nieuhoff's brazil. 747 



4. How the negroes trade flood afFeded, and from what places they were brought 

 thither. 



5. Whether there was any commerce betwixt them and the inhabitants of Buenos 

 Ayres. 



6. In what condition their places were thereabouts ; of all which they were to give 

 the beft account they were able to get, after their return to the great council j they 

 were alfo charged by word of mouth, to make diligent enquiry who were the perfons 

 that underhand encouraged the fo-much-feared revolt of the Portuguefe in the Dutch 

 Brazil, and what aid or affiftance they were to have from them ; and to defire the 

 governor not to permit for the future, that fuch of the Dutch foldiers as deierted out 

 of the Receif, and went by land to the Bahia, might from thence be tranfported into 

 Portugal, but be flopped and fent back to the Receif. 



Thefe convoys arrived fafely the 8th of February 1644, in the Bahia, and dropped 

 their anchor, towards the evening, near the city of St. Salvador, and the callle of 

 St. Antonio, where two officers came on board them, to enquire from whence they 

 came, and by whom, and to whom they were fent, in order to give an account thereof 

 to the governor, Antonio Telles de Sylva. The next following day they were com- 

 plimented in the name of the governor, by Major Domingo Delgados, and Captain 

 David Ventura, who told them that he intended to fend his chaloop with the firfl 

 opportunity to fetch them afhore. About three o'clock in the afternoon, the fame 

 officers, with three or four more, came with the chaloop to fetch them ; and they 

 were no fooner landed, but found feveral horfes ready for them to mount upon, which 

 they did, and were conduced up a high hill, all over covered with fpeftators, to 

 the governor's palace. In the outward hall was a flrong guard of foldiers ; in the 

 fecond, feveral enfigns and other inferior officers ; in the third apartment they met 

 with nothing but captains and lieutenants ; and in the fourth, with colonels, general 

 officers, fome clergymen, and the governor himfelf ; who, after having received them 

 at the door, defired them to fit down next to him, upon chairs fet for that purpofe. 

 The envoys then begun their harangue, in which they told him, that they were 

 extremely glad to find him in good health at this time, when they were fent by the 

 great council of the Dutch Brazil, to alTure him of their good inclinations to maintain 

 a good correfpondency and friendfhip with him, and of their hearty wifhes for His 

 Majefly's, his own, and the government's profperity ; to preferve which, they were 

 ready to contribute all that lay in their power. Then they told him, that they had 

 feveral things to propofe to him, when he fhould think convenient to receive them ; 

 the reft of the difcourfe run upon mutual compliments and news. After which, 

 the envoys were again accompanied by the governor to the door of the apartment, 

 where he ordered the before-mentioned Domingo Delgados and David Ventura, to 

 conduft them to a certain large houfe, finely furnifhed, in Bifhop's-ftreet, and to en- 

 tertain them at his charge ; which, though the envoys refufed, alledging it to be con- 

 trary to the intentions of their mafters, yet were forced to accept of the fame, and 

 were very magnificently entertained at fupper. 



The next morning about eleven o'clock, they went again to the palace, and after 

 having defired a fecond audience, were received in the fame manner as betbre. Every 

 one being ordered to withdraw, befides the fecretary of the governor ; the envoys made 

 their propofitions to the laft, which they delivered to him in writing, in Portuguefe, 

 recommending the fame to his confideration, as tending towards the maintaining a 

 good and firm correfpondency betwixt them. To which the governor gave this general 



5 c 2 anfwer: 



