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NIEUHOFF S BRAZIL. 



on board the Ihip called the Love from Brazil for Zeeland, and afterwards from Ullfli- 

 men went to Lifbon. He faid, that this Antonio Dandrado Beringel, after a familiar 

 converfation of three weeks, had told him that he was fent with a letter figned by John 

 Fernandes Vieira, Francifco Beringel, Bernardin Karvailho, John Biferro and Lewis 

 Bras Biferro, in which they gave to underftand to the King of Portugal, that they 

 were well provided with men, money, and arms, for the reducing Brazil under his 

 obedience. The council added, that the King of Portugal had made the faid Beringel 

 a captain for this piece of fervice, and that therefore they defired Count Maurice and 

 the great council to keep a watchful eye over them, being fenfible what an averfion 

 the Portuguefe did bear to the Dutch. 



At the meeting of the great council of Brazil, i6th February 1643, Count Maurice 

 affured them, that he had received intelligence, that fome of the chiefefl: of the Portu- 

 guefe had refolved to furprife our garrifons in the country, at Moribeca, St. Anthony, 

 and fome other places, and to put them to the fword, which was to be put in execution 

 upon one of their faint's days, when they ufed to meet in confiderable numbers. Thofe 

 who had the chief management of this affair, had their dwelling-places in the Vargea, 

 who had propofed to furprife hkewife the Receif, not queftioning that if they could 

 make themfelves mafters of it, the other garrifons in the country would be eafily re- 

 duced, and confequently the company not able to fubfift long in Brazil, without foldiers 

 and traffic. 



Hereupon it was taken into deliberation, whether it were beft to fecure the heads of 

 this rebellion immediately, or to delay it till a more convenient time, for fear of alarm- 

 ing the whole country by their imprifonment : the lall was refolved upon, becaufe 

 they did not think themfelves as yet fufficiently affured of their defigns, and did not 

 queftion, but that by the fecret intelligence Count Maurice was to receive of their 

 tranfadlions, to prevent them. It was however judged advifeable to draw the garrifons 

 out of the country into the Receif, which was ftrengthened with new pallifadoes, and 

 the old wooden battery repaired ; a fhip was alfo ordered with feveral great chaloops, 

 the firft on the fea-fide, the others in the river, to defend the avenues of the Receif 

 with their cannon. There were likewife divers letters fent^by private perfons, fome 

 without names, to Count Maurice and the great council, confirming the traiterous 

 defigns of the Portuguefe ; among others, one Mr. Van Els fent a letter to Count 

 Maurice, dated at Serinhaim the 2cth of March 1643, importing, that he had it from 

 fure hands, that a certain mulat, of the company of Auguftin Hardofo, being afked 

 by certain inhabitants of that Fregefie, what bufinefs they had thereabouts, had told 

 them, that they had been to carry letters to fome perfons living near the Receif ; adding, 

 that in a fhort time they would fee that place taken without any effufion of blood, either 

 of the Dutch or Portuguefe. 



In December 1643, Don Michael de Krafto, Don Baftian Manduba de Sonho, and 

 Don Antonio Ferdinandes, three ambaffadors from the Count Sonho in Angola, 

 arrived in the Receif, in the Ihip called the Arms of Dort ; they had but one fervant 

 each, but brought along with them feveral negroes with golden collars, as a prefent to 

 Count Maurice, befides a great number of other negroes for the company. 



Being admitted to audience by Count Maurice and the great council, they defired, 

 in the name of their mafters, not to fend any affiftance to the King of Congo, whom 

 they feared would attack them before long, notwithflanding they were at that time 

 both engaged in a war againfl the Portuguefe. They received for anfwer, that the 

 council would write to Mr. Niewland, their diredor there, to interpofe his authority 

 and mediation, in order to maintain a correfpondency, and remove all occafion of con- 



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