73a NIEUHOFP'S BRAZIL. 



The ecclefiaftical ftate of the Dutch Brazil was, in my time, thus ordered : 



Before the infurredtion of the Portuguefe, there were, to the fouth of the Receif, 

 five Proteflant churches ; viz. in Rio St. Francifco, Porto Calvo, Serinhaim, the cape 

 St. Auftin, and St. Anthony ; though thefe were feldom altogether provided with 

 minifters, becaufe that fome or other of them returned int6 Holland after their limited 

 time was expired. In the ifle of Tamarika and fort Orange, was at that time a 

 minifter, one John Offringo, who lived formerly in the town of Schoppe, and at the 

 fame time preached in the church of Igaraflu, which was afterwards left by the Dutch 

 and pofleffed by the Portuguefe. In Rio Grande preached one John Theodore Polheim. 

 In Parayba were formerly two minifters, whilft the town of Frederica was as yet under 

 the Dutch jurifdiftion, but after the revolt of the Portuguefe, the place was left by the 

 inhabitants, and Henry Harman was the only minifter in thofe parts. In the Receif, 

 Maurice's Town, and the circumjacent forts, which contained about four hundred 

 Proteftants, Dutch, French, and EngHfh, were three minifters, who preached in the 

 Dutch tongue ; Nicholas Vogel, Peter Ongena, and Peter Grib. Befides thefe there 

 was a fourth, called Jodocus Aftett, who formerly had been minifter of the cape of 

 St. Auftin, but now was employed either aboard our fleet, or upon any land expedi- 

 tion. The French church here remained without a minifter, after the departure of 

 Joachim Solaer, fo that they were forced to be contented with reading of certain chap- 

 ters of the bible, and prayers every Sunday morning. The EngUfti minifter was one 

 Samuel Batchelour, who, in 1 646, returned likewife to England ; about which time 

 there were feven Dutch minifters in the Dutch Brazil. Our religious worftiip was, both 

 in its dodlrine and prad^ice, regulated exaftly according to the prefcription of the 

 fynod of Dort, and peculiar care was taken for the education of the youth, for which 

 purpofe the catechifm was every Sunday in the afternoon explained, both in the Receif 

 and Maurice's Town. Four times in the year the holy facrament was adminiftered, 

 thofe who defired to be partakers of it, being obliged to make their confeflions before 

 the church-council, or the minifters, who entered their names in a book ; and if they 

 came from abroad, publiftied their names to the congregation ; and in all other refpeds 

 the church-difcipline was carefully obferved. The church-council was compofed of fix 

 church-wardens, befides the minifter ; thefe met duly once a week, and if any bufmefe 

 of moment happened, fuch as chufing a minifter, &c. they called the deacons, who 

 were likewife fix in number, to their affiftance. Out of the deacons were every month 

 chofen two, who (befides their ordinary bufmefs) were to vifit the fick and wounded, 

 and to provide for them if neceffity required. They alfo took care of the orphans, to 

 have them inftruded in reading and writing. In the fame manner the other churches 

 were regulated, with this difference only, that the number of church-wardens and 

 deacons was lefs, in proportion to the number of their refpeftive congregations. Thus 

 much of the ecclefiaftical ftate. 



Befides thofe living creatures we have given you a defcription of before, there are 

 divers forts of bees in Brazil, called Eirukus, which fettle upon the trees in a moft fur- 

 prifing manner. They are not unlike our bees, but fomewhat fmaller, and fwarm 

 chiefly among the woods. The Brazilians diftinguifh them into twelve different kinds, 

 viz. Amanakay Miri, Amanakay Veu, Aibu, Mumbuka, Pixuna, Urutuetra, Tubuna, 

 Tujuba, Eiruku, Eixu, Kubiara, and Kurupireira ; the laft of w'hich are in no efteem 

 among them. 



The bees Eiruku are the largeft of all, and produce a very good honey, though it is 

 not commonly ufed. They make their combs within the hollownefs of trees, which the 

 Brazilians draw from thence by means of a hollow pipe. The bees called Eiku and 



1 a Kopy 



