736 NIEUHOFP'S BEAZIL. 



fliip, fufficient to convince the Portuguefe that they had not the leafl: reafon to fear any 

 infradtion on their fide. 



The gre^t council being willing to improve this interval of peace for the advance- 

 ment of traffic, and the benefit of the company, gave all imaginable encouragement, 

 in proportion to the circumftances of time and place, to all the inhabitants of what na- 

 tion foever, for the cultivating the lands, which had this good effeO:, that the mafters 

 of the fugar-mills rebuilt their mills, and the hufbandmen betook themfelves with fo 

 much eagernefs to the cultivating of their fugar-fields, that they borrowed confiderable 

 iiims, upon a profped: of fure gain, which would over-pay their debts; as, without 

 ^ueftion, it would have done in a fliort time, if, by the treachery of the Portuguefe, 

 they had not been difappointed in their hopes. The next thing to be taken in hand, 

 was, to make fuch wholefome laws as were thought mofl expedient for the eftablifli- 

 ment and increafe of commerce, both in the Receif and other places, and to im- 

 prove the domains and other revenues belonging to the company, during this time 

 of truce. 



Trade then began to flourifh apace, fo that fome time after the truce, the merchants 

 and factors fold more commodities than had ever been known either before or lince. 

 Many millions were dealt for in a little time, the merchants and factors being contented 

 to fell to thofe who would pay fome money in part, though there were buyers enough 

 •who would and could buy for ready cafh. 



The finances of the company in Brazil were in fo good a ftate, by the extraordinary 

 care of the great council, that, in 1040 and 1641, they bought confiderable quantities 

 of fugar upon the public account, which they fent to Holland. In the Receif and 

 Maurice's Town, we faw feveral goodly ftruftures ereded by the inhabitants, who lived 

 in great plenty and magnificence, every one looking upon his debts as fecure, and hav- 

 ing a fair profped to increafe his riches, by the flourifhing ftate of commerce and im- 

 provement of the lands. 



But this was of no long continuance, for, in the beginning of 1643, things began to 

 appear with a quite different face ; for the magazines of the company being exhaufted 

 -by feveral expeditions againft Angola, &c. and having received no fupplies in their ftaad 

 out of Holland, as they ufed to do before, the great council was obliged to make ufe 

 of what was due to the company, for the payment of the garrifons and other officers, 

 and, confequently, to force their debtors to prompt payments. 



For at the beginning of the government of the new diredors, the company had a 

 confiderable naval force upon the coaft of Brazil, their magazines were well provided 

 with provifion and ammunition, and they maintained a good number of foldiers. The 

 great council of the Dutch Brazil relying upon their ftrength, did, with confent of 

 Count Maurice, fend, in 1641, feveral fleets with foldiers to Spirito Santa, Rio de Ja- 

 neiro, the ifle of Maranhaon, Angola, St. Thomas, and other places thereabouts, to 

 attack the fame, which fucceeded according to expedlation ; but their magazines were 

 greatly exhaufted by thofe expeditions. Befides this, the merchants in Holland began 

 to call upon their fervants and fadors for confiderable fums of money, in return of 

 what they had received from them ; who being obliged to fend all the money they 

 could bring together from their creditors to their mafters in Holland ; this occafioned 

 "great fcarcity of ready-money, and, confequently, no fmall detriment in traffic, which 

 continuing thus from time to time, there arofe fuch a general fcarcity of money as is 

 fcarce to be imagined ; many of the mafters of the fugar-mills, that had no ready 

 money to fatisfy their debts at the appointed time, being forced to take up money upon 

 credit, and to pay three or four per cent, per month, which reduced many of them to 



fuch 



