter Pas, director of the captainlhip 

 of Itamarika, to make his application to Count Maurice and the great council in 1 647, 

 to know their pleafure, whether they fliould difpofe of thofe beads by contradl, to fuch 

 as would be at the charge of catching of them, or whether they fhould be taken and 

 killed for the ufe of the garrifons ; but this was rejected by the council, who enjoined 

 the inhabitants not to kill thofe beafts in the open fields, unlefs they fhould break into 

 their plantations, it being for the intered of the company to preferve them in cafe of a 

 neceflity : the damage which from thence might accrue to the fugar reeds, being to be 

 prevented by furrounding their plantations with pales and dakes. 



The ifland is looked upon as of the greated confequence to us, it having been pro- 

 pofed by fome to transfer the feat of the Dutch-Brazil from the Receif thither ; but the 

 directors of the company did not agree to it, confidering that at that time this ifland was 

 quite defolate ; whereas upon the Receif, were dore-houfes, magazines, ware-houfes, 

 and fuch like buildings ready to their hands, befides that the place was much more 

 pleafant, fertile and dronger ; and the harbour much more convenient for diips : the 

 river Tamarika on the other hand being not navigable, but for fmall veflels, by reafon 

 of the fhallownefs of the harbour, which was noted for fliipwrecks. The defeft of frefli 

 water in the Receif, in which this ifle abounds, may be fupplied from the river Biberibi ; 

 befides that, they had feveral bafons with frefli water within the Receif, for their prefent 

 ufe. During the war with the Portuguefe we were fenfible of the conveniences we re- 

 ceived from this ifland, by reafon of its drength both by art and nature, which might 

 ferve as a fave retreat upon all emergencies ; befides, that its prefervation was abfolutely 

 neceflfary for the Receif, which was fupplied from thence with fifli, and feveral other 

 forts of provifions. 



Upon the banks of the river at the fouth entrance of the harbour, we had built a 

 quadrangular fort called Orange. It was provided with a goodly wall, but the ditch 

 was not very deep, and for the mod part without water, for which reafon it was 

 drengthened with pallifadoes. On the north-fide we had a hornwork, but much de- 

 cayed ; within the body of the fort was a powder-vault, and other conveniences for the 

 bedding of foldiers. Several batteries were raifed upon the walls, mounted upon fix 

 brafs and as many iron great guns. In the ifland near the entrance of the river, clofe 

 by a morafs full of thorn-buflies, was a fmall town, mod inhabited by foldiers, called 

 by the Portuguefe Nodra Senhora de la Conceptiano. Upon a hanging-rock, jud by, 

 was an old redoubt ereded by the Portuguefe, called by the fame name, which, toge- 

 ther with the whole ifland, was taken by the Dutch, under the command of Colonel 

 Schoppe from the Portuguefe, and the place, after his name, called Schoppe's Town. This 

 fort was afterwards by the Dutch clofed up on the backfide towards the church, fo that 

 it afterwards ferved both for the defence of the town and the harbour, as the Block- 

 houfe on the north-fide covered the gates. There w^re then eleven pieces of cannon 

 mounted upon it. At the north entrance of the harbour, was another redoubt, which 

 defended that paflage on that fide, with three iron cannon. One Mr. Dortmont, go- 

 vernor of Itamarika, found under the before-mentioned rock in 1645, ^^ ^^ was digging 

 a well, a fpring of frefli water, which proved very ufeful for the garrifon, becaufe it 

 could not be cut off" by the enemy. 



Somewhat higher up the river Tamarika, lies an ifland called Magioppe, where are 

 found abundance of Mandihoka roots. You may go quite round this ifland in barks ; 

 it having a kind of a harbour on both ends, vi?. to the fouth and north, but the fird is 



4 z 2 the 



