NlfiUHOFF*^ BRAZIL. y^t 



council not being ignorant of this, were indefatigable In their care, to leave no ftone 

 unturned to find out the ring-ieaders of this rebellion, fo as to charge them efFedually 

 > with this crime, and find out fufficient caufe for their commitment. They fent out 

 feveral of their officers into the country as fpies, to found the inclinations of the people, 

 and whether they could meet with any one who incited the reft to an infurreftion. 

 The like he did on the other fide of the river of St. Francis, and in Kamaron's camp, 

 whither they had fent certain perfons to inveftigate their defigns, and to learn what 

 preparations they made for war, and whether they were intended againft Pernambuko, 

 but were not able to find out any thing, upon which they could make any fure 

 account. Being neverthelefs fenfible that thofe forewarnings were not altogether 

 groundlefs, and knowing the Portuguefe to be of fo haughty a temper (befides the 

 difference in religion) that they would fcarce let any opportunity flip of withdrawing 

 themfelves from the obedience of their conquerors ; they writ the 1 3th of February 

 1645 the following letter, concerning the defigns of the Portuguefe to the council 

 of Nineteen : 



A Letter from the Great Council to the Weji India Company* 



" Moft Noble and Right Honourable, 

 " During the government of His Excellency Count Maurice, there were already 

 feveral of the inhabitants of this ftate entered into fecret cabals to rife in mutiny againft 

 us, in hopes of alfiftance from the Bahia ; their bufmefs was to infinuate into thofe that 

 were well affefted to them, after their good fuccefs in Maranhaon, that our forces being 

 confiderably weakened by the ftrong detachments fent to the garrifons of Angola, 

 St. Thomas, and others, a fair opportunity was offered them, to withdraw themfelves 

 from our obedience, and to enjoy their former liberty under their own King. They 

 were not a little encouraged in their defign, imagining the fame might be carried on 

 without any great difficulty, when they found that of late we had received no fupplies 

 either of meat or other proyifions, or of foldiers, from Holland, whereby the ftore- 

 houfes of the company here being exhaufted, the garrifons of the forts were forced to 

 be fupplied from time to time with farinha and frelh meats out of the country ; they 

 judged, if they could once be mafters in the field, they muft of neceffity fall into their 

 hands, as it happened in 1640 to the Spanilh garrifons in Portugal, who for the fame 

 reafon were not in a condition to hold out againft the Portuguefe j being, befides that, 

 fenfible that, unlefs we would too much weaken our garrifons, we had no fufficient 

 number of troops left to appear formidable in the field. Thefe and other fuch like in- 

 finuations have been frequently fpread among the Portuguefe, by thofe who, finding 

 themfelves moft uneafy under our government, hoped for a change of their affairs by 

 changing their mafters ; which, however, wrought no confiderable effed, as long as His 

 Excellency continued in the government, prartly becaufe we, being forewarned of their 

 defigns, kept a watchful eye over all their actions, and partly becaufe our fea and land 

 forces being much more confiderable at that* time than they are now, they had but little 

 profpeft of fucceeding in their enterprife, which therefore they judged moft convenient 

 to defer till after His Excellency's departure, which as it was fu|ficiently known before- 

 hand, fo they were fenfible that thereby our forces both by fea and land muft be con- 

 fiderably weakened, and confequently would fumifh them with a fairer opportunity of 

 putting their fo long rejected defign in execution ; the more, becaufe that many of the 

 Portuguefe who, relying hitherto Upon the authority of Count Maurice, as the only 

 means to keep the foldiers in awe, being now put in fear of the executions and exorbi- 



9 tancies 



