7Z^ 



NIEUHOFF*S BRAZIL. 



of our men at Komefy, (a place about thirty leagues rrom Siara,) as we fhall hear 

 anon. 



For the Brazilians being, in 1641, increafed to fuch a number in Siara, that the 

 villages thereabouts were not able to contain them without great inconveniency, whereas 

 the diftri£l of Rio Grande was almoft deflitute of inhabitants, and confequently not 

 in a condition to oppofe an enemy ; one Andrew Uliifs propofed to the great council 

 to build a village in Rio Grande, for the ufe of fuch as intended to fettle there out of 

 Siara, defiring to be conftituted chief of the faid village. Count Maurice and the 

 great council, being informed of the inclinations of thofe of Siara, who were willing 

 to fettle in Rio Grande, their ancient place of abode, and confidering the benefit that 

 was likely to accrue to the company, from the fetttement of thofe Brazilians fo near at 

 hand, granted Uliifs's requeft, wilhing him to bring thither as many of the Brazilians 

 of Siara as he thought convenient, for the compafs of a village of which he was made 

 chief or captain. Things being thus fettled, they chofe, with the approbation of our 

 directors, certain chiefs or heads out of the mod ancient families of each divifion, 

 called Refidoor by the Portuguefe, and certain judges ; as for inftance, in Goyana, 

 Domingoi, Fernandes, and Karapeva ; in Parayba, Peter Potty ; and in Rio Grande, 

 Antonio Perapeva. Notwithftanding all this, the Brazilians of Siara revolted againft 

 the Dutch, in 1 644 furprifed the garrifon in the fort, which they raifed, and killed the 

 commander-in-chief, Gideon Morritz, with the whole garrifon, befides all the work- 

 men belonging to the falt-pits near the river Upanemma, who were all cut in pieces by 

 thefe barbarians. 



A certain mailer of a fliip, with a captain, lieutenant, and fome foldiers, who hap- 

 pened to come afhore in a boat to fetch fome frefh provifions, being ignorant of their 

 treachery, were alfo put to the flaughter, three feamen having the good fortune to 

 efcape with their lives into the wood. 



Some laid the caufe of this rebellion at the door of the Portuguefe and Brazilians of 

 Maranhaon, bordering upon them ; but if we fearch into the true fource of this evil, 

 it mull be attributed to the mifcarriage of our own officers, who, by their hard ufage, 

 had forced the inhabitants to revenge themfelves for the injuries received at their 

 hands. 



Thus much concerning the captalnfhips of the Dutch Brazil ; we will, in the next 

 place, give you an account of all the memorable tranfaftions that happened betwixt 

 the Dutch and Portuguefe in Brazil, during our ftay there : after I have reprefented 

 to you the excellency and convenient fituation of this country, together with the eccle- 

 iiaftical ftate of the Dutch Brazil. 



Brazil is a country excellently well qualified by nature for the producing of all 

 things which are generally found in the Weft Indies, under or near the fame climate ; 

 except that hitherto no gold or filver mines have been difcovered here worth taking 

 notice of. But next to gold and filver, the fugar claims the precedency here before 

 all other commodities. Among all the harbours and places of the Weft Indies, there 

 is not one that can compare with Brazil, either for the produft or conveniency of 

 tranfportation of fugar ; the whole coaft of Brazil being full of fmall rivers, which, 

 flowing through the adjacent valleys, difembogues in the fea ; from whence the fugar- 

 mills, built in the valleys, reap the benefit of, faving vaft charges, which elfe muft be 

 beftowed upon labourers and carriages j whereas thefe rivers drive the mills, ferve 

 for the tranfportation of fugar to other places, and furnifli them at an eafy rate with 

 what commodities they ftand In need of; all which conveniencies, as they are not to 

 be met with in any other place of the Weft Indies, fo no fugar-mills could be erefted 



I there 



